[Harp-L] SJ Cruncher Review

Donnie MorTone <harp_boy@xxxxxxxxxxx> · Mon, 1 Mar 2010 13:21:40 -1000

Recieved my New Sonny Jr Cruncher by UPS on Feb 8th.

It was a wedding gift from my wife Tammy, what a woman!!!

The custom cardboard shipping crate was easy to carry into

the crib with the convenient cut outs on the sides. The 42

pound tone monster is allot easier & lighter then many amps

I've owned in the past. 

Once in the house...I couldn't wait to unpack this puppy!

The amp was surrounded by plastic wrapped foam and went

through five states to get here to Hawaii. Great Packing Job!

The amp was covered by the beautiful custom tuki cover

that Gary has available for all his gorgeous amps he makes.

Once unveiled...the Amp had me hypnotized by it's immaculance.

Just a Gorgeous looking work of art! I'm very very impressed by

the cab and the chasis...the 8 coat finish! There is now a pic

of me gigging with the amp up on my Myspace page.

I had a gig coming up with Larry "The Mole" Taylor coming

up in 4 days on the 12th of Feb...so I got down to business

and plugged in a JT with a black label CR into normal channel 1.

I used the recommended settings provided by Gary to start with.

Upon the first few notes and tongue slaps and blow octaves I

had to sit down because I was in shock on just how amazing

and FAT the sound was. After pickin my jaw up off the floor I

played for about another 20 minutes...just completely aware

of every nuance and the slightest variation in anything I did.

Weather it was tongue block or single note, open or closed

cup on the mic, even my breathing....this amp hides nothing.

You hear every thing u do...& for me, it seemed like it was in

a way that I had never heard before. The amp immediatly inspires,

and makes one so aware of EVERY slight variation in your playing.

I tried using the bridging cable gary provides, so channels 1 & 2

become interactive and both volumes are employed. Scary. What'

a dirty nasty broken up tone that is. The CR I had in my mic shell

provided plenty of break up on it's own, so I switched to a crystal

astatic 127 in a Turner shell...and the sound there was like switching

to a whole nuther amp. Ton's of headroom, clarity & cut...and Great

bottom end response! I played this way with my 64 chromatic for

about 45 minutes...self inspiration does not describe the sensation.

I decided to swap out the 12AT7 for the 5751 Gary provided

and I switched to a Shure 440 grey bullet from the early 60's

with it's stock CM transducer. I also plugged my mic into my

Danecho pedal and back into normal channel one. This was the

sound I was looking for, not quite so broken up when playing

lightly, solid crunch and dirt when u step on the harp & put

some weight on it. This is what I wanted for this upcoming gig

with LT, as we would be covering allot of Hollywood Fats tunes

and doing allot of west coast style swing also. I fooled around 

with this setting for the next couple of days...totally amazed by

the tone & cut this amp provides...even at lower levels.

The gig went really well...considering the lame sound guys.

But...I could hear myself onstage Very Well!!! Larry & I had

a ball, and the amp had me playing at the top of my game!

I had the amp volume on 7.5 for the gig. Bass on 4. Treble

on 8 (gotta have it UP there for the cut) Mid on 6. I know this

might sound strange for players who in the past have been 

using guitar amps without much tube swapping. But this is

where the amp sings best...at least for me it was...on this gig.

I basically went with Gary's recommendations...and he was

spot on. I was going for more verb/echo then I usually might

for this gig, as Al Blake uses allot of verb from a tank on most

of that Fats material, and he still does with the Blue Flames.

So I wanted to immulate that somewhat.

My Danecho was set up thusly:

switch:lo-mix:noon-speed:3 o'clock-repeat:noon-HiCut:noon

I had another gig on Saturday Feb 27th...this time in a much

smaller room in a resturant with no stage. No amps being mic'd.

No sound guys to screw things up. The only thing going through

the PA was the vocals. period. I used the CM mic in the nastier

channel 2 for the 1st & second set with the volume on 5. 

Just amazed at how well I could hear myself, and how full the

room sounded...even with a somewhat rocked out guitarist on

this gig. He never once drowned me out. We got a little louder

on the 3rd & 4th sets as the night went on...as usual. So I just

moved the volume up a notch to 6 and it was FAT...but not

too loud! I just Love the way this amp responds to everything

I do. This amps makes one very aware that in the quest for the

holy grail of tone, that one factor remains very true: Tone in

equal Tone out. I think it would inspire even the most beginner

of amplified players to focus on their playing, and moreso, their

technique in amplified playing. I know it does that for me.

I've been playing through the amp DAILY at home. I don't

consider it practice. It's more like a joy...a pleasure...and

for about 6 years I dont seem to have been inspired to work

on my playing, get it back into shape. But now...I'm more

then inspired...I'm stoked!!! I've become so much more aware

of everything I do thanks to this great amp...& thanks to Gary.

In the past 25 years I've owned dozens of amps...mostly

vintage Fenders & Gibsons...some smaller Silvertones &

Kalamazoo's. But this is the BEST amp I've ever heard for

harmonica. Perhaps because it was MADE strictly for harp.

I won't be buying any more amps...except maybe more SJ

models in the future. I may even be selling some of the other

amps I still have. Amp satisfaction found for me...took 53 years!!!

Gary is a pleasure to deal with, very helpful and committed to

excellance in what he does. Why would I go elsewhere now?

I wouldn't. period. Once you have the best...F the rest. ;))

Satisfied & Inspired,

~Donnie MorTone~

http://www.myspace.com/donniemortone

http://www.youtube.com/user/BluesGeek

The William Clarke Tribute Site: 
http://www.angelfire.com/blues/williamclarke/index.html