Re: [Harp-L] RE: Affordable First Amp

[Rick Davis <bluesharpamps@xxxxxxxxx>]

Before Gibson bought them out in 1957, Epiphone made very fine guitars, some
quite expensive.  They were Gibson's direct competitor.

It is true that harp players sometimes overspend in pursuit of the "right"
tone, but it is also true that the vintage equipment used in the 50's is now
either rare, expensive, worn out, or all three.  The clubs today require a
LOT more volume than was common in juke joints back then.  The blues harp
pros we admire today often use modern interpretations of vintage gear.

That does not come cheap.  There is nothing wrong with dropping a few
dollars on good gear.  In the early 50's the harp guys used amps meant for
phonographs, public address systems, guitars, etc.... Not necessarily
because they were cheap, but because they were all there was if they wanted
to emulate the amped tone of LIttle Walter.

I'm not sure that Howlin Wolf or Big Walter or any of the greats of that era
would laugh in Rick Estrin's face as he plays his expensive 100 watt
HarpKing amp.  I think they'd be impressed.

-- 
-Rick Davis
The Blues Harp Amps Blog
http://www.bluesharpamps.blogspot.com/



2010 at 10:06 AM, Bill Kumpe <bkumpe@xxxxxxx> wrote:

>
> John Walden said:  "They simply used what they had. THEY HAD NO MONEY to
> buy
> expensive gear."
>
> Thank you John for voicing some common sense.  Chester Arthur Burnett
> taught
> us one of the best lessons in gear snobbery that can be found in blues
> history.  Look at the brand of his guitars.  He played Epi's not Gibsons or
> other high dollar instruments.  Aside from being a talented musician, he
> was
> a keen businessman.   I come from a poor southern background and have
> family
> members who were (on and off) gigging musicians.  If you had told them that
> in 2010 middle aged men would be spending a fortune to try to duplicate the
> sound made by dirt poor musicians playing cheap equipment, they would have
> laughed in your face.
>
> Bill Kumpe
> Tulsa, OK
>
>