[Harp-L] Harp Commander

[Tom Richardson <drtrichardson@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hey harp buddies,

I've been listening to many of you complaining about connectivity & tone.  Some of you have need for both 1/4" and xlr inputs as well both 1/4" (to amp) and xlr (to the house) outputs, all with gain or volume controls - all of that includes issues dealing with impedance and gain.  Others want to be able to quickly switch between clean and dirty sounds.  All of us want to reduce feedback and get our sound in front of the band, both difficult to do with a floor amp.  

Ron Holmes is an electrical engineer that started to produce the double preamp Harp Commanders in 2001.  He is a strong advocate for playing through the PA, though perhaps using a small amp as a monitor.   

Each model of the Harp Commander increased connectivity (eventually with the 3 adding xlr inputs and outputs) as well as adding compression and polarity.  The IV switched to a better circuity and changed the location of the connections and knobs.  Both are awesome machined - saves lots of thought & money trying to piece together the many elements.  I also have a ART preamp that I have been using for a few months that helps out a lot, but the 3 and 4 go far beyond what is can do.

I am surprised that so many posts have been made about connectivity and tone apparently without knowledge of the Harp Commanders.  Goggle them.  Youtube them.  Coast To Coast Music sells them.  Ron stopped producing the 4 two years ago and both he and CTC are out of stock.

Last September Ron announced that the 5, now called The Red, would be more than the 4 and be available through Coast To Coast at Christmas.  He stated that it would add an input for instrument or MP3 and an output for ear phone as well as reverb, chorus and maybe even rotary -- all analog.  I WANT THAT!!!  I had a chance to buy a 4 last September but didn't.  That was a mistake.

The Red was announced two weeks ago.  It is available now through Ron directly for the first 25.  After that Coast To Coast will sell them.

Unfortunately the design for the Red changed drastically from what Ron promised.  It lost the xlr inputs and outputs and did not add chorus & reverb.  THAT DOESN'T WORK FOR ME!  Ron didn't inform us of this change.  So I waited from September through July to get the Red only to be greatly disappointed.  He could have let us know of that change many months before but didn't.

Some of you may not need xlr connectivity.  Then the Red is perfect for you - will solve most, if not all, of your problems.  For those of us, and that is a lot, that play with an xlr mic and/or play through the PA, the Red won't work for you.

Ron is a designer.  It is his nature to do it again.  Hopefully, the 6 will be what he promised a year ago.  Even if you don't want xlr in & out, it would be useful to have them just in case.  We have to wait ... perhaps a year or two for that.  When such comes out, I will among the first to buy it.  Ron is a mastermind at such things.

Meanwhile, I postponed purchases for my rig for a year.  One of you answered my post a week ago in which I was trying to buy a 4.  He offered to sell me a barely used 3.  I bought it and expect to get it in the mail within a few days.  Without Harp-L, I couldn't find one.

My experience with The Red has been very frustrating, to say the least.  But we should not "through the baby out with the bath water."  Buy a Red if that works for you.  If not, buy a used 3 or 4 -- but that will be difficult.  Stop trying to make it all work together by jimmy-riggin' pieces together.  E-mail Ron with your requests for what the 6 should be.

holmeseng.com for the website.  Ronald@xxxxxxxxxxxxx for e-mail.


I certainly learn a lot through Harp-L.  It is a marvelous source for us.

Keep on harpin'

Tom Richardson
Bakersfield, CA.