Re: [Harp-L] Pedal help

[Mike <mikefugazzi@xxxxxxxxx>]

Something else to consider if you go beyond pedals...

The Fireball is a very clean mic.  A SM57 or SM58 or RE10 would be a mic 
that would sound dirtier, still have a nice dynamic range, and be similar 
to cup.  There are pedals you can use like the Zoom or Digitech stuff that 
will let you use dirt and a time effect, but they take time to set up.

I would personally get a RE10 and make sure my cupping and tongue blocking 
were getting the dirt.  Carlos Del Junco had a rig like that on his live 
album.  I prefer 75% clean-ish tones nowadays, so YMMV.  Jason Ricci does a 
great job with a SM57, HarpBreak, and large amp, so it can easily be done 
with or without a pedal.



On Tuesday, May 6, 2014 1:29:31 PM UTC-5, Maurice Thaler wrote:
>
> Hello, 
>
>   
>
> I am an experienced player in the Madison WI area, with a request for 
> suggestions for a pedal for my rig. 
>
> I am using for smaller gigs a Princeton Reverb (1972) which works great 
> and 
> needs no help. But for gigs in larger rooms with louder guitar to keep up 
> with, I use a Bassman reissue. I have modified it slightly by using less 
> aggressive preamp tubes. Before I did that, it was 3 is too soft, 4 is 
> feedback. Not a lot of room for adjustment. At any rate, the amp sounds 
> great, but it is so clean that it needs something to add some crunch to 
> the 
> sound. That amp has no reverb and the only other adjustment is "Presence" 
> which I never really understood all that well. 
>
>   
>
> I have a Holy Grail which works nice (I like the simplicity) and I have 
> tried using a Tube Screamer to add crunch, but it is rather touchy and I 
> have trouble getting them to work well together. 
>
>   
>
> I am using an Audix Fireball V which I really like since it fits in my 
> small 
> hands well so I can cup with a nice tight seal. I am of course using an 
> Hi-Lo Z adapter to plug either into the amp or whatever pedal. 
>
>   
>
> What I am asking for and have not seemed to find is a "one pedal solution" 
> that combines some crunch plus some reverb. I tried one at the Guitar 
> Center: Mad Professor MP1DR which combined distortion and reverb with 
> level 
> control in one pedal. 
>
> That SOUNDED like what I needed on paper and it sounded good with the 
> guitar 
> at the shop, but when I went to set up at the gig (idiot that I am, I did 
> not show up at the Guitar Center with a harp & mic in hand to test it 
> there), I plugged everything in and the level was so pumped that I could 
> not 
> move it above about 1 on the level control of the pedal.  I had my volume 
> levels set on the low side on my amp. My guess is that pedal is setup for 
> certain guitar pickups and does not match well impedance-wise with my 
> Audix 
> Fireball V mic with its low-z adapter. 
>
>   
>
> So, to rephrase the question, is there a pedal that combines reverb and 
> distortion that could be recommended for my setup? I really like to keep 
> things simple, I find when I start stringing pedals together I lose 
> control 
> over the sound, so I am hoping to find a single pedal solution that works 
> well with a harmonica mic and my Fender Bassman. 
>
>   
>
> Thanks for any suggestions. 
>
>   
>
> -Maurice 
>
>