Re: [Harp-L] amp upgrade for chromatic harmonica, for jazz

[Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

JON KIP wrote:
<A question about amps. For the chromatic harmonica and for playing jazz. While I do occasionally Get the Blues, I don't play them. My site has some <samples of the kind of music I understand. Notably absent is The Diatonic Blues. I'm too uptight for that stuff. 
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<What I have now is something I got from Tommy Morgan which he uses live, a simple/cheap setup consisting of an Ibenez SW20 bass amp, and a zoom <effects box. 
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<With that I get 20 watts, and some EQ (in the amp and in the zoom) and reverb, from the amp, and the occasional wrong note.
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<I don't need any other effects, I want it to sound  as much like the sound I get in studios, or my home 'studio'. (My messy practice room, with <Apple's Logic.) The mic I use and will be using is the ubiquitous SM58.

For jazz, you want a clean amp.  A moderately sized keyboard amp or powered PA speaker should do the job well.  I like my Peavey KB2 plenty, but it's not the only choice in mid-$200s price range that will work.

The mic may be an issue if you're cupping it.  The SM58 will give you a very strong proximity effect, i.e. a big boost in the bass frequencies.  An Audix Fireball V would be a better choice for a clean sound with plenty of body in it.  If that's not feasible, use the EQ on the amp to take out as much as you can in the 80-100 hZ range.

I'm assuming that your Zoom can handle any reverb or delay needs that you have.

Regards, Richard Hunter