Re: [Harp-L] Amps

[Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Rick Davis wrote:
<The Fender Frontman 15 actually makes a pretty decent harp amp for the
<money.  Here is a link to a video of a Dex Lane playing his at Ziggies
<Blues Jam in Denver:
<
<http://youtu.be/7wvgMk-fmRg
<
<Does it give you great harp sound?  No, but it certainly is not bad. 

Thanks for the link.  I'm not wild about the sound of the harp on that video--lots of high mid-range, not a lot of beef in the low mid-range. It's not always easy to separate the sound of the player/the amp/the mic involved (bullet mics emphasize the midrange, of course), but in general it's not a sound that I would prefer.  However, since you can hear the harp clearly on the video, potential buyers can certainly make up their own minds.

I remain convinced that in the lowest price ranges ($100-125) in particular, modeling amps offer more value for money--better sound, and usually more and better FX as well, including decent delays and reverbs.  The Vox DA5 is a good example, and there are videos on Youtube of harp played through that amp that sound very good.  This one, by a German player (with text in German) is a prime example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9gNCCgwnb8

The DA5 has built-in FX that include delay and reverb, and it makes a nice roar with harp. It also has a line-out that's useful when you want to put the amp's output through a bigger amp or PA.  It's no longer in production, but they can be found fairly easily used on eBay for less than $100.  I own a DA5 that I keep around for those occasions when I just want to plug something in and go; I bought it immediately after I played through one at a jam session a few years ago.  Obviously I was impressed by the thing.  It sounds very nice with guitar too.   

The Vox VT series also seems to be harp-friendly; Brandon Bailey has a nice video on Youtube demonstrating the VT30 model:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRYKpDJC014
Guitarcenter.com has a few of these selling used for under $100.  Anything you buy from Guitarcenter.com comes with a 15-day no-questions-asked refund policy, so the risk is pretty low; if you hate the sounds, pack it up and send it back.

I'm reminded of something Steve Baker said to me a few years ago.  He told me that he'd run a workshop in Germany where a bunch of amps were tested, and in general the players with good acoustic tone sounded pretty good no matter which amp they used.  

That said, I repeat that in my opinion, in the lowest price ranges ($100-125) in particular, modeling amps offer more value for money.  I suggest that you check out a few of the videos referenced above and see what you think.  

Regards, Richard Hunter