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Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2008 12:48 pm
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Taking a razor blade to the speaker cone, was an old time trick that was used. However, there are many effects pedals that will now do the same type of tone. I do recommend that you contact Euro Tubes in Oregon, and explain to him what you have and wht you are looking for in tone, and he will tell you exactly which JJ/Tesla tubes that he can seel you to get your tone to sound the way that you want it to. He sure does know this stuff, and he has a lot of experience with Blues Juniors. He understands that frequencies for harp are somewhat different than or guitar. As far as the mics, the new Shure green bullets don't have the same tone as the older American elements did. I personally have Shures, Astatics, CADs, Turners, Nady/Bushman Torpedos, Suer Lux, and Shakers. Joe over at Shaker Mics gives great customer service. 8)


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Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2008 12:11 pm
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Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2008 11:48 am
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Location: Deep East Texas
Maruuk wrote:
The stock-tubed BJ with it's 12" speaker is not an ideal harp amp. Also at levels where you start to feedback, it actually is a bit too clean for the proper honk tone. And just cranking gain with the master down is a hideous sound.

The above tube swaps are good, a classic improvement for harp tone. Also going to JJs will give you a slightly denser, more harmonically-rich tone which breaks up a little earlier.

Ideally, just blow through something small and Class A like a Champ 600 or an Epiphone Valve Jr. Harps sound great through Class A where you get the power staged soaked and little speakers --that's critical. Little Walter got all his great tones through that type of amp (6-8" speakers) starting back in the 40's. If you're on stage, mic it up just like the guitar players mic their amps into the PA.

Make sure you have a good harp mic like a Shure Green Bullet or a Hohner BluesBlaster (based on the old classic Astatic cartridge). There is this new Audix Fireball harp mic but it's way too clean--you want the cartridge to get a little overblown and skanky sounding with a limited midrange response. And always get a mic with a volume control--you're operating so close to feedback level all the time you have to tweak levels constantly, and it makes going from background to lead much easier.

I strongly recommend a Golden Melody (formerly Navy Band) harmonica over the the old Marine Band harps. The plastic won't swell and cut your lips, and they're much tighter and play better. The expensive Lee Oskars are of course good too.

Boogie on!


All good advice: I play Golden Melodies and Lee Oskars through a Green Bullet, but I plug into a modified Pignose G40V. I replaced the really cheap standard speaker with an Eminence Ragin' Cajun 10" (some people have managed to squeeze 12s in there, but I like the 10" sound), changed out the stock power tubes for Sovteks, subbed a 12AU7 for the middle 12AX7, and added a Weber Beam Blocker.

The Pig doesn't have a reverb, so I use a Danelectro reverb box -- it sounds appropriately cheesy.

The whold catastrophe weighs maybe 30 lb, and is small and unobtrusive, and "honks" the way a harp amp ought to.

_________________
"Digo: 'paciencia, y barajar.'" Don Quijote de la Mancha, Part II, Chapter 23


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Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2008 4:23 pm
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Location: The Alpha Quadrant.
Eurotubes has an option of valves for Harp players. Check them out.
CC


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