just picked up a JT30 harmonica mic that's supposed to be run through a guitar amp. the mic has it's own volume control and i was hoping to plug it into my hot rod along with my guitar.
the issue is, where do i put the amp now?
i'm used to having it behind me mic'd with a shure 57, but somehow that doesn't seem like a good idea if i have the harp mic plugged into it also.

what to youz guyz do?

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I've seen harp players mic their harp amps too,so I guess that'd work as a smaller amp seems to bring out the best in a harp.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

All the harp players ive played with ..usually set their amps off to the side of them and close...Congrats on the mic...ive played with Sonnyboy Terry...Paul Orta...Lazy Lester and Brian Templeton..all great players and world known....ive cut CDs with them as well...and they all dig that mic...if you need any modding done i know a really good guy here in Texas...also check out my buddy Randy at http://www.lwharpamps.com/ he makes some great pedals for harp and guitar...

Peace

Little Ray Ybarra

thx guys,
i'm not anywhere close to a "great" player. my deal is, i've been messing around with the harmonica, living rooms, parties, etc. and just decided to start using it with my band. i was having trouble hearing it in the monitors through my vocal mic. friend of mine suggested the "mic/amp" thing, but i was wondering how to manage doing that withoug causing feedback.
he mentioned the amp off to the side, but he doesn't play harmonica.
was hoping for some "hands-on" experience.

i'll try the off to the side thing and let you know how it works out.

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Harp playing is tricky feedback is always an issue.....these guys should be able to help you

http://www.lwharpamps.com/forum/

I've played harp almost as long as I have played guitar: I use an old Astatic A200 mic made in the 40s (I have a couple of other harp mics, but the Astatic is my fav) through my '63 Re-issue Vibroverb.

The feedback issue is always a hairy one.
First, try to tweak the eq (tone knobs) on your amp to reduce the feedback.

I used to use a equalizer pedal (w/a volume slider) to both (1) push the amp into overdrive and (2) to tweeze out the offending (feedback) frequencies. Since my EQ pedal died, I've been trying a few other things, but that was the most satisfying method I had to keep things rockin'.

A noise suppressor (I use an ISP Decimator G-string pedal) often helps, too.

As far as where to stand, I find moving your amp off to your side (about 4-8 feet away) but still pointed toward you (and the audience) helps quite a bit. Try not to have the amp and the "face" of your microphone facing each other, and there usually won't be a problem.

What kind of harps are you playing? I usually use Hohner Marine Band or Blues Harps, and I like the Lee Oskar models quite a bit.

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Good Vibes To Y'all!



Screamin' Armadillos
Texas Roadhouse Music
Guitar/Slide Guitar/Harp/Vocals

I still miss my old Bassman Ten for the harp. It was a silverface with a master volume, and when you cranked the slave volume with the master turned down, that thing had a growl like no other. The only problem was the weight of the amp.

I lost it in the Great Mortgage Payment Guitar and Amp Collection Massacre of 1996.

Most "deeper voiced" darker/warmer-sounding amps with a master volume work very well for harp overdrive, as well as the lower-powered rigs (Champ, Princeton) that you can crank up...although the lower wattage amps don't always keep up with a full band, volume-wise.

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Good Vibes To Y'all!



Screamin' Armadillos
Texas Roadhouse Music
Guitar/Slide Guitar/Harp/Vocals

somehow i knew i'd get some good "feedback" here at the lounge. WOW!
nothing but hohner here. marine bands, blues harps and special 20's. i decided to give the 20's a shot because i'm wondering if they might last longer with the plastic rather than wood construction... guess we'll see.
my astatic jt30 recommends a tube amp, so as i mentioned earlier, i'm hoping to run both my strat and my harp through the same amp, i' e., my hot rod deluxe. i do have a fender automatic, but it's only 20 watts, and it's solid state.

sorry to hear about the massacre. i'm feelin' for ya. i had to unload some equipment around the same time for the very same reason.

that noise supressor... is that the same as a noise gate? if so, i have a boss pedal i haven't been using.
i also have a 5-band eq, more of a module, not a pedal... looks like i have some more messin' around to do. time to fire up the old toys i guess.

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Hey Frankie, c'mon over to Louis' Crossing out at Quincy next
Wednesday night and play some harp, or guitar, or anything.

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Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!

hi mike...
i did get your message, and how i wish i could make it... if only just to shake hands with one of the forum's most respectable members.
just happens to fall into the most busiest week i've had in quite some time.
is this a regular thing they've got going on over there? or a once in a lifetime opportunity like woodstock?

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Hi Frankie...it might become a regular thing...I'm going down to show some support
for some good friends that I've met.

"Satch" Romano should be there with harps too.

_________________
Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!

well gentlemens, ran the mic thru the hot rod at rehearsal last thursday, but trying to run it along with the strat... not so good.
BUT... at the gig on saturday night i ran it through my 25W fender automatic and mic'd the amp - yessirreee! that little setup kicks butt!
my band only plays small venues anyhow, so we're pretty low on the volume knobs and wattage isn't an issue.
had the amp off to my side and forward, angled about 45 toward me and out toward the crowd... no feedback and i could hear everything i was playing.

last time i played the harp at a gig i was playing it through my vocal mic, and couldn't hear anything in the monitor... someone recorded it and when i heard the playback i was horrified

thanks for all the help!
FTK

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If you take good care of them, the wood combs will last quite a while. I never really liked the Special 20's much, but some guys swear by them. The Lee Oskar harps have plastic combs, too, and I have used them for years. Somehow, the Marine Bands and Blues Harps just sound better to my ears...but that's in the ear of the beholder.
The Hot Rod amps (Deluxe and Deville) are notoriously bad for harp. That's not an insult--the same can be said for many great guitar amps (Twin Reverb, for example). However the Greatest Harp Player in the History of Forever And Ever, KIM WILSON (of the Fabulous Thunderbirds) plays through a couple of Hot Rod Devilles and they sound great. I think he could play through a piece of wax paper wrapped around a comb and sound great, though.
The reason I stuck with my Vibroverb all these years is because it is equally good for harp and guitar....and although tube amps are better for harp (aren't they better for everything? ), there are some great sounds to be found in solid state amps for harp; you just have to be choosy and tweak the knobs a bit more.
Noise suppressor and noise gate are the same thing. It won't completely eliminate feedback, but it helps quite a bit.
If your eq module has a volume slider, it will help add some grit and overdrive to the sound. Tweaking various frequencies will help with the feedback as well.

As with everything, your mileage may vary .

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Good Vibes To Y'all!



Screamin' Armadillos
Texas Roadhouse Music
Guitar/Slide Guitar/Harp/Vocals

Very cool--I'm glad you found a rig that works good for your harp excursions...but be careful, it gets like the good ol' Guitar GAS

Post some tracks if you get a chance--I'd like to hear it...

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Good Vibes To Y'all!



Screamin' Armadillos
Texas Roadhouse Music
Guitar/Slide Guitar/Harp/Vocals