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Harmonica Live Rig...

House53House53 Posts: 1,276
edited November 2005 in Musicians and Gearheads
DONE!

I am going to get a small amp and mic for my harp live playing.

I am leaning towards a Pro Jr. and a Shure Green Bullet. Any other ideas on the amp front?
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Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404

    House, Green Bullet is a classic. YOu could experiment with pedals as well like John Popper does.

    I say go Pro JR over Blues Jr in that ap. Keeping it simple.

    Maybe swap the speaker to an alnico weber to get it a little looser and dirty.

    I bet a delta blues would sound good.

    The guy at my local blues establishment in the house band uses a bullet into a old RI 59 bassman and it sounds great but more than you really want to spend. There are probably loads of 5E3 tweed circuits around your area built by all kinds of folks.

    Pro Jr is perfect though. The only thing I'd change is maybe the speaker to something looser and better sounding. Weber, Texas Heat, Jensen alnico etc.

    If you still have that little vox you could use it for a while.


    _________________________________________

    Organ - man I love that nord, but there are a few pianos that do a decent organ too that are cheaper, it just depends on if you need it now or it can wait.
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • House53House53 Posts: 1,276
    I was thinking about using the vox too.

    I have used a green bullet before... it is a winner for sure. Maybe I can find a nice used blues deluxe, deluxe, or bassman ri to run as well.

    I think I am pretty set on the Clavia Nord for the keyboard.
    There's No Code.
  • House53House53 Posts: 1,276
    I should add that I haven't been able to test anything out yet... just on descriptions the Nord is in the lead... I wouldn't be suprised if I wound up with something less expensive.
    There's No Code.
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    House53 wrote:
    I was thinking about using the vox too.

    I have used a green bullet before... it is a winner for sure. Maybe I can find a nice used blues deluxe, deluxe, or bassman ri to run as well.

    I think I am pretty set on the Clavia Nord for the keyboard.

    It'd still be nice to have an electro.

    It just depends on how much volume you need on the harp amp, boost pedals, dirt boxes, delays etc all fun to play with.

    So many giging people have stuff they've hot rodded around there I'm sure you can find some kind of cool champ vibro champ or 5E3 circuit or pro jr etc cheap. The new crates look pretty solid too.
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • House53House53 Posts: 1,276
    (Sarcasm) People don't hot rod music rigs in Texas... they like things nice and quiet...

    I am sure something cool will turn up.
    There's No Code.
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    House53 wrote:
    (Sarcasm) People don't hot rod music rigs in Texas... they like things nice and quiet...

    I am sure something cool will turn up.


    You could build the yngwie malmsteen of harp rigs too. That'd be cool!! :D
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • House53House53 Posts: 1,276
    Pacomc79 wrote:
    You could build the yngwie malmsteen of harp rigs too. That'd be cool!! :D

    how do you play pinch harmonics on a harmonica? :D

    I am not seeing many Nord boards used... that is a good sign, but also unfortunate meaning I need to buy new.
    There's No Code.
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    House53 wrote:
    how do you play pinch harmonics on a harmonica? :D

    I am not seeing many Nord boards used... that is a good sign, but also unfortunate meaning I need to buy new.


    yeah that's a good sign in terms of reliability and if anybody knows the first it'd be Popper.

    I was just thinking you know, 1200 to 2400 watts and 24 to 48 4x12's of pure harmonica power.
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • House53House53 Posts: 1,276
    which delta blues? 115 or 210? I think that might be a good choice... the tremolo could be cool as well.

    Also a custom vibrolux might be cool... 210s with a lot of dirt on tap.
    There's No Code.
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    House53 wrote:
    which delta blues? 115 or 210? I think that might be a good choice... the tremolo could be cool as well.

    Also a custom vibrolux might be cool... 210s with a lot of dirt on tap.


    I generally prefer the 2x10 DB especially with the tremolo.

    The custom vibrolux probably wouldn't even need a speaker swap as it comes with alnico jensens I think, that's one of my all timers.
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • House53House53 Posts: 1,276
    Pacomc79 wrote:
    I generally prefer the 2x10 DB especially with the tremolo.

    The custom vibrolux probably wouldn't even need a speaker swap as it comes with alnico jensens I think, that's one of my all timers.

    I have heard that you can run a stand alone tube reverb unit through a PA and get nice tube overdrive as well...

    Turn the mix up and the dwell down... you wouldn't get much reverb, just tube overdrive... then through the PA... feedback would be limited. No need to mic the thing either... as a bonus the reverb could be run with my tophat as well when needed.

    A fender reverb is only about $300... I like this option... with the greenbullet that is $400 for a good tube driven harp setup.
    There's No Code.
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    House53 wrote:
    I have heard that you can run a stand alone tube reverb unit through a PA and get nice tube overdrive as well...

    Turn the mix up and the dwell down... you wouldn't get much reverb, just tube overdrive... then through the PA... feedback would be limited. No need to mic the thing either... as a bonus the reverb could be run with my tophat as well when needed.

    A fender reverb is only about $300... I like this option... with the greenbullet that is $400 for a good tube driven harp setup.


    true, that might work fine, plus it never hurts to have a tube reverb unit lying around. Careful, you'll end up pulling out the Gretsch and buying a Tube Tape Echo and going all surf rockabilly. :D
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • House53House53 Posts: 1,276
    I would like to find some confirmation of that (using a stand alone reverb)... but I am not sure of a good resource.

    I would much prefer that too running a small amp and having to mic it up... lots of feedback issues there.
    There's No Code.
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    House53 wrote:
    I would like to find some confirmation of that (using a stand alone reverb)... but I am not sure of a good resource.

    I would much prefer that too running a small amp and having to mic it up... lots of feedback issues there.


    aw the feedback is half the fun.
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • who's_pearljam?who's_pearljam? Posts: 2,104
    Some of the great harp amps ever for that Little Walter or Junior Wells tone are the old Gibson amps. They are GREAT amps, especially the BR series with the field coil speakers. They aren't that expensive either. They were meant for Hawaiian Guitar back in the 40's and 50's, but when you crank them, it's just SO blues with a guitar or harp.

    Here's one:
    http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-GIBSON-BR-6-TUBE-AMP-AMPLIFIER-1948_W0QQitemZ7367082667QQcategoryZ10171QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

    But they make smaller ones that come up fairly often, too.
    Also the old Les Paul JR amps are cheap and sound great!
    Be kind, man
    Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
    __________________________________
  • House53House53 Posts: 1,276
    who's_pearljam? wrote:
    Some of the great harp amps ever for that Little Walter or Junior Wells tone are the old Gibson amps. They are GREAT amps, especially the BR series with the field coil speakers.

    I have played an older gibson amp (60s) that had some nice raunchy tones... I am leaning away from an amp toward a preamp of some kind before the PA... I just want to add some tube warmth and overdrive before I get to the PA. I think I am going to try the reverb unit method. If it doesn't work, I have a nice reverb and I can continue to play straight into the PA on my sm57... I was getting pretty good tone with that at rehearsal anyways.

    Too many cool options... that's for sure. If I got started on harp amps and setups it would be another five years before I would focus on playing music. Thank god I can't change out my voice... I found a mic I love and stick with it.
    There's No Code.
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