Re: Amps and Mics and Stuff

[Randy Lilleston <randyl@xxxxxxxxxx>]

  On Tue, 4 Oct 1994 CAnthes@xxxxxxx asked about amps and mics, 
specifically about the Fender Blues Deville and Hohner mics.

  IMHO, the Blues Deville is a great buy, as are the rest of the amps in 
this new Fender tweed series. It uses the same speakers and much of the 
same circuitry as the Bassman reissue (except you can't put in a tube 
rectifier), includes a built-in reverb and a high-gain channel (you can 
play at any volume and get a fat sound, which is difficult with a 
Bassman) and costs a couple of hundred dollars less! I don't know why 
this is...it does make me suspect the parts quality and the case for the 
amp may not be as well-built, but I've tried one and have been impressed 
by its tone.
  However, the Alnico "blue frame" speakers that come with this amp and 
the Bassman reissue sound kinda crummy at first, IMHO. They're very 
harsh. The sound changes appreciably, and all for the better, after about 
50 hours of use or so. I like the way the speakers on my Bassman sound 
now - I had considered changing 'em out for some Kendrick speakers.
 I definitely prefer a 4X10 speaker arrangement - gives the best 
combination of low tones and distortion and allows for good sound dispersal.

 I, too, have been told that the Hohner mics are wired differently than 
the Astatics and that this affects the gain. However, crystal mics 
already run all over the place in terms of overall gain - a lot of how 
good a crystal mic is has to do with the luck of the draw (again, IMHO). 
I have a Hohner mic that I like and use all the time. I also have a 
"crystal balls" mic from Kevin's Harps that definitely has more gain and 
a better mid-range tone, but not so much so that it's worth double the 
price of a Hohner and an Astatic. Plus, the screw-on connectors on this 
mic and the vintage ones look cool, but they can be a pain in the butt 
when trying to get a good electrical connection (which is why they were 
faded out of production).
 



> 
> Lastly, and the most vague question of the bunch, what advice can anyone give
> me on startin' up band. 

Prayer (grin). No...I'd suggest finding a guitarist first (ads in your 
local alternative paper or music rag, plus a few postcards on the 
bulletin board at your local music store, can help), jamming with him/her 
and seeing if you're simpatico with one another. If that works, you can 
probably pick up everyone else without much hassle.