Tone

[AV1901@xxxxxxx]

I'm getting some pretty good chuckles on the tone thread. I guess I know what 
*I* think good (note the context - live and recorded Chicago style amplified 
blues harp /diatonic and chromatic/) tone sounds like. I also know I like 
Stevie Wonder's tone (note the context - on Fingertips and yes, even Neil 
Young's tone on *his* stuff). 

I know I'll continue to tweek my tone (not to make it objectively good, but 
to get it to be what I want *MY* tone to be) for many more years.

I also realize that a lot of what some people talk about when they talk about 
tone tends to involve techniques like tongue blocking\slaps\split octaves, 
etc. 

Most of the harp tone I've heard in my life has, unfortunately, been 
*recordings* of guys that are *dead*. I can count on one hand the number of 
great players I've heard plaing accoustic (no amplification at all). Oh, I've 
heard many players great (and not so great) playing live gigs, but all those 
live gigs involved varying degrees of amplification. Even the so called 
'straight through the PA' guys have their accoustic tone altered (i.e. 
reverb, EQ, compression, etc.). 

I imagine most members never heard George Smith or either Walter live and 
accoustic (no electronics at all)? How many list members have even heard them 
live and amplified? Not me.

Hell, I like Jimmy Reed's tone, what do I know? 

Andy Vincent