[Harp-L] Hello from Old Harp-l member, and interesting gear discovery...

[WSchuman@xxxxxxx]

Hey Folks !

I haven't participated in the list for a number of years, but thought that I 
would pipe up about a few gear things that I think the list will be very 
interested in. 

A few months ago I went down to a local guitar store here in NYC (30th Street 
Guitars) to try out the Gibson Goldtone, (two thumbs down on that one...not 
good for harmonica, too heavy, and bad design to boot). While I was there the 
store owner came into the tryout room with a large pedal and said: "Try this 
thing... It should be good for the harmonica." 
He had brought in a POG: Polyphonic Octave Generator, by Electro-Harmonix...
It is an octave pedal that gives you one octave below, and two more above, 
plus two octaves "detuned"... it is an extremely adjustable device... 

I am not a fan of pedals...I find that pedals in general sound awful for 
harmonica, they always seem to be more fun for the player then the listener, and 
usually seem to sound much better for guitar then on harp... 
This is one is the real exception, it seems to be perfectly designed for 
harmonica... It can make your harmonica sound like the largest Wurlitzer ever 
made! And since you can dial up any combination of the octaves available in a very 
selective way, it has a very malleable and plastic sound... you can cut out 
the dry input and just play the octave below or any of the two above as well...
(If your playing a Bb low Filisko, the octave below is one of the lowest, 
scariest sounds a harmonica can produce...Amazing!)

In addition, it has great tracking, even with full cords... and if you want 
to switch to just the original signal, you have true bypass, or you can use the 
dry signal with the pedal to add any amount of compression that you want...
if you want to dial up just a touch of the low octave you can beef up your 
sound...etc. etc.. 

This is not a cheap pedal... it goes for around $300... But it has a lot of 
possibilities for the Harmonica. 

I am just beginning to learn all it's uses... at the moment I am using it 
through a Sansom wireless, with a EV RE10... I find that the cleaner Mics sound 
much better and give a more interesting sound then a bullet type mic. I was 
using it before through my 1939 Gibson 185... which is a great amp, but I have 
found that with this pedal a cleaner amp is more desirable...since my band is 
large these days, (often an eight piece... Yikes!) I have also needed to go 
through a more powerful amp and am currently using an original 58 Bassman very 
kindly lent to me by Mr.Trip Henderson... Anyway, the end result is very 
interesting. 

Thought I'd also weigh in on the Fireball debate... I have one and think that 
it works pretty well... good clean tone, though a bit... "wispy" sounding... 
Nice to hold, but I do miss that bit of edge from the compression that hand 
cupping can give... it sounds very similar to the EV RE10 but without the bite 
which is something I miss...it seems to work very well for a clean chromatic 
sound...

All the best to everyone....!
~wade schuman
of HAZMAT modine
www.hazmatmodine.com