Re: [Harp-L] Special 20s "built in obsolescence"



Here's another idea...
I like to practice with my mic, and no amp. It accomplishes the same thing
for technique (may be even better for tone), and becoming one with my
microphone. You can hear what it will sound like amplified if you're
listening close enough. The amp will do it's job when it needs to. Right now
I'm digging Big Walter... he had a very light touch if you listen real close
to his nuances with those BBQ Bob "BIG ears" and a lot of people will agree
that had a big sound! The only times I've "blown out" a harp is the 5 draw,
always when driving in a noisy old 4wheel drive with the tunes cranked to
hear over the wind/tire noise, at the rate of about one harp a year. So I
agree, it's not the harp....


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bill Hines" <billhines4@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, September 09, 2005 3:28 PM
Subject: RE: [Harp-L] Special 20s "built in obsolescence"


> This is also why I'm a big fan of practicing by yourself amplified
> rather than acoustic regularly - it helps to reinforce that it doesn't
> take a lot of breath to make a 'big' sound, just some knob turning. A
> small 5w crate amp or such can go a long way toward this for practice. I
> was practicing loud acoustically too until I started doing this whenever
> possible (practicing with a mic and small amp). Not to mention the other
> things you are working on in that scenario - your cupping technique with
> the mic, etc.
>
> Bill Hines
> Hershey, PA
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On
> Behalf Of Steve Shaw
> Sent: Wednesday, September 07, 2005 4:07 PM
> To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: RE: [Harp-L] Special 20s "built in obsolescence"
>
> I think the other guys are right, Tony.  Going from my own experience:
> I
> started using low D SP20s about ten years ago when I was "less than
> intermediate" shall we say.  I don't think I ever made one last a whole
> month.  I was trying to play as loud as possible all the time to keep up
>
> volume-wise with fiddles and mandolins in noisy pub settings.  I started
> to
> amplify myself, and of course I had terrible amplified tone at first.  I
>
> read a lot of very good advice about tone and projection, mostly here,
> and
> worked hard on these aspects.  I can now cut through the others without
> my
> amp sometimes if the pub's quiet.   A Special 20 will now last me about
> six
> months before I have to do any reed-replacing (and I do use them a lot -
> I
> can be playing for 3-4 hours and use that harp for 60% of the time, once
> or
> twice a week AND use the same harp at home for practice).  For me it was
> all
> about playing technique.
>
> Cheers
>
> Steve
>
>
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