RE: [Harp-L] What amp Walter Horton really used!

[chicago bluesman <chicagobluesman@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Wow....this has gotten to be an interesting thread.  OK, all I can say is that perhaps Walter drifted through amps like he drifted through life.  

There are a limited number of things in my life for which I am adequately grateful (like having healthy kids, etc) and one of them is being a regular at B.L.U.E.S. on Halsted in Chicago during the period when Walter had standing Sunday & Monday night gigs.  For a period of time he was only there on Mondays, while Sunnyland Slim did the Sunday nights.  Often there would be maybe a dozen people in the bar.  I'm very sure that some readers of this posting were there at the same time--Chicago blues was in a downturn in those days but true die-hards took advantage of the times to seek out the masters.  On some nights there might be a half-dozen American citizens and a half-dozen foreign listeners who had traveled from across the globe just to hear people like Walter.  Weird.  He was usually accompanied by Floyd Jones on bass, Playboy Vinson on drums (notorious both for falling asleep while playing and for coming out in front of his kit sometimes to bang the bass drium head with his sticks, between his legs, while chomping on cigar stub) and guitarists such as Steve Freund or, as featured on the you tube video, Jimi "Prime Time" Smith.  On occasion the great, truly masterful Eddie Taylor might do guitar chores, too.  I can't say that I really knew Walter but I was there enough times that he recognized me and sort of acknowleged my presence, in as friendly a fashion as one was going to get from him.  We talked between sets sometimes and he was usually cryptic, sly and suspicious.  In my view, Walter's playing sort of fell into the rule of thirds: a third of the time he was irritable and mediocre, a third of the time he'd had too much to drink but a third of the time he was stunningly brilliant.  Anyway, one night he let me sit in--I guess I must have asked him between sets if I could do a tune with Floyd and the band and, sure enough, he managed to remember my interest and invited me up to play.  Handed off the grey JT-30 and then I bounced my way through a shuffle.  I think maybe he just wanted to sit at the bar and take a break.  I remember being nervous and wanting to keep my melody lines simple.  I don't remember much else except that a woman who claimed to be Walter's wife sought me out afterwards and was very effusive and warm and complimentary.  But I do remember the SF Princeton with the standard turquoise block lettering.  I think that a close watching of the you tube video shows the amp and I think it's discernable, even though the footage is so grainy.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgxGDxZYfG4&feature=PlayList&p=038F6A5437DAEA76&index=34   



> To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> Date: Mon, 24 Aug 2009 23:16:03 -0400
> From: jflash541@xxxxxxx
> Subject: [Harp-L] What amp Walter Horton really used!
> 
> I've been reading all the hoopla on what Walter played through.? Well here it is...He used a white knob, brown, silver face, Fendar Prinzeton.....it was a knock off of the Fenders and it was made in Taiwan.? I should know, I traded it to Walter in exchange for some lessons.? I ended up teaching him how to get his big tone!? You are all very welcome.? This stuff I'm making up is true!? In all seriousness, the best mid-sized harp amp I've ever heard was a brown face Princeton.? I had a 1971 silver face Princeton at the same time and it was not even close.? The brown face just had THE best, warmest, rich sound.? I would have loved to grabbed it up and run out the door with it, leaving my silver face in exchange.? Actually the owner was pretty drunk... could have walked out with it....and mine.? Hindsight's 20/20.
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