Georgia Blues
97 posts
Oct 05, 2013
4:21 PM
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OK I am looking for something to put a little "edge" on my sound before it hits my Blues jr. Suggestions are welcome but I am trying to decide between these two at the moment. Right now all I have is the Harp Shield which is a really handy
bit of gear.
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Alex
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blueswannabe
293 posts
Oct 05, 2013
4:39 PM
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I have had both pedals. First, they are both excellent pedals. I had the harp attack first. It has a micro tube in it to give you the natural breakup. It' s a great pedal to use with a pa. Then while at hill country harmonica, I tested the harp break pedal that randy Landry had brought along for demoing. I liked the break up a lot. I felt that I could dial int the breakup a little better. It also has a fantastic bass boost. Since I wa going to use it mainly with my amp I settled on the harp break and sold the harp attack. Again, they are both excellent pedals.
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SuperBee
1459 posts
Oct 05, 2013
4:40 PM
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G'day Alex.
Are you looking to improve the sound at low volume where you can't get the amp to the point where it gives of its best? Or are you more looking to change the natural sound of the amp in a broader sense?
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Georgia Blues
98 posts
Oct 05, 2013
5:44 PM
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Thanks SuperBee,
And thanks Wannabe... some sort of name convergence here. My band does a song called "BB Wannabe". Whatever. Three bourbons down here :o). My Blues jr. works best tonally when it's set for a cleaner sound. I get more power out of it that way. I would like to get a thicker, grittier sound. Low volume is not really a problem with my tube setup. I had a guitar distortion pedal that really thickened my sound but was really cantankerous. Thought my rig would explode if I bumped the wrong dial.
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Alex
Last Edited by Georgia Blues on Oct 05, 2013 8:01 PM
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boris_plotnikov
882 posts
Oct 06, 2013
2:27 AM
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I already compared Attack and break here http://www.modernbluesharmonica.com/board/board_topic/5560960/1966261.htm. Check it.
Actually I'm not sure, that you need any of them for Blues Jr, as it has separate volume and master control and drive channel, so it will be at least easier to work with settings. Possible it'll be better to get some noisegate (possible HarpShield) to avoid feedback issues.
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My videos.
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cliffy
61 posts
Oct 06, 2013
3:34 AM
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Hi GeorgiaBlues, I don't know much about either the Harp Break or Harp Attack. However, there is a pretty good YouTube video by Andy Santana about using the Lone Wolf Harp Tone+ pedal with a Blues Jr. I've watched and the amp sounds pretty darn good with the pedal. Might be worth having a look.
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boris_plotnikov
883 posts
Oct 06, 2013
3:43 AM
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cliffy
+1 for some EQ pedal (didn't try HarpTone+, but I suppose it'll be a nice choice). Along with gate (again I didn't try HarpShield, but it could be a good choice).
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Excuse my bad English.
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Rarko
52 posts
Oct 06, 2013
5:34 AM
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Maybe you should think about Harp Octave as well...?
I havent tried any of them but I read about it here. I will buy one pedal soon, still cant decide between HA, HB and HO...
edit: but after reading 'Boris Plotnikov HA and HB test drive' I think I will go with Harp Break! Thanks Boris!
Last Edited by Rarko on Oct 06, 2013 5:37 AM
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FMWoodeye
799 posts
Oct 06, 2013
6:35 AM
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I have several of the LW pedals. To my ear, the LW Octave pedal gives me the best result going into an amp. I use it with a Bassman and with the little Excelsior, mic to Octave, Octave to digital delay and into the amp.
Going into a PA it's mic to Harp Attack, to Octave, to digital delay and into the PA.
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jim
1471 posts
Oct 06, 2013
7:45 AM
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Neither nor. Harp attack: VERY harsh. Harp break: sounds muddy, doesn't clean up with dynamics.
Search for something else instead. You've got good stores there, try guitar pedals.
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arnenym
219 posts
Oct 06, 2013
8:50 AM
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A Harp octave in to a Blues Junior is great.
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blueswannabe
295 posts
Oct 06, 2013
2:53 PM
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Hi Jim, , what do you base your opinion on?
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Littoral
1001 posts
Oct 06, 2013
5:35 PM
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I've used the break and the octave with the blues junior. Octave wins for what you're trying to do - wins hands down.
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blueswannabe
296 posts
Oct 06, 2013
6:16 PM
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@littoral, do you like the break better than the octave and can you describe the difference.
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SuperBee
1463 posts
Oct 06, 2013
7:15 PM
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I haven't tried the attack. I'm pretty sure I saw Ian collard using one with a blues juniour, but I think he was also using a tone plus. He told me it was a borrowed amp. I did notice he was getting some feedback from time to time.
My experience with a harp break into valve amp just led me to really question what I thought I was trying to achieve. With my big amp, it just wasn't what I was looking for.
With my small amp it was ok but it would be a very quiet gig before I'd choose to use the harp break to get that sound. I have amps that do it better. I don't know that I'd characterise it as 'muddy' but I can understand what Jim means when he describes it as such.
With PA...yeah, maybe.
I think the break sounds a bit like speaker breakup,but it's in weird valley for me.
The octave pedal is one I like but it is completely different-sounding to the break. To me it is a more exciting sound, but each has their place no doubt. I would liken the octave pedal clip effect to something a bit more like preamp clipping...nah, it's been too long. That's probably right off beam. Just recently I likened it to the difference of playing say, 3 blow compared to a 3-6 split. I think that's what that pedal is about. Fuller-sounding, a lot of harmonic overtones going on...
First 2 pedals I bought were LW delay and octave. I got lucky. Both really good and useful pedals.next I bought a shield and break. Sold them both.probably hasty. But I couldn't see me using them.
Alex, there are a bunch of guys here who use pedals and it's been discussed plenty. The forum search might help...I tend to think neither those ped you mention will probably be ideal but I don't know what sound you have and what you are shooting at, so it's tough.
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AC
43 posts
Oct 06, 2013
8:43 PM
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My current gigging rig is LW Harp Delay to LW Harp Octave to LW Harp Attack to a clean (keyboard) amp. I love the sound, no feedback issues and I can get as loud as I want to.
When I play through an actual tube amp I take the Harp Attack out of the chain. Together is just too much distortion to my ears. I really don't think the Harp Attack was meant to be in front of a tube guitar amp. I think the Harp Tone + was created for that purpose, but I have not tried that pedal yet.
The Harp Octave is a really nice pedal that I love even in front of a nice tube amp. It creates overtones in upper octaves (not exact octaves like a double octave effect).
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Littoral
1002 posts
Oct 07, 2013
3:54 AM
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@littoral, do you like the break better than the octave and can you describe the difference.
I think I answered that, or certainly meant to.
I've used the break and the octave with the blues junior. Octave wins for what you're trying to do - wins hands down.
Octave is especially good for clean amps and pa. I don't use it with a most of my tube amps. The junior is a clean amp so octave would be a great choice. What does it do? Cut, clean break up, almost a clip but pleasing. It also allows a really wide range of effect and the level works as a clean volume/sweep and is perfect to back off initial stage level and bump as needed. Feedback control is another asset as it will provide another 20-30 percent from the amp. Crazy good - no kinder necessary. I'm using the octave lately through the pa, nothing else. I do plan to tie in my delay and maybe the break because the bass response is excellent. Gotta decide on my board. I want it as SIMPLE as possible. Return to LW is Easy so go for one and/or the other.
Last Edited by Littoral on Oct 07, 2013 4:02 AM
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HarpNinja
3512 posts
Oct 07, 2013
6:45 AM
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LW pedals are great!
Harp Octave might work for some crunch-like tone. Not my favorite LW pedal, and I do recall there being a comparison between the Octave and HB on YT.
I haven't played the Harp Attack, so I don't know.
I love the Tone+, but it won't necessarily give you crunch without boosting other things, including volume.
The HB would be my first choice here. You are looking for crunch and the HB let's you dial in crunch relative to volume, so you can balance the overall volume. Meaning, you can keep your crunchy tone at the same volume as your clean.
That is exactly how I use it with the Tech 21 Blonde being my "clean" tone. Straight to PA, the HB give you a lot of cut. It may seem a bit harsh at home, but it works great live. You can use the bass boost to dial out some of the bite too.
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Dog Face
221 posts
Oct 07, 2013
8:18 AM
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If anyone has both the HB and HA, could you please do a comparison video? I've been muddling over the same dilemma, also for a blues jr. Not many of us are able to test drive them before we buy them.
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Brad
https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/249099_169028729926314_842255416_n.jpg
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HarpNinja
3516 posts
Oct 07, 2013
9:44 AM
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I don't have the HA, or I'd do a side by side. I do have to get a video of the Flat Cat done soon. Just been too busy with building harps!
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Mantra Customized Harmonicas
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jim
1472 posts
Oct 07, 2013
10:53 AM
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I base my opinion on hearing and trying both pedals. I own a harpbreak.
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Kingley
3176 posts
Oct 07, 2013
11:31 AM
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I've never used my Harp Attack into a valve amp. I only use it either direct into the PA when at a jam or into my hi-fi at home when I feel like playing amplified at home. I can't say that I've ever heard it sound harsh. It always sounds pretty good to my ear.
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blueswannabe
297 posts
Oct 07, 2013
12:51 PM
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@kingley. I agree with you. The harp attack never sounded harsh to me at all. It was a nice break-up. I gave up the harp attack when I bought the harp break. I felt that I could dial in the break up more with the break and was using it with a tube amp.
@Jim, I do not find the harp break muddy at all. I think it dirties up a clean amp. It does have a bass boost. I don't know how you set the adjustments on the harp break and what amp, speaker and mic you are using, but to my ear it does not sound muddy at all.
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naptown jack
20 posts
Nov 05, 2013
12:10 PM
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Boys, ya don't need any of that stuff. Just find ya a joint called The Aristocrat lounge or The Embassy Room or The Tally Ho Club near a big factory after second shift on payday, turn your Silvertone backwards with every knob to 10, play through a jt30, that was liberated from a bingo parlor, make sure everyons good and plastered and BLOW. Talk about tone! It worked 40 years ago, oughta still work now! Rave on, boys, rave on!
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Moon Cat
291 posts
Nov 05, 2013
1:05 PM
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The Harp Break is an excellent pedal for gaining distortion with almost any rig. I don't find it to be muddy at all and rather quite flexible! I highly recommend this effective, affordable little beauty of a device.
Jason Ricci
Last Edited by Moon Cat on Nov 05, 2013 1:07 PM
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Jehosaphat
590 posts
Nov 05, 2013
1:12 PM
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I find that HB can be a little 'muddy' if the bass boost is turned up too much.
Around 11 or 12 seems to work best (for me)
Funny thing though i have found that the above works well into Tubes but running it through a SS PA i can put the boost to 3 or 4 and it still sounds fine.
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1847
1276 posts
Nov 05, 2013
1:13 PM
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Boys, ya don't need any of that stuff.
mr jack you may be right about that
i posted a clip with the harp octave and the kinder pedal.
it was the worst tone ever produced. lol
nothing like a crystal mic straight in to
a tube amp.
still it is fun to try out other tones.
some off them work well.
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"but i play it anyway"
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mattfolk327
11 posts
Nov 08, 2013
2:29 PM
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Treble booster? I have no idea how that would sound.
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Littoral
1007 posts
Nov 09, 2013
4:16 AM
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1847, true, the Octave CAN sound pretty bad with a tube amp, especially one that is ideal for harp. Add the Kinder and awful is likely.
PA or a clean(er) amp, giant difference. But no Kinder with the Octave. Tone is a term try to reserve for technique and avoid its use on gear but I understand both.
Tone nazi I am and would sooner smash a pedal with a hammer than use one if it didn't kick ass.
Last Edited by Littoral on Nov 09, 2013 4:18 AM
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