rustym
1 post
Jan 06, 2009
12:25 PM
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Hi All!
I've been lurking here for about a month now and decided to "come out" with a question.
I decided to finally pick up a harp and get serious about 4 months ago. Thanks to Adams videos and some other great resources here, I think I've made some decent progress. I've played guitar for years, started learning to play blues and I've been familiar with blues progressions and chords for a long time and I has helped learning the harp.
I know most of you guys here have a lot of experience with different amps and things and here's my question. I want to get an amp for harp and guitar. I mostly will play by myself while I'm learning.
I know the general consensus here for amps are tube type and that's what I'm looking around for but came across a "Spider Jam" amp. It's a solid state amp that has drum tracks and the ability to record different tracks with tons of effects and features. I thought it might be good to put skills to test with a full band since I can't go out and get one!
Is anyone here familiar with this amp or has anyone used one? Good idea or bad way to start out.
I know I'll get some good opinions here so that's why I decided to post. Please forgive me for being long winded but I wanted to get some background out also.
Thanks!!
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KC69
41 posts
Jan 06, 2009
3:23 PM
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Rust: sounds like your playing electric, if so don't know if I can help. If you play acoustic, I would check out the 2 channel crate acoustic. Great sound. Can use tube overdrive pedal. Allows me to plug in guitar. Then dynamic mic for ( pa sounding ) singing and playing harp in the rack. Can also plug in my mp3 recorder to have my band in the Box. all these at one time. Very versatile. I also play my keybaoard thru it ( keeping the Bass low ).It also has line out so you don't have to mic it to sound board.You can use it as small PA System. I use it in many applications. May be the best investment I've made and bought it when I was'nt sure what I wanted. maybe just got Lucky. And I Thank You K.C.
Last Edited by on Jan 06, 2009 3:47 PM
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SilasJackson
14 posts
Jan 06, 2009
8:11 PM
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Hey rustym,
I just looked up the "Spider Jam". I'm not sure exactly which model you are looking at, but it seems to have a great list of features. The one I saw was too much money for my level of play, but I can almost guarantee it would be fun according to the write-up and the specs. I have a 10 watt Peavey Backstage that I sorta' inherited and it works OK. It only has overdrive, EQ and tape/CD input and Headphone out, so I would LOVE to be able to try out the "Jam". Some people will tell you that tube is the only way to go. This, to me, is similar to how some men like skinny girls, and some like big roomy ones. But, a lot of the solid-state equipment seems to sound just fine to me. I am not a great or even good Harp player, but there's nothing wrong with my ears. I can tell a clunker or clinker if I hear one. If you get a good deal on the thing, I'd go for it. Especially since it has all the effects and recording capabilities. Great luck with the journey. I'm sure some of the experts will respond with some good info. I have personally found the best reason to buy something is because you WANT it.
Best of,
SJ
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SilasJackson
15 posts
Jan 06, 2009
8:15 PM
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Now, I've got to buy an effects whoo-dee-raa for my piss-ant Peavey amp. Curses on you rustym. I have that annoying equipment aquisition disorder! And you have just reactivated it! LOL
SJ
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jbone
3 posts
Jan 07, 2009
4:11 AM
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peavey's acoustasonic line is worth trying out. these amps have a channel dedicat for guiter and another for microphone, both with eq's. i think they run about 50 watts. a couple years back we found a used one 5 years old and in excellent shape, at a local music store and grabbed it for about $250. it worked very well for my wife's needs out live.
while it was solid state, the mic side could be made to sound good for harp. not as full and round a tone as a tube amp but a nice clean and clear signal nonetheless.
it really depends on what you want out of an amp. solid state can be "wetted up" with a digital delay or other pedal type effect to change the character of the output, or an eq can be used to cut certain offensive frequencies and shape output to a more pleasing range.
i have used a danelectro dirty thirty and also a nifty fifty, both solid state, for harp work. with a cheap condenser mic and maybe a towel over the speaker to sort of dampen the highs a bit, either one works pretty well. and easy to tote since they are fairly small, but with a pretty big sound!
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rustym
2 posts
Jan 07, 2009
7:00 AM
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Thanks for the replys, so far! I knew you guys would be a wealth of information. Sorry, SJ, I suffer from the same syndrome as well!
If I were to be playing on stage regularly, I would only go traditional, tube amp only. But as an enthusiast at home, I'm looking for an all around solution.
Anyone here familiar with the Fender G-DEC?
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SilasJackson
25 posts
Jan 11, 2009
11:50 PM
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It's OK rustym. I was talking about getting rid of an anoying girlfriend in another thread, so if I do, I'll have a little extra cash for some other new harps and some other equipment. LOL
He who dies with the most toys---
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Bluzdude46
13 posts
Feb 07, 2009
11:05 AM
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Did someone say Gearhead??????
I just love all the pretty lil lights and knobs and LOUD sound YES!!!!......ok I'm over it for now.
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Jim Rumbaugh
2 posts
Feb 09, 2009
10:14 AM
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Rustym
I may not have an answer, but I wish you luck. I see trouble ahead, trying to find one amp that you like for harp and guitar. It also debends on what kind of set up you use. Example, small watt amps that will be miked through the PA, or does everyone have their own amps with only vocals going through the PA?. Seems like most harp players want a 5 to 10 wattt amp and most guitar players want 50 plus watts.
I may be a little out of touch. I'm a bass player that has 300 watt peavey and a 60 watt peavey, and I use what fits the gig, and adjust the knobs to make it fit the room. I suspect what ever you get will be "good enough" to start, but sooner or later you'll get some effects boxes to get the sound for the 2 instruments, or you'll get a second smaller amp for the harp.
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