Steve Harvell
10 posts
Feb 14, 2009
8:41 PM
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Here are 2 more harmonica videos playing to background tracks.
*Slow Blues
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuFKzHWv0uU
*Texas Swing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRWtlwq26mw
Best
Steve Harvell
http://bluzharp.tripod.com
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Chevus
25 posts
Feb 15, 2009
9:53 AM
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Steve,
I enjoyed your videos on YT, and I'm intrigued by the Turbo Harp…It sounds great! I plan checking out the website and learning more about the company/products.
I am also looking for a mic to use with my Pignose, but I'd like to find one that will sound good through bigger amps as my playing improves. I've seen you play the Bottle-o-Blues and the Shaker mics, and both seem to pair well with your 7-100. It looks like the Shaker's are more rugged (can’t tell if there plastic or metal?)...Which would you recommend?
I hope to eventually find some vintage mics (when I'm ready to upgrade to a tube amp) to recreate a more traditional sound…I really like the various Electro Voice models that I've seen on YT. However, a Shaker or Bottle-o-Blues may be more appropriate at this stage of my development as a player.
Thanks for your help!
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Steve Harvell
14 posts
Feb 15, 2009
10:50 AM
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Hi Chevus,
Thank you very much for watching my videos! I like both the "Shaker" dynamic mic as well as the "Bottle O Blues" mic.They sound very similar but the "Shaker" is smaller and easier to hold in the one hand with the harmonica and a more rugged construction.The "Shaker" will cost you from $12 to $15 more,depending on where you buy it but I feel the extra cash is worth it.
But as you continue to hone your craft having more than one mic,like more then one key or brand of harmonicas, can give you a different voice.So to answer your question,both are worth having but the "Shaker" gets the higher recommendation.I use both mics with amps up to 20 watts but I am a big fan of 5 watt tube amps.Instead of using one high wattage amp I will use an A/B/Y pedal and use two (5) watt amps.One for background playing and both for lead.
Also,I am a BIG fan of the "Pignose" 7-100 battery amp,run by six AA batteries.
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isaacullah
47 posts
Feb 15, 2009
1:18 PM
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Chevus: I built my own version of a "bottle o blues" using an inexpensive japanese crystal element I got off e-bay. It sounds good with my little pignose (the 7-100), but I have another that sounds better. Now, I'm not completely sure what kind of element is in a real bottle o blues, but it's probably similar to the one I'm using... nevertheless, I can't assume to advise you about the tone of a REAL bottle o blues...
The other mic (the REALLY good sounding one) is another one I made using an old cell phone ear bud as the element and housing it in an old mini-maglite shell. I gutted the maglite, sandwiched the earbud in where the blub used to go (use a bit of pipe screen to replace the lense of the maglite), and retrofitted a female 1/4" plug (the kind meant to be attached to a cord, not a panel mount "jack") to fit in the end of the maglite where the batteries would be inserted. Something about the frequency response and impedance of that cell phone earbud sounds FANTASTIC with harp. You can check out various videos on my YouTube channel to hear both of these mics through my 7-100 and through some other amps...
Cheers,
Isaac
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The magnificent YouTube channel of the internet user known as "isaacullah"
Last Edited by on Feb 15, 2009 1:20 PM
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Chevus
26 posts
Feb 15, 2009
1:54 PM
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Hi isaacullah,
I did a little research online in an attempt to find some mic kits. While there were a couple of options, I'm not sure about the end result. I honestly don't know enough about the subject to offer a fair/intelligent review of mics or components. However, I am in the process of learning more about harp gear in general, so I can make informed purchase decisions.
I have a lot of respect for people (like you) who can build their own electronic components (mics, stompboxes, etc.)...I don't trust myself with a soldering iron.
Thanks for the advice and keep us updated on your projects.
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Steve Harvell
15 posts
Feb 15, 2009
4:36 PM
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The "Bottle O Blues" mic has a dynamic element and sounds VERY similar to the "Shaker" dynamic.If money is a problem you will be very happy with the "Bottle O Blues" mic too.As you can tell from my videos they both do good at what they were designed for.
Many guys sound GREAT thru the crystal and ceramic elements and I have tried them all.But with my particular style,well,I prefer the dynamic elements.Gear and tone is a VERY subjective thing that varies from player to player.
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lumpy wafflesquirt
8 posts
Feb 16, 2009
10:31 AM
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isaacullah
when you say "old cell phone ear bud" do you mean you took the speaker out of the phone and used that or do you mean you used the mic from a phone headset?
sounds like an interesting project.
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