Delta Dirt
5 posts
Oct 26, 2009
5:50 PM
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Ive got two Chuck Gurney mics in black element CR and CM. One is for backup.I use to play an old Bassman before it was stolen ,dont know what ill get next. Can someone tell me what im missing out on tone wise without a crystal element.Is it really worth the effort to get one and will it last?
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Cisco
28 posts
Oct 26, 2009
6:09 PM
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I don't think crystals are worth the hassle and end up being a very shaky investment since they are soooo sensitive to heat, humidity and vibration (like dropping the mic off an amp). Plus they can die just from looking at them the wrong way. CR & CM are pretty bullet proof. Tone wise, all elements have a unique tone and I don't feel you're missing anything from not using a crystal, but other folks opinion's may differ.
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Delta Dirt
6 posts
Oct 26, 2009
6:34 PM
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Well summertime in the Mississippi Delta in a chitlin circuit sweat box of a bar.....it might last a song. No Thanks.
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jbone
177 posts
Oct 26, 2009
9:52 PM
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on the contrary, i have had and used a crystal element ruskin mic for about 7 years now. until recently it was my primary mic. i have since gotten a modded dynamic mic that is great across the board.
thing about crystal elements is, they generally don't have a fat bottom end sound-wise. but with a bassman mine still cut through very nicely and a couple of adjustments to the amp gave me plenty of bottom end anyway. a crystal is known for it's clarity of reproduction. it's a really good element for jazz or swing blues, esp playing chromatic. it does produce a warm tone along with the clarity.
probably not just "any" crystal though, i'd buy from a reputable seller who had test results available.
the other thing to remember is, if you solder one into a shell, HEAT SINK IT! in fact if you get one with pigtail leads, use them and still heat sink it.
i have dropped my crystal mic several times over the years and it's held up great. maybe i'm just lucky.
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LittleJoeSamson
100 posts
Oct 26, 2009
11:54 PM
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There are some headset speakers that can be converted to harp mic's, if you use shielding on the tiny wires.
If you can buy them right, the work is worth it.
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MrVerylongusername
580 posts
Oct 27, 2009
3:06 AM
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The thing about crystals is that their impedance is huge - up to around 5 Mega Ohms. Given that your average guitar amp has an input impedance of 1 Mega Ohm, which is plenty for a guitar - you've got an impedance mismatch when you use a 2-5MOhm crystal (like a JT30).
When the output impedance of the mic is higher than the input impedance of the amp, you get signal loss and it's the bottom end that suffers. This is why Crystals can sound thin. Myself and Isaacullah posted some links in another thread to some simple circuits you can build which remedy the signal loss (if I can build one anyone can! I know virtually nothing about electronics)
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