new band, 2 of us are harp 1 fender bassman 1 fender blues jnr modified to low gain can 2 play through the bassman ie. is there a box which has 2 outputs to 2 different nmics if the blues junior does not hack it?
the bassman has 2 separate input channels. If you do not bridge, and clip the capacitor so the second chanel is not bright, should be able to use two different microphones and control volume just fine. The amp was made for when the whole band or at least a few guys used one amp.
No, but seriously, I can't see how two harps could fit into one band. To draw an analogy, it seems a bit like the Communist ideal of having full employment and three bell-boys to work each lift.
Perhaps I'm wrong. Are there any precedents that you or anyone here can cite?
Sorry to sound so negative, but it sounds like having two rhythm guitarists; they can't really double up like a horn section can.
I'm not trying to be funny, just offering my twopence worth. ---------- YouTube SlimHarpMick
They use multiple harmonicas in Asia a lot, whole orchestras! Then there is the Harmonicats. Of course, a lot of the time you have different harps, a chromatic, a tremolo, a bass, a chord harp.
Actually, with the low harps some companies offer you could easily split into lead and bass harmonica.
I have no idea about mic'ing the whole thing though.
Actually, after thinking about it the only thing I'd suggest is you want to make sure your setup lets you put different effects on each harp. I've actually been experimenting with recording more than one harp track on a song. I like doing chords underneath and then playing something high and clean over the top. If you do want to separate them out like a bass and a guitar would be you might want a pedal that pitch shifts one harp down an octave. It's probably cheaper than getting a bunch of deep harps.
George "Harmonica" Smith and a very young Rod Piazza had a two harp band.
The main thing to remember is dynamics. I. E. : one harp playing muddy, the other clean; or other variations. Think of a horn section with multiple pitches. Staying with YOUR part and not just playing the same riffs at the same time...with the exception of chorus and crescendos.
I did some cool stuff with two other harpcats back East...basic Jimmy Reed shuffles where the lead player did 2nd pos, counter did 3rd pos, and the third player usually waited and then did a wail in 1st pos.
Also have done tradeoffs with one playing diatonic and the other on chromatic. Especially cool with a greasy diatonic Dm and a C chromatic.
carey bell did some cool harp duo stuff with billy branch on the cd "mellow down easy".
james cotton and several other harpmen did a cd called "hasrp attack" in the 80's or early 90's. both worth digging up just for the inspiration factor.
There's also that album from P.T. Gazell and Brendan Power that Adam has presented in one of his YT vids. Hearing the excerpts from it, it sounds really amazing. I hope to find it sometime.
Two harp players can work well as long as you both use common sense. For example, you could play horn style riffs in different positions and be a mini brass section. Or do call and response, etc. But you need to be careful to avoid playing over each other or having vastly conflicting sounds / styles. When done well (Hazmat Modine, Mark Ford and Andy Just) it can be a wonderful thing. However done badly it will be one of the most annoying noises you have ever heard.
I agree with that because too often harp players can't back another one very well (or anybody else for that matter as well). What it comes down to is something the vast masjority of harp players too often lack is musical discipline. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
I can't get to YouTube from here due to firewall, but if you can there is a new video with David Barrett and Gary Smith (Blues for Applejack orsomething like that) where they harmonize and trade solos. Good sh*t. I belive there is a good Jimi Lee/Dan Gage duet as well with similar attributes. Check 'em out!
Now C'mon, I don't think we need to be attacking just harp players here - if you had two drums, two lead guitars, two bass - two anything, both trying to overplay the other at the same time, you would have a mess. I don't consider myself a very accomplished player but I think I know how to accompany. I use very simple rules - don't play during the intro - add sparse fills (never over the lyrics) - stay quiet during another instruments solo (unless I may add a "horn riff" as an accent, but that depends on the song) but my number one rule is - if I'm not adding to the "music", if I'm not making the "song" sound better, I sit and tap my foot, the harp stays in the hand and away from my mouth!! As Kingly said, common sense is required but I think that when a harp player or any musician hits a certain level they will have that disipline. ---------- If it ain't got harp - it ain't really blues!!!!
I may just add, it is the harps portability that is it's greatest asset and curse!! If someone ever invents an electric guitar with a built in amp that is less than 1 foot in length - heaven help us!!!! ---------- If it ain't got harp - it ain't really blues!!!!
not too long ago , i saw a well known shall i say pub blues band , the lead singer who back in the 60's was the original singer with john lee's groundhogs , before tony mcphee took over, anyway , since he kept the band going for years now ( pub band nt the groundhogs ), he recruited another lead singer to take the weight of him a bit, this other singer also plays harp albeit not as toneful . having two lead singers and two harp players is a bit much and also the band has drifted into bland standards churning them out week after week , you might get a strong number followed by a wek one by the other singer , it just upset the whole balance and dynamics. not saying you shouldn't but bear it in mind!
