Purist chromatic players please forgive me --- or turn away, mates!
My best gig is playing free improv jazz (small trio). Seems all you great blues guys are sopping up the other gigs! Congrats on that.
Anyway, I’m currently playing a set of Suzuki G-48 and G-48W (rosewood covers) in a quest to thicken and darken my tone. I love chromatics; I hate the often thin tone – even from Toots and other big shot chrom jazz guys that play clean though a P.A.
BTW, I’ve played lots diatonics though various effects pedals and all that. The so-called “fat” tone isn’t quite what I’m after. It’s a subtler thing. A darker, richer tone. Clearly, I’m not a good sound guy. And my slim knowledge of blue amplification and effects doesn’t seem to transfer – or help with my quest for a richer, darker tone, without losing the overall quality of the chromatic sound.
Just so you know, I work at tone. All the “big” oral cavity stuff, relax breathing and stuff.
True to the ‘general’ tradition of not using effects with jazz chromatics, I use an SM58 mic, Rolland AC60 PA system and a low impedance XLR plug. That’s it. Clean sound most chromatic jazz purists love. Too thin, for me anymore.
This is a delicate matter. I wish I could explain what I mean by darkening the tone slightly. I’ve messed around a with delay/reverb (twiddling the knobs on a friends Harp Gear amp, etc), but my quest is unfulfilled.
Part of the problem is the general inability to cup and seal a mic when playing a chromatic. And, when you hold the mic it’s trends toward the treble side further adding to the amplification of the high, thinner notes. Perhaps I’m on a fool’s errand, for which I apologize for wasting anyone’s time.
Anyway, any tips are welcome and appreciated. Your great thread on “The Fattest Tone” trigged my question and admiration for intelligent, often edgy discuss. BTW, I asked this on the 'Slidemeister' forum a few months ago and got tossed under the bus. Being a purist is good, but I'm an explorer, too.
Are you looking for.....stronger projection of the fundamental notes in relation to the "brassy" overtones? If so, I'd say an older Hohner would be more appropriate than a Suzuki or a newer Hohner. By older I mean pre-2004.
That's an intriguing thought. I agree that some of the older instruments tone is pleasing.
I'll noodle watching ebay and whatnot. Thus, I'll set aside my bad experiences with old instruments bought online. I once had a Chromonica II Deluxe that was very rich in tone and cranky. The newer, simpler slides are pretty nice and easy to maintain.
Is this dark enough for you. I'll reveal the secret of how I achieved it after a few posts. Many classical musicians that have heard this were fooled when I told them it was a harmonica. People with advanced degrees. Thinking at first it was from the lower string family.
I once got criticized over on the "slider" forum for gently musing if a chromatic could sound a bit like a cello (smoother, richer, etc) using a bit of effects. The traditionalist boys came unglued saying the pure sound of the chromatic is what sets "us" apart from those pesky "blue fellows."
I play Shure SM57 to LoneWolf Harpattack (press on from 00:48 to the end of tune) to Lonewolf Harpdelay to PA. ---------- http://myspace.com/harmonicaboris
I had three ties to my name back then. Ok you waited long enough for my secret.
The live gig I'm using a cbh2016. The mic is an akg dm500 flat response no bass boost like the shures. I have a memory man made by electro harmonix. It's an analog echo that is really warm. The amp is an old peavy head solid state 400 watts with a wedge. The taping was done on an old vhs video camera.
The studio stuff was recorded live no overdubs. The mic was an akg c414. This is my favorite studio mic for Chromatic. The effect is reverb from an eventide. That's it.
If you want to bump your sound up I say try an octave pedal. I use one sometimes. You have to play with the mix between the harmonica sound and the octave reproduction.an octave below can work well to fatten the sound but you have to use it carefully. Sometime if I want to sound like a bass instrument I turn off everthing but the lower octave. It can sound pretty cool.
Well good luck told you not much of a secret. I roll of a lot of top end off of the 2016
So, I need to rob a bank? Seriously, thanks for the "secret." It appears to just that -- a great warm sound, especially the studio stuff.
Getting some of your dark studio sound 'live' might be my challenge. Especially on a budget. I once fiddled with an old Fender Spring reverb, but never got what I wanted. Perhaps more modern analogy reverb pedals -- but I always fear too much distoration and not enough warmth, richness and darker tones.
The biggest surprise of your secret is the old Hohner cbh 2016. They were a wacky looking instrument, as I recall. But yours sounds great and I think I need to consider vintage instruments as Harpwrench also recommended. My Suzuki 'Gregoire Marat' with the wood covers is warmer and I like it.
Perhaps the take away is more experimenting.
Thanks for the help, it's appreciated.
BTW, I love Lloyd's Cosmic Blues. I honor the creativity and thoughtfulness.
Thanks for your kind words. I was luck to study with one of the masters of the 2016 Robert Bonfiglio. It freaks most people out when they switch because it feels like it's blowing back at you. It takes about two weeks to adjust. Though for some studio recordings I will switch to a more traditional chromatic to a more "harmonica sound"
The solo is around 1:40 I used a Huang 1248 that I won at spah.
