A Mel Bay Publications, Inc. Webzine
October 2009 · Bimonthly
     If you liked this article, you might be interested in: |
In this issue: Essential Tools for Blues Harmonica | Microphone Choices: At the Harp-End of the Wire! | Comb Over, the Sequel! | Chromatic Roundup Review, Part 1 |
Print this Article (PDF) Email Article to a Friend Let me start by saying that to make great music has nothing to do with the brand or cost of one's equipment-it has to do with the player's ability to play great music on their instrument and connect with their audience. So many times in my career I've witnessed exceptionally inspiring music come from a player using cheap harmonicas and an amp not even close to what we consider to be good for harp, or just going through the PA. Too many times I've seen players spend exorbitant amounts of time and money on high-end harmonicas, mics, amps, and all of their possible modifications…all at the expense of much needed practice time. Great equipment in the hands of someone not paying the dues to develop good technique, tone and soloing skills will never be worth the purchase. So, with that said... if you're practicing hard and understand that practice is the way to better music… that no equipment exists in the word to make you a better player… then you're ready to read on! Note that my recommendations are specifically for blues harmonica players. Harmonicas
At no other time in history have harmonica players had such a large choice of quality instruments than now. Hohner, Lee Oskar and Suzuki are some of the more recognizable names in the industry, but more companies are out there working hard for your dollar, such as Huang, Hering, Seydel and Bends. The workhorse of the harmonica world is the Hohner Special 20. Bang for the buck (~$30), the Special 20 is the best value on the market and is easy to find. For those that prefer a In the chromatic realm, nobody can touch the Hohner 270 Deluxe. I have yet to find a 16-Hole chromatic play like I want it out of the box, so I send my Hohner 280C to Steve Malerbi (harpsurgeon@hotmail.com) to be customized. Bullet MicrophonesThough there are many fun microphone models to mess around with out there, it boils down to the Shure and Astatic Bullets. Keep in mind that these bodies and elements (the engine of the microphone) are interchangeable. If you like the sound of the Shure element (commonly a magnetic element, such as the CR or CM), but like the feel of the Astatic JT30 (pictured at bottom left), then send it to a harmonica customizer, like Fritz Hasenpusch (www.harpmicman.com), and he can make a gasket to fit the Shure element into the Astatic body. Vice-versa, if you like the feel of the Bullet mic (one of my favorites is the older, and slightly smaller bullets pictured at bottom center… more commonly found finished with brown paint), but prefer the sound of the Astatic element (commonly the crystal MC157 or ceramic MC127), it can also be done. If you're handy with a soldering iron and just need a killer element, then Chuck Gurney at www.fatbottom-mics.com is your man (he can also customize your mic). Astatic crystal elements tend to be a little more transparent sounding and cleaner. Shure magnetic elements are darker and tend to be more distorted. (Keep in mind that a mellower mic can be the best choice for an older, more distorted amp… don't judge a mic solely on how strong its output is.) Most players own two microphones, with one of each of these elements. The microphone pictured at the right of the grouping is an Astatic Model 30 (commonly known as the biscuit); some people like the shallower back of this microphone. Effects PedalsHarp players commonly use either Reverb or Delay. You can find reverb built into some vintage amps, though many do not have them (such as the popular Fender Bassman). If you like the sound of reverb, then you may want to check out the Boss RV-3 Digital Reverb; many harp players use this. I personally prefer to use a delay pedal over a reverb pedal, specifically the Dan Electro Dan Echo. You can hear a sample of me playing through the Dan Echo as well as see my settings at www.megatoneamps.com/Harp-amps.html. AmpsI'll recommend three levels of amps for you... Small 
Large Good luck and have fun! David Barrett About the Author David Barrett President, Harmonica Masterclass Co. "Leader in Blues Harmonica Education" www.harmonicamasterclass.com Founder/Director, School of the Blues www.schooloftheblues.com Author, Mel Bay Publications & Blues Revue Magazine www.harmonicamasterclass.com/books.htm & www.bluesrevue.com http://www.harmonicamasterclass.com/david.htm [ top ] | |
wood-combed harmonica, Hohner is releasing the new Crossover harmonica later this year. The Crossover is similar to the Marine Band Deluxe, but has the added advantage of using a resin-impregnated bamboo comb that won't swell. Other wood-combed diatonic harmonicas of note are the Seydel 1847 and the soon to be released Suzuki Manji. As for the best harmonica you could ever wish to play, check out the custom harmonica that the Joe Filisko guild of harmonica customizers make at 
If you're looking for an amp to get started, and you don't want to spend a mint on vintage gear, then the Kustom Dart 10FX may be a good choice for you. For a solid-state amp (non-tube), it doesn't sound too bad. It has built in reverb or delay, as well as a distortion section for getting a grittier sound at lower volumes. Plugging your headphone in disables the speaker… a nice feature if you intend to keep family and neighbors happy. It also has an input that accommodates a CD or MP3 player, though there is no volume control, so you'll need to be able to control the volume at your player. With a sale price of $89, it's a smart choice for a kick-around amp.