Back in 2006, I was going through a period in my life where I felt the need to create something. Normally, I would have build a computer. I really didn't need another computer. I decided to build an amplifier. After a bit of researching amplifier kits to death, I decided to build a clone of a tweed Fender Champ from Marsh Amplification. It was a fun process. After playing it quite a bit, I ended up blowing the speaker. I replaced it with a Vintage Series Weber speaker, 8A-125-O.
A while ago, I ran across a video that I shot in 2006. It didn't really represent the amp well, so I decided to set up a video camera and play a bit. Here is the result with a vintage JT-30 microphone and a plaid flannel shirt. I'm not sure that it's any better than the original video, but here it is:
Here is another video with a modern Shure 520DX with the original modern dynamic element. This microphone is generally regarded as a complete turd among harmonica players. It didn't seem so bad in this video. More importantly, I was wearing a black T-shirt:
Monday, January 30, 2012
Thursday, January 5, 2012
2011: The Bay Area Blues In Review
2011 has come and gone. It was a difficult year in the Blues community. We lost a number of great performers this past year. I was fortunate enough to see and photograph a multitude of fabulous great performers.
I captured well over 100 images this past year that seemed to capture the artist and their spirit. A subset of the performers are listed below:
Alabama Mike, Andy Santana, Arbess Williams, Big Cat Tolefree, Billy Branch, Bobby Radcliff, Bobby Rush, Deitra Farr, Demetria Taylor, Fillmore Slim, Joe Louis Walker, John Nemeth, Johnny Rawls, Little Junior Crudup, Magic Slim, Mark Hummel, RJ Mischo, Rod Piazza, Ronnie Stewart, Sugar Blue, Taildragger, Tip Of The Top, Wayne Baker Brooks and many more.
Please feel free to drop in and take a look at the photos.
While you're at it, please feel free to check out the photos from previous years.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Lone Wolf Harp Tone+ Review
Awhile back, maybe a couple of years ago, Andy Santana hipped me to a pedal that he was endorsing, the Lone Wolf Harp Tone+. I ran across a used one at good price on the Internet, so I bought it.
I decided to try it at the Mojo Lounge jam with a Harpgear Double Trouble and a Shure 520DX with the standard dynamic element with the following results.
I found that the pedal added quite a bit to the bottom end. It projected well for an 18 watt amp with a pair of 8" speakers. The addition to the bottom end was much more obvious when playing higher pitched harmonicas.
A few weeks later at the same place, I tried the Shure 520DX, Harp Tone+ and a Meteor Mini Meat joining Steve Freund performing the title track from his CD release entitled "Lonesome Flight".
I had some additional time with that combo to record this solo piece. (A Shure 520DX was plugged into the Harp Tone+ and into the Meat channel of the Meteor Mini Meat (2x8, 1x10 w/ 5881's). The volume was cranked to 6, tone and presence knobs set at about 7 on the amp. The Harp Tone+ was set as follows: Bass at 5 o'clock (full), Treble at noon, Volume at about 9 o'clock which was set at the brink of feedback. I stuck a Zoom H2 behind the amp.)
I also tried the Shure 520DX, Harp Tone+ with a solid state Peavey Bandit 65. I was very surprised with the results. It was quite loud and toneful. I didn't get much of an opportunity to dial it in, but it sounded very usable. It was usable enough that I wanted to mess with the combination some more.
If you don't want to spend a bunch of money on a vintage microphone, the Lone Wolf Harp Tone+ will nicely complement any of the contemporary harp mics like the Shure 520DX, Superlux D112 or the Astatic JT30-RH.
I decided to try it at the Mojo Lounge jam with a Harpgear Double Trouble and a Shure 520DX with the standard dynamic element with the following results.
I found that the pedal added quite a bit to the bottom end. It projected well for an 18 watt amp with a pair of 8" speakers. The addition to the bottom end was much more obvious when playing higher pitched harmonicas.
A few weeks later at the same place, I tried the Shure 520DX, Harp Tone+ and a Meteor Mini Meat joining Steve Freund performing the title track from his CD release entitled "Lonesome Flight".
I had some additional time with that combo to record this solo piece. (A Shure 520DX was plugged into the Harp Tone+ and into the Meat channel of the Meteor Mini Meat (2x8, 1x10 w/ 5881's). The volume was cranked to 6, tone and presence knobs set at about 7 on the amp. The Harp Tone+ was set as follows: Bass at 5 o'clock (full), Treble at noon, Volume at about 9 o'clock which was set at the brink of feedback. I stuck a Zoom H2 behind the amp.)
I also tried the Shure 520DX, Harp Tone+ with a solid state Peavey Bandit 65. I was very surprised with the results. It was quite loud and toneful. I didn't get much of an opportunity to dial it in, but it sounded very usable. It was usable enough that I wanted to mess with the combination some more.
If you don't want to spend a bunch of money on a vintage microphone, the Lone Wolf Harp Tone+ will nicely complement any of the contemporary harp mics like the Shure 520DX, Superlux D112 or the Astatic JT30-RH.
Friday, December 16, 2011
BlowsMeAway Bulletizer Product Review
A year or so ago, I had a really good sounding Shure 544. I dropped it and dented the connector beyond repair. I really liked the microphone, so I shipped it off to Greg Heumann at BlowsMeAway Productions. I asked him to Ultimat-ize it. A few days later, he returned it to me with a new screw on connector and a volume control. It ended up looking similar to the red microphone in the picture below.
After the transformation, it's now a fantastic sounding microphone and a good looking microphone.
I've been using it quite a bit lately. A few weeks ago, I was trolling the Internet and found a used Bulletizer. The Bulletizer gives the player a larger surface to grasp and cup, and provides an acoustic chamber inside your cup to bring out the best of the mic's tone. I was curious how the product would effect the microphone's tone.
I decided to capture a quick recording of the microphone with the microphone before and after the installation of the Bulletizer. Here's the video.
My initial thoughts were:
- It was super easy to install. It took about five minutes and the instructions and tools were provided.
- It's a bit easier to hold hold the microphone.
- The microphone became a slightly more prone to feedback.
- The change to the tone wasn't dramatic. Where I noticed the difference was in playing chords. Chords ended up sounding a bit more like a bullet mic.
Overall, it's a cool product. If you like the way a stick microphone sounds and have a challenge holding one, this might be the product for you.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Rockin' Rons Music For Less
After I confirmed that I had received my credit, I decided that I was going to purchase a Suzuki Manji from Rockin' Rons Music For Less. All of the reported dealings with Ron had been positive, so I didn't there was much risk.
I am pleased to say that my experience was incredibly positive. Rockin' Rons Music For Less does indeed rock!
While I was checking out Ron's web site, I thought I would check prices on Hohner MS reed plates. Unfortunately, it isn't a product that he sells. It was no big deal as I have a source for Hohner reed plates. He did have replacement reed plates for Bushman Delta Frost harmonica for $16.50 shipped. I ordered a set in A thinking that I would just swap the plates on my deceased Delta Frosts and I would be good to go.
10/22/2010 - I e-mailed him. Less than 30 minutes later, he confirmed the stuff was in stock. I called him and placed an order. The whole process couldn't have taken longer than 5 minutes. We talked for about another ten or fifteen minutes. He's a very cordial guy. He confirmed the order would go out in the mail that afternoon.
10/25/2010 - I got home from work, there was a package in the mail from Rockin' Rons Music For Less. I had received my order. The package contained a the Manji and a brand new set of reed plates attached to a comb with a Delta Frost logo printed on it. After swapping the cover plates from the dead harmonica, I had an almost brand new harp for $16.50.
Rockin' Ron's Music For Less has matched the Bushman Music Works price on the product. Rockin' Ron has them in stock. Most importantly, he likes to send the customer's order when they pay. In other words, he kicks John Hall's ass in the service department.
After this experience, Rockin' Ron has earned my future business.
I am pleased to say that my experience was incredibly positive. Rockin' Rons Music For Less does indeed rock!
While I was checking out Ron's web site, I thought I would check prices on Hohner MS reed plates. Unfortunately, it isn't a product that he sells. It was no big deal as I have a source for Hohner reed plates. He did have replacement reed plates for Bushman Delta Frost harmonica for $16.50 shipped. I ordered a set in A thinking that I would just swap the plates on my deceased Delta Frosts and I would be good to go.
10/22/2010 - I e-mailed him. Less than 30 minutes later, he confirmed the stuff was in stock. I called him and placed an order. The whole process couldn't have taken longer than 5 minutes. We talked for about another ten or fifteen minutes. He's a very cordial guy. He confirmed the order would go out in the mail that afternoon.
10/25/2010 - I got home from work, there was a package in the mail from Rockin' Rons Music For Less. I had received my order. The package contained a the Manji and a brand new set of reed plates attached to a comb with a Delta Frost logo printed on it. After swapping the cover plates from the dead harmonica, I had an almost brand new harp for $16.50.
Rockin' Ron's Music For Less has matched the Bushman Music Works price on the product. Rockin' Ron has them in stock. Most importantly, he likes to send the customer's order when they pay. In other words, he kicks John Hall's ass in the service department.
After this experience, Rockin' Ron has earned my future business.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Bushman Music Works
I swore that I wasn't going to do this, but I changed my mind. I wanted to document my experiences attempting to purchase a single harmonica directly from John Hall at the Bushman Music Works.
09/07/2010 - John Hall posted a message to his forum:
"We've sat back quietly and patiently while we let two big dealers attempt to supply Delta Frosts to the harmonica playing public. We just can't leave the sales-shipping-servicing of our harmonicas to anyone else. The dealers don't pay timely, and they don't have knowledgeable personnel available to help our customers get what they need. So we are cutting out the fat, and we're putting our prices low. Delta Frosts are now $25, free shipping! It doesn't matter how many you buy. It doesn't matter how famous you are. Nothing matters except this: You're buying what I consider to be the best out-of-the-box harmonica for under $30 in the world! Period. We've just received a large shipment, we are shipping all existing orders now. We'll be completely caught up and ready to ship your orders. We will not charge any credit cards prior to shipping as competitors have alleged."
It seemed like a low risk proposition. Since I had a less than perfect experience when I purchased a Bushman Free Jazz on closeout, I decided to place an order for a single harmonica.
09/13/10 - I placed an order using the Bushman web site. The website showed over 4000 units in stock when I placed the order. It seemed like everything was cool.
09/14/10 - I received an e-mail notification confirming my order and that my credit card had been charged for $25. At the time, I thought, "cool. my order should be here in a couple of days." I forgot about it.
09/21/10 - A person started a thread on the forum at Modern Blues Harmonica. He was asking about Bushman Delta Frost harmonicas. The person had placed an order a month earlier and hadn't received their order. Since, I hadn't received any notification that my order hadn't shipped, I decided that I should do some digging on the status of my order.
09/22/10 - I called Bushman's customer service number. An answering machine picked up. I left my contact information. I didn't receive a return phone call.
09/29/10 - I tried calling several times on 09/29/2010. Nobody answered.
09/30/10 - I called back and spoke to a gentleman named Ryan. Ryan told me that Delta Frost orders would be going out on Monday, October 4th. I didn't receive a return phone call.
10/06/10 - A thread of complaints by people who had placed orders directly with Bushman. but had never received their orders was deleted on the Bushman web site.
10/07/10 - I called Bushman's customer service number. An answering machine picked up. I didn't leave my contact information.
10/08/10 - I made an inquiry on a couple of forums to see if anyone had placed and received an order from Bushman. I received several private messages. None of the messages were encouraging. One person had placed an order in January 2010 and still hadn't received their order. Another had placed an order more than a month earlier. It was an order worth more than $200 and had paid with a debit card. Now, I was starting to get nervous.
10/11/10 - I tried calling Bushman. Ryan answered the phone. He told me that the owner wanted him to take the names and numbers of people calling about orders. I gave him my name and number again.
10/12/10 - I hadn't heard from John Hall @ Bushman.
10/14/10 - I called Bushman's customer service number. An answering machine picked up. I left my contact information.
After thinking about it more and reading a few more messages from people who had placed orders much earlier than me, I decided that I was done and that I ought to try to get my money back.
I called the credit card company to file a dispute. On my behalf, they attempted to call Bushman and spoke with Ryan. John Hall wasn't available. When I explained that I had called them several times and was waiting for a return phone call from John, they offered to credit my account. A few minutes later, the credit was issued.
Fifteen minutes later, John Hall called me. I told him that I had filed for a credit with the credit card company. He was apologetic and said that he could have done that for me. Given his track record of returning phone calls, I didn't think that was likely.
This was my second order from Bushman. The first one was problematic, too. I eventually received that order after a couple of phone calls.
This was far too much of a hassle for a $25 order. I won't be ordering from them again, nor will I purchase another Bushman product.
I learned the Suzuki Harpmaster is the same harmonica.
09/07/2010 - John Hall posted a message to his forum:
"We've sat back quietly and patiently while we let two big dealers attempt to supply Delta Frosts to the harmonica playing public. We just can't leave the sales-shipping-servicing of our harmonicas to anyone else. The dealers don't pay timely, and they don't have knowledgeable personnel available to help our customers get what they need. So we are cutting out the fat, and we're putting our prices low. Delta Frosts are now $25, free shipping! It doesn't matter how many you buy. It doesn't matter how famous you are. Nothing matters except this: You're buying what I consider to be the best out-of-the-box harmonica for under $30 in the world! Period. We've just received a large shipment, we are shipping all existing orders now. We'll be completely caught up and ready to ship your orders. We will not charge any credit cards prior to shipping as competitors have alleged."
It seemed like a low risk proposition. Since I had a less than perfect experience when I purchased a Bushman Free Jazz on closeout, I decided to place an order for a single harmonica.
09/13/10 - I placed an order using the Bushman web site. The website showed over 4000 units in stock when I placed the order. It seemed like everything was cool.
09/14/10 - I received an e-mail notification confirming my order and that my credit card had been charged for $25. At the time, I thought, "cool. my order should be here in a couple of days." I forgot about it.
09/21/10 - A person started a thread on the forum at Modern Blues Harmonica. He was asking about Bushman Delta Frost harmonicas. The person had placed an order a month earlier and hadn't received their order. Since, I hadn't received any notification that my order hadn't shipped, I decided that I should do some digging on the status of my order.
09/22/10 - I called Bushman's customer service number. An answering machine picked up. I left my contact information. I didn't receive a return phone call.
09/29/10 - I tried calling several times on 09/29/2010. Nobody answered.
09/30/10 - I called back and spoke to a gentleman named Ryan. Ryan told me that Delta Frost orders would be going out on Monday, October 4th. I didn't receive a return phone call.
10/06/10 - A thread of complaints by people who had placed orders directly with Bushman. but had never received their orders was deleted on the Bushman web site.
10/07/10 - I called Bushman's customer service number. An answering machine picked up. I didn't leave my contact information.
10/08/10 - I made an inquiry on a couple of forums to see if anyone had placed and received an order from Bushman. I received several private messages. None of the messages were encouraging. One person had placed an order in January 2010 and still hadn't received their order. Another had placed an order more than a month earlier. It was an order worth more than $200 and had paid with a debit card. Now, I was starting to get nervous.
10/11/10 - I tried calling Bushman. Ryan answered the phone. He told me that the owner wanted him to take the names and numbers of people calling about orders. I gave him my name and number again.
10/12/10 - I hadn't heard from John Hall @ Bushman.
10/14/10 - I called Bushman's customer service number. An answering machine picked up. I left my contact information.
After thinking about it more and reading a few more messages from people who had placed orders much earlier than me, I decided that I was done and that I ought to try to get my money back.
I called the credit card company to file a dispute. On my behalf, they attempted to call Bushman and spoke with Ryan. John Hall wasn't available. When I explained that I had called them several times and was waiting for a return phone call from John, they offered to credit my account. A few minutes later, the credit was issued.
Fifteen minutes later, John Hall called me. I told him that I had filed for a credit with the credit card company. He was apologetic and said that he could have done that for me. Given his track record of returning phone calls, I didn't think that was likely.
This was my second order from Bushman. The first one was problematic, too. I eventually received that order after a couple of phone calls.
This was far too much of a hassle for a $25 order. I won't be ordering from them again, nor will I purchase another Bushman product.
I learned the Suzuki Harpmaster is the same harmonica.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Mini Meat Memories
I had a lot of fun with the Mini Meat, but I decided it was time to part ways. It had a very unique sound to it and there really is nothing else like it. It had a very cool "in your face" sound to it that was only equaled by it's very "in your face" appearance. Bright red tweed and gold grill cloth makes a very striking statement!
Here is a reminder of my old friend. This was recorded at the Mojo Lounge Blues Jam. Lonesome Flight is original tune performed by Steve Freund (guitar/vocals), Eddie B (bass), June Core (drums) and me(harmonica). This tune and twelve other songs are his new CD, Lonesome Flight on 9 Below Records.
Here is a reminder of my old friend. This was recorded at the Mojo Lounge Blues Jam. Lonesome Flight is original tune performed by Steve Freund (guitar/vocals), Eddie B (bass), June Core (drums) and me(harmonica). This tune and twelve other songs are his new CD, Lonesome Flight on 9 Below Records.
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