Fender Blues Junior Modifications
One alternative to vintage or boutique amps is the Fender Blues Jr. Here is a site that I just saw on Harp-L that goes through a bunch of Modifications to make this little amp sound better including some tube swaps that will help it sound great with harp.

Bill's Blues Junior Modification Pages "Fender's Blues Junior is a great little amp--it's small, light, priced right, and all tube. It has spring reverb, flexible tone controls, and it's loud for its size. It has a couple of shortcomings, however, that can be overcome without too much difficulty."

 
¶ Friday, May 25, 2007 0 Comments Links to this post

  Orange County Speaker Repair
I am in need of speakers for three of my Blues Harp Amps. I have a whole pile of vintage speakers with busted cones or blown coils. I started asking around where to send these to get reconed and almost every time I get directed to Orange County Speaker Repair. I am putting together a few speakers to see how they come out. If anyone else knows of a good service please let me know. I was hoping to find someone on the east coast to help with shipping costs.

Orange County Speaker Repair 
¶ Friday, May 25, 2007 1 Comments Links to this post

  Twin Cities Blues - BluesTube
Shawn "Too Blue" Wallin blogs his best bets on Blues videos on his Twin City Blues Website. Shawn has to be a harp player because most of the videos feature some great harp. I love the vintage ones, especially when I can spot James Cotton's Blues Harp Amp or Sugar Blue's Microphone.

This weak features:

Jimmy Rogers - Live at El Mocambo with Steve Guyger on Harp
Muddy Waters - You Can't Lose What You Never Had
BB King - Just A Little Bit of Love (1969)
Down Home Super Trio (RJ Mischo) - They Try To Kill Me
John Lee Hooker - Boom Boom
Willie Dixon - I'm Nervous
The Band of Willie Dixon - Flip, Flop & Fly
Billy Watson with Junior Watson - Pee Wee's Playhouse
Charlie Musselwhite - Live at the Iron Horse Cafe - Part 1
Charlie Musselwhite - Live at the Iron Horse Cafe - Part 2
Mark Hummel, Kim Wilson, Charlie Musselwhite - Harmonica Blowout
T. Leino Band with Steve Guyger - Don't Dog Me Around
T. Leino Band with Steve Guyger - Going Away
Michael Pickett - Lose Your Money
John Lee Hooker - Boom Boom
Minnesota Blues Category: Texas Red - Livin' on the Cheap

The other night I missed a whole night of bad TV by listening to some good blues!

Twin Cities Blues » BluesTube YouTube

Subscribe to the RSS feed and can load the latest list direct. 
¶ Wednesday, May 23, 2007 0 Comments Links to this post

  Testing a New Format
I am trying to redesign the HarpAmps.com site to make it more readable and faster loading. Of course, I will try to keep the style as butt-ugly as ever so that you know that you are home. Let me know if you can't find something by clicking on the contact webmaster link at the top. 
¶ Monday, May 21, 2007 0 Comments Links to this post

  Savenetradio.org
Savenetradio.org: "There is a bill just introduced in Congress that will save Internet radio from the devastating royalty fee increases that will put thousands of Internet webcasters out of business on May 15th. Please call your Representative in Congress as soon as possible and urge them to co-sponsor H.R. 2060, the Internet Radio Equality Act." 
¶ Friday, May 04, 2007 0 Comments Links to this post

  AmpliTube Jimi Hendrix
Amplitube makes software that models different amplifiers. They've come out with their Jimi Hendrix line. I put it here mainly for the gorgeously rich graphics. This is a screen shot of their virtual effects rack. I love it that they used, what look like, real used vintage effects as a model. Check out the site and click on some of the images. If you do any studio mixing and post production work, consider their software. If it is half as good as their images, then it should be well worth the investment. (click on the image to see a larger version.)



AmpliTube Jimi Hendrix: "• 5 separate modules: tuner, configurable stomp pedal board, amp head, cabinet + mic and rack effects

• 4 Amp models

• 7 Cabinet models

• 5 Microphone models

• 9 Stomp Effect models

• 4 Rack Effect models

• High-precision Tuner

• 2 Guitar rig chains

• Jimi Hendrix song presets immediately recall the entire rig used


• Plug-In and Standalone version" 
¶ Friday, May 04, 2007 0 Comments Links to this post