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From: "Little, Thom/SFO"
Date: Fri, 24 Jan 1997 16:20:04 -0700
Subject: Gear vs tone vs ability

Mike Curtis writes
The problem I keep seeing is that harmonica players, like guitarists
(and
> most other instruments, for that matter), have been brainwashed by the
> music manufacturers into believing that owning the "right" gear will make
> us sound like our favorite hero. Whether this is intentional
> is not pertinent - only that it exists. Manufacturers pay a lot of
> money, and give away a lot of gear, etc., to get big name artists to
> endorse their gear - and do nothing to dispel the myth that their gear
> is why these people sound so good.
>

Then it was written:

While this might be true of guitar players I don't see the paralell in
harmonicas. It's just too small a market. John Popper being the only
harpslinger I can think of that might be able to sell an amp or two if
he endorsed one which I don't think he does. While the harmonica world
might have its own hero driven equipment sales they are not decidedly
fueled by the larger mass media. We are our own victims in this if we
succumb.

end snippge

I think all the name brand harp players are doing exactly this. Hell
they need the money. Charlie Musselwhite and Jr. Wells endorse LO. John
Popper endorses Special 20. I think the average buyer will succumb to
this type of base advertising. I believe Rod Piazza is coming out with
an amp this year if it isn't already out. The only reason he would do
this is to make money. How? You want to sound like Rod play through his
rig, he has his own brand of mics and now amps from what I am told.

I feel we all have to have an experience or two that brings us back to
reality. Like buying that chromatic cuz so -n- so plays one. You buy it
and you still sound like yourself. Ouch. I have made several purchases
this way. After doing it one time I went to see Charlie Musselhite in a
little tavern in Salt Lake City of all places. I thought I was good. He
played through a PA and sounded better then than I do now 1 years later.
I learned I had a ways to go. Now I want to sound like Mark Ford, Andy
Just and Mark Hummel all rolled into one but I haven't purchased the
$700 effects processor like MF and Aj play through. I keep workin' on my
technique. My instructor (before I quit) liked my tone but kept working
with me on basics cuz I wasn't clean. Although I don't have time for the
lessons I am still trying to clean things up. I guess I am one of those
that got decent tone first and technique will take a lifetime.

My tone comes through my little Gibson Falcon. The amp seems rare. I
never see anyone play through one but it has a great tone with a Bullet
mic. I run it through a custom made preamp made by my brother. We are
currently working on reducing the size and installing the preamp in the
mic complete with on off switch and gain control knob. Anyone interested
in the current version or the truly futuristic model I could probably
set you up. With the preamp on it yields the meanest sound at any
volume. My instructor had to have one so we built him one and he loved
it.

I find in my recent playing at a lot of blues jams two funny things: 1)
there have not been many or any other harp players (where are you guys
hiding???) and 2) guitar players bring out the best/worst in me. I
listen to a lot of different blues styles but prefer Mark Hummel, Rod
Piazza, Andy Just and Mark Ford to name a few. At all the recent blues
jams the guitarists are plentiful and we tend to play guitar players
tunes. What happens as a result is I play less swing style and go for
the "don't play one note when you can play ten" philosophy. To fuel the
fire the guitar players love it. they want to go to battle with me and
trade off licks. They all say hey that was fun let's do it again. I
think the problem is I am playing their style and not my own. I don't
mind playing fast every once in a while but everytime it gets old for me
and for the listener. I feel I am trapped. Suggestions.

Sorry about rambling.

Little Thom Little