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Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2001 13:45:50 -0700 (PDT)
From: chris moran
Subject: RE: John Lee Williamson Amplified?

From: Tom Ball
>It's unknown what might have constituted that
amplification -- was it
>an amp or a PA system? One thing to remember is that
early PA systems
>were significantly different than they are today -
even movie theaters
>typically used 5-watt McIntosh amps to power
(efficient) speakers. The vocal
>mics may have been crystal bullets, the systems
themselves would've been
>tube-driven, and the cabinets probably consisted of a
couple of 8" or
>10" speakers. In other words an ideal set-up for
harp, if terrible for
>vocal.

Right, the old PAs were much closer in sound to guitar
amps than at present. I saw on old 30s Philco PA
recently on eBay with two 8s that must sound great for
harp. And when people talk about Little Walter
playing through PAs in the 50s, I am reminded of the
50s Airline and Newcomb PAs that I've seen with two
speaker stacks of up to four 8-inch speakers in each
stack.

>Bottom line: none of John Lee Williamson's recordings
featured harp
>blown through an amp; but he was evidently playing
that way at live gigs --
>at least sometimes.

Tantalizing, though, isn't it? What John Lee must have
sounded like amplified?

There is one recording ("John Henry"?) of DeFord
Bailey where he sounds so close to the mic that he
sounds as though he was "playing amplified".

Thank you again, for the info!

- --Chris Moran

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