New amps?

[jeffb]

After 35 years of playing bass (almost 30 of them off and on as a pro)
I'm head over heels swept away in love with learning the blues harp.
Searching around for opinions on amps I keep finding everyone's list of
obscure cool tube amps. I'm sure a lot of them are the voice of god if
you play well and know exactly what you want but quite frankly the
acoustic sound I get right now wouldn't even come close to doing justice
to a classic old amp and I don't really have the interest right now in
going that direction yet.

I just wanna buy something new that is likely to serve me for a few
years and that I don't have to baby or mod. I'm thinking something like
a Fender Blues Junior.

Other options? I'm not tied to having to have a Fender or to any
particular price range. Cheap is good but I'll spend if more if it's a
better deal.

And lastly just wanting to own one amp (small is good, I live on a
sailboat) would I be better off with something a little bigger to keep
up with a drummer and a guitar player with a Twin? Or is small through
the PA where it's at?


Thanks
jeff

[Harpman]

Post by jeffb
After 35 years of playing bass (almost 30 of them off and on as a pro)
I'm head over heels swept away in love with learning the blues harp.
Searching around for opinions on amps I keep finding everyone's list of
obscure cool tube amps. I'm sure a lot of them are the voice of god if
you play well and know exactly what you want but quite frankly the
acoustic sound I get right now wouldn't even come close to doing justice
to a classic old amp and I don't really have the interest right now in
going that direction yet.
I just wanna buy something new that is likely to serve me for a few
years and that I don't have to baby or mod. I'm thinking something like
a Fender Blues Junior.
Other options? I'm not tied to having to have a Fender or to any
particular price range. Cheap is good but I'll spend if more if it's a
better deal.
And lastly just wanting to own one amp (small is good, I live on a
sailboat) would I be better off with something a little bigger to keep
up with a drummer and a guitar player with a Twin? Or is small through
the PA where it's at?
Thanks
jeff

Wow, you are probably going to get a zillion opinions! I have a Fender
Blues Jr. and it is a fine amp,in my opinion. I also have a Jay Turser
Classic 10 which,if you are extremely lucky, might find on ebay or some
music store site. It is very small, works on battery and electricity and
sounds GREAT with blues harp.It took me one year of searching to buy one
and I found a great deal on a brand new one on ebay. Good luck. Allen

[jeffb]

Post by Harpman
I also have a Jay Turser
Classic 10 which,if you are extremely lucky, might find on ebay or some
music store site. It is very small, works on battery and electricity and
sounds GREAT with blues harp.It took me one year of searching to buy one
and I found a great deal on a brand new one on ebay. Good luck. Allen

Thanks for the heads up on this one. I think I'm going to buy one of
these to start, there are a couple on ebay. I'll need something larger
eventually but an amp like this will always serve a purpose. There's the
25w version a guy is selling on ebay too but it doesn't appear to have
the rechargeable battery which is going to be a useful thing living on a
solar powered boat.

[RawFoodGuy]

Post by jeffb
After 35 years of playing bass (almost 30 of them off and on as a pro)
I'm head over heels swept away in love with learning the blues harp.
Searching around for opinions on amps I keep finding everyone's list of
obscure cool tube amps. I'm sure a lot of them are the voice of god if
you play well and know exactly what you want but quite frankly the
acoustic sound I get right now wouldn't even come close to doing justice
to a classic old amp and I don't really have the interest right now in
going that direction yet.
I just wanna buy something new that is likely to serve me for a few
years and that I don't have to baby or mod. I'm thinking something like
a Fender Blues Junior.
Other options? I'm not tied to having to have a Fender or to any
particular price range. Cheap is good but I'll spend if more if it's a
better deal.
And lastly just wanting to own one amp (small is good, I live on a
sailboat) would I be better off with something a little bigger to keep
up with a drummer and a guitar player with a Twin? Or is small through
the PA where it's at?
Thanks
jeff

well, this is one of those questions that everyone has an opinion on
(you the know the rest of that comment). Here is mine - there is one
amp that I believe everyone should have. If I had to have only one amp
at around $200-250 it would be a Kalamazoo Model II. Small, light,
amazing tone - mic it to the PA if you need more volume. It's a great
amp you will always be glad to have, even after you get into custom
harp amps like Rob's FatDog. I play the FatDog more now, but I'll
never let go of the Kalamazoo. It's a classic.

- Robert
www.rawfoodlife.com

[jeffb]

Post by RawFoodGuy
If I had to have only one amp
at around $200-250 it would be a Kalamazoo Model II.

Finding one might be an issue...and the one I did see was $350.
It's on the list though of things to keep an eye out for.

[Eric Stahl]

Post by jeffb

Post by RawFoodGuy
If I had to have only one amp
at around $200-250 it would be a Kalamazoo Model II.

Finding one might be an issue...and the one I did see was $350.
It's on the list though of things to keep an eye out for.

The Kalamazoo Model-One is a Model-Two without tremolo. I own both
models and never use the Tremolo. Both models are excellent amps.

$350 sounds like too much. A model Two just sold on eBay for I think
$200. Model Ones should be less.

Kalamazoo's cabinets are particle board kind of material so nicks and
torn covers are commonly seen - but don't let that stop you from
buying one. The [near]mint condition ones do go for more money.

Of more import would be potentially needed repairs. If buying remotely
always get assurance that an amp works, and ask if it has any hum.

At the following URL are some songs I've uploaded to the
www.harmonicajam.com site. The harp in Caveman Stomp (backing track by
Peter Holliman), the March 30th version of A Very Mellow Fellow
(backing track by DBlues), and the April 1st version of Granite Bay
(backing track by Matt Gunn) - all used a roughed-up old Kalamazoo
Model-One and Shure 520 mic with CM element.

http://jamq.org/jamqueue/artist/ericstahl.php

One of the ladies that plays on the harmonicajam site lives on a
sailboat. I forget what kind of equipment she uses.


Regards,
Eric Stahl

[stolarskin]

I recently got a Behringer ac 108 vintager, it's called.
The guitar sounds very nice on it.
I'll try the harmonica on it
this weekend and report.
It's small, I like to practice outside in the dark at night,
11 pounds.

Post by Eric Stahl

Post by jeffb

Post by RawFoodGuy
If I had to have only one amp
at around $200-250 it would be a Kalamazoo Model II.

Finding one might be an issue...and the one I did see was $350.
It's on the list though of things to keep an eye out for.

The Kalamazoo Model-One is a Model-Two without tremolo. I own both
models and never use the Tremolo. Both models are excellent amps.
$350 sounds like too much. A model Two just sold on eBay for I think
$200. Model Ones should be less.
Kalamazoo's cabinets are particle board kind of material so nicks and
torn covers are commonly seen - but don't let that stop you from
buying one. The [near]mint condition ones do go for more money.
Of more import would be potentially needed repairs. If buying remotely
always get assurance that an amp works, and ask if it has any hum.
At the following URL are some songs I've uploaded to the
www.harmonicajam.com site. The harp in Caveman Stomp (backing track by
Peter Holliman), the March 30th version of A Very Mellow Fellow
(backing track by DBlues), and the April 1st version of Granite Bay
(backing track by Matt Gunn) - all used a roughed-up old Kalamazoo
Model-One and Shure 520 mic with CM element.
http://jamq.org/jamqueue/artist/ericstahl.php
One of the ladies that plays on the harmonicajam site lives on a
sailboat. I forget what kind of equipment she uses.
Regards,
Eric Stahl

[jeffb]

Thanks for all the suggestions and info.
I ended up ignoring everyone and doing EXACTLY what I said I didn't want
to do and bought an old 55 watt RCA tube amp on ebay for $114. It looks
like it might have been designed as a small PA for spoken presentations
as it comes with a small collar mic with a clip and the back flips open
into a little lectern. The seller says he's used the amp and mic a lot
for harp and it sounds great. Other than the speaker it's in good
working order and cosmetically is very, very good. Hoping with a new
speaker and the once over by Dave Vidal, the local tube amp guru it's
something cool that will serve to keep up with a full band. Only time
will tell if I wasted money on the thing.

Here are a few pics:
Loading Image...
Loading Image...
Loading Image...
Loading Image...
Loading Image...

[stolarskin]

I also looked at the tube pa systems on eaby.
The vintager was a good price and it
has a very nice warm sound. I've got 2 cigar box guitars, one
I made and one from Big Daddy at backporchmojo.com,
and they sound great on it.
Got something like strep throat so
it'll be a couple more days before I can do any harp.

Post by jeffb
Thanks for all the suggestions and info.
I ended up ignoring everyone and doing EXACTLY what I said I didn't want
to do and bought an old 55 watt RCA tube amp on ebay for $114. It looks
like it might have been designed as a small PA for spoken presentations as
it comes with a small collar mic with a clip and the back flips open into
a little lectern. The seller says he's used the amp and mic a lot for harp
and it sounds great. Other than the speaker it's in good working order and
cosmetically is very, very good. Hoping with a new speaker and the once
over by Dave Vidal, the local tube amp guru it's something cool that will
serve to keep up with a full band. Only time will tell if I wasted money
on the thing.
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m88/bc_rigger/Arcastanding.jpg
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m88/bc_rigger/Brcahandleandmic.jpg
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m88/bc_rigger/Crcaopenback2.jpg
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m88/bc_rigger/Drcamic.jpg
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m88/bc_rigger/rcaamppanel.jpg