Guitar Amps
Tue, 08/01/2017 - 18:32
Hi Skip,
I've got a couple of amps from my guitar playing days and am wondering if there is anything I can do to make them sound good for harp. One is a Peavy Classic 20 combo tube amp and the other is a solid state Fender Princeton Plus 112. Neither sound very good through either my green bullet (the new dynamic model) or my Audix Fireball. Is there anything I can do with any of those combinations, or should I be on the lookout for a new amp more suited to harp?
Thanks very much.
Hello PM- Thanks for writing. It is true that all harp amps were actually made as guitar amps until some pioneers like Sonny Junior started building amps specifically for harmonica. Historically, harp players used Fender amps like the Super Reverb and the tweed Bassman as well as small combos like Gibson and Supro, and (of course!) tube PA amps.
The two amps you mention should be OK for a very clean, low-volume sound but are poorly suited for any real grindy or thick tone. It would be possible to experiment with low-gain preamp tubes in the Peavey, but I would absolutely not modify either amp.
One last thought- either amp could be used as a jam-room PA system for vocals!