Pignose amp- Good for practice?
Hello from Kathmandu, Nepal! New to the site. I’m a complete beginner harmonica enthusiast and keen to hone up my skills from this site. I recently purchased the classic Marine Band 1896 Harmonica in the key of C. I also have an old Pignose 7-100 amp lying around the house. I’ve read about using the Pignose amp as a decent harmonica amp on the internet. What is the general consensus about this amp as a beginner practice amp for home practice? Also can you please recommend me some budget microphones good enough for home practice to use with the Piggy? Thank you!
Thank you Eric! You're right about not using the amp as a beginner. I was just curious to know if they're considered decent enough for harmonica playing. I should just focus on my skills for now. That Bob Seger tune is nice isn't it! He actually did come to Kathmandu a few times in the 80's. :-)
Thank you Eric! You're right about not using the amp as a beginner. I was just curious to know if they're considered decent enough for harmonica playing. I should just focus on my skills for now. That Bob Seger tune is nice isn't it! He actually did come to Kathmandu a few times in the 80's. :-)
I'm sure it's fine for practicing and suggest that you use it until you know you need something else. When I practice with an amp, it's just a little Marshall practice amp that someone gave me 10 years ago. I don't have a tube amp like David recommends.
I do play in a rock band (mainly saxophone) and might have three or four harmonica songs at a gig. But I just go straight to the PA or through an effects pedal. The tube amp isn't always the sound I want, and I don't want to take up more space on stage or time setting one up. I'd feel differently in a blues band.
Your next purchase should be an A harmonica.
While I agree an amp is not needed to practice initially, playing amplfiied it's a lot of fun and also a different skillset to hone. I don't practice amplified that often, so when I do I realize how unforgiving it is with any mistake and inaccuracy, so it's just a different game in my opinion.
Pignose is nice for blowing harp. Proof: Bent Reed's cover of Got My Mojo Working busking in Nashville Tennessee. If you read the comments, you'll see he mentions he is using a 5watt Pignose amp and a Shure Green Bullet mic. He even sings through that rig and gets an interesting sound. At least I dig it.
If you have any decent mic around, or can get one from a friend or used or whatever just start with that. You can always upgrade when you feel like it.
I practice using the Danelectro HoneyTone, a $30 10watt mini amp, using headphones. Whenever I've used it without headphones I crank it down to the minimum, since it can really blare while indoors. Obviously, it's not an amp to deafen a soccer stadium full of people, but that's certainly not my case :) For practicing, the Pignose should give you plenty of juice.
I bought the Shure Green Bullet ($120) but honestly, although it's a great mic, I feel the heavily distorted sound you get with a bullet mic is kind of too restricted to that fat blues sound. I have always been interested in other genres (jazz, classical, country, bluegrass, flamenco and other varieties of folk, mainly), so I'm thinking of getting an "acoustic" microphone which doesn't break the bank, to experiment with a less distorted sound. I think such a mic would also be fine for initial blues practicing, which is why I suggest you to start with that if you can get one.
OK, so I've been playing for only about a bit over two years and essentially am only an advance beginner. I don't think an amp is necessary for a beginner, especially in the very early years, as the harp is actually pretty loud for a small instrument.
After two years, though, I just purchased a Roland Micro Cube, Sony Headphones, and a Bulletini microphone. My review is in the Gear forum if you'd like to have a look. Around the same time, a friend of mine lent me his Piggy, so my opinion is based on a short time with each.
The Piggy is a great little practice amp, BUT, it is a one-trick pony as it only has a volume control. What greater control you will have over the amp will be deterimed by the volume control on your mic in combination w the volume control on the Piggy; lower the amp and raise the mic; lower the mic and raise the amp. Also, opening the case at different angles will alter the sound, but that's about it.
The Roland is a modeling amp that gives you a wide variety of different sounds and also gives you a line out for headphones. For me, the headhone jack was the main issue as I live in a densely populated are and really don't want to bother my wife and neighbors (in that order, btw). Using the headphone out really helps in this case. The line out also plugs into my iMac and essentially acts as an interface for the mic.
Still, if the above is ok for you then the Piggy is a great practice amp and also good for small gigs or street performances. It's certainly a classic and looks really cool.
As for a microphone, I got the Bulletini from BlowsMeAwayHarmonica.com. There's an extensive review of it on this site as well as on YouTube. If you get the Bulletini, pay a little extra for the one with the volume control as it's well worth it.
Hope this helps.
Ace
Thank you for all the helpful suggestions. Definitely sticking with practicing just with the harmonica for now. I’ll look at some decent cheap mics and have a go with the Piggy when i’m ready.
David has mic reviews (and amp reviews). I don't think he covers the pignose, but there are lots of microphones. Maybe check his reviews and compare them to your budget. For what it's worth, I don't that it's necessary to practice with an amp and microphone in the beginning. Maybe it's better to play unamplified and focus on the harmonica; David could give you some guidance on his subforum.
Sorry, but I can't resist: https://youtu.be/wd3Mt8JBBBg?t=156