Tip o' the week - The Loud Jam Blues - Part II

OK, so you've been practicing a lot at home and getting a good tone from your amp. Now you go down to the afternoon jam at the club, set up your stuff just like you do at home, and what the heck! Your amp sounds completely different.

The room that you are in and the ambient sound of the band has a BIG effect on your tone. It's similar for guitar players, but you harp dogs have the added problem of the microphone. Just one example: Estrin told me once that loud bass guitar can "cancel out" the bass response of the harp amp. The sound of the bass guitar gets into the harp mic, and phase differences in the two can end up reducing your low-end, dig?

Bottom line is that getting the best tone from your amp in all kinds of rooms can be frustrating even for pros, so be patient and don't be afraid to twist those knobs on your amp any way you can to get your tone.

Skip Simmons