The Seydel 1847 is getting to be my favorite harp
I recently blew out the draw 4 reed on my Seydel Session Steel A harp. When I ordered a set of replacement reed plates, I was shipped a set of Seydel 1847 plates by accident. I decided to re-order the Session Steel plates, and also…
Labeling my harps for easy recognition in low light
I’m getting ready to play the Forbes/Inc. Magazine corporate battle of the bands semifinals at Gypsy Sally’s in Washington, DC on Saturday, May 30 with a band called Gartner in the Cloud. It’s going to be fun. Our set includes five tunes, all classic rock….
I just bought a bunch of Manjis, and they’re better than they used to be
I buy harmonicas every so often (because I use harmonicas every day, and they do wear out). A recent sale on Suzuki Manjis in all the popular keys happened to take place at Rockin Ron’s on the very day I decided to buy some. So…
Gear Review: Low Priced Amp Modeling: the Vox Stomplab IG
The Vox Stomplab IG is a full-blown multiFX device that includes amp modeling, dynamics processing, a range of FX, delay, and reverb, all in a two-button stompbox design that runs on 4 AA batteries and sells new for under $70. I’ve had good experiences with…
Video of the day 10 April 2015: Sleeping through a revolution
Sleeping Through a Revolution – Jonathan Taplin from USC Annenberg Innovation Lab on Vimeo.
Video of the Day 1 April 2015: Lowlands Unplugged
Zoom G3 Tip #1: Set the Input to PASSIVE!
There’s a button on the back of your G3 in the INPUT section (far left when you look at the back of the G3) marked “Active” and “Passive.” MAKE SURE THIS BUTTON IS SET TO “PASSIVE” BEFORE YOU PLUG THE G3 INTO YOUR AMP OR…
Video of the Day 16 March 2015: Boris Plotnikov’s rig at work with Michail Bashakov
Going Out to Jam with the Zoom G3
I’m traveling to London tonight, and tomorrow (Sunday March 15) I plan to sit in at the Sunday afternoon jam at Ain’t Nothin’ But the Blues. I’m taking a kit that includes 18 diatonic harmonicas–most of the standard Richter tunings in keys from low F…
4 Years After: Mississippi Queen Redux
I recorded myself performing Mountain’s “Mississippi Queen” about four years ago, and I happened to record it again last week while I was running through my solo repertoire. This performance is backed by the same recorded arrangement I used four years ago, so it’s easy…
