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10/1/09
Just a quick update on my new hot element that I've started modding a few mics with. These are the elements that
will go in my mass produced microphones and will smoke Shure and all the rest in sales, but for now I'm modding existing mics
with this element until my shells are made.
I knew this element was a hot one (My ears don't lie). I didn't spend 3 years searching the specs on every
modern day mic element made and then buying and testing them for NOTHING. I've also had a Hi Z
Transformer custom made that nobody but me will have, which is winded to match this element's specs perfectly.....it
was trial and error R&D!
The tone of this new element has been described somewhere between a 545 and a good Controlled Magnetic. This new
mic element still has good low end, but has more grindy mid range to cut through the mix and that's one drawback harp players
run into with the raw thick power of a 545 or a Hi Z SM57 using an already fat toned amp......it gets muddy and
tends to get lost in the mix.
And while playing brighter or high gain amps a Controlled Magnetic or Crystal just doesn't tame
the highs and may sound too piercing at times, but I think I've found the common ground to accompany nearly every amp
out there.
here's some feedback with this new element and transformer:
this is from a guy who 'WAS' using Shure's Green Bullet DX.
Steve:
My mic is ….AWSOME!!!!
GREAT SOUND - You were right it really fires up that Champ
Lots more bottom & a great growl . The
mic sounds better than I do … & now “so do I”
F___ the Indian & the bow theory …Thanks for the new bow
Seriously I dig it!
Talk to you soon
Brad
From Rolando Golardo in Austin, TX.
Hey Steve,
Got the JT-30 and it looks Great it also has Great Tone! Oh! ... And
I love the color ... Nice Job Bro!!!!
From Big Chet in San Diego. Partner in SD's Spring Harp Festival.
At my Thursday debut with the 1, 2, combination of my recent Thunder Harp Mic Mod and the new Lone Wolf Harp Delay
pedal - I just may have caught myself having an out of harmonica experience. . . I remember wondering to myself mid
solo on this one tune "hmmm who is that playing the harmonica there?" Come to find out it was actually me!
Irvine Lake Blues Fest....yours truly on the left, Barry G., Johnny Mastro and Big Chet on the right.
Cool plug from Dave Watson doing Little Walter's "Off The Wall"
There will be some YouTube stuff up as soon as I get all the video from a friend.
Rack Mic Update and some great vibe here.
Late October 08'......I'm back!!! I've got that MIC building mojo back again. The fire is burnin'
again and I'm going bigger than before. Hold on harmonica players. You ain't
seen nuthin' yet.
On Sat evening 10/18/08, I drove down to San Diego to hang out and visit with some old friends at Jon Gindick's Jam Camp
and get myself back in the mix again after 2 years of layin' low. About 10 pm I handed Jimi Lee a few
very hot mics and then I told him to unveil the "Bad Boy", as he refers to it, and in the room were Johnny Mastro- coach and
harp player lead man for "The Mamas Boys", Bandleader "Big" Chet Cannon who puts on The San Diego Spring Harp Fest,
Jon Gindick, Mark Wilson, harp player Dusty Woods, and another good harp player/amp builder who's name
excapes me...sorry bro.
Well, Jimi Lee plugged in the Big Boy rack mic into Jon's Black Face Princeton Reverb and everyone was stunned that a
rack mic can even sound like that.....UNCUPPED! There were several "Good God, what is that thing?"
"Man, I never thought anyone would surpass Paul Oscher's rack mic tone." "You're a genius."
Yes, I am gonna toot my horn because I don't sell or make junk microphones. I sat back and watched for
the last year while some stepped on my toes when I was just getting back in the mix of things, but I wasn't in the mindset
to have a battle of mic talk until I was ready. I'm ready now.
Harp players......I'm back and I'm going to once again rule the harp mic world, but this time there isn't somebody
to throw me a curve ball and lose more than half of what I own.
Let's get it on!
now...welcome to
ThunderHarpMICS
Where cutting edge research is at the forefront of the industry for the ultimate in hot and
fat amplified harp tone.
Ordering is simple:
just email me and introduce yourself.
For the A1 element, I like working with JT 30, Turners, Aiwa or whatever you have. My
A1 elements are longer and will not fit into a Biscuit shell.
$165.00 for element installation with your shell.
element and volume control is $175.00.
CM's, CR's, Crystals or Ceramic elements are on limited supply and I don't spend
alot of time looking for them. They're getting hard to find and the Crystals and Ceramics are a crap shoot in quality
output. Consistant high power output is a priority of mine, so I use the A1 most of the time due to them being
readily available. There are times where I will recommend a very bright element to the customer to match
his/her amp because amplified tone should be a combination of amp and mic to achieve a balance of fat, hot and grind.
at this time 9-10-08, I am assessing a complete unit consisting of both the rack holder and
the rack mic.
******** I do not modify the Torpedo mics anymore. They take far too much time to make them a
real harp mic. So either keep using it as a vocal mic, a mantle piece or a gutless low impedence harp
mic.
my very very hot personal 3D flame bullet. No volume control. This mic Jimi Lee played and thought it was
the hottest mic he's ever played or heard. Dusty Woods commented that my mics are the baddest mics he's ever come
across.
Yes, this rare Allied Knight PA has great harp tone and the turntable still works!
mmm
Below:
My 11 year old son, Gabe, grooving with 1/2 a front tooth missing...yea! The boy's swinging West Coast
Style! Move on over Johnny Rover. lol
Megan playing harp with the cobras. No thanks!
feedback
This is the first Foghorn sold and here's the customers response:
The craftsmanship is wonderful...I love the feel of the volume control and I love it...I'm using it with a Trimmed
and Burnin' amp...and they may replace my other, bigger rig. The mic kicks..it's booming and has plenty of thunder. It didn't
work as well with my other amp, the Mesa Boogie Lone Star..."it was kind of overkill"....but it makes my smaller amps sound bigger, full and driving....just the tone I've been
looking for...
and I love the fine blue paint job....
so, thanks....I've gigged with it now for three weeks and it's
great.
*****When's the last time you heard of a mic being labeled as Overkill?
The below feedback is from Rod Michael who owns a bruiser Sonny Jr 4x10, a beastly Meteor and now a
1-10" ThunderAmp.
That's some mighty fine harp amps to be compared with.
"This little amp kicks ___!"
Below: West Coast Piano Giant, Floyd Dixon with Kid Ramos.
I believe this was Floyd Dixon's last sit in before his passing. Freddy Kaplan moved on over for
the legend. Floyd was A true gentlemen to everyone. He'll be missed.
**Please Note**
Due to my workload please send your personal information with all mic mods and what you want done, new mic orders and
amp orders. thanks.
IF you want your Torpedo Mic made into a high performance harp mic then send it my way. It'll have
more grit, output and thicker than the newer Green Bullet.
One buddy of Hohner's, Wezo, responded by saying, '' WOW, what did you do to this thing?"
$65.00 dollars without volume control. $85.00 with volume control. (add $5.00 for shipping)
"Big" Robert James of 'Deep Fry'd Blues'.
"Bro, you're the man! This is the craziest small amp I've ever heard! With your mics and this amp, it's the
ultimate combination."
PC Harpman,
"Man, nobody is doing what you do with these mics. I'll never play anything else."
Here's a kind email I received from a new customer.
As a professional harp player and instructor for over 25 years, I've been on a continuous quest
for the ultimate harp tone. I've owned alot of different mics through the years with all sorts of elements. Recently
I was lucky enough to hook up with Steve at Thunderharp mics.
I got Steve to transform one of my old Astatic JT30 mics into a "TONE MONSTER" with his "Secret A1 element." I've always been very scepticle when people claim they've found the secret
to get the ultimate harp mic tone and I've never bought a mic without hearing it first, but after a few e-mails with Steve
I took a leap of faith and was extremely impressed that it was everything he said it was.
Steve has special talent for Harp Mics, whether it's installing a volume control, a custom mod,
or a from the ground up build with a real cool paint job. He does it all. His prices are reasonable and the turn-around
time is quick. I wouldn't THINK about using anyone else.
Mike "Wezo"Wesolowski
Blues World Order
Hohner Endorsee
As low keyed Harp player, I like to have Low big fat sound. With that microphone, I can make my amp scream and shout
and still have that mellow sweet sound from low keyed harmonicas. Meanwhile, I still sound like Myself playing. I have been
using green bullet 520, R5, PML127... Sound good, but does not sound like me. Most of bullet corrupt, change my sound, and
when I play hard and fast, thenote mix and the result tend to sound muddy, messy...
With Stevie, I sound like myself and that sounds nice. When I take my Low Low F or Low D, that sounds powerfull, strong
and clear. You can really hear every note I am playing. You can hear any nuances, effects, articulations... That's clear,
that's neat! No questions!
People say that I sound like a bunch of Horns!!!
I have been comparing that mic with other harp players microphones: they all love it!!! Great Low End and powerfull sound!
That's what they all say!
The Frenchman
"Steve, I love the microphone! I would like to buy another if I could?"
Michael Derber - Germany
My 1st sponsered master:
Hohner endorsee and Joe Filisko
custom harps endorsee, Darrell Mansfield,"These things got the tone, man!" Psalm 33:2 Praise the Lord with the Harp; Make melody to Him with an instrument
of ten holes." It really say's ten strings, but He won't mind. www.darrellmansfield.net
"Hey
Bro, the latest Gold mic smokes! That Thing screams!"
Darrell
gets as many mics as he wants. The elements and reeds melt when he gets rollin'. If you
saw him play at Hohner's booth at the Namm show then you know what I mean.
Steve Strangline of Nashville,
I like that mic! I really like that mic! It's smoother than the 151 crystal on the high end and the low end
is big and that's what I been lookin' for. Now, what about that amp?
"Big, fat, booming low end, punchy mids, and clear high harmonics. This is a monster
harp mic."
Mark Wilson, coordinator of Jon Gindick's Harmonica Jam Camps.
I also sponser West Coast great, JOHNNY ROVER, "This
mic is really working for me and when I plugged it in it had more power than my vintage Controlled Magnetic!"
"It's great, I love it!"
Check out harp master, Darrell Mansfield, his new CD picture below. That's a Joe Filisko
Custom harp providing the protein!
Steve,
DA Kine Harp Mic!
What a great mic for a BIG sound! I love this mic and element with Valco amps and the Sonny Jr. Four-Ten.
Another player with Shure CR element played later through his 59 Fender Bassman and it sounded
much "thinner". I
told him I was using a new mike from Thunderharp.mics.com. Very well made and the element has a thick BIG sound. This element
is a must for any harp players "quiver" who want a mic with thick and full tone. I am able to turn up mid and treble settings
with this mic and getting compliments on the tone. Now I want another one...
Brian Boggs
www.white2blue.com
Steve,
I got the mic today. Looks great! I played a little in my basement and it sounds great too. The room
down there is only 8' x 16' so I'm looking forward to taking it to a jam in a big room and let it rip. Those great
looking fins on the volume knob make it real easy to reach over with the pinkie and adjust it. You ought to patent that
sucker.
Dave Watson
Hey Steve --
The mic is so good! I've found lots of new sounds that
I'm excited about.
I've
had a chance to play it at a couple of gigs and
it really worked out well. You've done such a service
for harp
players who care about that big fat 50s tone.
Keep up the good work.
Virgil Thrasher
This is the mic that started it all. Darrell named it "Godzilla".
This is "Mini Me" makin' me happy. There will be no rap or commercialized garbage in this household!
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