robert-vincentSilverfish Harmonicas are thrilled that Robert Vincent is now using a silverfish harmonica as part of his rig.
Robert Vincent “is the searingly honest Liverpool singer-songwriter whose mix of folk, rock and country is like a Mersey Van Morrison or a Scouse Springsteen”.
2016 has been a fantastic year for Robert Vincent, who won the Bob Harris Emerging Artist Award at the first Americana Association UK Conference and Awards this February.
“I am so impressed with Robert’s music. Strong songs laced with blues and country. He is the real deal” Bob Harris
Robert recently signed to At The Helm Records, with a brand new album called ‘I’ll Make The Most Of My Sins’ due for release soon.
“Vincent mixes Folk, Rock and Country, employing piano, strings and howling pedal steel against a gravel washed Richard Hawley vocal. A young man filled with dreams, regret and shocking talent, giving his all. Now is his time.” Mojo Magazine
Check out Rob’s music: Robert Vincent – How Do You Sleep? (Recorded 23 January 2016 at Colston Hall, Bristol as part of the Paul Carrack tour)
http://robertvincentmusic.com/
Feedback to silverfish harmonicas:“Thanks for the speedy delivery of one of your Las Vagas Mics . It was a gift for Robert Vincent this is him in action next time he plays the harmonica be going through this mic!” Gemma Evans
The handmade artisan quality, great amplified sound and value for money of the Silverfish harmonica microphones are catching the attention of some of the harmonic players in countries around the world.
I am proud to have supplied mic’s from the Silverfish range to satisfied customers across the globe with regular custom from Europe and the US but also to Russia, Eastern Europe, Central Europe and Australia. One of my most remote customers was in Tahiti in French Polynesia!
The web brings us closer together and it is always a pleasure dealing personally with each interested player and often receive feedback which is always appreciated!
Check-out the maps which show the recent website audience for the site which reflects the wide range of interest in silverfish microphones.
Thanks for your interest folks
Rick
www.silverfish-harmonicas.com
Worldwide website interest in www.silverfish-harmonicas.comcentra
Here is some of the recent feedback from satisfied customers (happily all so far!) who have bought and use a Silverfish Harmonica Mic for their amplified harmonica playing:
Paul Barley, Grimsby, UK (Silver Bullet Dynamic | Medium-Z Mic – black cat with gain)
Great value and super fast service, product as described A+++++
Grenville Fletcher, Leeds, UK (Silver Bullet Dynamic | Low-Z Mic – black cat with gain)
Thank you, received well packed, quick delivery, pleased with purchase
Paul Costes, Pyrenees, France (Silver Bullet Dynamic | Low-Z Mic – Jade with gain)
Transaction sans problem, Vendeur serieux. Envoi rapide. A recommender. Merci
Daniele Brignoli, Brescia, Italy (Silver Bullet Ceramic | High-Z Mic – poker chip)
Unique item, great seller, fantastic communication!! A+++
Colin, UK (Silver Bullet Dynamic | Low-Z wood with gain)
Really loving the mic and customer service was way good. Thank you
Nick – Batfink17_1 (Silver Bullet Ceramic | High-Z black cat)
Excellent mic really worked well in rehearsal today cheers Rick
Jakub Svoboda from the Czech blues band “The Weathermakers” reviews the medium-Z dynamic silver bullet harmonica mic. Jakub uses Silverfish dynamic (Low and Medium-Z) and ceramic microphones as part of his rig and recons the silver bullets have taken his playing to “another level”! Check out his sound sample and video review of the new Medium-Z Dynamic harmonica microphone: video review
Tomlin Leckie – YouTube “Harmonica Microphone Blowout” Check out this great independent review by Tomlin of the Silverfish Bullet Ceramic Microphone alongside his other top favourite harp mics
Peter Thompson, Queensland, Australia (Silverfish Bullet Ceramic Mic – blues wood)
Great mic…will get another soon!
Georgios Trakadas, Athens, Greece (Silverfish Bullet Ceramic Mic – blues wood)
Really sweet tone and light weight microphone, thank you
George Manno, Illinois, United States (Dynamic Silverfish Mic – black cat) Richard, my new microphone arrived the other day. Right out of the package I could see that this mic is a serious piece of equipment. The first thing I did was to gather a handful of harmonicas and head into my practice room. I began using my Fender Blues Junior. I was surprised how responsive the microphone is. It doesn’t take much to launch this rocket. I moved to my small 5 watt boutique amp. I got some amazing tones from my harp and the mic captured them all. Finally, I ran the mic through my stage amp; An Egnater 20-watt Rebel head with a matching cabinet filled with a 12” Weber. There is plenty of mojo in the little microphone. This mic is a keeper!! My first thought was, I should have ordered two.
Richard, I have used 50 or 60 different “bullet” mics and I have a box full of old “57s”. Your microphone are every bit as good if not better. I can not wait to record with it. GjM
Jakub Svoboda, The Weathermakers, Czech Republic (Dynamic Silverfish Mic, Blues Wood)
Hi Rick …. I am coming back to you with my feedback on your mic. I have to say, it is absolutely stellar. Not only is it super-light, which really saves my back after a long gig, but man does it play! I have used it at almost all our shows and it took my playing to another level. Compared with classic harmonica mics such as the Shure Bullet and Superlux, the level of player comfort is simpy incomparable. We have recently recorded a new EP with our band “The Weathermakers”, where I used the Silverfish exclusively: the studuio guy was genuinely impressed with what the mic is capable of.
The Weathermakers
…. you can hear what the “‘fish” sounds like on our bandzone pages – http://bandzone.cz/theweathermakers. The fisrt four songs are from the new EP, “Dnes!” [Today!] We are also going to make a video from the session: I will be happy to send it to you when it is finished – hoping to get a glimpse of your mic in there. … I am thinking about buying another one of your things – what would you recommend? All the best from Brno, CR. Jakub Svoboda
Damon Green, Hampshire, United Kingdom (Ceramic Silverfish Mic, Blues Wood)
Superb product, amazing service
Manfred Kruse, London, United Kingdom (Ceramic Silverfish mic, Quicksilver)
Professional service all round!
Anna Howe, Swindon, United Kingdom (Dynamic Silverfish Mic, Cool Wood)
Great thanks.. the greatest
Daniele Brignoli, Travagliato, Italy (Dynamic Silverfish Mic, Cool Wood)
Hey Rick – mic arrived today, I plugged into a slightly distorted amp just when arrived and .. WOW – well.. Sound is OUTSTANDING ..! but I’m really happy not only for this .. Also finishing is so nice.. It’s Very good looking. Thank you for your efforts and the love you put into these beautiful little things. Thanks!! This is an outstanding mic for nice price, truckin’. GREAT tones! Daniele
C Ellis, Cutler Bay, Florida United States (Ceramic Silverfish Mic, Black Cat)
Little miss-communication was quickly rectified – love the product
Petr Wohlmuth, Rokycany, Czech Republic (Ceramic Silverfish mic, Quicksilver)
Light body, great sound! Quickest delivery! Thanks!
Jean-Luc Navette, Lyon, France (Dynamic Silverfish Mic, Black Cat)
Thankx a lot i received it and tried it !!!!! it’s a blast !!! i love it. This black cat is evil!!!!!!! silverfish harmonicas makes some fantastic microphones!
David Evans, Liverpool, UK (Dynamic Silverfish Mic/Blues Silverfish Bullet Mic – Las Vegas)
Arrived am 26th April. As described, great item from reliable seller. David
James Robbie, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Rick, Got the mic couple of days ago, really happy with the way it fits in the hand. I used it at a jam through the pub PA system with a bunch of rowdy guitars and drums it carved really good and not even a hint of feedback. I was hoping to get on my banjo or cigar box guitars but the bandleader just made me play harmonica on set for over an hour. Anyway hopefully I can really get some nitty gritty through my amp today … it also fits neatly in my pelican case, I really like it so far. Some of the gig was being filmed I’ll let you know if it pops up somewhere on the net. Cheers JR
Brian Hughes – Eccles, UK Hi Rick – Received the Mic this morning, first class service, top quality product. Have tried it through my Roland FX mobile cube which I use to practice – sounds superb on this … I play with a small band in drinking holes, lots of varied music. I play the harp solo on “Dirty Old Town” great with your Mic – normally on a G diatonic but tried this morning with a Tremolo harp. Sounds really crisp and clear – another good selling point for anyone playing this type of Harp.
Tom Lauten I love the look and layout of your mic’s, very modern and logical but with a nice industrial feel as well, nice job.
Tom Great Mic and very helpful seller. Couldn’t ask for more
Famousfieldy Excellent piece of kit
Typhoons_2007 Item received in good order… well pleased!
Daveguitarlewis Very nice, light, small, outstanding!! Good communication!!
Bart de Vos Netherlands Hi Rick,
I’ve been impressed by the Silverfish Harp Mic III since it arrived a couple of weeks ago. Sounds great through my valve combo and is comfortable to hold and work with. I’m recently back to harmonica playing after a 20 year absence from the sport and found that my old harps were very much past their best so invested in some new ones.
The combination of this harp and the mic gives a whole new perspective on what can be done with such a simple instrument!
Thanks Chris Brady Bedfordshire UK Hello Rick
The Silverfish Mic III works exceptionally well and I am pleased. My friend who is a guitarist thinks its just great . Thanks again for your service and keep in touch. Best wishes for the future.
Brian – The Harmonica Man (Chromatic harmonica player) Manitouwadge Canada Fast delivery, well packaged, great comms & great mic!!
Chris Brady UK Harmonica Player Kenny Boag of the “Blues Devils” uses a Silverfish Harp Mic as part of his rig and loves its size, terrific tonal range and versatility: “This beauty is easy to cup and easy to get a good seal on – one of the most important aspects of great amplified tone”
Tomlin Leckie tomlinharmonicalessons.com Strollers Music School Hello, Tomlin from tomlinharmonicalessons.com here to give you a review of the Silverfish Harmonica Mic III.
Tomlin LeckieTomlin Leckie reviews the Silverfish Harp Mic IIITomlin Leckie” ..you can get some very tasty creamy overdrive without the annoying mid-range honk you get from a lot of microphones. So, you can really cover all the bases..”
“What does it sound like when you plug it in? The answer is, good and very versatile”
I am a full-time harmonica teacher and player based in Edinburgh, Scotland. I teach people all over the world through Skype and my online harmonica school. Personally, I play a lot of blues, Jazz, R&B and funk/soul which sees me playing in function bands, original bands as well as recording sessions.
The Silverfish Harmonica Mic III microphone is specifically designed for blues harmonica players and features a ceramic element which can go from clean to creamy overdrive. The first thing that is a big plus for me is how nice and compact the microphone is. I personally don’t have the biggest hands in the world and I often struggle with the typical harmonica mic; The Green Bullet. As a result, I normally use a stick microphone such as a Shure SM57. The reason that it is so important to have a microphone that fits your hand size is that you want to create an airtight seal around the harmonica and microphone in order to get the biggest “tone” you can. Already, without plugging in I could tell that the Silverfish would make it easy to get a decent seal.
Furthermore, it has a big advantage of the SM57 in that it is much lighter so you don’t get hand cramp after a long practice or performance. There are a couple of nice details which confirm that Rick knows what harmonica players want and need. For example, the volume knob is small and very firm which means you are not going to accidentally twist it in the middle of a particularly enthusiastic harmonica solo. Another nice detail is the rubber around the microphone element itself which serves two purposes. Firstly, it means that the harmonica isn’t going slip out of your hands when they get sweaty (a real issue!). Secondly, it also helps the airtight seal by making sure that no air can get out of the pop shield around the microphone element.
Okay, enough about the nice design!
What does it sound like when you plug it in?
The answer is, good and very versatile. It is naturally a very clean microphone but when you cup it tightly and with a little help from the amplifier you can get some very tasty creamy overdrive without the annoying (in my opinion) mid-range honk you get from a lot of microphones. So, you can really cover all the bases which is great for me as I will quite often find myself playing some old Chicago blues then some jazz standards in the same set.
Finally, it is so affordable that everyone should have one either as your only microphone harmonica or as a spare in your gig bag.”
Andreas Rassow Germany Nice light, little Micro. Easy to handle. Sounds good. Vielen Dank!!! I am happy
Robert Park Glasgow Excellent buy *****A+++++ star all the way thank you
Dean Hinchcliffe, Western Australia Sweet!
Shane Chamberlain Melbourne, Australia Awesome!
Julia Sokolova Tulskaia, Russia Excellent Thank You
Matt Gray Dunoon, Argyll Scotland UK Top Class, Many Thanks, Would Use Again, Grade A+++++
Hi, my name is Kenny Boag and I have been playing harp since I was 17 years of age that means I have been playing for …….. well a long time! For a large part I have played in electric bands covering a range of genres including blues, rockabilly, folk and even pop! However I have mainly played in blues bands and my first and abiding love is still big, fat Chicago blues! This has required me to immerse myself in the quest to find and develop that iconic Chicago amplified tone. It has been a long and expensive journey where my many mistakes and preconceptions have led me down blind alleys and involved hasty and ill-advised expenditure. In all of this I have learned a number of key lessons:
Little Walter sounds like little Walter because he was Little Walter!
About 80% of what makes his sound is down to his acoustic style, the way he mixes tongue blocking and lip pursing – his ability to move between single notes and chords and octaves, the size of his hands and the shape of his mouth. The remaining 20% is down to the microphone and amplifier or in his case the tube driven PA he used to play through. Unfortunately many will think the opposite, like I did, and neglect the fundamentals and think they can buy that sound with a combination of expensive mics and big amplifiers. WRONG! Get you acoustic playing and fundamental sound and style right and your gear will add the finishing touches not the other way round. Look at James Cotton – basic vocal mic straight into the PA and what a sound!
Set a budget
I have spent well over £2000 pounds in my quest for amplified sound. I have bought over 10 different mics, pre-amps, noise gates, feedback suppressors, effects pedals, vacuum tubes and amplifiers and lost a fortune on them all. Now some of that is linked with the above and some of that is simply that I fell for all the sales nonsense and hollow promises given. If you are going to buy, go and speak to other harp players. We have all made these mistakes to a greater or lesser extent and we are a collegiate bunch in the main that are happy to share our views and experiences. But like anything there is a Rolls Royce option and a mini metro option – you will need to be realistic and pick what is you and what you can afford but more importantly what it is you need. For example – if you are going to play in your living room then you do not need anything more than a small 5 watt amp and a half decent mic that cups easily. If you are going to play small pub type gigs then you have a variety of options ranging from a small 15 watt amp to a pre-amp that plugs into the PA – getting slightly bigger you may need a line out on your amp to the PA (depends if your guitarist thinks he is Eddie Van Halen).
I play regularly – I play mostly in medium to large venues and I have a couple of original Astatic JT-30 mics and I play through a customised Fender Blues Deville 4X10 60 watt amp. That is far too much for a small pub gig and on the odd occasion I do play smaller venues I have a custom built preamp that I plug straight into the PA. So, its horses for courses and you should pick what suits and make the best of it.
Decide what you want to sound like
We all have harp heroes that we want to aspire to sound like. Mine are original guys like Little Walter, Sonny Boy, James Cotton and Paul Butterfield but I also love more modern players such as Rick Estrin, Andy Just, James Harman and Lester Butler. But if your boat is floated by Sonny Terry then you don’t need a big rig. Be careful and chose what suits.
Silverfish Harp Mic
So – following the above are essential. I have recently acquired one of Rick Park’s most excellent Silverfish Harp Mics. When it arrived I was firstly struck by its shape and size. I am 6’5″ tall and I have big hands but even I struggle to cup a big bullet mic solidly for 2-3 hours of playing in a hot and sweaty venue. This beauty is easy to cup and easy to get a good seal on – one of THE most important aspects of great amplified tone. In addition it has probably the best placed and easiest to use volume pots that I have ever come across. That makes varying tone and volume very easy and as well as managing the harp layer’s nemesis, feedback, much more achievable. As far as tone – this baby barks really well at the bass end and covers the mids to high tones with little or no break up or squeal. Its range is terrific and its versatility a joy. I will be shortly be recording a Youtube video where I will demonstrate this in a bit more detail.
In short I really like the Silverfish Harp Mic and it is now firmly a feature in my gigging back-line. I would have to be honest and say that it would not replace my vintage mics as first choice for playing with an electric Chicago Blues band. But you should bear in mind that at less than a third of the price the trade off in tone is well worth the price and on that basis I would recommend this mic for those of you that don’t have the where-with-all to shell out £300 on a vintage bullet mic but still want excellent performance and a great sound. I have started playing as part of an acoustic duo and the Silverfish Mic gives me great service in that format as it allows me to blend an acoustic and amplified sound to great effect. I have received numerous enquiries from fellow players and I suspect they may soon be beating a path to Rick’s door or visiting his website:
I hope this helps and if you want to chat more then I can be contacted through the good offices of my mate and harp expert Rick Park of Silverfish Harmonicas!
The Silverfish Dynamic Bullet is a real beauty and one of the smallest performance harmonica microphones you can get. Similar to the Silverfish harmonica range in all its performance but with no volume control this enable miniaturisation and lower cost. The mic is perfect for entry level to amplified harmonica playing or if you fancy a really small bullet mic that delivers, but don’t mind boosting your output or controlling feedback through your amplifier.
A lovely looking new model is now available with either a ceramic or dynamic element. The Silverfish Ceramic Harmonica Mic – moothie wood is named after the moothie or Scottish harmonica. The mic offers precisely the same performance as the other ceramic and harmonica microphones with a lovely new classic and simple style in beautiful hard wood.
Silverfish harmonica microphones are precisely built with attention to detail throughout. The precision build seen on the outside is a reflected of the care of construction inside to provide the confidence and reliability you demand from a good harmonica mic.
Careful impedance matching of the potentiometer, quality components and expert wiring and construction. The seating of the element (sealed and protected with a gasket) and spotless finish and attention to detail all go show that this is a first class mic. If you have any doubts take a look at the feedback and the reviews.
It’s definitely worth adding a Silverfish to your harmonica rig!
The Silverfish Dynamic Harmonica Mic – Las Vegas is the latest of a range of specialty precision built custom microphones for blues and chromatic harp players. Made with a real poker chip this mic is both unique and great looking.
Silverfish Harmonica Mic_Casino
Silverfish Dynamic Harmonica Mic – Casino
This new silverfish harp mic’ is truly an awesome microphone with technology and craftsmanship that delivers a compact design with many of the features a harmonica player wants and needs and is very technique sensitive. Holding this mic in your hand – you realise this kit is a bit special! An item of quality and beauty – not to mention its sound when playing amplified harmonica through a good amp!
The Silverfish Dynamic Harp Mic is a relatively new addition to the range of specialty precision built custom microphones for blues and chromatic harp players. It has at its heart a bulletproof dynamic element that provides a rich sound texture and harmonic content with headroom to enable you to drive the mic’ and produce a classic “blues” sound – with a little help from your amp. The mic’ is low/medium impedance which means it suits a rig that typically includes pedals, splitters etc and provides an added benefit of reducing or even muting an amp that is subject to hum. Dynamic mic’s are also practically bulletproof while providing a microphone that is rich in tone and performance. The harmonic response and sensitivity is similar to the Harp Mic II/III.
Like it’s ceramic brother the microphone’s size and shape provides a durable design which is smaller than a Marine Band and fits neatly in your hand and pocket. It is a perfect size for getting a really good seal for amplified harmonica playing which is much easier than with a larger bullet mic. Another nice detail is the rubber around the head of the mic’ which serves two purposes: firstly it means that the harmonica isn’t going slip out of your hands when they get sweaty (a real issue!); secondly it helps achieve a consistent airtight seal around the harmonica and microphone to get the biggest “tone” you possibly can.
From the outside the ceramic and dynamic mic’s are identical – but their elements different and they have a carefully (impedance) matched volume pots for maximum control and performance.
The mic’ is very light in your hand and is easy to hold with a harmonica while performing so you don’t get hand cramp after a long practice or performance. The volume knob is small and very firm which means you are not going to accidentally twist it in the middle of a particularly enthusiastic harmonica solo. The sensitive volume control provides you with excellent control to boost your output or control feedback.
The mic’ connects to a valve or solid state amplifier with a standard 1/4″ (6.3mm) guitar jack-plug socket.
This silverfish harp mic’ is truly an awesome microphone with technology and craftsmanship that delivers a compact design with many of the features a harmonica player wants and needs and is very technique sensitive.
Features:
Full bodied tone with harmonic overtones
Great feedback rejection
Built-in volume control
Lightweight anodized alloy bullet design
Rubber sleeve to improve hand-seal
Stainless steel grill with acrylic fascia cover
Durable design
Holster-style case
Specification:
Element: Dynamic (gasket protected for bullet proof durability)
Check out a sound sample and review of the Silverfish by harmonica player and teacher Tomlin Leckie (of Strollers Music School) – he also plays some cool blues harmonica riffs on a silverfish harp microphone.
“Hello, Tomlin from tomlinharmonicalessons.com here to give you a review of the Silverfish Ceramic Harmonica Mic .
Click here for a video review and sound sample – with Tomlin playing some cool blues harmonica riffs or here: Silverfish Review_2
” ..you can get some very tasty creamy overdrive without the annoying mid-range honk you get from a lot of microphones. So, you can really cover all the bases..”
“What does it sound like when you plug it in? The answer is, good and very versatile”
I am a full-time harmonica teacher and player based in Edinburgh, Scotland. I teach people all over the world through Skype and my online harmonica school. Personally, I play a lot of blues, Jazz, R&B and funk/soul which sees me playing in function bands, original bands as well as recording sessions.
The Silverfish Harmonica Mic III microphone is specifically designed for blues harmonica players and features a ceramic element which can go from clean to creamy overdrive. The first thing that is a big plus for me is how nice and compact the microphone is. I personally don’t have the biggest hands in the world and I often struggle with the typical harmonica mic; The Green Bullet. As a result, I normally use a stick microphone such as a Shure SM57. The reason that it is so important to have a microphone that fits your hand size is that you want to create an airtight seal around the harmonica and microphone in order to get the biggest “tone” you can. Already, without plugging in I could tell that the Silverfish would make it easy to get a decent seal.
Furthermore, it has a big advantage over the SM57 in that it is much lighter so you don’t get hand cramp after a long practice or performance. There are a couple of nice details which confirm that Rick knows what harmonica players want and need. For example, the volume knob is small and very firm which means you are not going to accidentally twist it in the middle of a particularly enthusiastic harmonica solo. Another nice detail is the rubber around the microphone element itself which serves two purposes. Firstly, it means that the harmonica isn’t going slip out of your hands when they get sweaty (a real issue!). Secondly, it also helps the airtight seal by making sure that no air can get out of the pop shield around the microphone element.
Okay, enough about the nice design!
What does it sound like when you plug it in?
The answer is, good and very versatile. It is naturally a very clean microphone but when you cup it tightly and with a little help from the amplifier you can get some very tasty creamy overdrive without the annoying (in my opinion) mid-range honk you get from a lot of microphones. So, you can really cover all the bases which is great for me as I will quite often find myself playing some old Chicago blues then some jazz standards in the same set.
Finally, it is so affordable that everyone should have one either as your only microphone harmonica or as a spare in your gig bag.”
Click here to read a blog by Kenny Boag of the “Blues Devils” who reviews the Silverfish Harmonica Mic and advises on achieving that Chicago blues sound!
Check out this Silverfish Harp Mic III “Black Cat”
The all black finish looks really cool – check out the photos in the silverfish harmonica mic III range.
The silverfish harp mic III now comes in a choice of colours that give you a chance to personalise your mic – for a bit of fun! The fascia’s are engineered from hard acrylic plastic and come in a range of rich colours including: Black, White, Red, Yellow, Blue, Orange, Purple, Green, Lime Green, Hot Pink, Brown and Burgundy. Alternatively choose a more classic looking mic with a fascia made from natural hardwood – sealed with mineral oil.
When ordering simply select a colour option when you place your order – and add more colour to your amplified sound!
Check out this Silverfish Harp Mic III which was ordered in hot pink – to go with her lipstick apparently (‘though I recon she can’t ware lippy while playin’ – surely – think of the mess!)The silverfish harp mic III now comes in a choice of colours that give you a chance to personalise your mic – for a bit of fun! The fascia’s are engineered from hard acrylic plastic and come in a range of rich colours including: Black, White, Red, Yellow, Blue, Orange, Purple, Green, Lime Green, Hot Pink, Brown and Burgundy. Alternatively choose a more classic looking mic with a fascia made from natural hardwood – sealed with mineral oil.
When ordering simply select a colour option when you place your order – and add more colour to your amplified sound!
Silverfish Harmonicas Rides Route 66 and supports the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame Harmonica Summit 2015
Its a privilege to help support this years Harmonica Summit by providing a stunning new Harp Mic III (Yellow) as one of their raffle prizes – along with a lovely holster style pouch to keep it looking shiny.
The summit is set in beautiful Tulsa on Route 66 in Oklahoma on Saturday 21st March 2015.
The Summit has a line-up of some of Americas top harmonica players including performances by: John Long, Al “Okie” Blake, Nic Clark, Garry Allegretto, Michael Rubin, Billy Gibson, Jon Popper, R.J. Mischo, Jimmy Junior Markham, and David Berntson.
Activities include Blues Harmonica Workshops, an antique harmonica collection, harmonica care and repair classes and amplified harmonica techniques and you can also Jam with Pat Moss.
The event is also sponsored by the Blues Society of Tulsa and Hohner.
Silverfish Mic III Harmonica Mic now comes in a range of colours
The Silverfish Harmonica Mic III has just got more colourful as a new range has been added that offers a choice of coloured mic grill fascia’s that give you a choice on the look of this excellent piece of harmonica kit!
The fascia’s are engineered from hard acrylic plastic and come in a range of rich colours including: Black, White, Red, Yellow, Blue, Orange, Purple, Green, Lime Green, Pink, Brown and Burgundy. Alternatively choose a more classic looking mic with a fascia made from natural hardwood – sealed with mineral oil.
When ordering simply select a colour option when you place your order – and add more colour to your amplified sound!
Did you know that I make customised harps. You can see examples of thes show-casing the harp mics for sale on this web site.
The custom harmonicas are high quality precision – hand made customisations using bamboo. This produces a hamonica with a comb that is as hard as nails (and highly resilliant to moisture), looks absolutely superb but most importantly feels comfortable in your hand and mouth.
Styles vary from oversized and rounded – fitting your hand like a
glove – to a neat squared off comb that replaces the existing one producing a quality and unique instrument with a comfy feel and good looks.
The benefit of customisation goes beyond looks in that the harp is a LOT more comfortable to play with the holes slighted edged off and the rounded wood in your hand. They are also “eye-candy”.
A range of colour tones – from natural through to very dark coffee coloured allows you to differentiate between your different keys through colour and style of the custom harps. In other words – it’s an excellent idea to have a range of different custom harps for different keys within your set! Although obvoiusly this would cost a bit so you may like to stick the ones you play most!
Please note: that custom harps are sometimes defined as those with reeds different than the standard manufacturer’s production harps. These harps have not been adjusted or re-tuned/gapped as it is extremely difficult to provide a modified reedplate that suits everyone. You can probably appreciate that these would produce both advantages and disadvantages – compared to the factory (out of the box) harps – so I’ve decided not to go down that route!
Anyway – if you are interested in envesting in either customising oneh of you much loved harps or getting a new one – then let me know and we can discuss details. The shop on this website also alows you to buy a new custom marine band of a key of your choice (selected at the time of purchase).
A customised Pro Harp or Marine Band will cost you £130 which isn’t a lot when you conisder how long a hand crafted precision harp takes to build… roughly two days! If you are mad about harmonicas then it’s worth it!
Order details
Harmonica customisation generally take about two weeks from ordering and receipt of the harmonica. You will be contacted soon after ordering a custom harmonica with an expected delivery date which will be confirmed at the time of dispatch.
UK orders are sent out by Royal Mail. Orders to other worldwide destinations are sent airmail.
Returns & Cancellations
Please do not buy to try. Goods delivered correctly and in accordance with your order will not be accepted for credit or refund without good reason.
The nice thing about a custom harmonica microphone is that it can be personalised. This is a special edition that I did recently for a customer from down in the Mississippi, USA – home of some fantastic blues harmonica playing.
Made from an old piece of bone this mic is personalised into something special and looks and feels fantastic to play. There isn’t another one like it.
Notice I’ve added a removable rubber sleeve covering the head and base of the mic – requested to increase grip during the heat of playing. OK so it’s made from pieces of bike inner tube but it does the job and he was very happy with it!
I’m putting a gaiter on all the harp mics now and If the player doesn’t fancy them (unlikely) they can simply be pulled off!
Check out a sound sample of Kenny Boag of the “Blues Devils” playing silverfish harp microphone on Youtube at: http://youtu.be/DIMayRurG0ct
I thought you might be interested to know that there is a small family of uniquely designed and hand crafted Silverfish Electric Instruments; although I’m no longer making these commercially. They include a series of individually designed and built electric violins and electric cellos. These are literally hand carved out of solid pieces of wood. I also do all the piezo electrics.
I think it must have been my fathers influence and teaching (he made beautiful classical acoustic violins) that inspired me to design a range of contemporary and uniquely different stringed instruments – particularly showing off the beauty of natural wood and organic designs. The darker instrument has a larger sister – an electric cello – of the same design; using the same solid hard wood and form with open f-holes. The wood is incredible in that it is treated only with light finishing oil and ages over time taking on the patina of a fresh concker with an amazing grain like “tigers eye”.
These instruments also play beautifully and have a very easy action and rich sound. I love playing the electric fiddle as there is so much potential to modify and shape the sound using effects and a basic graphics equaliser. They also sound great simply plugged into my Laney (LA30C) amp and produce a superb and rich sound which is a refreshing contrast to the classical acoustic sound of a violin.
I guess I wanted to give you some confidence that the custom silverfish harmonicas and microphones are made by an experienced craftsman to precision standards. The silverfish harp gear also gives you an opportunity to enjoy the beauty of a natural wood finish; through either the gorgeous flecked grain of the bamboo comb of the custom harmonicas or the hardwood of the Silverfish Harp Mics.
Improved volume control and feel of the mic in your hand
I have made a slight change to the silverfish harp microphone design which improves the volume control and also the feel of the mic in your hand. The mic continues to use a top quality potentiometer (volume pot) with carefully matched impedance; but I have added a chunky alloy knurled volume knob. What this does is allow you to visually see the volume setting which sweeps over about 300 degrees – from about 7pm to 5am on a clock face if you know what I mean! It’s a log potentiometer which gives you perfect and gradual volume control and boost over the full range and effectively turns off the sound at the bottom end.
The chunky knob also looks pretty good and the feel in the hand is very comfortable and positive. The larger knob allows easy access to volume control while you are playing.
However the more diminutive and original volume control is proving the most popular – and is supplied as standard!
Hi, my name is Kenny Boag and I have been playing harp since I was 17 years of age that means I have been playing for …….. well a long time! For a large part I have played in electric bands covering a range of genres including blues, rockabilly, folk and even pop! However I have mainly played in blues bands and my first and abiding love is still big, fat Chicago blues! This has required me to immerse myself in the quest to find and develop that iconic Chicago amplified tone. It has been a long and expensive journey where my many mistakes and preconceptions have led me down blind alleys and involved hasty and ill-advised expenditure. In all of this I have learned a number of key lessons:
Little Walter sounds like little Walter because he was Little Walter!
About 80% of what makes his sound is down to his acoustic style, the way he mixes tongue blocking and lip pursing – his ability to move between single notes and chords and octaves, the size of his hands and the shape of his mouth. The remaining 20% is down to the microphone and amplifier or in his case the tube driven PA he used to play through. Unfortunately many will think the opposite, like I did, and neglect the fundamentals and think they can buy that sound with a combination of expensive mics and big amplifiers. WRONG! Get you acoustic playing and fundamental sound and style right and your gear will add the finishing touches not the other way round. Look at James Cotton – basic vocal mic straight into the PA and what a sound!
Set a budget
I have spent well over £2000 pounds in my quest for amplified sound. I have bought over 10 different mics, pre-amps, noise gates, feedback suppressors, effects pedals, vacuum tubes and amplifiers and lost a fortune on them all. Now some of that is linked with the above and some of that is simply that I fell for all the sales nonsense and hollow promises given. If you are going to buy, go and speak to other harp players. We have all made these mistakes to a greater or lesser extent and we are a collegiate bunch in the main that are happy to share our views and experiences. But like anything there is a Rolls Royce option and a mini metro option – you will need to be realistic and pick what is you and what you can afford but more importantly what it is you need. For example – if you are going to play in your living room then you do not need anything more than a small 5 watt amp and a half decent mic that cups easily. If you are going to play small pub type gigs then you have a variety of options ranging from a small 15 watt amp to a pre-amp that plugs into the PA – getting slightly bigger you may need a line out on your amp to the PA (depends if your guitarist thinks he is Eddie Van Halen).
I play regularly – I play mostly in medium to large venues and I have a couple of original Astatic JT-30 mics and I play through a customised Fender Blues Deville 4X10 60 watt amp. That is far too much for a small pub gig and on the odd occasion I do play smaller venues I have a custom built preamp that I plug straight into the PA. So, its horses for courses and you should pick what suits and make the best of it.
Decide what you want to sound like
We all have harp heroes that we want to aspire to sound like. Mine are original guys like Little Walter, Sonny Boy, James Cotton and Paul Butterfield but I also love more modern players such as Rick Estrin, Andy Just, James Harman and Lester Butler. But if your boat is floated by Sonny Terry then you don’t need a big rig. Be careful and chose what suits.
Silverfish Harp Mic
So – following the above are essential. I have recently acquired one of Rick Park’s most excellent Silverfish Harp Mics. When it arrived I was firstly struck by its shape and size. I am 6’5″ tall and I have big hands but even I struggle to cup a big bullet mic solidly for 2-3 hours of playing in a hot and sweaty venue. This beauty is easy to cup and easy to get a good seal on – one of THE most important aspects of great amplified tone. In addition it has probably the best placed and easiest to use volume pots that I have ever come across. That makes varying tone and volume very easy and as well as managing the harp layer’s nemesis, feedback, much more achievable. As far as tone – this baby barks really well at the bass end and covers the mids to high tones with little or no break up or squeal. Its range is terrific and its versatility a joy. I will be shortly be recording a Youtube video where I will demonstrate this in a bit more detail.
In short I really like the Silverfish Harp Mic and it is now firmly a feature in my gigging back-line. I would have to be honest and say that it would not replace my vintage mics as first choice for playing with an electric Chicago Blues band. But you should bear in mind that at less than a third of the price the trade off in tone is well worth the price and on that basis I would recommend this mic for those of you that don’t have the where-with-all to shell out £300 on a vintage bullet mic but still want excellent performance and a great sound. I have started playing as part of an acoustic duo and the Silverfish Mic gives me great service in that format as it allows me to blend an acoustic and amplified sound to great effect. I have received numerous enquiries from fellow players and I suspect they may soon be beating a path to Rick’s door or visiting his website:
I hope this helps and if you want to chat more then I can be contacted through the good offices of my mate and harp expert Rick Park of Silverfish Harmonicas!
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