This is my 70th birthday gift to myself-BlowsMeAway Productions custom wood harp mic is made from “Fiesta” color scheme multi-laminate wood - with stealth volume control, personalized brass grill and The Heumann Element inside, sounds great!
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A thing of great beauty - and it probably sounds pretty good too!
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That is pretty! Congrats on a solid purchase. I have yet to dabble in amplification. I hope to have this taste when I do.
, Asshole
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That is very cool Steven! I also just turned 70 and seeing your post, now I have sent Greg an email to get started ordering one of his too. Definitely a work of Art! Have fun!
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There is a 6 month waiting list, but worth it. Take your time to explore the various options on the website. Talk with Greg for help in determining what will make you the happiest.
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Amplification is another animal. Technique in playing is different. Check back when your ready, so the forum can help guide you.
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Thanks Steven, in six months time hopefully my playing will be worth a better mic than my current Green Bullet (which I really like).
Looking forward to his creativity and Art! Thanks again!
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I already have a stock bulletini and it makes all of my vintage Mics sound lame. It adds
bass and tone for miles.
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I’ve seen Greg Heumann, founder of BMAPro, in many of the harmonica Facebook forums and have talked to him a couple times, he’s a pretty cool guy. He’s always showing the custom wood mics he’s built in those groups and, if I recall correctly, he was the first person to recommended me to check out my current teacher, Todd Parrott. I was extremely nervous to talk to him at first and worried about his reaction to me (plus add the fact that I’m very shy when talking to new people), but Greg gave me some encouragement to step outside of my comfort zone and to text Todd on Messenger. Greg has been commenting on my posts whenever I do my lesson updates or when I’m practicing a new song I learned and keeps telling me that I’m doing an amazing job.
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I’ve dealt with Greg many times over the years and he Has always been helpful and a pleasure to deal with
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Looks great
Nothing like treating yourself
I bought a golden melody harmonica for my 71 st birthday (the family gave me money for it 
)
Happy birthday … by the way
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Thank you!
Happy Birthday to you.
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She’s a beaut! Congrats and happy birthday my friend! Yeah, Greg is the man. How does the tone of this beauty compare to the bulletini?
Aloha,
Luke
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Yes, the custom is beautiful- which is the ONLY reason to buy one since it is a lot more money to get one and the impact on tone is near negligible.
They are both very close in sound. The original bulletini is slightly clearer. The custom mellows the sound slightly. The custom has the new Bulletini
element since Greg no longer has the same material he had been using for the original Bulletinis, so I don’t know if the difference is just the element or if the wood body affects the sound.
Regardless, for gigs, after showing off the custom on the first tune, I will switch to the original bulletini, since it is much smaller and easier to cup and hold for long periods of time,
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Greg makes some fabulous mics - beautiful design, smooth in the hand, just the right element and those custom grills. Wow! Happy Birthday to you!
I saw Greg at a jam last week in Redwood City. Greg’s ‘59 Bassman was the “house harp amp” for the night and when he played on a set, he sounded incredible as ever - just him, the amp, a Neunaber - Wet Reverb pedal, and a Bullitini mic. He thinks like a sax player (and also plays sax ). Greg has superb tone and chops so equipment for him is icing on a cake. Maybe he sounded even better, because I haven’t seen or heard him, or played out in clubs in a little over three years.
No, tempted as I was, and I was, I didn’t use Greg’s mic - still pandemically reluctant. Everyone else had. I stayed with my own since I knew it only been around my hands and mouth germs… and it’s a comfortable friend (a 1938 Astatic 200 with a 1949 Shure CR Black label element). But my 75th BD is coming up so maybe I can get in that 6 month line for a birthday present for me.
The only downside to a Greg Heumann mic? Like that new harmonica you waited to get? You want to show it off! And to really show it off, you’re cupping it within your hands to play, concealing your gem. So, thanks for letting us see it.
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Is your Astatic 200 red? I see an old Reverb listing showing a chopped red one with that '49 CR element. Wondering what model # the element is too. I have a still strong 99A86 from 1950 and the dark brown/gold grill Astatic 200 but they’re not together. You just can’t beat these early CR’s. I just communicated with Greg about having him make me a wooden one with the Heumann element and I want to supply the wood which is 200 year old Indian rosewood. Just got my annual homeowners insurance bill so I might wait a while.
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The red one may have been one that I sold. I designed one, powder coated teal green. Probably tried ten elements to find the tone I had in mind. I still use it.
I was playing often (2014) and wanted a backup with similar sound - decided on a “Merlot” colour, and tested about 30 vintage elements (oddly both ended up with 1949 CR Black labels).
It took, in the words of Sonny Boy Williamson, a Little Village: Mark Overman did the mechanics including lining the shell with copper tape, wiring, and the rear mount volume control (Skip Simmons developed this style/placement for Rick Estrin about 40 years ago - skipsimmonsamps.com) and had a variety of elements; the new gaskets for the elements were from BlowsMeAway or the gasket company Greg Heumann acquired; and Johnny Prado chopped the handle and did the powder coating.
Fun adventures. Stopped playing much and sold most of my mics; now the amps.
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Yes, that’s it all right. Did you get the $435? I’m thinking about $300 just for the element. Right now someone is selling a 99A86 from 1950 supposedly doing 1320 ohms for $145. Seems too good to be true.
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