Aw man am I happy to be posting this! I just got my 7 new Joe Spiers harmonicas set up for overblown, all Parott-tuned, with custom Todd Parrott combs. These babies were NOT cheap, but for me worth every penny. Play / sound /feel / look AMAZING:
I AM A VERY HAPPY MAN!!!
Also, I should update the main bag I’ve been using for the last year on all my gigs is the one so generously gifted to me by Tetsuo Manchero from Tombo:
This thing is so awesome. Fits 18 harps which seems to work well for all my gigs, goes over the shoulder, looks attractive, has other pockets for other things (like car keys, dental floss, CBD oil, and a spare battery for my guitar ) The inside comes out:
If anybody wants one, Tetsuo said I can get for you for $100 + $20 shipping. Not cheap, but his bag is amazing. The insert fits perfectly on the Hercules shelf that I attach to my mic stand, which Jimmy Kednik turned me onto:
Also, FYI if you like the look of Todd Parrott’s combs, you can order a Crossover from him, and he’ll put the comb in it for you and the total is only $100 + shipping which is only like $20 more than a regular Crossover. For me it’s a no-brainer. I love the look and feel, and the fact that I can wash them under a faucet without any worry about swelling over time. If interested, just msg him on Facebook.
I bought 2 from him in 2023 like this which I asked him to country-tune for me (raise -5 a half-step) and super happy with the results.
For amplified stuff I’m continuing to use my Jason Ricci signature mic from Lonewolf Blues Co., into a Pedalboard that includes the Harp Attack pedal which I have always on, a few other of my guitar pedals ending with a stereo reverb pedal and I send one to my HOG20 amp and the other to my Blackheart 5W head into 4x4" Crate cab.
I continue to find that one small amp doesn’t quite cut through the mix the way I need it to, but 2 small amps gets the job done, and it’s an easier schlep than one big amp.
That’s my 2024 gear update!