Harp Rig Breakdown
Hope Berkeley
Harp "The Intuition Quartet"
Interview by Roger Zee (03/30/19)
Roger Zee: What makes a great Blues harp sound?
Hope Berkeley: All harmonica players will tell you that good tone's absolutely crucial! No matter how exciting, soulful, or technically skillful your solo, it will fall flat without a great sound. And while you can control much of that by how you cup the mic, create a good seal, and manipulate your breath and vocal/oral space, a lot of it depends on the equipment you use. After decades of experimenting, and with a graveyard full of microphones and amps, I still don't feel completely satisfied with my sound, but it's getting better.
Roger Zee: What model harmonicas do you play?
Hope Berkeley: As far as the instrument itself, I don’t play any customized harps. I generally stick with the diatonic workhorses -- Hohner Special 20's or Hohner Marine Bands. For lower octave keys, I like Suzuki Manjis.
Roger Zee: What amp do you use?
Hope Berkeley: I currently go through the HarpGear Double Trouble, a lightweight, 18 watt, tube amplifier that contains two Weber speakers. I find it more than adequate for a moderate sized room. For larger venues, I utilize the amp's line-out jack and power it through the PA system. The HarpGear doesn't have any reverb or built in effects so I often use a BOSS digital delay box.
Roger Zee: Tell me about your mics.
Hope Berkeley: Presently, I alternate between two microphones depending on the gig. I use a dynamic Shure Ultimate 45 stick with a Bulletizer connection specifically made for harmonica players by Blows Me Away productions. This terrific mic has a little cup attachment at the end that allows for a nice seal even if you have small hands (are women at a disadvantage?) In addition to a horn-like tone, it contains a built-in volume control which helps me to switch between accompanying and solo volumes. My other favorite microphone, a vintage dynamic Shure Spherodyne PE53, you can only buy used now. I find the Spherodyne stick gives me a fuller sound, less whiny in the higher keys. It's my go to mic for playing the Blues.
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