[Lowboy]

Well Fellow Melodica/Pianica/Melodion Players,

i just did an about-face in terms of my ongoing journey to get a blues harp sound. I was messing around with a recording I made and started to hear this distorted melodica sound. It turns out I was inadvertently over driving the solid state effects processor in my effects loop, and it sounded so good, I realized I have to pursue this sound. I want to play the blues and this is the sound. So the link below will bring you to my SoundCloud page and there you will find a first attempt at getting a distorted Chicago Blues style sound from a Yamaha Pianica 32 Melodica. This is conceptual track done the wrong way with the wrong equipment. The playing is not exactly great either, but I wanted to post this as an example of what is possible. This was accomplished by over driving my solid state multi-effects processor in the effects loop. The multi-effects processor was not designed to be over driven so the distortion is pretty harsh, but it also added some chorus which I think will be a required element to get a “blues harp” sound. I image that the distorted sound will be wonderful when created with a tube distortion pedal and by running the signal through an over-driven tube amp. So I am on my way again to find a tube distortion pedal (probably a Lone Wolf Blues Company Harp Break) and perhaps one of the Fender tube amps that all the harp players use to get the breakup in their sound. More to come. Have a listen below.

Regards,

Lowboy