John Nemeth - Meteor Mini-15

[scooter]

Here's a couple clips that John just sent to me from the North Atlantic blues fest. John's been touring with his Meteor Mini-15
and as alway's, sounds great.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAP2w2bh8l8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_GWzAwiQqQ

Scooter

[dennis m]

"Verveful" !!!

[JohnK]

In the second video, it must have been the bass player's girlfriend filming!  We got to watch him during a full harp solo.  I kept waiting for the filmer to realize they were on the wrong guy, but it never went over to John. 
(I'm still enjoying my Red Mini with the 3 speakers.  Things have boiled down to it and a Cruncher depending on the room, who all might be sitting in, and my mood.  My pedals seem to have stabilized, too.  LW Harptone Plus into a Reverbamate Solemate (small, non-tube driven reverb tank) to AFB+ to amp.  One reason for the harptone plus is that the reverb felt a bit much with a microphone going in (it is built mainly as a guitar tool), so I use the harptone plus to bring the signal down a bit -- I expect it does other nice things like helping to match the microphone signal to the reverb.  I don't understand the technicalities of all this; I just fidle around and like the result! So I'm not experimenting as much with gear now -- and have fewer tax deductions! Okay, so now I'm experimenting with kayak and telemark ski gear -- but no deductions for that stuff!)

[dennis m]

 I would be quite interested in hearing the Mini and the Cruncher at comparable volumes and tone with the same mike playing exactly the same riffs in the same room without any pedals. That to me would be an earnest comparison. Feeling generous John? d

[JohnK]

I'm okay with doing that, but I'll have to enlist the generosity of probably a bandmate with a recording device, and he likes to fish as much as he likes making music, so it won't happen overnight.  I'll try to make it happen. 

[dennis m]

Super John!! Or a video camera (but then you'd have to dress well too). Seriously: I appreciate the effort. My best. d  p.s. Why do you use the AFB with these amps- do you find it reduces feedback or is it for tonality reasons? d

[JohnK]

AFB+
90% so I can turn the amps up during a gig if necessary w/o worrying about feedback.
Regarding the tonality 10%, because I have pretty much settled on a setup, I don't A/B with and w/o the AFB+, but I do like an edgy/aggressive sound, and IIRC, I personally do like the extra edge that the AFB+ can add, especially to the Cruncher.  I find the Mini already has enough edge for my liking.  (Edited:  I usually pick a less aggressive microphone to play with the Mini such as an EV638 or a Sphere-o-dyne rather than a hot CR.) Which isn't to say that one can't necessarily dial in more edge with the Cruncher, but using the AFB+ for feedback control means it is already there to serve tonality purposes if desired.  (If desired, the middle knob of the AFB+ can be set to have the blue light NOT come on and the result will be less addition of that edginess.  If you have a really hot microphone, the blue light will come on no matter how low you set the middle knob.  Becasue I have it later in the chain and I have the harptone plus lowering the signal level from the microphone a bit, the AFB+ light does not come on for me unless I turn the middle knob up roughly half way.) Now don't ask me to define "edgy!" 

[justjoe]

Hi John - Do you find that you need the Harp Tone+ with the Mini Meat?  I used it with a 1x10 & 2x8 Mini Meat and didn't feel it added very much.  I used a stock Shure 520DX with the Mini.  To me, it sounded better than Shure CM or Astatic crystal elements.   I don't think there are any other amps that sound like the Mini Meat.

[JohnK]

Absolutely no need for harp tone plus with mini meat.  I have been using it in the chain lately to lower the signal going into the reverb tank that I have ben using.  I suppose I could have used something else to do that, but the harp tone plus was on the shelf and I do recall that it has impedence matching (a lot of discussion here awhile back with Stephen S.) that I thought might be a good thing in this position in the chain (maybe others can speak to that?), and sometimes I do fiddle with its tone knobs.  (I have found the harp tone plus to be great with some amps not designed as harp amps, just for example, a 1941 National -- the National also does not have any tone controls, so the harp tone plus is nice for that.)  Personally, I do like adding some reverb to the mini (edited: this is not mini-specific, I like it with any amp, especially for some songs), and the afb+ in case I need to crank it.  No question, the mini sounds great straight in!