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Subject: Re: The Harmonica Honker      8/24/2011 From: Mike & Rach drslyne [at] ntlworld.com   (United Kingdom)
Hi Alan, It's great to be contacting you again. It's probably over twelve years since I ordered my last Honker from you. It's seen some fabulous gigs! Big thanks for your hard work! My only reason for needing a new one is that my good friend, Gilb Fletcher, borrowed mine as a spare for a gig five years ago. Gilb's had his own Honker for nearly as long as I have and gigs it most weekends! I've been making-do with a Green bullet but it just doesn't have the character and versatility of the Honker. Anyway, enough rambling. Looking forward to having a Honker to play with again! Best wishes, -Mike
Subject: Re: The Harmonica Honker      8/17/2011 From: Chris Skornia   (United Kingdom)
Hello Alan:   I’ve been using the Honker for a while now and it’s great. As you say, “It’s like nothing in your hand!”, which is just the way I like it but it’s certainly made to be roadworthy. I use it through a Roland keyboard combo with all the EQ turned right down – no feedback! Also, having a volume control literally "to hand" is particularly useful for me. Thanks for building these great little mics. I’d recommend them to anyone. Chris.
Subject: Re: The Harmonica Honker      2/14/10 From: John Devine   (MA)
Alan,   I received it Thursday, and I love it! It's so much easier to use than the JT30 I had.
Thanks, John
Subject: Sticker      1/15/10   From: Tom Pinkerton  (ME)
Hello, I have a beltpack Honker that I picked up locally from another musician. I love this Mic very much and use it all the time. I was looking at your website and saw the sticker you have available and was wondering about getting one or possibly 2 so I can have one for my Guitar case as well, let me know if that is possible and I will send you my address. Congrats on making such an awesome product, I can't believe it is not the standard Mic being used throughout the lands.
Subject: Re: honker      2/27/09   From: Steve Webb  (MN)
Alan: My Honker arrived Thursday about noon. I recorded with it Thursday night. I can only say that everyone, and especially me, really liked the result. I had some doubts about how well I would adapt to it and how it would sound, but it was excellent. With the volume almost all the way up and the "Honk" about 12 o'clock, it gave me just what I was looking for. Our band is in the final stages of an album. I re-recorded two tracks Thursday night using the Honker and liked it much better than just playing straight into a conderser mic. We are recording with Cakewalk software and it worked well, right into the computer. Actually, we did a little test "jam" to get a feel for it and it turned out well. If you like, I'll send you a sound sample when I get a copy. So, I will try it "live' Saturday night at a gig and that will be the ultimate test. But, from what I see, this is something that will do just what I was looking for.
Steve
Subject: I love The Harmonica Honker      8/11/08   From: Larry Saletko  (So. CA)
Dear Alan,
The Harmonica Honker with the Hearamp personal monitor is the best thing that's happened in the 35 years I've been playing amplified harp. I've tried every kind of mic and built up a big collection--Astatic, Turner, Shure 545, Shure Green Bullet--all the favorites, CR, CM, crystal, Shaker, etc, but the HH is the first mic that ever played with no hint of feedback, and allowed me to hear myself over a loud 7 piece rock'n'roll band. Every time the guitar player raised the volume, I did too--and the Hearamp let me hear myself over all that noise. They told me I never played better; and it's true--I was always on the edge of feedback blowing the reeds out because I couldn't hear my harp. I'm going to save a bundle on reedplates from now on! Thank you for bringing amplified harp into the 21st century.
Larry Saletko - PS: Do you know anyone who wants to buy 22 vintage harp mics?
Subject: Re: Honker      8/11/08   From: Sean Fisher-Rohde  (OR)
WOW. Got it in the mail a little bit ago and it is everything I want in a mic. Amazing. I've used a green bullet, blues blaster, and other various mics, but this one is really amazing. I'm so glad I found your site. Thanks again for the quick ship, but more importantly, thanks for the fantastic piece of fine craftsmanship.
Sean Fisher-Rohde
Subject: RE: The HHonker      5/30/08   From: Bodie Valdez  (FL)
Alan,
Thank you for your hard work and effort to send my Harmonica Honker so quickly. It truly is the best Harmonica microphone I have ever used great design, & concept etc. Greatly appreciated, THANK YOU !!! sincerely, Bodie Valdez, The WhoDoos
Subject: Recently Received Honker      3/24/08   From: Mike Slota  (CT)
Alan,
I just got home from work to find that my Honker arrived. I plugged it in to my Pignose 30/60. This amp never sounded as good as when I started blowing my harps through it using the Honker. I've been using a Shure green bullet and have never been satisfied with the sound quality using this combo (Pignose/Bullet). The green bullet simply cannot compare to the sounds I can get out of the Honker. NO feedback and FABULOUS TONE! I was ready to throw the Pignose out! I think I'll keep it around for a while longer. I've been jamming with a bunch of records (yes, records) for the past hour and a half. What a Blast I've been having! This is the best mic I have ever used! Just wanted to say THANKS.
Best wishes, Mike Slota
Subject:The Harmonica Honker      3/8/08   From: Kevin Collins  (CT)
Alan,
I've had my Honker for about 3 months and wanted to let you know that this thing kicks butt. After getting it, I went down to my local Guitar Center to try it with different amps. Before long, I had a crowd around me wanting to know what I was using. I've since been playing it through a Fender Pro Junior that sounds great. The band I'm in plays a wide variety of genres so it's great to dial up a clean or dirty sound at the touch of a knob. The Honker is great.
Kevin Collins
Subject:The Harmonica Honker      10/22/07   From: Adrian Madden  (NSW Australia)
Hi Alan -
The Honker arrived last Tuesday (18/12/07), tried it out last Wednesday - ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC! It's so user-friendly after the Green Bullet and the Tone ... Superb! Thanks also for the excellent way you packaged it. It arrived completely intact. I know some other harp players and I'll be making them aware of your Honker. Thanks very much Alan.
Adrian Madden, Owner, Pop Beat Blues Promotions
Subject: RE: The Harmonica Honker      10/27/07   From: Michael Wade   (Australia)
Thanks Alan,
I've been using a Honker for years. I gig with it all the time. It's great to use and it's never let me down. I thought I had better get a spare one just in case I loose the one I've got or it breaks down on me.
Regards Michael Wade
Subject: Testimonial:      10/27/07   From: Brad Smith   (Sweden)
Hey Alan, Dude!
I used my Honker for the first time tonight (besides trying it at home) and it rules! I just got home from a gig 30 minutes ago, and we blew them away. There is nothing like the sound that came out of my harps tonight. It's hard to describe. This thing picks up every little subtlety in my tone. The other musicians noticed, I noticed, the crowd noticed. This thing is going to change my playing style, because it forces me to be more careful, because it's so clean and dirty at the same time. (Like an under-sexed librarian.) Never mind my fantasies, I really love this thing, and it's the best addition to my sound that I have ever purchased, aside from my guitar. Once I got it adjusted, there was zero feedback, and the cupping effects are exactly what I always tried to get using other solutions. I admit, I was worried about sending off for something that I hadn't tried before, but wow. I will never regret this purchase. Thanks for perfecting the modern old-fashioned muddy harmonica amplifying solution. In my humble opinion, as a player of 20 plus years, it's the best, bar none.
Brad Smith
Subject: Re: The Harmonica Honker      8/17/07   From: Ric Tessitore   (CA)
THANK YOU very much. Used it at my gig tonight, after playing with a Green Bullet and no effects, it feels like a whole new world; one complete with new learning curves, due to the ability to really lay on those fat, low notes that just can't be done with an acoustic/no effects set up. Very cool. Great product. I'll give you some more feedback along the way.
Ric    The Blues Council
Subject: Honker User for 5 Years!      7/5/07   From: Rick Grady   (No. CA)
Alan: I've been using the Honker for 5 years now, and I never hit a gig without it. Great tone! Always fun showing festival sound techs how I can use the Honker through a direct box into their sound system for great tone sans feedback. It blows them away! Thanks again for your incredible product. The Honker sounds fantastic live and in the studio the best harmonica mic out there! [The sweet spot is definitely just a hair past 12 o'clock on mine].
For amps I use my Honker with a Fender Bassman Retro, or Fender Princeton. No need for anything else. Harps are Lee Oskar. Thanks again for a great harp box! It makes any amp soppin' wet with blues . . .
Harp Player, Rick Grady, United Blues Band
News Flash! The Honker Rules!      3/19/07   From: Larry Pacheco   (Nashville, TN)
My story is like many others walking the Harmonica Trail. I've been at it for over 3 decades (I came across a Sonny Boy record when I was 14 and that was that.) and I've played through every mike I encountered. It wasn't long before I, too, was a Microphone Slut. My collection was (is) pretty eclectic, from Turner Martian-Helmets to obscure wand mics. As I started producing and playing sessions here in Nashville, I developed a lot of hand techniques; Recording via large diaphragm studio mics and learning to love it so much that I begrudged playing live gigs via my cool old mics. (with DOD Analog Delay pedal and Silvertone 1471)

My Honker arrived 4 weeks ago and my cool old mics have been gathering dust (literally) ever since. I have the Hi-Z BeltPack (that's right, the man can move around more) and immediately immersed myself in (a) figuring out what the Honker does (5 minutes) and (b) what I can do with the Honker (the possibility of sound and moves is unlimited).

In my research I had come across someone who stated that "breathing sounds" were a concern as the Honker is sensitive to overblow. It turns out to be as sensitive as any Great Hot Mic - it's just that you are finally able to capture a completely hand-enclosed sound. Long Winded Me (have you noticed?) had no issue with this after about 15 minutes of playing around with the Honker. I've now logged about 20 hours and Lordy, it really rocks! Fingertip tone and volume control, freed-up technique and it matches well with both PA and juicy tube amps.

Finally, is this mic live-gig sexy? Although probably not as suggestive looking as me blowin' earnestly on a wand mic (sorry, bad image...) this thing looks way cool to the players thatI hang with, and yes, they've told me that my tone and technique somehow seem way better. You know, I kinda like that!
Larry

Re: Honker      6/13/06   From: Henry Rathvon   (Hershey, PA)
Hi again Alan:
I just want to say again that your Honker has made harp playing a hundred times more fun for me. Thanks! Now that I can hear myself in the mix with all those loud guitarists, I'm playing with new authority. Other harp players seem fascinated and envious of the hand-worn mic.
Appreciatively, Henry R.
Subject: Honker      5/27/06   From: Moe
I recently bought a Harmonica Honker Belt Pack from one of your customers. I know he loved the microphone. I had looked at your microphone on line and I was planning to purchase one when my friend offered to sell me his. I think he is going to get the upgraded model and wanted a good home for the current one. The first time I plugged it into my Blues Junior amp and turned it on I was blown away. Till then I had been using a Shure 520DX Green Bullet. The GB is great but after a few songs the weight of it on my arms was getting to be too much, and it is really hard to do hand cupping effects. I've been playing only a little more than a year now and with the Honker it is a lot more fun. I sometimes sit in on blues jam sessions in the Chicago area and have even sat in at The Kingston Mines (award-winning and best blues club in Chicago) and I get mobbed after the show by people asking about the microphone. The can't believe that little mic can do so much. Even as I am typing this the phone rang and I was asked if I wanted to sit in again tonight. I practice with the mic just about everyday now because of its small size my arms don't tire. I now keep the GB as a back up but I doubt it will come out of the case again soon. Keep up the great work.
Go in peace, Moe
Subject: Adding Earphone Amp to Existing Honkers     4/11/06   From: Johnny Williams   (Carey, NC)
Alan, Hi.
I have 3 Harmonica Honkers. I would like to have at least one of them retrofitted with the Earphone Amp. The cases of 2 of the HH's are made of black plastic. The other, older one has a gray case. Are all 3 HH's candidates for the upgrade or just the black ones? What is the turn-around time for completing the upgrade?
Best regards, Johnny Williams
PS- Since I bought the first HH from you years ago, I have tried many different types of microphones for harp including the Microvox, bullet mics, and several vintage mics like the Electro-Voice RE10. I now have a small collection. But I always come back to the HH. Not one of the others comes even close to the sound quality available with the Honker. The expression and variation of tone that I can get with the HH is absolutely amazing. Thanks for building such a high quality product.
Subject: Re: The Harmonica Honker      3/24/06   From: Mike Rodriguez
Hello Alan, my name is Mike Rodriguez from the Isle of Wight, England. I received my Honker sometime ago and didn't get a chance to get back to you (don't do computers much), just thanking you for sending it so fast. I've tried it in a few different places now, with Fender B-Jr. it sounds wicked but it doesn't really need valves to sound good and creamy, I've been playing for about 18 years but now I feel like a complete harp player, the feedback control is amazing; I don't know how you did it. I can crank my amp louder than any other mic I've had. I can also use feedback to my advantage now, It's vintage and futuristic it's Honktastic! If you're ever on the Isle of Wight get in touch and come 'round for a cup o' tea and some fish n' chips,
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR A SUPERB PIECE OF KIT! MIKE RODRIGUEZ
Subject: Re: The Harmonica Honker      2/2/06   From: Rich Flanagan   (Schiller Park, IL)
Alan! I am so sorry that I did not respond to you sooner. It has been a hectic time for me. Lots of directions to go...blah blah blah.
I LOVE THE MIC!!! It is OUTSTANDING! It sounds so sweet.
We had a big show on Jan. 7th. The sound guy was provided by the Bar. He messed up early in the set and turned off the mic so I had to use the vocal mic. Later in the set he got it right and turned the Honker back on. The difference was commented on by all of the band members and quite a few audience members as well.
Great product. Keep up the good work! Rich Flanagan
Subject: Workin' with one hand      1/9/06   From: Kurt Franke   (Calverton, NY)
Hello Alan ! Hey, the Harmonica Honker is the greatest !! I have been practicing using it with my one hand and it works fantastic. I'm able to control the volume with my teeth and it works perfectly. The Honker has a great sound through the Marshall amp I'm using. It affords me great mobility while working with one arm. I loop the mic cord around my neck and it hangs effortlessly while I do small tasks between playing. Then, I just slip my ring finger through the mic ring and presto!!, I'm in business.
So thanks again for a great product and if I need any repair work done or anything I will let you know, otherwise this is a blast !! So, I just wanted to let you know this good news...and, if you're in Long Island NY in July, There is The Riverhead Blues Festival, which lasts three days. Also, look me up because I'm close by. Take it easy, Kurt W. Franke
Subject: Lowblown Honker arrived      11/21/05   From: Chuck Lapointe   (CANADA)
Well,... my new Lowblown Honker mic arrived last week, so here's the skinny on it after a few days of use. First off, this is my second Honker mic. My first one was a 1/4" Beltpak from around 2001, and after years of hints, I finally gave it to my father in-law as he's a harp enthusiast and a cool lad as well. I LOVE this new mic!!!! The tone is great as expected, and in the last few months without one (Honker) I realized how much I missed playing harp acoustic style while going thru an amp. Being able to achieve so many different tones, getting full use of hand effects, plus having a volume control perfectly located makes this mic a great piece of equipment for stage use. This mic is very well thought out for a harp players' needs Alan, and I just wanted to say Thanks!! again for such a great product. Chuck Lapointe
Subject: Harmonica Honker      7/6/05   From: Slideman Chris
Hi Alan,
Just a line to say my Lowblown arrived on the day I got back to the UK as promised by you. Got a chance to try it out at 3 Gigs this last weekend. We set a sound through the PA in about 1 minute flat. My partner insisted I use the Honker straight away on 4 songs, the sound was that good! And me a beginner! It's not often that a product lives up to the hype, but this one does exactly what it says on the tin!
Thanks for a great mic. Regards, Chris
Subject: Re: The Harmonica Honker      4/4/05   From: Antti Lehtinen
Thank You, Alan!
I got my Honker today and it is every bit as good as I expected. It reproduces my sound including the hand and mouth effects like no other mic I have tried before and it is easy to cup tight even with my rather small hands.    Excellent product, excellent service!
Thank you again and all the best for you! Antti Lehtinen, Finland
Subject: Re: The Harmonica Honker      2/11/05   From: Frank Paschal
Hi Alan, Sounds great!! I haven't had too much time to mess around with it but I will this weekend. Very comfortable to wear, much easier to handle than my Astatic! Really brings out the hand movements too which I like because I tend to do a lot of "wahs" and vibrato with my hands. Frank
Subj: Honk!      11/15/04   From: Matias Beltran-T.
Hi Alan, just wanted to let you know that my Honker arrived a couple days ago and it seems like this might be the beginning of my next love affair. I had a gig last night and got to really test this sucker out... what a sound!! Having the beltpack was great because it was so easy to adjust my tone during the set without having move all about or waste time in between songs. I couldn't believe the range this little thing has, from nice and clean to straight up mud - it's got it all. The comfort in my hand, lack of feedback, dynamic range, and easy access to great tone makes this thing a harp player's dream. It takes the acoustic experience and amplifies it without any fuss. I ran it through a small Fender Champ 12 tube amp, miked it through the PA, and what a big sound!
Everybody in the band digs it and several musicians in the crowd were curious as to just what the Hell was going on in that little black box. I felt like a fifth grader with the coolest shoes in school! Thank you so much for this ingenious little mic. Alan, you 'da man! -Matias
Subj: Re: The Harmonica Honker      9/17/04  From: Pierre Citerne
Hi! I've just received the microphone. It's a very good system, very good sound, comfortable. Just if you have the curiosity, I give you the mail address of the internet site of my band : www.marvellouspignoise.com   (In French-HH)
Greetings, Pierre
Subj: From Steve in FL      3/24/04   From: Xeritone
Just a note to let you know I'm still using Honker on a regular basis. More often than not I plug directly into P.A. It also sounds great through my Hurricane or re-tubed 508 Crate. I recently made a trip to my home town in Burlington IA for a funeral. While there, I sat in with a guitar player who was playing at a very nice place called The Drake. Another harp player from the audience came up and asked with great interest what kind of mic I was using. Of course I gave him the necessary info to find you and told him how versatile the mic was and how pleased I was to be using it. I told him that in time, as I have found out, the Honker can be manipulated to make any of the sounds of many different mics. Hope he contacts you soon before wasting lots of money. Thanks again. Scuba Steve
Subj: gig      2/13/04  From: Bluzine
Alan;
This thing is the bomb! Ran it through a small Alamo tube amp (cheapo), low amp volume (pinkie vol full), very little Honk distortion. Miked the amp through the PA. Got all the nuances I ususally get playing acoustic (hand, dynamics, mouth), with the presence of that awesome little mike in the palm of my hand. Wow! You should'a heard the duet in third position with the tenor sax on Summertime.
Takin' the Honker out jukin' tonight to sit in with an awesome band. I will plug into their board, it ought'a be a gas.
Thanks for your invention. You have simplified my harmonica life.  Ed Huey
Subj: Harmonica Honker mic      1/8/04  From: Dave Ivens
Dear Alan,
Received your Harmonica Honker this morning and gave it good workout on the old Watkins Scout. I don't know if the neighbours enjoyed it, but I certainly did! It has such a great advantage over cupping dirty great microphones in your hands and gives you the ability to play in a much more "agile" fashion, with the added advantage of all the acoustic tricks you can work with your hands.
The simple ideas are always the best. The mic sounds tremendous and I can't wait to gig with it. Thanks for the prompt delivery of a brilliant accessory for all harp players. Yours, Dave Ivens   Clydebank, Scotland

Subj: gigs      1/26/04
Hi Alan
Just a quick line to say I have used the Honker twice live, both times through PAs and everyone can't believe how good it sounds. I found it much easier to hear myself (no foldback) and even the guitarists on 11 couldn't compete! Thanks again, Dave

Subj: Re: The Harmonica Honker      10/25/03  From: (Officer Sparky)
Hi,
I got and LOVE it. Better hand effects than my Madcat!!!! Full honk is as brown as any of my dynamic(Madcat, Shure Sm 58) or CM (customized Green Bullet) mics. Clean is just as clean as my ceramic (custom mic) or crystal Shaker or crystal Bluesblaster!! Incredibly versatile. Ever need an endorsement, I'd be glad to oblige, I use a Fender Blues Jr. (actually the Deco Tone version from Fender custom Shop), Boss Blues Driver, Boss equalizer and Boss RV Reverb/Delay (or sometimes a Boss RV5 reverb and Ibanez echo/delay). Sounds great. Can't wait to hear it thru my girlfriend's Bassman.   Peace, John

11/3/03
Hi,
I just wanted to add that my love for the Honker continues to grow. I have tried it out w/ a Marshall solid state, my Pignose Hog 20, and Spirit Harp Pro, an old Fender Bassman. It sounds great with them all. The versatility of the Honker when combined with the versatility of the Harp Pro is unbelievable. I can get that Little Walter sound or the Big walter sound and anything between or beyond. Furthermore, I really can use hand effects to great effect, unlike with the Shaker Madcat. Never could really get the hang of that thing. This is just one of the very best products out there for the serious or novice Harpslinger.
Thanks again. I LOVE THIS MIC!!!! John

Subj: The Honker & Microphone      4/22/03  From: Raymond Worrilow
Alan....!!
I received the Honker a few hours ago, and after 10 minutes to get the correct settings. I will sell my 545 and JT-30... I can't believe the tone and dirty crunch I get from this little thing!!! I'm no Little Walter, But MAN the SOUND I get with this thing is PHENOMENAL!!!!!
THANK YOU for such a QUALITY PRODUCT..!!  Ray Worrilow
Subj: The Honker Rocks the Dutch Clay      8/19/02  From: Dick Knol
Hi Alan,
The Honker just came in, thanks! Together with my Soldano Astroverb combo it is an unbeatable combination. At full honk it screams the paint off the ceiling. I also very much appreciate the LOW feedback with this great little mike.  Best regards, Dick
Subj: RE: The Honker Ships!      3/25/02  From: Gregory Leonard
You' da man, Alan. I should have ordered sooner so I could've used the Honker this past weekend. My band, The Nomadz, was hired by a bunch NASCAR racers for a big party. Dale Jarrett stuck a $100 bill in my harp belt and told me I was a Hell of a singer and harp player. Elliot Saddler jokingly requested the redneck anthem "Freebird," then tipped another $100 when we actually played the dang thing (I faked the crap out of the slide guitar part on harp). If you get a chance check out our page http://www.thenomadz.com/ I'll put a link to your site up and plug the honker if you want.  G.T. "Sonny" Leonard
Subj: Hey Alan      3/8/02  From: Mark Wilson
Sorry I was in such a rush yesterday but I had to be back in Irvine by 12:45. Just wanted to let you know I'm very pleased with my Honker. It does everything you mention on your website, and more. I hooked it up directly to my soundcard first and couldn't believe the range of effects. It transitioned beautifully from clean to dirty without an amp or effects pedal. When plugged into my Ibanez Ad-9 delay pedal and Kalamazoo amp the mic really shows it's stuff.
Thanks Alan, Mark Wilson
Subj: RE: Honker Order      7/9/01  From: Jenny Kerr
Alan,
IT RULES!!! It is the answer to our prayers! Just recorded a couple of demos with it too. I'm gonna sing your praises to all the harp players I know. Now I can trade in a bunch of gear and mikes. It almost pays for itself. I've got some students too (mostly girls). It's perfect for their wee hands. Thanks sooo much. You've made the world a better place to play harmonica in.
Love, Jenny
The Jenny Kerr Band  http://www.jennykerr.com/
Subj: Honker      1/1/01  From: Poobeyr
Hi Alan,
Sorry I dropped off the planet for a while but things have been sorta hectic around here. One thing for sure, it gave me plenty of time to test out the Honker.
I guess I had the distinguished honor of getting the first of the "New Series" Beltpack Honkers as it came off the line in mid '99, it has been a real joy to work with this thing. My style is Country/Acoustic Blues, has been for about 25 years now. When I wanted to add more of a Chicago amplified blues sound to my repitoire I did what most guys did... went out and got a tube amp and a Green Bullet, and a Blues Blaster, and the list goes on and on. Had tons of tone/distortion but I'd spent my life in the acoustic realm perfecting hand cupping techniques that were a valuable part of my harmonica style and I just wasn't getting as far as I wanted to go with bullet mics. The mic shell itself simply took so much of that valuable space inside the hands that was used to build additional tone. The Harmonica Honker gives me that space back AND I didn't have to change my style that much to get that "down right nasty" sound I wanted, plus I have hand effects and all of the different tonal variety that it gives you. This is a hard thing to say because I know a lot of guys love bullet mics but the Honker might be the next evolution in blues microphones... the thing is just that good. I also love it on stage because, as a guitar player, I can leave the Honker on my "pick hand" then just grab a harp and start playing, no mic to pick up... or lay down when you're done with your harp solo.
Thanks again Alan. I appreciate the hard work you've put in on this little marvel!  Glenn Davis  Harp/Guitar for "BluShepherd"
Subj: Much Better      5/23/00   From: Brendan Power
Hi Alan,
Thanks for the work you've done on my Honker, which has sorted out the main problems: the hum, and the pot switch noise. I think the new Honk sound is better too. I'll be using it at my gigs from now on.
The only thing that still is an issue for playing through big PA systems is the noisy volume pot on the finger mic. I don't know if it's just my particular model, but this is quite noisy when it's turned either way, which would be happening a lot with volume adjustments at the gig, and would be pretty audible at high volumes.
The rest of the package is perfect though; thanks for being so understanding and attentive to the issues I raised.
Regards,  Brendan Power    http://www.brendan-power.com/
Subj: My new Sound!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!      12/16/1999  From: Craig Starkweather
Alan,
I want to thank you for designing the Harmonica Honker! I play through a '59 Bassman re-issue and have tried many mics (JT-30,Green Bullet, SM-58) and have even changed the tubes in the amp to get more honk. Your Harmonica Honker is far superior in that sought after tone. In addition to the tone, it also adds a bit of sustain which is very nice. With the honk control I can dial in the sound from clean to the "Champ Sound". The band is very happy with the warmth that the Harmonica Honker adds to "our sound". Thanks again Alan for your efforts.
Best Regards, Craig Starkweather  THE BLUES DEALERS  Kalamazoo, MI
Subj: Re: The Honker Ships!      10/27/1999  From: Ray Currier
WOW! I got the Honker today at 11:00 a.m.!!! Talk about service - Nordstrom should take lessons from you!
I've only had a chance to use the Honker for about 15 minutes, but, at this point, I can safely say that I'll be relegating my other microphone to backup and amp miking duty.
I've been using the smallest audio (not speech or PC) microphone I could find, a Sennheiser e604, because I could cup it relatively well and pretty much get the sounds I want out of it, but the Honker takes the cake. All of the hand and mouth subtleties are easily available and the sound is great! The whole beltpack rig is comfortable and well thought out/laid out.
Too bad I didn't have this little puppy last night - I went to an open mic with a new amp (a Pignose G60VR) and had MAJOR feedback problems until I stood behind the amp, where I couldn't hear myself at all over the lead guitar player's Marshall directly behind me (apparently, I was quite loud elsewhere in the house). The Honker seems to reject feedback considerably better with this amp than my other microphone; I'm looking forward to trying it with some serious volume next Monday night.
Anyway, just thought I'd pass on my initial impressions. Thanks again for the great service and a wonderful product.
Ray