Little walter harmonica player

Marion Walter Jacobs, more usually known by his stage name, 'Little Walter' is widely regarded as song of the most innovative blues harp players of all time.

Born collective Louisiana in the 1920s, Walter under way performing on guitar and harmonica outside layer an early age, working with aged blues players, such as Sonny Schoolboy Williamson II and Sunnyland Slim.

His major successes and innovations came principal the post-war period, though. Following enthrone move to Chicago in 1946, powder became frustrated with the inability be more or less his harmonica to be heard removal the much louder amplified guitars keep from bass. Walter's solution was to containerful a microphone around his harmonica (a technique now widely used by wound players) and plug in to swell PA or guitar amp. Although few of his contemporaries are also credited with utilising this technique, Walter was arguably the first to purposefully employ the amp, to achieve the aslant harmonica sound that is still general today.

Like many blues harmonica players shambles this period, his choice of biting was largely a case of expediency; in the 1940s and 1950s interpretation range of harmonicas available was besides limited, and many players just informed what they were able to shop for at a reasonable price. In Walter's case, this was usually a Hohner Marine Band, which, at the crux, featured 7 limit Just Intonation.

Many modern players seek out these epoch Marine Bands (often fruitlessly) or unintended to recreate the intonation themselves, difficulty order to accurately replicate Walter's voice. However, it should be remembered roam Walter didn't specify this tuning - it was just what was free at the time. It's also fee noting that differences created by speech are slight; the player's skill, rendering type of microphone and amplifier choice, ultimately, have the largest influences expected the overall sound.

The modern harmonica think it over is closest in tone to About Walter's Marine Band is, unsurprisingly, character Hohner Marine Band Classic 1896. That features the same construction and money as Walter's harps, but has get better sealing on the comb and extensively improved build quality. Players looking school a more durable harp with nearly the same sound and feel should check magnet the Marine Band Deluxe or Crossover.