Amplified Harmonica?
THIS is the place.

Harmonica Microphones
and more

BlowsMeAway will be closed for a much needed vacation. I'm going to Communicado.
So I will be incommunicado 1/18 - 1/27

Want to know more about BlowsMeAway products? Please use these links:

Home -- Custom Wood Mics -- Ultimate Series Mics -- Wireless Systems -- Kalamazoo Amps

Bulletizer-- Vintage Volume Control -- XLR Volume Control -- Mods, Repairs and Adapters -- Ordering and Pricing

News: The Heumann Element is available! Email me (greg at blowsmeaway dot com) for info.

More News! I have taken over harpmicgaskets.com business providing gaskets for mic builders.
Sorry, no time to update the web site yet - Email me (greg at blowsmeaway dot com) for info.

Not sure where to start? I've written a primer called

"All About Harmonica Microphones and Then Some...."
Click here to download the PDF!

Now, meet a few of my better known customers, then scroll down for a product line overview.

Newest endorser Ronnie Shellist is a Hohner endorsee out of Denver, CO. Ronnie is a great player and teacher. He is also an early adopter of the new "The Heumann Element." Here's what Ronnie says about his new BlowsMeAway Wood Mic:

"Greg took the time to listen carefully to my needs, kept me posted all along the way with his progress, and delivered the most beautiful bullet mic that I've ever played. It sounds every bit as good as it looks which is saying a lot! The stealth volume control is also amazing. There is no substitute out there for the work that he is doing. The tone of his new "The Heumann Element" is fantastic. Just what I was looking for. It reminds me of a really warm ceramic element with tons of bass, warm tone and nice break up."

Ronnie Shellist - August 2014

Ronnie chose Malaysian Blackwood with a Piano finish for his mic, along with a personalized grill and the Stealth Volume Control option.

You can hear Ronnie test-blowing The Heumann Element in this mic through a Memphis Mini amp here.

Charlie Musselwhite,6-time Grammy nominee and 23-time Blues Music (aka W.C. Handy) award winner prefers his BlowsMeAway Harmonica Microphones (yep, he has two!) and in-line volume controls.

"The mics Greg made for me have everything I like, want and have to have in a mic. First of all they have great tone. Second, they are very comfortable with easy access to the volume control; the wood shell makes it very comfortable to hold. And, third, they're great looking mics with a lot of class."

Charlie Musselwhite - June 2008

 Charlie Musselwhite using his BlowsMeAway Wood Mic
Toots Thielemans - perhaps the most famous harmonica player in the world - performs with an Ultimate 58.

Toot's Ultimate 58 mic is engraved with his unique signature.

"My sound engineer (Chris Weeda) introduced me to a new microphone for my harmonica a while ago. Although it also takes a good sound engineer to give you the sound you want to hear on stage, I can say I'm very pleased with the Ultimate 58. It's a very nice, light and comfortable microphone. Thanks Greg!"

January 2012

The following internationally known artists appear in alphabetical order.....

For more than 30 years and nine albums, Rick Estrin fronted the jumping, swinging Little Charlie & The Nightcats. The band continues with Rick up front to this day as Rick Estrin and the Nightcats. Here's what Rick says about his BlowsMeAway mic:

"I've been performing for over 40 years and I'm very selective about the mics I use. The mic Greg made for me is great in every way. It has a huge, warm tone. It's light, easy to hold and I really dig the convenience of Greg's smooth "stealth" volume control design. And, if that's not enough, the beautiful, unique look of this mic is pure, unsurpassed class."

Rick Estrin - June 2012
With his band The Blues Survivors, Mark Hummel has released some twenty albums since 1980, and has been both producing & performing at his Blues Harmonica Blowout™ series since 1991. These shows have grown to be a much heralded event & continue to draw sellout crowds wherever they appear.

Here's what Mark has to say about his mic:

"My customized BlowsMeAway mic is the lightest, most comfortable, most beautiful , great sounding mic AND piece of handcrafted art I own!!! Thanks, Greg!!"

Mark Hummel - August 2012
With his band The Mighty Flyers, Rod Piazza has been recording longer than his mentor George "Harmonica" Smith did, or Sonny Boy Williamson (either of them!), or Big Walter Horton. He's been making records for more years than Little Walter was alive. Piazza is a tried-and-true, dyed-in-the-wool blues veteran with credentials that are second to none.

Rod chose burl maple, with a double stripe of black stone inlay and a personalized brass grill for his mic. Rod also uses a BlowsMeAway wireless system in his performances. Here's what he has to say:

"Hey Baby. Just used Greg's new personalized harp mic and I'm here to tell ya. Not only is it gorgeous in appearance, but the feel and tone of the mic are as dynamic and punchy as you would want. The volume is a perfect taper and smooth as they come. I can dig it."

Rod Piazza - February 2013
Willie Nelson's harmonica player for the last 37 years, Mickey Raphael endorses his BlowsMeAway wood harmonica mic for his blues work on stage with Willie. Additionally, he does studio work and has a CD out under his own name, and has worked with a who's who of artists including Elton John, U2, Motley Crue, Vince Gill, Emmy Lou Harris, The Mavericks, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Neil Young. Mickey wanted a very dark colored mic. This one is made from Gabon Ebony. He also wanted a low impedance setup so he could switch easily with his acoustic mic during his shows with Willie. Finally, he wanted the stealth volume control so he could easily match levels with the other mic. BlowsMeAway Productions is all about working with the customer to deliver exactly what they need and want.
Here's what Mickey has to say:

This mic "blows me away". Willie turned to me and asked, "hey is Little Walter here?" Then he said "Wait, is Musselwhite here?" Our sound guys, who are never satisfied, said they really like this mic."

 Mickey Raphael's BlowsMeAway Wood Mic
Grammy nominated performer Kim Wilson endorses BlowsMeAway custom wood harmonica microphones.
Kim Wilson's BlowsMeAway Wood Mic
Kim Wilson using his BlowsMeAway Wood Mic

"I've been in show biz a long time so I'm not easily impressed, but when I saw the workmanship that went into this mic I was, literally, "blown away". The attention to detail, the quality and beauty of the materials and, of course, the sound are very impressive indeed. I'm takin' this one on the road! Thanks Greg!"

Kim Wilson - March 2010
See why Rod, Rick, Charlie, Toots, Kim, Mickey and other professional players like David Barrett, Ben Bouman, Billy Branch, Steve Baker, Brandon Bailey, James Conway, Big George Brock, Mark Hummel, Hermine Deurloo, Kenny Dore, Andy J Forest, Jay Gaunt, Richard Hunter, Billy James, JellyRoll Johnson, Andy Just, Mitch Kashmar, TJ Klay, Aki Kumar, Darrell Mansfield, Jimi Lee,Mark LaVoie, RJ Mischo, Kenny Neal, Bill Noteman, Rob Paparozzi, Brendan Power, Jason Ricci, Mike Rogers, Wade Schuman, Mike Stevens, Curtis Salgado, Will Scarlett, Ron Sunshine, Koei Tanaka, Carlos Zialcita,Martin Tilley, and so many others come to BlowsMeAway for their amplified harmonica solutions.....

Product Line Overview

Ultimate Series Microphones

Our take on the classic and popular Shure microphones, optimized for harmonica players. Shorter, lighter, built in volume control... and a choice of impedance and connectors to match your gear.

BlowsMeAway Productions Ultimate Series microphones for harmonica

See the Ultimate Series page for more information. Ultimate Series mics are the choice of pros like Jason Ricci, Billy Branch and Rob Paparozzi!

The incomparable Jason Ricci tearin' it up on his mic of choice, the BlowsMeAway Productions Ultimate 57. The tune is called "Baked Potato".

Exotic Wood and Custom Microphones

I make bullet-style microphones that are lighter, easier to hold and certainly more beautiful than the vintage industrial microphones they're intended to replace. They also have a wonderful warm tone and excellent feedback resistance as a result of the choice of materials. Each mic is a handcrafted work of art. Go to the Custom Wood Mics page for much more information.

"I play with a BlowsMeAway Productions wood mic and it is my favorite mic! Super light, great tone and it fits in your hand WAY better than the stock mics. The coolest looks! And I love the volume control now. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this mic to anyone that is serious about playing electric harp... I'm sold on Greg's mics!" -- recording artist Andy Just

 BlowsMeAway Productions wood bullet microphone BlowsMeAway Productions wood bullet microphone BlowsMeAway Productions wood bullet microphone

Wireless Systems
Get Free! BlowsMeAway knows what you need to lose the cable! I have systems for low and high impedance mics. I have rack mount and pedal board receivers. I have adapters to make them work with your microphone. And I've tested them so I can help you choose the best solution.

Visit the Wireless Systems page for more information.

 BlowsMeAway Productions wireless microphone system for harmonica
BlowsMeAway Productions wireless microphone system for harmonica

In-Line Volume Controls

Designed by harp players for harp players, these handsome in-line volume controls give you simple and reliable volume control where you need it - at the microphone! This is useful for many reasons:

  • Kill feedback instantly
  • Optimize for vocals and harp when using the same mic for both
  • Adjust mid-performance for quieter harps (Low D comes to mind)
  • "Back off" a bit when filling behind anothers' solo or vocal.
  • Leave a little headroom for when the guitar player turns up (and you know he will...)
  • Turn your amp way up for overdriven sound, and back off at the volume control.
  • Walk over to adjust amp without feedback as you approach

These controls are precision machined, hand made and individually tested to withstand the rugged performance environment. I have made and sold hundreds of these controls. For more information, go to the Vintage Control or XLR Control page.

 BlowsBlowsMeAway Productions in-line volume controls for harmonica

Kalamazoo Amplifiers

I restore these wonderful mid-60's vintage amplifiers - quite simply the best little harp amps there ever were. I have bought, rebuilt and sold over 200 of these, making me the worldwide Kalamazoo Model 1 and Model 2 expert. Visit the Kalamazoo Page for more information.

The Bulletizertm

You play a Shure SM57 or 545 mic. You love the tone but the small diameter makes your hand cramp up. This is the solution. Get a griptm with The Bulletizer. BlowsMeAway Productions Bulletizer for harmonica

Custom Work

I also customize and repair microphones and build custom controls, cables and adapters. Please click the links for more information.

About Me

On July 22, 2012 the Santa Rosa, CA newspaper The Press-Democrat published an article about me called "Greg Heumann makes a mean microphone." The short story: I retired from my first career and started BlowsMeAway in 2004. I operate my own machine shop, wood shop and electronics lab. I'm the engineering department, the marketing department, the sales department, the shipping department..... you gotta problem? I can take care of it! Perhaps more importantly I'm a performing harmonica player and I use the gear I make. My band, Bluestate, has a new album out called Duracool which is available on iTunes and here at CDBaby.com. (I am the lead singer - there is harp on about 5 of the tunes.)

Our recent Customer Survey results are here if you're interested.

That's me --->
Hey - my band, Bluestate's new CD is out! Check us out on iTunes or CDBaby.
Want to learn how to play the harmonica?
Or play better than you do now? BlowsMeAway recommends:

Modern Blues Harmonica
BluesHarmonica.com

These web sites offer on-line lessons, videos, instructional materials and more.

BlowsMeAway Productions is a proud member of:

  • Copyright © 2005, ... 2015 BlowsMeAway Productions -- P.O. Box 341, Geyserville, CA 95441