BlowsMeAway Productions - Good Stuff for Harmonica Players

BlowsMeAway Productions
Exotic Wood Microphones
"Art you can play"

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Home -- Custom Wood Mics -- Ultimate Series Mics -- Bulletizer-- Kalamazoo Amps

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


*Charlie Musselwhite* loves his BlowsMeAway Mic. To see it and hear what Charlie has to say about it, visit the home page.


Jimi Lee	"Like many other people, whether for harmonica or guitar, I have tried for a long time to get a good tone wireless. It took Greg Heumann’s knowledge and experience with elements, impedance matching, volume pots and more to accomplish the task. My new custom wood body harmonica mic is not only wireless, it has the best tone, is comfortably light weight and looks like a piece of art work. It is now part of my regular gigging set up. I’ve been spoiled and really don’t want a heavy bodied mic anymore, except maybe as a back up, but today I asked Greg to make me another one that isn’t wireless for a back up. I find myself prone to tell players about Greg's wood mics above all others. The wireless has become my hands down mic of choice. Thanks for all that you have done for me. You are the one I recommend most and it’s an easy choice." -- Jimi Lee Jimi's mic is set up low impedance with an XLR connector so he can use it with his Samson wireless rig. You can see him use it in this video.

Andy Just	"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!" -- Andy Just Listen while you look.... Hear blues veteran, recording artist and pro performer Andy Just blowin' his BlowsMeAway wood mic and volume control through a Sonny Jr amp, recorded live at The Little Fox Theatre in Redwood City, CA: Struck By Lightning Blue and Lonesome Rockin' Boogie

Canadian Burl Maple and Purpleheart

You wouldn't play a cast zinc violin, would you? A steel piano? A pewter guitar? Of course not. But a harmonica microphone is part of your "instrument." Why play through a metal microphone? Experience the warmth of wood! My rare wood mics have a slightly smaller diameter than a JT30, with none of those uncomfortable bumps and ridges on the grill. And these mics are considerably lighter than their metal counterparts. A JT30 weighs between 8 and 10 ounces depending on configuration. A Shure 520D weighs a whopping 13 ounces! My wood mics weigh as little as 4 ounces including element and connector.

The result is a mic that is comfortable to hold, easy to play, beautiful to look at and, best of all, sounds GREAT. Guaranteed, or your money back.

Each mic is a one-of-a-kind work of art. Although I occasionally have wood mics ready for sale, my preference is to work with each customer individually. I will help you choose woods and options and discuss any ideas you have. As I build your mic I will email you photos of the entire process, from raw wood preparation through finished microphone, to keep you informed every step of the way. I price all the options in direct proportion to the labor involved in building them into your mic. The options and prices are shown below.

Design your own mic!


A basic mic is $279. This includes a shell from a single block of wood, a billet aluminum grill with straight slots, screw-on connector, natural finish, custom gasket - and of course a wonderful vintage Shure controlled magnetic element. (I have other elements, and will make a shell for your element if you like. See options below.) These mics are beautiful and sound just as good as one with all the bells and whistles shown below.		This mic is made from Kingwood
Options:
Lamination: Some woods aren't available in blocks thick enough for me to start with so I laminate multiple boards together. This results in some beautiful color and grain combinations as you can see from the pictures here. Lamination takes lots of prep and time - add $29 for a standard 3-piece lamination, $39 for 4-way. The mic on the left is a lamination of Zebrawood and Macassar Ebony. The mic on the right is a lamination of Cocobolo and Purpleheart, maze grill.
Finish: My standard finish is a natural looking hand-rubbed finish with a satin sheen. Your skin oils will react with these mics and they will get richer/darker/duller over time. They can be restored with furniture polish and/or furnitur wax. A more durable finish uses nitrocellulose lacquer. This is the same material used to finish fine guitars and pianos. Here there are two levels: Semi-gloss has 3-4 coats. Some wood grain still shows but the wood is completely sealed and protected and the finish is actually fairly glossy. Add $29 for this option. Full gloss takes 8-10 coats of lacquer and fills all the grain. Add $59 for this finish. The mic shown is a lamination of Canadian Burl Maple and Purpleheart, straight slot grill.
Inlay ring: The mic shown at right has a turquoise colored inlay. Add $19 The mic shown is a lamination of Cocobolo and Zebrawood, Mercedes grill.
Grip Shoulder: Adding a "shoulder" can make the shell even easier to hold, especially for small hands. Add $19 The mic on the left is a lamination of Cocobolo and Macassar Ebony. The mic on the right is a lamination of Macassar Ebony and Purpleheart.
Engraving: Laser engraving adds a personalized touch - good for your initials or .... add $49 The mic on the left is made from rosewood and marblewood. The mic on the right is made from Zebrawood
Stealth volume control: The end of the shell IS the volume knob. I set it up so that the wood grain lines up perfectly when the control is at full volume. Add $89. The mic shown on the left is made from a 4-part laminate of Kingwood. You can just barely see the line between the rotating rear and the main part of the mic. The one on the right is Zebrawood, Tripoly grill.
Wood grills: On special request I can make your grill out of the same wood as your mic. Wood grills are really pretty, and will stand up to lots of playing if treated well. If dropped the wrong way though, they are certainly not as strong as aluminum. Wood grills are for special ocassions, home use, display mics, etc. They are very lightweight. To ensure maximum strength I leave these a little thicker and will not cut the "Maze" pattern in them. Add $29.		This mic is olive wood. I brought this piece from Italy and do not have a supplier for it here.
Curved/Radial Slot Patterns: Curved or radial slot patterns require a lot more setup time and machining work, but they are beautiful and unique. Add $39.	"Mercedes"	"Maze"
The mic on the right is made with Marblewood	"Tripoly"	"Starburst"
This all wood mic is made from figured walnut.		"Turner"
	New! "Waves" (Optional Grill Screen shown, see below.)	New! "Smiles" (Optional Grill Screen shown, see below.)
	I have other new designs too. Some of them haven't been rendered in actual aluminum grills yet. If you want more ideas, or have some of your own, please contact me!
New! Personalized Grills - add $69 Now you can have your grill personalized like Charlie Musselwhite's. I recommend you use your own initials, however :) I have a couple different designs and will work with you to help you decide.	For my customer Roger Nelson of Australia. This is the "right initials" design.	One of the mics I made for Charlie Musselwhite.
	Bill Noteman's Mic - "centered initials"	This one was made for country senstation Heidi Newfield. This is "single initial center"
Grill Screen: All grills are provided with a black foam wind screen. A metal grill screen, shown on the right, adds a nice look. Add $10.
Elements Available: Shure Controlled Magnetic 99A86, 99B86 - included in "basic mic" price above Supply your own element - deduct $75 from basic mic price aPremium Shure controlled magnetic - like 99H86 white label CM or CR - add $125 Shure Controlled Reluctance 99H86 black label - add $175 Supply your own element - deduct $75 from basic mic price Others: Inquire.	Woods Available: Bolivian Rosewood Canary Cherry Cocobolo Eucalyptus burl Figured Walnut I recommend that you Google these woods to learn more about them.	More Woods Available: Macassar Ebony Maple burl Marblewood Oak Purpleheart Padouk Sheeoak Zebrawood I can often get other woods. Just ask!

Here's a wacky idea. How would you like a beautiful pen turned from the same wood as your mic? I would be happy to provide one. Add $69 to your order.