Custom Wood Harmonica Microphones

Art you can play!

Westside Andy plays BlowsMeAway Custom Wood Mics

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. Here are a few I've made.

Stablized Wood
Spalted Tamarind
Custom "MG" grill
Opal Inlay
Cocobolo/Pupleheart/Yellowheart
Colored pencils in clear resin
Acid Trip
"The Bear"
"Surfboard"
Mexican Mystery Burl
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. David Barrett of BluesHarmonica.com recently produced a series of videos touring the BlowsMeAway Shop. Here's a "How It's Made" segment about showing a wood mic being made:

Scroll down to the Design Your Own Mic section to learn more about these beautiful mics - with options, prices and photos. But first - meet a few of my customers.....

Internationally acclaimed stars Kim Wilson, Charlie Musselwhite, Rod Piazza, Mark Hummel and Mickey Raphael love their BlowsMeAway Wood Mics. To see them and hear what they have to say about my work, please visit the home page.

Now - here are a few other pros who use BlowsMeAway mics.

New for 2024! LC Williams is a Florida-based harp player who performs with her band LC Williams and the Driver. In addition to her BlowsMeAway Productions endorsement, she is a Lone Wolf Blues Co. endorser who has become well known locally, and around the world on the internet, for her tasty playing and huge tone. Playing since the mid-nineties, she was inspired by the great Lester Butler- and encouraged by her husband ("The Driver") who had already been playing guitar in various bands in the Tampa-St. Pete area.

Here's what LC says about her new BlowsMeAway Wood Mic:

My new mic from BlowsMeAway makes me very happy--it is, of course, beautiful. I chose the Burmese Rosewood, which is rich and warm-looking, and I had my initials put on the grill. I also chose the Heumann Element. Its tone is big, and the mic is very responsive, by which I mean slight changes in my cupping technique really affect the tone, allowing me to both open up or bear down when I want alter my sound. Finally, the mic is just the right size in my hand, a really comfortable circumference. I enjoy this mic more every time I use it. Lauren "LC" Williams - January 2024
Listen to LC's killer tone as she blows some "Juke" through her Blues Cube amplifer and Lone Wolf Boogieman pedal.
LC's mic
LC's mic is made from Burnese Rosewood. It has a stealth volume control, a personalized grill and The Heumann Element.
Nic Clark says:
To me, this is the only mic worth owning. A lot of people praise vintage gear and swear by it. Greg has not only captured the soulfulness and air that vintage microphones have, but this new "Heumann element" has brought out something fully rounded and satisfying to amplified harmonica. My beautiful wooden mic from BlowsMeAway Productions gives me plenty of space and tones to create the perfect warm/creamy sound that I love. Most microphones give you just one thing to work with (Volume, Crunch, etc.) But I have found that Greg's products tend to give you a little of everything, and all in the right places. Anyone who buys a mic from Greg will be more then happy with their purchase. I am! Nic Clark - April 2015
Listen to Nic's amazing tone using his BlowsMeAway wood mic through a Memphis Mini amplifier.
Nic Clark mic Nic Clark Mic
Nic's mic is made from California Oak Burl. It has a stealth volume control, a personalized grill and The Heumann Element.
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

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

pic of ronnie shellist pic of ronnie shellist mic
Ronnie chose Malaysian Blackwood with a Piano finish for his mic, along with a personalized grill and the Stealth Volume Control option.
Mark Ford is one of the most creative and musical modern blues harp players, with many CD's on the Blue Rock'it Records label. He was (and remains) a big influence on my playing. Unfortunately for us, he nearly stopped playing publicly about 10 years ago. Now - he is back! Mark has retired from his day job, is writing songs and touring again with the Ford Blues Band. Here's what Mark says:
As a long time Harp player, I've had the chance to play through just about every mic there is out there, and I mean it when I say this is the best mic I've ever had. Not only does it sound great, but it's absolutely beautiful. It's light weight compared to the pair of Green Bullets I'm used to working with, and fits in the palm of my hand like it was made for it. Greg makes each of these mics individually out of beautiful hardwoods and metals, machining and turning each piece, creating what is not just another harp mic, but a true and unique work of art. A harp players dream mic! Mark Ford - June 2014
Pic of Mark Ford Pic of Mark Ford mic
Rising star Aki Kumar has made waves across the country and around the world with his virtuouso blues harp playing. Here's what Aki has to say:
A+ to Greg Heumann for hand-crafting an absolute beauty of a harmonica mic for me! Built out of Burmese Rosewood, this eye-catching microphone is easy to grip and incredibly light to hold; lighter than any of my other bullet mics. This has reduced strain on my hands during club shows where I end up playing through a bullet mic for up to 4 hours a night. The volume control works like a dream and blends seamlessly into the mic body. I use the volume control knob a fair bit to vary my dynamics during a song. Having the knob conveniently integrated into the microphone allows me to make quick and accurate adjustments without losing my grip on it. One of the visual highlights of the mic is the aluminum grill, polished to a mirror shine and customized with my name. Finally, the MOST important aspect of any harmonica microphone: TONE! Greg provided me with a very hot and responsive CR element for this microphone, one that he personally selected and tested. Being an accomplished harpist himself, Greg's judgement was spot-on about this. I have tested this microphone on a variety of harp amps, large and small, and the results have been more than satisfactory. It has now become my primary mic for all my live shows. Thank you Greg and BlowsMeAway Productions for hitting this one out of the park! Aki Kumar - June 2013
Pic Aki mic
Noted by his peers as one of the most soulful and powerful blues singers in the business today, Mitch Kashmar is one of my favorite performers. He has it all - tone, swing, great material - diatonic and chromatic mastery - everything. Here's what Mitch has to say:
I'm loving my Blows Me Away custom mic...on the functional side, it's so light it almost dissolves in your hand, and, partly due to the slightly smaller diameter, I'm getting a real vocal sound when I use my hands, similar to when I play acoustic...you can make that thang TALK...the stealth volume control is just that, my friends can't even locate it for a few seconds, and easy to reach with just your pinkie if you prefer....on the cosmetic side, it's the tip of the top, mine is made of ebony with a classic piano finish, and my own initials on the grill...it's so sexy, I wanna take it out for drinks and dinner! Mitch Kashmar - March 2013
mitch mic
RJ Mischo, "Best Harmonica Player" award winner in 1996, with 10 CD's under his own name and apppearances on countless others. RJ Mischo endorses BlowsMeAway's Custom Wood Mics
I just plugged in my new beautiful curly maple mic from BlowsMeAway Productions. It has a 1950 Shure black label CR element with Killer Tone. I played the mic with my Bassman, Super Reverb & Concert amp sounds great with all of them. This outfit makes the highest quality harp mics, volume controls & cables, I highly recommend them!!!! RJ Mischo - November 2010
RJ Mischo's BlowsMeAway Wood Mic
Deak Harp says:
These Mics are a work of art ... And man the wood makes the tone just drip out ...Warm as the Sunflower River in Clarksdale Ms .. in July ..... And the Piano Finish is so smooth you can see yourself in it ..

Everybody should have one

Deak Harp
deak
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.
Jimi Lee using his BlowsMeAway Productions wood microphone Jimi Lee's BlowsMeAway Productions wood microphone 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
Andy Just using his BlowsMeAway Productions wood microphone

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

Jake Friel:
The first time I picked up this mic at the SPAH convention in Virginia Beach I knew I had to have it. It was lightweight, had great sound and looked really cool. I have since put all my "antiques" away including my beloved green bullet and custom JT-30 aka "Shrek" that I used to adore. Nothing can touch the mic Greg made; there is artistry involved in creating this mic. The fact that this is made from a single piece of wood “blows me away”. The volume control has changed my playing; I love the ease and control it gives me on stage. The mic is extremely light and easy to use especially for longer shows. Because I play it all the time the color has deepened and gotten richer. I can't wait to get my next one with a custom grill! I mention the microphone every show and I always take the time to show it to anyone who asks and refer them to the website. — Jake Friel
This video opens with RJ Mischo playing acoustic. At about 2:48 in the vid, he came over to me to try one of my wood mics - hooked up to my Sonny Jr Avenger. We ended up trading licks for quite a while - it was a hoot! RJ decided then and there he had to have his own BlowsMeAway wood mic. And now he does!

Design your own mic!

The base price for a BlowsMeAway custom wood mic is $299. That includes a shell turned from a single block of your choice of wood, a billet aluminum grill with straight slots, screw-on connector, natural finish, black foam windscreen, custom gasket - and your choice of the awesome new "The Heumann Element" or a wonderful vintage Shure single impedance controlled magnetic element - 99A86 or 99B86. (These elements are considered to be among the best available for harp - and have been out of production now for about 40 years. They are far superior to the elements that come in the current Shure 520DX Green Bullet or any other mass-produced harp mic. I buy them used from a variety of sources.) I also have other elements, or will make a shell for your element if you like. See "Elements Available" below.

SO - start at $299, choose your wood(s) and consider the following pro options.

New! I have many more photos in the Wood Mics photo album on Facebook. Start here to understand the options and their prices - but look there for a broader selection of woods.

This mic is made from Kingwood

Pro Options:

Woods Available

Typical Wood Inventory

This is a typical list but I just can't seem to keep it updated. I buy pretty wood when I see it - and sometimes I can't get any more of something for a while. I will help you through the wood choice process! When we create a spec for your mic, ew can leave the wood choice "TBD" until it is time to build the mic, and then I will know exactly what I have available!

Solid Block Woods Available

Canary
Claro Walnut
Cocobolo
Ebony
Maple Burl
Olive
Rosewood, Burmese
Rosewood, E. Indian
Wenge
Tamboti
Zebrawood

Board stock available (for laminated mics)

Bocote
Canary
Cocobolo large variety
Ebony dark, dark brown, dark brown grain
Kingwood (square stock - requires 4-way (2x2) lamination
Marblewood
Rosewood
spalted maple
Wenge
Zebrawood

The following board woods are good for the center section in laminations - contrasting color, but not much grain - which can conflict with side wood grain

Ash
Cherry
Padouk (orangish)
Purpleheart
Yellowheart

I have many more photos of mics in a wide variety of woods on my facebook page. Go here and head for the "Customer Mics" photo album. If that doesn't do it, I recommend that you Google these woods to learn more about them.

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 $39 for a standard 3-piece lamination, add $29 for each additional board.

BlowsMeAway Productions custom wood bullet microphone Zebrawood and Macassar Ebony.
BlowsMeAway Productions custom wood bullet microphone Cocobolo and Purpleheart, maze grill

Multilam woods: I have some prelaminated woods- these are thin layers of birch that have been dyed, then pressed together in large sheets under huge pressure, bonded with a special resin. Add $10 for these woods.

BluesBerry (SOLD OUT)
Desert
Blue Bayou (SOLD OUT)
Tropical
Blue Sunset
Fiesta
Acid Trip
Peacock
Black and Blues
Camo
I have others! You never know! Ask!

Stealth Volume Control

With the 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.
BlowsMeAway Productions custom wood bullet microphone- stealth volume control This mic 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.
BlowsMeAway Productions custom wood bullet microphone - stealth volume control This mic is made from Zebrawood, with a Tripoly grill.

Grills

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.

BlowsMeAway Productions custom wood bullet microphone -
"Mercedes"
BlowsMeAway Productions custom wood bullet microphone - maze grill
"Maze"
BlowsMeAway Productions custom wood bullet microphone - tripoly grill
"Tripoly"
BlowsMeAway Productions custom wood bullet microphone - Starburst grill
"Starburst"
BlowsMeAway Productions custom wood bullet microphone - Turbine grill
"Turbine"
BlowsMeAway Productions custom wood bullet microphone - Turner grill
"Turner"
BlowsMeAway Productions custom wood bullet microphone - Waves grill
"Waves"
BlowsMeAway Productions custom wood bullet microphone - Chrysler grill
"Chrysler"
BlowsMeAway Productions custom wood bullet microphone - UT48 grill
"UT48"
BlowsMeAway Productions custom wood bullet microphone - Smiles grill
"Smiles"

"Eighth Note"

"Yin Yang"

"Harp!"
I have other new designs too. Like the "Globe" and the "Peace Sign" - the images are on Facebook but I've been too busy to update this web site. You might too. Dont see what you want? Contact me!

Personalized Grills - add $89

Now you can have your grill personalized like Kim Wilson's and 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.

I love working with customers to come up with new grill designs. Before you get too excited, though, no, you can't have your face in there. The slots are 1/8" wide and must leave about 1/8" between them. The circle in which they live is 1.85" in diameter.

And like the stencils they use to paint signs in the street, there has to be connective tissue to hold the middle bits of the letters in or they will fall out. That means you don't have much resolution to work with. So get creative!

BlowsMeAway Productions custom wood bullet microphone - Initials "Right Initials." Kim Wilson's mic.
BlowsMeAway Productions custom wood bullet microphone - Initials "Upper Initials." Jay Sawyer's Mic.
"Centered initials." Bill Noteman's Mic.
"Single initial center". This one was made for country sensation Heidi Newfield.
Arcs w/ 3 Initials, Vertical
Arcs w/ 3 Initials, Horizontal
Horizontal slots, 2 vertical initials
Horizontal slots, 3 vertical initials

Anodized Grill

All grills can be anodized - black, blue, red, purple, gold - other colors too. Add 2 weeks and $99 (the cost is high because the anodizer has a minimum charge - no way around it. )

and yes, that IS Steven Tyler's mic.

Brass Grill

Brass is a little heavier but gives a warmer look. Standard aluminum shown on left for comparison. A brass grill adds 2 ounces to total mic weight.
Add $29

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.

BlowsMeAway Productions custom wood bullet microphone - Grill screen

Finishes

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 furniture 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:

BlowsMeAway Productions custom wood bullet microphone - finish options
Violin (L) is glossy - however the wood grain is not completely "leveled". The wood is completely sealed and protected. Add $39 for this option - the most popular choice.
Piano (R) finish takes at least 8-10 coats of lacquer, lots of sanding, a couple extra weeks, and fills all the grain for a mirror like finish. (Compare the overhead fluorescent light reflected in the shell.) Add $89 for this finish.

Inlay

BlowsMeAway Productions custom wood bullet microphone - inlay This mic is a lamination of Cocobolo and Zebrawood, Mercedes grill and has a turquoise granule inlay.
This mic is made of Redheart. When the wood was turned it revealed "checks" that had to be filled with something. I chose turquoise granules. I can add inlay material to engraving (see below) as well. Ask for price quote.

Inlay Colors/Materials

Add $39 for an inlay ring. Add another $29 for a second one. Inlay colors/materials, L to R (stripes shown are 1/8" wide, mic inlay stripes are .080"):
  • Aluminum powder, Brass powder (not shown) (these are a byproduct of my grill manufacturing process)
  • Blue, gold, red metal flake - note the finished inlay is a combination of the core color and some silver
  • Black (not shown), red, gold, blue and turquoise "granules"
  • Genuine Opal Flakes - New! Opal is expensive material and very labor intensive, so is $99 per ring

Engraving

Laser engraving adds a personalized touch - good for your initials or .... Also see the "anodized grill" option below - that's Steven Tyler's mic and has some nice engraving on the side. Subcontracted - Add $139. Engraving can be inlaid, depending on the design. I do the inlay work after I get the shell back from the engraver. This is a $49 option.
BlowsMeAway Productions custom wood bullet microphone - engraved This mic is made from rosewood and marblewood
BlowsMeAway Productions custom wood bullet microphone - engraved This mic is made from Zebrawood.

XLR Connector

Mickey Raphael and Jimi Lee wanted low impedance mics with XLR connectors for different reasons. Mickey wants to unplug his acoustic mic and plug this in for a few blues numbers during Willie Nelson's shows. Jimi Lee wanted to use the mic with his low-Z wireless mic rig. I can also set your mic up for high impedance/XLR like a Blues Blaster (Pin 3 hot) or ready for the wireless transmitter (Pin 2 hot) if you like. I have to fabricate several parts to make it work. Add $59.
BlowsMeAway Productions custom wood bullet microphone - XLR connector option

Wet wood process

Add $49

Hardwoods are frequently sold with fairly high moisture content - particularly when in the 3x3x12" format I use to make a mic from a solid block of wood. It is very difficult for vendors to dry it without cracking Because it is so much thicker than typical kiln-dried board stock, the outside dries and the inside doesn't and so the unevenness causes tension and ultimately cracks. These woods are stored covered in wax specifically to KEEP them from drying until they can be turned because they would dry unevenly and crack. I like to get the moisture level down to 15% or less to make a mic. If I don't do this, the mic will shrink considerably after turning - enough so that the element/gasket can be nearly impossible to remove for service, and more importantly, after a few months the grill will be a larger diameter than the shell, not only causing it to be a loose fit, but also making it ugly and uncomfortable. There is also danger of cracking once you've taken posession. My process is mostly secret, but involves pre-turning the mic, boring out the inside and turning the outside but leaving it oversize. That will leave me room to get it nice and true once it has dried, because it will both shrink and warp in the process. Then it is dried in a controlled environment. That can take 2-3 weeks. Once it is dry I go back to work. Every inside and outside surface has to be turned to the correct depth and diameter - so in effect I've turned the entire mic twice.

With some exceptions, I can't predict when the time comes to build your mic what wood I will have and whether it will be dry or not. I recently received two pieces of East Indian Rosewood, for example - one was 12% moisture (8-10% is considered natural "resting" moisture level) and one was 24%. But if it is wet - you will have the opportunity to choose something else or have me proceed.

Elements Available

The Heumann Element is included in the $289 standard price mic. The Heumann Element is a high impedance dynamic element made from a modern vocal mic element to which I have made both mechanical and electrical modifications.  It has big, fat tone with plenty of bass and is most reminiscent of a vintage ceramic element, but with higher output.

A Shure single impedance Controlled Magnetic 99A86 or 99B86 element can be substituted for The Heumann Element at no additional charge. This element was in the original Shure 520 Green Bullet and is an outstanding value.

If you need to save some dough, consider a 99S556 Dual Impedance Controlled Magnetic element and Deduct $29. This element was in the Shure 520D and is a great choice if you're on a tight budget. A little brighter than the single-impedance elements but still has great tone and break-up - and way better than anything you can buy in a commercial bullet today.

Premium Shure Controlled Magnetic - like 99H86 white label CM add $79
Shure Controlled Reluctance 99(H,G)86 white label add $169
Shure Controlled Reluctance 99(A,G,H)86 black label add $219
Brush Crystal add $219
Supply your own element deduct $79 from basic mic price

Others: Inquire.

Getting connected

You will need a screw-on to 1/4” cable or adapter to use this mic. My 1st choice is always a proper screw-on to 1/4" cable as it keeps the flexible portion of the cable as close to the mic as possible, which minimizes any restrictions on freedom of movement. See Volume Controls, Adapters and Cables for more info.
Where do you put your mic when you're not playing it?

This is the BulletProofer™

The only clamp-on mic holder that truely protects your mic. Many other stand mounts aren't secure - trip over your cable and the mic goes flying. Not with BulletProofer! The secret is the slot that lets the cable fall to the bottom of the holder, so the mic truly sits in, not on the stand.

Fits any stand from 3/8" (9.5mm) to 1" (25mm) diameter. Padded clamp and nylon screw won't damage your stand.

Add $19
There's a lot going on here. I will work with you through every step of design and specification. If you have questions, don't hesitate to contact me. Note - these mics are as much works of art as they are top quality musical instrumnts. As such I sign each one by burning my initials into the mic down near the connector, letters about 1/8" high. If you do not want this please let me know when you order.