Fine Quality Custom Harp Mics Home of the Controlled Reluctance Harp Mics Where the pro's shop! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I build to your specifications. If you need a price for a harp mic build, please use the "Harp Mic Quotes" tab to the left and fill out the convenient form provided to help speed up the process for getting the mic you desire. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Welcome Huey Lewis as Fat Bottom's newest endorser from the phenomenal Huey Lewis and The News Band. More to come............. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Welcome Andy Just as one of Fat Bottom's newest endorsers. Hi Chuck, I have been touring in Europe and just wanted to drop you a line about the mic you made for me. Your mic is nothing other than fantastic!! YOU ARE THE MAN!! When you play overseas most of the time your NOT going to get the amp that you desire so I have to make do. Your mic has made it so that even if the amp is less than good I STILL get the great tone I need with plenty of output. For any harp players who want that big fat dirty sound, there is only one way to go, Fat Bottom Mics. Chuck is the technician that will find that sound you are looking for. Chuck thank you so much for a Superior mic and what a beauty! Your mic will be on the cover of my new CD that I'm doing here in Europe. Ciao- Your friend-Andy Just A big thank you going out to my good friend Mark Overman. Mark was the catalyst for the introduction and for the mic build for Andy Just. Thank you once again Mark. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NEW: Just announced, Australia's premier harp player "Ian Collard", also a Fat Bottom endorser, will be using his Fat Bottom Mic on his brand new CD coming out in September. Get your copy at................. www.collardgreensandgravy.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Welcome Egido Ingala as Fat Bottom's new endorser from Italy. Pictured below with his new Fat Bottom Turner chopped mic in black satin and his new Chrome Astatic T-3 mic. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Welcome Mingo Balaguer as Fat Bottom's new endorser from Spain. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Welcome Ian Collard as Fat Bottom's new Australian endorser. (Pictured below) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Welcome Gary Smith as one of Fat Bottom's new endorsers. California Tone King! Hold your cursor over the picture to see another angle or feature of Gary's mic. Gary Smith's "One Off Biscuit Mic" with rear VC and custom made front adapter. "The unique Biscuit mic that Chuck built for me is great looking, easy to cup, intriguing to fiddle with while your playing, and the thing can holler like a mountain jack!!!!! So far I've used it in several contexts from a 15 watt-10 inch fender to my double barrel"tweedzilla"hooking together my Sonny Jr. Cruncher, and my Bassman with a reverb tank between them. The mic is amazing in that it responds to every nuance of hand pressure,wind power,and just the right amount of snarl. The volume control is in the perfect position for subtle changes. My advice to the curious, dial up Chucks photo gallery, you'll feel like Little Walter on Christmas morning. Chuck...you are an artist working in the medium of the sound of the soul Thank you so much G.S." Special thanks going out to Mark Overman for the introduction. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sending out a big thank you to Rod Piazza for his acknowledgment of my harp mic work used on his new CD "Soul Monster" Get your copy quickly at www.themightyflyers.com "Chuck Gurney has a handle on harp mics at this time. If you want it right, get one tonight. In the future he is going to be one of the guiding lights. Looking forward to working with him in the future for bigger and better things. Your friend always, Rod Piazza" Rod Piazza's Custom Color Gold JT-30 used on his latest CD "Soul Monster" Hold your cursor over each picture to see another angle or feature Rod's mic Also sending out another big thank you to my good friend Mark Overman for helping to collaborate the project for Rod. Mark was a huge part of the project's success. Thank you Mark, I owe you one! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Welcome the one and only Kim Wilson to Fat Bottom Mic's. Kim has been the front man for The Fabulous Thunderbirds band for over 30 years. Kim is pictured below with his new Fat Bottom Astatic JT-31 mic and his new Chrome Ronette mic. I met with Kim in Raleigh, NC for one of his sold out shows, and he smoked the house my friends! If you ever heard anything about Kim's personality being so nice, it is certainly all true. He was great to deal with and one of a kind. He played both mics before and during the concert which led to his purchase of Fat Bottom Mic's. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also welcome Curtis Salgado, Rick Estrin from The Night Cats on board, along with Mark Hummel and Sugar Ray Norcia as the most recent Fat Bottom Mic endorsers. Read about the Curtis Salgado & John Belushi Connection here. "The Real Blues Brother" All of these guys were great to deal with as endorsers for my Harp Mic products and services. All of my endorsers have been a great testament to the quality of work I continuously strive for here at Fat Bottom Mic's. Read about the ORIGINAL Big Walter Horton mic modification completed for Sugar Ray Norcia. (The endorsers page) It was a real pleasure to work on this mic to say the least. Ray was there 30 years ago and recorded with Big Walter Horton on the newly released CD, "Bocce Boogie" under the TopCat Records label. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here at Fat Bottom Harp Mic's you can expect to find some of the finest quality custom made harmonica microphones available. I keep a strict attention to detail along with using only the finest parts available to achieve the highest standards for my builds. From super hot elements, to the hottest looking custom paint work, I can make your next harp mic dream a reality. I am constantly striving to improve my builds with research in tone, higher quality parts, fatter sounding elements, and now Fat Bottom Harp Cables. What you WILL NOT find here at Fat Bottom Mic's are short cuts taken to save money, shoddy installations, weak elements, or poor quality parts. It all adds up in the end my friends. Here at Fat Bottom Harp Mic's you can also expect to find the finest vintage harp tone reminiscent of some of the greatest players of all time. I build to your specifications. If you need a price for a harp mic build, please use the "Harp Mic Quotes" tab to the left and fill out the convenient form provided to help speed up the process for getting the mic you desire. There is so much more to building a good harp mic than soldering a element in your favorite shell, it is the culmination of the entire build and the attention to every known detail along the way. If you don't purchase a mic from me, ask as many questions as possible before purchasing. It will pay to shop around for quality and not just low prices and pretty paint jobs. As you have heard many times throughout your life, "you get what you pay for" and that statements holds true for anything you purchase. Compare my specs below, check out the endorsers, read the generous comments made by past customers, take a look at the Past Mic Builds tab to your left, and finally, shop wisely. Below are just some of the details I include in my builds to assure the highest quality builds possible. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- While you are here, please check out the "Past Mic Builds" tab to your left. If you hold your cursor over each harp mic picture, it will change to another angle or feature of the mic. 69 builds in all, most have a second picture. Please be patient, there are a lot of pics to load. If you see a microphone you like and have questions about a build, please don't hesitate to ask. I will let you know if I have what you need. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You can order cables and parts from the "Cables & Parts" tab to your left. If you need information about element sales, CR repair services, or Custom Harp Mics, please contact me using the "Harp Mic Quotes" tab to the left and fill out the convenient form. I will try to get back to you asap. If the form is not available for some reason, please contact me direct at: chuck@fatbottom-mics.com Thank you for taking the time to look around. Chuck Gurney |
Fat Bottom Harp Mics
Controlled Reluctance Sales, Repair and Service
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Custom Made Harmonica Microphones
- Fat Bottom CR/CM elements throughly inspected for any potential problems.
- Silver solder used on all connections for maximum conductivity.
- Each solder connection throughly cleaned with high quality flux (NO twisted
wires). - High quality color coded shrink wrap on all solder joints (NO tape).
- By request, I will install Teflon coated silver tinned copper wiring (extra).
- Double shrink wrap on the rear wires coming from the fitting (the most
important connection). - Main ground wire soldered directly to the fitting to eliminate drilling the
shell and to maintain a lower noise ratio. - Liquid glue poured in the rear of the mic to lock the wires to the shell and
the fitting for longer life and insulating properties. - Military grade sealed volume controls with liquid thread lock (matched to
shell and element combination). - Full, gradual volume use (NOT 0-100 in a 1/4 turn)
- Solid billet aluminum volume control knobs (NO plastic).
- Custom or factory gaskets installed (NO foam or other inferior materials
used). - Accurately drilled/tapped screw-on fitting installations with stainless steel set
screws. (NO Glue) - I install elements that have been meticulously inspected by me and me only
for any potential problems ahead of time. - Feedback thresholds minimized before the mic leaves my shop.
- Fresh, 18 awg silver tinned leads, looped and soldered to every element.
- Each mic receives a fresh grill silk glued with a water proof adhesive
- High quality custom paint and artwork available.
- If paint is required, I use only high grade automotive paint and urethane
clear (NO spray cans). - Silver or gold leaf monogrammed mics available.
- Custom brushed finish with clear coat. (color tinting available).
- Buffed, polished and clear coated Zink or aluminum shells.
- Custom artwork upon request.
- Final tweaking and overall inspection, along with lengthy break in times to
assure all problems are addressed before the microphone leaves. - Some machine and lathe work available.
- Chroming and powder coating coming soon.
Fat Bottom Endorsers
Rick Estrin
Sugar Ray Norcia
Dave Barrett
West Side Andy
Sonny Jr.
Pete Sheridan
Curtis Salgado
Kim Wilson
Mark Hummel
Click on pictures to enlarge
Ian Collard
| "Hi Chuck, this is easily the best mic I've tried, great full bottom end and strong mids that cut through with plenty of output overall. It looks great too, a pleasure doing business with you, Much thanks Ian." |
Gary Smith
Gary Smith
| Turner Chop, Gold Hammertone, CR, Rear VC |
Hold your cursor over the picture to see another angle of Ian's mic.
Rear VC, CR, Chrome Biscuit
Ian Collard
| "Hi Chuck, I have just received the T-3 mic with the hot black CR inside, and it sounds terrific, the mic looks really cool and it's very handy with the swivel removed. This is the second Black CR element that I have got from you and both are amazing; believe me I can't live without them. Thanks again for your help. Best Regards, Mingo Balaguer" |
| Attention: All International customers, please read the new shipping terms on the "Contact Us" page. |
| Hey Chuck, just came back from a great tour where I used the mics and...wow... there's no better way to stay in tour than playing these mics!!! These are what I wanted for many many years. I am using your Astatic T-3 mic with the Brush crystal element inside and the sound is very well. It has become my faithful friend over the past 6 months and it will be also featured on my next CD. I'm also using your Turner chop with a Black CR inside into my Fender Bassman and my old Gibson GA-20 amp and the tone and distortion sounded amazing. I've tried a lot of kind of harp mics and I have to confess that I've been in heaven since receiving your mics. It is absolutly the BEST tone I've ever come across! All the best from Italy. Egidio Juke Ingala |
Egidio Ingala
Egidio's T-3 Mic
Mingo Balaguer
Mingo's Astatic T-3
Mingo Balaguer
Egidio Ingala
Kim Wilson's JT-31 mic.
Kim Wilson's Ronette mic.
Andy Just
| Back in the shop! I apologize for any inconvenience my harp playing friends. Thank you, Chuck Gurney |
Ian Collard
| Andy's Black Metallic, Shure small shell 707a, CR |
