"The blues is a joyful noise"

I recently suffered a devastating total loss house fire, and among so many other things, lost my original super-hot twin tone Turner mic. Christopher worked hard to expedite a replacement for me, along with Tone Defender cable, volume control and adapter, and had me back in business in no time!

My original was a black label CR, and I loved it. Having been given a number of options, I chose to go with a boosted lo-z CM element Turner....it's definitely different, but I think I may like it just as well...maybe even better, than the original! The difference in twin tones is more pronounced, with the brighter one super crunchy and full even at low volume! Awesome mic, and terrific personalized service.

Christopher takes pride in making an exceptional, great sounding, great looking and durable product. He is extremely thorough and detailed in explaining everything necessary to facilitate making an informed decision, and stands behind his work and his word.

Highly recommended, a great guy to do business with!

With prompt delivery, just tried out the new cable. A lot clearer signal than the belden cable I have been using. With no compromise with materials and workmanship this would have to be the best harmonica microphone cable available. Easy going and informed communication was very helpful. Will be recommending Christopher Richards to anyone needing a decent harp mic cable.
Cheers

Harmonica Planet.com Followup: Thanks again to this great client from Australia... and a clarification for everyone else: For that dramatic of a difference to be evident between ANY two microphone cables, and it is a claim I've heard over and again from my customers, the un-named fabricator of the other cable was likely using a very cheap grade of Belden wire, plus cheap and/or incorrect soldering tools, low quality solder, and sloppy ham-handed soldering methods. So while the wire itself DOES have importance, often the biggest differences are due to the construction methods.

That said, a Tone Defender is by any objective comparison, the overall best screw connector cable ever made, I welcome any scientifically conducted "feature by feature" comparisons. CR

Fast post to the UK, Excellent customer communication, Nothing but good things to say about my buying experience. Good man !

Hey Chris, I need to leave this comment as all that you promised about the Tone Defender with Canare wire is right on the money. My amp has never been so quiet at higher volumes with the mic opened up to full volume. I actually moved the knob on my amp to 10 without blowing the harp and it was still silent except for tube whooshing sounds. Wow! I played at 4 and the crunch was terrific! For your info, I play through a custom wood mic made by Blows Me Away and it has a Heumann Element in it. Kinda like a crystal with the best of a ceramic but with ballz! I play this through a stock Memphis Mini and with your cable, the rig is the best it’s ever been. Thankyou for providing me with impeccable caring and service. Owen

Well Chris you did it...it is the mic I've looked for but never found until now.
(Twin Tone CM in a stripped & polished Turner sharkfin shell)

Thank you so much for all your time and effort with this project. You are a master craftsman/technician. If anyone ever asks me where to get a mic they will be directed to you. All the best, see you down the road. Artie

Chris Richards is one of the most honest, patient, and intelligent men I know. He went on the road with me and my son (Jay Gaunt) when Jay was playing (from age 14 through age 16). He always got Jay's sound right (Jay plays harmonica). He never missed a deadline, a gig, or anything else. He was just the best in every way. Well, I trusted him with my son. That says it all.

I am now a proud owner of my second twin tone, and just wanted to share a few comments - it is AMAZING. My first twin tone, a CM in a 520 shell, was truly excellent and instantly became my go-to CM mic when gigging, it is just awesome, but as it often goes the appetite just grows... so I got to talking with Christopher about the next twin tone, with a black CR and even sweeter tone. Christopher was again truly excellent to work with, spending the time and discussing options and alternatives - he is someone I can wholeheartedly recommend even if you don't know what you are looking for exactly, he will help you, take the time to really explain things and give you options without pushing anything on you.

... but back to the new Twin Tone... I had a discussion with Christopher about boosted elements, which I have been a bit suspicious about, but I knew I just wanted the best tone I can get, and also knew from experience I can trust Christopher to help me get it, so I trusted him choose the right element for me. And oh boy did he ever - this boosted black CR is just unbelievable! The tone is so sweet but cuts like a knife, finally getting that that sweet horn-like tone and with fantastic breakup, great range, strong bottom end... and this one is hot. Real HOT. The output level is just crazy high, just within control - which I like a lot, really drives my amps and makes them really sing. Amazing. The twin tone switch really does magic with this beast, every time I kick into a solo and flip the switch I start to smile as I hear that added breakup and projection help me cut through with awesome tone... so sweet!

In the same box I also got my first tone defender cable, and while I'm not quite sure how he does it but I'm pretty sure I could just use the cable as a swing - holding onto my mic I mean. The construction is so rugged and strong, no more annoying cable issues. It is now the only cable I want to gig with. And of course Christopher's work on the mic too is again truly excellent - his attention to detail and the quality of the work is just incredible on all fronts.

So now I have my new go-to CR mic, and was just writing Christopher about plans for my third twin tone (this one's going to have a crystal element.... I really don't see a CR/CM getting any better than this, but I want to have the different sounds available for different contexts and Christopher is definitely whom I want to work with on that, too). I trust the repeat business is a testimonial in it's own right, I just could not recommend his work more. Thank you again, Christopher, and looking forward to the third one!

Within 5 minutes of opening my well packaged Twin Tone mic with 520 shell, high Z white labeled CR element, inline volume control, and cool blue Tone Defender cable all I could say was a jaw dropping WOW! A true work of art. My old 520DX Shure mic thru a HarpGea Double Trouble amp and Lone Wolf delay just never had the volume nor tone I was looking for. But now those issues are gone. This new mic gives the Double Trouble plenty of hot volume and crunch, and especially the low end sound I was looking for. The Tone Switch is like having two mics in one. The whole order-planning-shipping process was smooth and enjoyable. Many detailed personal phone conversations and emails. Chris will take the time to give you the personal attention you need. I had narrowed it down to three great custom harmonica mic builders and chose Chris. I do not regret that decision. Can't wait to create some more special mics with him. HIGHLY RECOMMEND

I just received my Tone Defender cable and adaptor from Christopher. I have to say that from start to finish the purchase was seamless. He took the time to correspond with me and assured me that if I was not satisfied he would make ammends. When the products came they were well packaged and in perfect condition. I had the opportunity to give both a work-out and without a doubt.. CHRISTOPHER'S PRODUCTS are TOP-SHELF !

I received my Twin Tone, a shure 520 shell with a vintage hi-Z CM element, a little while ago and just wanted to share a few observations. First, just opening the package I was very impressed with the appearance – of course it’s not the most important thing, but it is what one notices first – the stripped and polished finish Christopher does on his Twin Tones looks absolutely fantastic, and is great to hold so very practical, too. And if you get a little scratch on the surface… just polish it up again.

Turning the mic around in my hands I noted the Twin Tone switch – his speciality, which changes the tone of the mic from a darker to a brighter option, and just the mounting of the switch showed commitment to quality, a very strong switch, ergonomically aligned (as I had chosen), with a silicone fill, and a connector that for sure will not come loose. Opening the mic up (yes, I had to look… ), again I found work of quality that I have never seen before. Wiring is truly top grade (and I mean also the wire itself in addition to the work), the finest soldering job I have seen, silicone fills wherever needed to ensure nothing comes loose – I am 100% sure there will be zero issues with the construction of the mic as the quality is truly exceptional – this mic will probably outlast me! And overall the attention to detail speaks of the commitment Christopher puts into his mics – true works of art as much as engineering.

And finally the most important part – how does it sound? Absolutely fantastic. The element has a really nice full sound with a strong bottom end, just as requested, and the Twin Tone switch allows to move from a more mellow, darker tone to adding more cut and brightness, something that I find very useful for example when moving into a solo part and wanting to cut through a bit more. And also the darker, more mellow, tone option is very useful and allows for one more dimension of changing your sound.

I could not recommend Christopher’s work more, top quality in every way and he is also truly fantastic to work with – taking the time to discuss options and alternatives in detail and helping you make the best decisions…. I guess the best recommendation I can give is just stating the fact that I am now discussing the specs for my next Twin Tone with him to join this one - Thank you once again, Christopher!

Matti