Open Letter To Mr. Gerst

Ken in Dallas said:
Dear Harvey,

I found your postings here in the forum,
links to articles you've written and made
available, and even went a few e-mails
with you on some things. You made some
very complex information very accessable
not only for me, but for anyone who wants
to know about mics and such, and that
which cannot be seen... sound.

Your writing is always clear and
understandable, and everything you say
is not just true, but the stuff I might get
to after making every mistake in the book.

And you give it freely.

Despite knowledge being so valuable, since the
internet it seems that opinions and guesses have
replaced fact, and flaming has replaced helping.

You are the exception and the exceptional.

We are very fortunate.

And I just wanted to get these words in while I
see a recent posting from you and know that
you're watching this forum.

Thank you.

Ken
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BLUSH

Well, I'm glad if I helped a few people here, but the people that really deserve all your thanks are the ones that shared their knowledge so freely with me, when I was starting out.

I'm just carrying on that tradition.
 
Harvey Gerst said:
BLUSH

Well, I'm glad if I helped a few people here, but the people that really deserve all your thanks are the ones that shared their knowledge so freely with me, when I was starting out.

I'm just carrying on that tradition.
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And a fine tradition it is.
I thought I knew a little something about recording before I found this place.
I quickly learned that I don't know much at all. I appreciate Harvey and all of the others that I have learned from here.
 
Yes, thank you Harvey for sharing your experience and knowledge with us small timers. And Happy Holidays to you and yours!
 
Harvey Gerst said:
Well, I'm almost 70, but I don't think I've lost my sense of humor; I've just misplaced it. I'm sure it's around here somewhere.

:confused:
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Bwahahaaa!!!! :D

My Pops tells me, "I haven't lost my mind, I just can't remember where I put it!". :D
 
Ditto

I have found that my tastes don't always run with Harvey's, but I would never even consider ignoring his opinion.

I can only hope that I get to the point where I think my knowledge is worth giving back, as Harvey has so selflessly done.

You've got to remember, that a lot of people hang here because they've got nothing better to do. Harvey's got plenty better to do, yet he takes his valuable time to try and help.

Personally, I would love to see an autobiography, complete with pictures. That would be fascinating, and I hate reading.

Even though we don't say it often enough, thanks.
 
Personally, I would love to see an autobiography, complete with pictures. That would be fascinating, and I hate reading.


I can't remember where on line I found the story of Harvey and Jimi Hendrix. Great great story if someone can find it and post it. I'll keep looking. And another round of "thanks" to you Harvey!
 
Give him thanks with positive rep, I can't believe he only has 1500~ rep points, I know, I know, rep points don't mean crap, but at least Harvey should have 10 billion reps compared to us home recordists.
 
Harvey Gerst said:
BLUSH

Well, I'm glad if I helped a few people here, but the people that really deserve all your thanks are the ones that shared their knowledge so freely with me, when I was starting out.

I'm just carrying on that tradition.
Click to expand...

I'd like to also say thanks, as your insight and wisdom have helped me out immensely!

However ...I'm still waiting for the end of the Schecter story you began many moons ago (so to speak) and never finshed.

:)

Happy Holidays!

-mr moon
 
notCardio said:
You've got to remember, that a lot of people hang here because they've got nothing better to do. Harvey's got plenty better to do, yet he takes his valuable time to try and help.

Personally, I would love to see an autobiography, complete with pictures. That would be fascinating, and I hate reading.

Even though we don't say it often enough, thanks.
Click to expand...
An autobiography isn't exactly my style, since it comes off as tooting my own horn too much. I've changed quite a bit since finding the Internet and chat groups over the last decade or so. The people on the Internet tend to be very cynical of people claiming to know their heroes.

I didn't have a problem in the Byrds forum, since everybody there already knew I had written the first songs the group did, and my name was on those albums. Plus, Roger McGuinn was a regular poster there and he vouched for me.

But, it was a different story on the Doors or the Hendrix forums, and even on Sweetwater's forum. I basically got laughed off or ridiculed on these forums as a "poser" (i.e., somebody that lies about knowing people). On an amplifier forum, I got attacked for designing the Acoustic Control amps and the JBL "F" series musical instrument speakers.

After getting my head handed to me repeatedly on a number of forums, I decided that I would just hang out at rec.audio.pro, where there were more than enough people there who knew me from the old days.

I came here when I found out that Weston Ray (the original HR mic forum moderator) was posting a lot of my rec.audio.pro stuff here on HR. For the first few months that I was here, I got my head handed to me on a regular basis, and I threatened to leave several times.

Eventually, it all worked out, but I'm still very gun shy about talking about myself, or what I've done in this industry. These days, I just try to help people here understand things a little better. If my advice helps, great; if it doesn't, just chalk it up to bad, free advice.

As far as my credits and credentials, let's just say I've been incredibly lucky to have been in a lot of right places at exactly the right times.

I understand a book about JBL's history is coming out shortly, and I believe I'm mentioned in it, and a guy is flying out from California to interview me about my role at Acoustic Control for an upcoming book.

My designs of the Delta, Charvel, Jackson, Yamaha, and Ross amplifiers (and my days at Fender, Traynor, Morley, Peavey, and IMC) will hafta wait till somebody thinks these subjects are worthy of historical notation.

NAMM shows and the AES are still neat for me. Aspen Pittman of Groove Tubes always introduces me as "the guy who made Groove Tubes possible" and his "mentor". John Hall at Rickenbacker still remembers me, as does Hartley Peavey, and a few other "oldtimers", like Al Schmitt, Bob Ohlsson, George Massenburg, Evanna Manley, and a bunch of other people that knew me from way back when.

So, excuse me if I don't talk too much about myself here (this post was painful enough for me to write), but I'll save all that stuff for other people to write about - not me.
 
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I'll add my 2 cents too....

I've enjoyed your posts Harvey and funny you should bring up Groove Tubes - I just purchased their GT50 FET mic, and absolutely love it! Kind of got me interested in checking out some of their other offerings - particularly tube.

Anyway, thanks for being a part of this community. :)
 
Harvey Gerst said:
So, excuse me if I don't talk too much about myself here (this post was painful enough for me to write), but I'll save all that stuff for other people to write about - not me.
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Fair enough, Harvey. I'll just make up a bunch of stuff about you then. :D


Like that time, you remember, when you called me and asked my advice on writing a tune for those odd Byrd guys. Nevermind that I was 3 at the time. It's my story damnit! :eek: :D :p
 
Or how I said

Hey, Roger, check out these cool glasses I just got! :rolleyes:

It's funny, I thought about you last weekend. I was cleaning out my dad's yard barn, and I found the cover to my old Acoustic 6x10 cab. The memories came rushing back. Of course, they left as quickly as they came. :(

You did good work there, sir.

(Well, except for the time the 150 caught on fire.) :D
 
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