Playing 'louder' for solos etc., how to???

Rocker

I only gig once or twice a year and that is on bass.  But we have family singalongs and regular meet ups with a few friends for a jam [actually to see if we can play anything!].  For these sessions I play my Strat or Epi LP.  And use my Stinger SE amp - about 12 watts max output.  More than loud enough for the rooms we play in.

My question is how to increase the volume of my guitar for solos while leaving it set as is for general rhythm work?  I am not a pedal guy as such, I have a couple of boost pedals - LPB and SparkleDrive - and they don't give quite the volume lift I need.  All suggestions welcome, I don't want to spend a lot of cash for something that is used now and then in an informal setting.  Thanks.

TTony

Maybe flick the pickup switch to the bridge pickup?  With that on a different volume setting, and the different tone, would that help you cut through the mix better?

maltingsaudio

If it’s just friends and relations then a quick shout of “My Turn” should do it

kennedydream1980

Play all your rhythm stuff with the guitar volume between 5-7. Turn it up full for solo's.

Bellycaster

I'm surprised that those pedals you mentioned in the OP can't give you enough boost. The Sparkle drive has a volume control and the LPB has a Boost knob. Are you maxing out the Amp at these sing alongs? Just asking, if you were, I thought then you might only get more compression out of the pedals.

TheBigDipper

Alternatively, ask the other "musicians" to Listen and play a bit quieter when it's solo time for you? 

Sorry! It's one of my bugbears....  

stratman3142

I go along with what @Bellycaster said. The amount of boost you need will depend on whether the boost is pre or post overdrive/distortion. When I refer to overdrive/distortion that applies, not only to drive pedals but also, to whether the amp is being overdriven. If the boost is pre overdrive/distortion then the actual volume boost will be less, but the distortion will be increased.

In the past I've used a TC Electronics Mini Spark post overdrive/distortion. That could provide more than enough boost.

EricTheWeary

Bellycaster said:

I'm surprised that those pedals you mentioned in the OP can't give you enough boost. The Sparkle drive has a volume control and the LPB has a Boost knob. Are you maxing out the Amp at these sing alongs? Just asking, if you were, I thought then you might only get more compression out of the pedals.

That was my thought. If the amp hasn’t got any headroom to go louder then all the pedals in the world won’t get you there. 

Maybe plug in one of the pedals and with it on see how loud that in combination with the amp will go and that’s your solo sound. Turn down from the guitar for rhythm, having the pedal always on can help the turned down sound not lose top end. I’m not saying you need loads of distortion, it’s more of a gain staging thing. 

You almost invariably need more top end and less bass in a band context than how the guitar sounds good in isolation as well. That will also help cut through the mix. 

roberty

Or turn the boost below unity and click it off for solos

Rocker

Thanks guys.  Maybe I am not using the pedals to the best advantage.  My default sound is guitar straight into the amp.  Volume wise it is nowhere near max output, there is loads of headroom in that quarter.  On the Strat, I like the volume control near the 10 setting and on the LP, I prefer the mixed switch setting with both controls around the 8 setting.  We are not talking about a massive volume boost, just enough to cut through when a keyboard and lightly played drums are playing.  I will work on the pedals and see if a different settings strategy will give what I am looking for.

fastonebaz

Tc electronics mini spark booster in the fx loop.   Perfect volume boost for solos. 

soma1975

Set your guitar sound so you like it at 7-8 on the guitar volume. Then turn up for leads. 

wellsyboy

yep - if the amp has an effects loop putting the boost after the preamp section will increase the volume

Lesgrandepotato

Do you need loudness or do you need to cut through? Sounds that work at home don’t always work in a band context. I’d say less drive and more mids and treble. Find your part of the spectrum and own it :-) 

octatonic

EQ or clean boost in the loop for solos.
There is nothing else that is better.

I prefer a good quality EQ myself, you can push the mids a bit more- 1-3db of 800k and 1.6k and you will cut through perfectly.

Cols

+1 for TC Spark Mini in the FX loop (if you have one).  This gives an actual volume boost; putting a boost into the front of an already overdriven amp will add more gain and compression, but not more volume or cut.

If no FX loop, an EQ pedal with the mids pushed would be best.

p90fool

roberty said:

Or turn the boost below unity and click it off for solos

This, ie, set your amp loud and use your pedal as a level cut for rhythm playing.

ICBM

I'd be very surprised if the pedals won't give you enough boost - the LPB should be capable of quite a ridiculous amount of boost, if I remember right it's 20dB when full up. The Sparkle Drive might not go quite that high, but it should be substantial.

Are you running both together, and if so which order? Putting the LPB after the Sparkle Drive rather than before will give you more level boost. If you prefer the sound the other way round, try more clean blend on the Sparkle Drive, that will let the LPB bypass the compression of the overdrive section.

viz

Ask yourself why they don’t turn themselves down when you start to solo. 

Only kidding - clean boost in the loop is the best solution IMO

PolarityMan

You know ive never really been satisfied by anything except a separate channel or master volume for solos. Otherwise youre jsut slamming the front end harder, unless you are running really low into the front end already...which would be bad for SNR once yuove got some gain going on its not going to actually give you more volume. 

stephen.wood125

As said above, without adding pedals and stuff, just soundcheck the guitar with the volume on about 6-7 and then wind it one for the solo.