A Handy Guide to Amp Settings

Gassage

Here is a useful guide to amp settings for live performance

richardhomer

I used to play in a band where the other guitarist went straight to the last one from the off....

ICBM

The problem is that sound engineers have got wise to this, so a more stealthy approach is required.

Set the volume like the last one, then take the knob off and fit it back so it looks like the first one.

Then use the volume control on the *guitar* to achieve the same thing at the soundcheck, and when the sound engineer complains you've turned your amp up after the first song, look offended and say "but I haven't touched it!".

This is why "using the guitar volume is the mark of an experienced player".

jpfamps

Interesting that they chose Marshall knobs for this.....

svejk

I get round this by having two amps. If I am asked to turn down, I only turn down one of them.

EricTheWeary

Hence the popularity of clean boost pedals - lot louder but no one will have spotted you walking over to the amp to turn it up.

richardhomer

jpfamps;358066" said:

Marshall knobs.

Freudian slip?

thecolourbox

Amps have volume control on them?

Phil_aka_Pip

svejk said:

I get round this by having two amps. If I am asked to turn down, I only turn down one of them.

Nice. An alternative would be to turn down the channel you're not using ...

if the sound man can have a DFA button on his desk, it's about time we had one on our amplifiers!

jellyroll

My amp is louder....goes to 11.

jpfamps

Phil_aka_Pip said:

svejk said:

I get round this by having two amps. If I am asked to turn down, I only turn down one of them.

Nice. An alternative would be to turn down the channel you're not using ...

if the sound man can have a DFA button on his desk, it's about time we had one on our amplifiers!

We made an amp with a DFA switch and a rotary control.

Phil_aka_Pip

jpfamps said:

Phil_aka_Pip said:

svejk said:

I get round this by having two amps. If I am asked to turn down, I only turn down one of them.

Nice. An alternative would be to turn down the channel you're not using ...

if the sound man can have a DFA button on his desk, it's about time we had one on our amplifiers!

We made an amp with a DFA switch and a rotary control.

Excellent! I want one

stickyfiddle

It might be controversial but I've always preferred to keep soundmen onside so my bands sounds good...

Cirrus

stickyfiddle said:

It might be controversial but I've always preferred to keep soundmen OUTside so my band has a chance of sounding good...

Fixed that for you.

DartmoorHedgehog

Phil_aka_Pip said:

Nice. An alternative would be to turn down the channel you're not using ...

I actually did that, accidentally (honest!), at a gig a few months ago.  It was soon after I got a new amp and I wasn't quite used to it.  Was asked to turn down a bit in the sound check, turned knob down, rechecked "yes that's fine".  Then ages later I noticed I'd turned the wrong channel down...

So in this case I could have just waved my hand around near the amp and the sound man would have been happy

impmann

<rolls eyes to heaven>

Oh the stupidity of guitarists thinking they can control volume... they can't. 

57Deluxe

/\ no - is cos so many don't realise the trick... The Trick is to get a balance of settings that allow for copious harmonics - that is the ingredient that widens the lips across the face in a horizontal plane...

lustycourtier

Phil_aka_Pip said:

 

Nice. An alternative would be to turn down the channel you're not using ...

!

Proper amps only have one channel...

Handsome_Chris

lustycourtier said:

Proper amps only have one channel...

I've heard that a lot of you old guys use those. :P

DrBob

The guitarist from The Hold Steady maintains that if your amp has more than five knobs on it you'll end up looking like one...ahh !

Handsome_Chris

DrBob said:

The guitarist from The Hold Steady maintains that if your amp has more than five knobs on it you'll end up looking like one...ahh !

I don't think that David Gilmour looks like a knob.  I think he has a quiet dignity.  Does he need to switch to an Axe-FX II to look less knobbish?