General Music Chat

Jeff's good point - acoustic drums, no volume control. You can only play as low volume as the drummer can do.
There are 1 watt tube amps available now, too - Blackstar and Peavey.
JCP's idea - iso boxes for your amps/speaker cabinets is the other option.
I wondered how TranSiberian Orchestra's 2 guitarists got such awesome tone with no amps on stage - they're running wireless to amps in iso boxes under/behind the stage, which are then miked to the PA - this info from the soundguy running the monitor board. And their sound is ALWAYS perfect.

George this reminds me of a friend who did a one man show. He built an ISO box for a 20 watt Bognar combo he also placed a mike in it. He had connectors built into the box. He had soundproofing in it. Not only did the ISO box work so he could control his sound it also protected the amp. In fact I never even saw the amp. It sure sounded good coming thru the pa!

Our church is kinda big with 8 different worship venues including Contemporary Christian, Acoustic Coffeehouse, Spanish, Jazz/Gospel, The Edge (heavy rock), Teens, and others. Each has different sound level requirements and in many we use plexi-aquariums for drums and iso-boxes for guitars. All of these methods can work but in a traveling band the moving, storage, and extra-long set-up times might suck the joy out of performing live.

After playing this game for a long time, I often find that the simplest and most direct solution is the best solution. YMMV

After playing this game for a long time, I often find that the simplest and most direct solution is the best solution. YMMV

very sound advice

All great suggestions and advice.
Thanks for the consideration.

After last nights rehearsal I came to the same conclusion the last time I wandered out of the light.

I like my MARSHALL amp tone set at 11 . . .
We are a rock band . . . we are going to be loud.

Just have to work around it the best I can.

Thank you again for your advice and consideration.

Next time I ask this question . . . someone slap me . . . please.

I like my MARSHALL amp tone set at 11 . . .
We are a rock band . . . we are going to be loud.

what model is the Marshall?

MARSHALL CLASS 5 believe it or not.
Five watt class A circuitry and a 10" speaker in the combo.
Like much of the gear I like and use . . . it has apparently been discontinued from production.

well,
that's not an amp I would put in the loud category.
I was going to suggest some mods that might give you a power reduction but it doesn't really get much smaller than that
your going to have to go acoustic from there.

One solution might be putting your amps on stands facing you.

That way it is hitting you in the face instead of the back of the legs, and it isn't killing the people in front of you.

One of the best guitar tones I ever heard on a recording was a band called Chasing Furies. Saw them in Dallas and found out that the lead player used a 15 watt Fender cranked up. When they played live he put it on a stand in front of him and mic'd it up through the monitor.

He could even get some cool feedback through that little box


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWjLlhPZSeg

One solution might be putting your amps on stands facing you.

Good point! I was talking to the soundman at a bar last night about this very thing. Band (20-something kids) all had small combo amps sitting on the floor. All miked up to the house PA (9000 watts). He told me that in this kind of set up he will often have the amps facing in towards the band or towards the back of the stage so as not to get a front-of-stage amp 'rush' of sound - which of course gets obscured if people are crowded/dancing in front of the stage. As we both agreed, 'the back of your legs can't hear, you ears are up here'!

Some may not consider it a "loud" amp.
Stand in front of it a few minutes and you might change your mind.
But I assure you I do not want this thing set on 10 setting in front of me.
I have to face it away ( usually to the outside ) to prevent it from feeding back on the lead vocal, drum mics.
Not to mention the semi-hollow guitar play.

as a wise man once said;
"nothing is great or small, save by location"

Indeed . . .

I like that.
Certainly fits the scenario.

One day I may have the money and time to really do a hands on research to find that "tone in my head" via digital modeling.

That day . . . ain't today.

Indeed . . .

I like that.
Certainly fits the scenario.

One day I may have the money and time to really do a hands on research to find that "tone in my head" via digital modeling.

That day . . . ain't today.

george, earlier i mentioned the Johnson J Station amp/modeler.

about 6 mos ago i picked another one (to have as backup for my orig from the 90's that has had zero problems). i snagged it (the new one... and it is pretty much "as new") for 75 bucks on ebay.

these go pretty cheap, and tho it is some older and primitive technology......it has boatloads of great tones to be found and sculpted. and the editing is super straight ahead.

like you, i will always prefer a "real" amp, but there are hours and hours of good clean family fun to be had w a Johnson (insert jokes here __________) for not a lot of sheckls.

Indeed . . .

I like that.
Certainly fits the scenario.

One day I may have the money and time to really do a hands on research to find that "tone in my head" via digital modeling.

That day . . . ain't today.

george, earlier i mentioned the Johnson J Station amp/modeler.

about 6 mos ago i picked another one (to have as backup for my orig from the 90's that has had zero problems). i snagged it (the new one... and it is pretty much "as new") for 75 bucks on ebay.

these go pretty cheap, and tho it is some older and primitive technology......it has boatloads of great tones to be found and sculpted. and the editing is super straight ahead.

like you, i will always prefer a "real" amp, but there are hours and hours of good clean family fun to be had w a Johnson (insert jokes here __________) for not a lot of sheckls.

Mark, I have a Johnson Marquie amp. Those were some of the early modeling amps. I used it live for a little while but ultimately it had too thin a sound. I have the speaker turned off and the line out ran to a mixer in my music room. I have my computer and iPod plugged In as well I practice silently via headphones and I love it!

Thanks for all the input guys.

I've returned to nursing ( put in 20 hrs in the last two days ) and I still would rather play guitar.

Who knows . . . maybe I'll get the bills caught up and have an opportunity to play with some of the great suggestions . . .


Right now all I want to do is sleep.