How to select an amplifier...

[Enzo]

Well that there is the bottom line. When you play in a bar you are in the selling booze business, not the music biz. Music boz? Go sell your tunes online. The reason they complain to turn down is not because patrons complain about the noise. They tell you to turn down because the bar keeps can't hear the waitress orders.

I was at a local club once and the owner was on us to turn down the entire night. Typical band, big drum kit, SVT and two 8x10, and Jimi Hendrix on the other side. Eventually the bass player grabbed my J-50, the drummer a conga, and Jimi a mic, and they sat, legs dangling on the stage front and strummed a couple acoustic tunes.

When I toured out east with Stanley Steamer as their sound man, I wasn't there to control anyone, I was there to create a good mix. At one point a couple of the horn section guys came out and told me this was the best their system ever sounded and I was "ready for the big time". Unfortunately, the Rolling Stones were already covered, but I appreciated the thought.

Some guys on stage are aware of their sound IN THE MIX, but many are not. Some are up there obsessing over "tone" and having no clue how that tone was sitting in the mix. I am sure there are egotistical sound men out there who like being in charge, but by the same token, there are plenty of guitarists who are going to max out the Marshall and scream their way through sets regardless of what the mix needs. "I don't care, I ain't turning down for nobody".

When I am running the sound, I am out in the house listening to my mix, to my coverage. I am the guy spreading the band sound around the house. Up on stage, my guitarist is beaming his guitar right at table#16, who will be deaf by the end of second set. Of course table #9 can barely hear him. I have to compensate for that.

[Justin Thomas]

I always found the whole "even coverage everywhere" annoying. If someone sounds bad, I just walk somewhere else. I can't escape it if every one is in the PA.

Jusrin

[Enzo]

I often have lunch at a local tavern. They have satellite radio tuned to a rock station. Unfortunately, it is stereo, the left (or is it right) channel drives the speaker near my table. The other channel blows into the far side of the room. SO I get to listen to half the mix whenever I eat there. I find that annoying.

[Leo_Gnardo]

Up on stage, my guitarist is beaming his guitar right at table#16, who will be deaf by the end of second set.

Table 16, that's where the Blue Haired Ladies Auxiliary Garden Club has their nightly meeting. Beware, brother, beware! Those gals are regular customers, spend a lot, and they know how to get the manager/owner's attention. Don't get on Gertrude & Matilda's bad side, no no no...

[Chuck H]

I've been known to be at a show and tell the sound guy what's wrong with the mix. They usually ignore me (to their detriment, of course) but sometimes they listen and things improve. Sometimes it's a frequency problem but more often a horrible vocal mix where the backup vocals are trumping the lead and the one guy with the crappy falsetto is all you can really hear. When I gigged I use to tell the sound guy to turn up the bass player whenever he started to "hang back". My bass player SUCKED and he would back out of the front line and play softer and softer if he lost confidence. Ok... He actually didn't suck, but he had no self confidence or balls. That playing soft to hide under the mix crap use to piss me off to no end. So I'd tell the sound guy what to expect. My bass player was going to be heard and going to have to deal with that whether he liked it or not.

[nosaj]

I've been known to be at a show and tell the sound guy what's wrong with the mix. They usually ignore me (to their detriment, of course) but sometimes they listen and things improve. Sometimes it's a frequency problem but more often a horrible vocal mix where the backup vocals are trumping the lead and the one guy with the crappy falsetto is all you can really hear. When I gigged I use to tell the sound guy to turn up the bass player whenever he started to "hang back". My bass player SUCKED and he would back out of the front line and play softer and softer if he lost confidence. Ok... He actually didn't suck, but he had no self confidence or balls. That playing soft to hide under the mix crap use to piss me off to no end. So I'd tell the sound guy what to expect. My bass player was going to be heard and going to have to deal with that whether he liked it or not.

How long did he stay your bass player?

nosaj

[The Dude]

I've done my share of mixing. Years ago, I got a call from a local rock club asking if I could mix that night. The house guy couldn't make it. I was sound checking and the bass player was so wasted, he had to be propped up on a stool. He was playing about a bar behind the rest of the band if he hit a right note at all. I loosened up the kick drum gate and let it resonate a bit more and dumped the bass way low in the mix trying to get some low end without the audience being able to tell what was going on. The bar owner came up to the board and said, "What's wrong with you? I can barely hear the bass guitar!". I grabbed the headphones, put 'em on his head and solo'd the bass channel. He listened for about a verse, took off the phones, said, "Great job!", shook his head, and walked away.

[Justin Thomas]

I don't think a 50W Bassman w. 2x15s is "too much" for a room of 500. Or even a Bassman 100. Matter of fact, those ate some of the crappiest wimpiest weakest lamest "bass amp specs" abyone could ever think to use... That's (omg) a PRACTICE amp, for a bass player!

That's just my opinion, though.

Justin

[Justin Thomas]

Ok... He had no self confidence or balls. That playing soft to hide under the mix crap use to piss me off to no end. So I'd tell the sound guy what to expect. My bass player was going to be heard and going to have to deal with that whether he liked it or not.

I think it's safe to say I don't have any of those problems. I will be heard whether the sound guy likes it or not. The people seem to like it...
I sometimes am left as the only person playing if others get lost, bevause I'm steady enough to keep going, pulling it out of... Well, you know. I can keep going if everyone else crashes until they get their bearings. Or sometimes they just get tired.

Justin

[olddawg]

That happens to me all of the time. The other night I was jamming at a small(ish) bar. We were using the House PA. It was (loudly) suspended above our heads, only had mics, acoustics, and keys plugged into it... and no monitors. My amp was right in front of a table on the right side. Everyone (especially the lead vocalist) on the left side was screaming for me to turn up. The women at the table were freaking out about my amp in their face. The place was packed. Eventually I told them they were just going to have to move or suffer. Nature of the beast.... My favorite set up is always to have an extension cab on the other side. If I’m playing with another guitarist I prefer him to do the same thing with a similar volume amp. I like to use open back cabs lately. Fills the stage without having to be in the monitor mix and I can control it. I do have the occasional drummer complain about “blowback” from the open back cabs. But usually they say, “wow.. I can hear you”. Every gig is different. You have to adapt. Especially jams and walk ons. For my gigging band I’m used to the cf and idiosyncrasies. But that’s pretty much the definition of a band, lol!

[Chuck H]

How long did he stay your bass player?

nosaj

The whole time I played with those guys. He was also a pretty good song writer, guitarist and singer. Just too flawed to make the most of any of it. Besides that I wasn't in the band to be great or "make it". I actually gave up on that in my early twenties after deciding that I didn't want to work with musicians and other music industry types for a living Honestly, anyone who can do THAT part of it deserves whatever success they achieve more than most people know.

[Chuck H]

I think it's safe to say I don't have any of those problems. I will be heard whether the sound guy likes it or not. The people seem to like it...
I sometimes am left as the only person playing if others get lost, bevause I'm steady enough to keep going, pulling it out of... Well, you know. I can keep going if everyone else crashes until they get their bearings. Or sometimes they just get tired.

Justin

An early mentor of mine in rock music use to say "If your gonna suck, suck loud. That's the rock attitude. If you're embarrassed then practice more and stop sucking."

[Justin Thomas]

That's going on Facebook. Unless, of course, you object.

Jusrin

[Justin Thomas]

Without sounding like a pompous asshat...

There's something else to playing loudly and confidently. I'm frequently playing with people who are either not as serious as myself, just starting out, insecure, lacking in confidence, or other non-harmful things that hinder them. Being willing to go big WITH them and FOR them can help pull them out of their shell. Not to overwhelm them because they may not be as good as you, but to sort of egg them on - "hey, these people aren't here to yell at you, they WANT to support you. Get out there & do YOU!" It's a motivational thing.

Not to mention, nobody that couldn't hear their faults ever got any better. And playing in a live band with real simple gear can expose you real quick, because there's nothing to hide behind.

Justin

[Chuck H]

That's going on Facebook. Unless, of course, you object.

Jusrin

No objections.