I can't believe how much my tone and clarity increased when I got a small amp stand for my Deluxe Reverb, instead of just directing the sound towards my lower legs
Funny, your worst-case scenario is my first choice. I added amp legs to my Princeton to aim the amp at my head. That way, I’m hearing exactly what the mic in front of the amp hears. If the amp aimed at me sounds good then I know what the sounds guy gets sounds good. And, my sound disperses after hitting ceiling. The people in the front row aren’t getting their hair parted either. It also helps when on ears. Love the video and getting to hear alternative options.
I started using a stand just over ten years ago, and it is angled to aim at one’s head. I tried it because I had been having trouble hearing myself in the mix of a band with a lot of instruments. Keys, 1 acoustic, 1 electric, Bass, drums, multiple vocal mics and myself, playing lead. I was just talking with an older guy at a shop in town, telling him I was having trouble going too loud to cut through the mix, or I was having to add more mids than I was wanting to. He suggested it for any gig I wasn’t mic’d, and gigs without a monitor. My amps still have plenty of bass. I almost never have a problem with sound guys, as well as the bassy room problem wasn’t an issue. Now, it takes me a bit to get used to an amp on the ground. I’d at least have to have it slanted, either with something under the front, or leaning the amp against a wall.
I mix a guy that has his amp like that, but at deafening volume, Just don't do that. I use a supercardioid mic, 2 monitors in the nulls, battle feedback as he still wants more, and the stage wash is loud enough to get noise complaints from the bar.
I'm of the same mind, started doing that as soon as I started teching 😅 Works super well, though I find being right on axis can be a bit too spikey for me for lead stuff so sometimes I split the difference and aim just below my head, unless I have room to move away from it for leads
I always carry a Boss graphic eq pedal to scoop out frequencies that interfere with other instruments or add to mush in the room. You can lower your apparent volume by choosing your frequencies.
I've started using a little 6 band end of my board, similar idea, I set it room to room. Sometimes I leave it flat but it's quite handy just to fine tune from the place I'm standing if something is bugging me
It’s about time. This is a much needed topic to be discussed. I’m a guitar tech that comes from a hifi background and I’m in disbelief of how few players have even a clue on speaker placement and how profound a difference it can make.
Mr Gary I'm as ignorant as a person can be - I can get around a guitar but - I don't know shit about getting the best out of my marshall amp I love how Stephen Stills' Strat and Tele sounds especially on Austin City Limits - it's mean, raw and clean - if this makes any sense
I’m a player and I agree with y’all for sure! I’ve battled tone for years. Between making the crowd happy, the sound guy happy(if we have one) and the rest of the band and be able to hear myself like I want to….it’s just hard to do. I’ve spent thousands of dollars on different amps….. I’ve finally came to the conclusion that amp placement is SUPER IMPORTANT! No matter how good your amp is, the room will be different from the last gig. The rhythm player may be louder or EQd different…. Drummer may be playing harder, bass man…… more or less of a crowd can impact……. There are sooooo many variables. If the rest of the band isn’t as anal about tone as the guitarist, then….. well…… ANYWAYS, I have to say since I bought a Deflex(made in Germany) I have had near the problems I had before…… I knew a guy one time who would turn him amp backwards or throw a blanket over it….. folks look at you like your dumb if you don’t just point your amp at your freakin ear…… smh
Three things I love about Zac’s channel: depth of historical context, passion for detail of his subject and importantly, he doesn’t try and show off on the guitar. It’s probably my favourite guitar channel for these reasons.
Man I am so glad to hear you speak about having your amp on the floor. So many sound guys always make the argument of "if it's on the floor it hits your legs" or whatever. You lose all the low end that way. Yessir you are spot on.
@@slimturnpike sure, concrete is way different to a wooden stage or sprung floor. The coupling effect can be pleasing or not depending on the type of floor or stage, and the size and construction of the cab (open back, ported etc)
Freakin sound guys….. Had one tell once that my ankles are listening to my amp, like I’m stupid….. I said, buddy…. When your in your car, are your ankles listening to you speakers??….. is your windshield listening to your speakers??….. he never gave me any more crap! 😂😂
Great post. I’ve been a bar band guitar player for 4 decades (holy crap!) and I was a sound guy for quite a while. One hard fact I have learned is that in problem rooms, things get logarithmically worse as volume goes up. But you can’t solve the problem on your own by turning down. Everybody has to do it and everybody has to be listening to the whole band. And the drummer is the limiting factor. If you have a drummer who can’t dial it back, just crack out the Fender Twin and put it on 8 and levitate! Also, as a sound guy, tilting back your amp is brutal if you are pointed at the vocal mics.
Im glad i found this videos! I realized how much a dramatic difference amp position makes and not enough people talk about it. I’ve had amps too far away from me, like 15 feet away and it sounds horribly brittle and bright. Ive had it angled too and that can be pretty unpleasant too. Best really is to in the floor and 5-8 feet away!
Hey Zach, I invented and patented the first 25 position guitar amplifier stand. It has 6 up positions and 19 amplifier angles. It is one structure, so no pins or bolts. I nationally and internationally patented it. I am currently waiting for the government to make China to abide by our patent laws, before I release my design. I have built 4. Two are mine. 2 I built for a couple of friends of mine who are working musicians. They have been using them for 3 years and with excellent results. No matter how small or large the stage my stand works perfectly. I engineered this stand as a musician, to make it work on any gig. I built it as a welder, to last a lifetime.
License, don't waste time on patent or waiting for the chicoms to protect it. Get the design/product out there as soon as possible. License it to manufacturers and distributors = inventing 101
@@CravenStudiosArt prototype is already done. I can't someone to produce it. All the American companies that I have contacted so far, said their tooling and manufacturing would cost more than what I wanted at a base price.. so that it would be affordable. Also their other projects would take precedence. I would really like to sell my patent to an investor or group of investors.
@@cwcooper3463 go on tv with the sharks. The problem with pitching it to musicians is that we are all broke because a 60’s deluxe just came up on marketplace. If you built it, I would set up a fixture and jig to make them even if one at a time and sell them for honest money. Once someone famous convinces their friends they want it, yo7 will get the support needed.
Great topic, Zac. Lots of good ideas reflecting experience. One thing I've learned is that using an open-back combo amp, the distance from the back wall can make a big difference due to reflections and phase interference. Baffling behind the amp can be helpful for this, and if time permits during sound-check, I try moving the amp back toward the wall or further away to see how that affects the sound.
Tab Benoit mics both the front and back of his amps and sends both to the house mixer. Seems like a great idea. Opens up the tone a bit. He uses basically a Super Reverb style amp. No pedals... Just cranks that mother...
When I toured the GAS countries (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) I ran into repurposed buildings hosting rock shows. Many were old postal buildings and boy, where they ever bouncy/echoing/Cavernous. Amps came off the floor immediately. They even had solutions there for that beause so many bands didn't bring their own. I have turned the amp towards me many times in small country bars with tiny stages and dancers. Works great. The drummer can lock in but no one gets hit with "the beam".. Good one, Zac!
I retired from live gigs back in 2015 and I don’t miss dealing with these issues or carrying my vintage pro reverb in and out of gigs. I played live music for 15 years and never had much luck finding the perfect situation. I enjoyed using an amp stand, even if it costed me some bass. It was great to have the amp on the floor, especially on a wooden stage.
I have really appreciated your channel Zac. I have benefited greatly from watching your posts. From pro level insider tips to wonderful interviews and bios, your show has made it way easier to get through this difficult time. Have meant to send you something to help offset the cost of production and to keep you channel going. Finally made use of the tip jar…I’m sure I’ll sleep better tonight. Thanks for posting so much of your hard earned knowledge. Francisco
After you've run through all your solutions, and you still get the the final "nope, nope, STILL too loud" - next solution is obviously to haul in your 200w Marshall Major, point it at your sound engineer, dime it, raise your arm in a Pete Townshend swing and say "how 'bout now?" :-)
You do not lose bass when decoupling from the floor. The difference you hear is a lack of artificial bass created by room boundries;the floor,walls,hollow stages etc. which is extremely boomy and flabby. Keep your amp on the floor, but put four squares of some kind of dead cell foam or rubber, under each amp foot..I guarantee you like the difference!
Appreciated this one. A lot of people don't put the time into really learning how to "hear" their amp from the spot that it's in. Your times for lifting the amp or tilting the amp make sense and I appreciate that you were saying that wasn't your first choice. That said, if a guitar player is also singing, tilting the amp (more than a little) or lifting it off the floor has another side effect that can be pretty negative. The fact that the guitar amp is now blowing into your vocal mic can make a real mess of the monitors. You touched on the different amps you might use for different gigs. That to me is key. A player needs to have the right sized amp for the gig. Even that requires a player to learn how to "hear" their amp on stage. I appreciate you tackling this subject as it's a real important one. Put it on the floor and let it roar! ;)
I made a couple plexi shields with a packing tape hinge in the middle. Got the plexi free on the craigslist. Skill saw to cut it and a little sandpaper to smooth it out. Nice thing about the hinge is you can make the v shape face either way. Either you are concentrating and containing the sound, or you can spread it out like stereo. That and your jacket over the top really tames the laser beam. I made a 4ohm 2-10 cab for my Champ that gives me all the tube soak of a Deluxe at user-friendly dbs too. Celestion g10n-40 is a perfect speaker for SF Champs.
I’ve been a bar player for 30 yrs. I’ve been using 12-18 watt amps exclusively. Basically a 5e3 does a lot of my work. I also carry an sm57 or a sennheiser to mic the amp. I also get a big rubber door stop to angle the amp up a bit. Makes a huge difference when the band is focused on stage volume.
These are all great tips. I used to play in a Rush cover Band (Loud). Nowdays . . . if my Fender Princeton is not loud-enough (mic'd-up) - It's not the right project for me. I want to enjoy Music and Conversation for the entirety of my Life. I have a friend who is completely Deaf. He loves and misses Music terribly. His Quality-of-Life has deteriorated dramatically.
That's very helpful advice. I play in a band where I stand next to the lead singer because we sing a lot of close harmonies. The problem is finding a level where I can hear myself play and he can hear himself sing. He's incredibly sensitive to instrument levels. So I play a Princeton, keep it low and angled away from him, and have my guitar in my monitor. The drummer and bass player also have me in their monitors. The lead singer has zero guitar in his monitor. It took a while, but this is how we have learned to do it. I will be trying some of your methods, thanks.
Great episode, Zac! Very practical and helpful advice. Thanks so much for the mention of my records last episode! I appreciate it. Looking forward to the next Ask Zac!
Great again, Zac. Outside birthday party gig, our drummers at his house. Long time friend of the co guitarist and a good player said we sounded good but our combo amps might sound better if they were on milk crates or something. We never did that but it did remind me of an interview with someone who did and said "My knees are hard of hearing".
Great topic man. I’ve been a hired player for a lot of churches in the NE and they do not like loud guitars up here. I have words about that mentality but I’ll leave that for another time. I have stepped down to a 12watt amp and constantly turn my amp towards the side of stage and put a nice mic in front of it. Most of the time they are IEM gigs. Still not a fan but the artist I play for likes me to open it up at bigger and outdoor gigs.
I have a picture of a Twin Reverb. When people see that, they tell me to turn it down. Loud is over. I'm waiting for them to come out with Tweed ear buds. But you'll have to be careful. If you take them out of your ears without turning off the volume, you'll get a ticket for a noise violation. Rock and Roll Whoooo Hooooo!
Thank you for everything you do Zac. I love this channel so much and you seem like such a genuine good guy. You're a seriously great player that shares all your knowledge and you're a true inspiration. Thanks again buddy, best channel on youtube.!!
Found your advice super interesting, thank you for the video! What I was missing, though, was the question, what the audience is actually hearing, when you were talking about bass coupling to the floor. Usually, I want to hear the same sound as the audience. In case my combo is being miked, I would always raise my amp off the floor, because the mic wouldn’t capture any bass coupled into the floor, anyway. Things get more tricky, though, if I play without PA. Then may main goal would be to achieve a similar angle between the amp and my head vs. the heads in the audience.
About Buchanan’s reversed Vibrolux, for years I thought it was only to control that direct beam of sound until a buddy demonstrated to me during a gig in consecutive sets how his Tele and Strat reacted differently to the forward/reverse amp position. Amazing stuff!
Great Episode, Zac! Personally, I think using plexi glass shields will give you the best of both worlds: you can turn the amp up some to get it to where it starts to come alive and the audience won‘t be deaf after the first song. Works great for me!
Great info! Thank you! This is great reason I like using the Tone Master these days. “Attenuation” and DI options can help find the middle ground in situations without too much sacrifice for the player. The amp in a box, for me, is too much compromise and the tube amp can be be not enough compromise when compromise is called for.
Auralux Gramma - carpet covered board with foam feet. Amp wedge - rubber angle. For outdoor shows its a nice heavy duty milk crate I rescued (stole according to the label). Get the gig bag for the Gramma and the Amp wedge, cables are all in one package with a shoulder strap. For touring a road case with wheels is best though. That gives you options as well.
Hi zac... Greetings from England!! Nothing to do with guitar... But every time I watch you chatting I hear John Wayne's voice... And on TV right now is my favourite Western... The Searchers!!
In the "pit" it can get very tight space wise and the horns and drummer can get very loud to the point where I can't hear my amp. I run an acoustic guitar and amp and a Vox AC15 for electric. The acoustic amp will lean back and I can hear that. The Vox I typically have to set up on a stand or run it directly in front of me. The acoustic amp has a "line out" which gets run to board the Vox has to have a mic put on it. Working with the engineer is so important. He can hear the house, when we're in the pit there is now way we know what it sounds like. Thanks Zac!
When you mentioned too loud it reminded me of the mid-80s when I did some work with Pantera. I still have tinnitus, but they were the sweetest guys in the world
Also. Last year or so rooms are much more open with fewer people and distancing, so even familiar rooms sound different. Reverb is almost always off these days and maybe the mid boost is skewed a couple of bands lower to fill the empty spaces.
Great post! I REALLY wish I had RUclips back when I was gigging! Would have loved having these solutions in my tool kit. In my memory-scape there were so many situations where I was overwhelmed by trying to “problem solve” and ended up playing gigs where I couldn’t hear my self, or my sound SUCKED! If I had a nickel fort every time a sound engineer said I was too loud… I was playing a 18 watt ‘61 Tremolux piggyback with a closed back 1 x 12”, that was MAGIC with the volume between 4 and 5. The ABSOLUTE most amazing on-board Tremelo! Hit the front end with a little boost (Zvex Super Duper 2 in 1), and it had the nicest breakup. But, it sounded very different between 1 and 2? Miss that amp 🥲 Ironically, one of my best playing gigs happened when my amp blew up, and I was forced to go direct with just my Super Duper in front of the board! Almost everything on that gig went wrong, and I just said F#$@ it! The show must go on!
I’ve put the Fender 14” Chrome Tilt-Back legs on my 2 HRDeluxes.They’re perfect for when I need more room. Takes about 7-8 mins to install a pair. Pretty much each room requires some tone adjustment. I always clap fairly loud with the room still empty while setting up to see how “HOT” the room is,but we also know when the audience starts filling up the “inside”venue,their bodies soak up a lot of volume. Each room is different. Sometimes it sounds great out front but sucks on the bandstand or vice versa.
Agree with some comments below - the Fender Tonemaster solves so many of these challenges with the ‘attenuator’ and direct XLR out. You can even play with the speaker off and just send signal to the board, relying on monitor or in-ears. Oh, and it weighs under 25 pounds and sounds great! The Tonemaster should be a bit less expensive, have an effects loop and a longer warranty but as a practical gigging amp it’s hard to beat.
I always use an amp stand that leans back my Deluxe Reverb and elevates it about 2 feet or more. It sounds clearer to me aimed towards the back of my head when playing plus and it's easier to adjust the knobs without bending over. And it's got another big advantage. When I'm setting up the amp goes on the stand last. That way I don't have to get down on the floor with my bad knees and open my guitar case from the floor. Same thing with my gig bag. I have an elevated platform I can fold open the bag and see what I'm doing and again not work from the floor. Same thing when I'm packing up. The amp comes off the stand first and I have the platform again for my guitar case, bags and other folding stands.
I do the opposite. My Roland Blues Cube has a 3/10" configuration so bottom end is never an issue.. I put my amp on top of it's case or tilted on an amp stand right behind me because my sound/style is dependent on the amp/pickup/volume relationship. I set it so I can use feedback as a tool when I hit the high gain pedal. This is for blues/rock playing of course. If you're a country chicken-picker then the amp on the floor some distance behind you is fine. This is one of the reasons I despise what's happening in some of the venues in Nashville... You're not allowed to even use an amp... You get in-ears and plug directly from your pedal unit into the house mixer. El Crapola Sound and musical experience in my opinion. I refuse to partake. 🤣
I used to play in a "dad's band" for school fundraisers for my kids' schools, etc. The other guitar players always had Schecters, Gibsons / Epiphones, Superstrats - a plethora of humbuckers that sounded like mud in the mix. My Telecaster and Blues Jr. amp up on a folding chair always cut through that mud. Thanks to you I now understand how getting the amp off the floor helped "lift me out of the mud" as it were. (I mostly did it to have easier access to the controls on the top of the amp.)
I’ve been on both sides of that volume issue as a player and the soundman.. as a player in the 80’s/90’s with Marshall/ Boogie amps and 4x12’s it was hard to get a good tone without some air moving and not killing the audience / sound guy. Painted plywood hinged baffles that looked cool in front of the cabinets did the trick in bigger rooms .. nowadays I bring a custom Vibrolux Reverb modded to 63’ Vibroverb specs.. put it on the floor, use the tilt back legs pointing at me and it gets all the mojo I need without being too loud on stage ...
I play at home with a DRRI mostly jazzy kinds of stuff, clean tones, etc. sometimes with some old music friends down in the basement studio. For me I like to hear the amp pretty much pointing at my head just 4-5 feet away. Usually I'm not playing very loud so if the amp's on the floor the highs pretty much go away. I built some folding amp stands that fold up out of oak flooring material. Also I find this approach useful when recording live w/o headphones. I hear exactly what the amp sounds like live this way.
I built a mobile amp stand so I could hear things better so does the audience and it's easier on your back when making adjustments,I'd recommend it to all guitarists.
I'm just a "bedroom' player. I have a Marshall Stack. So, there is no getting it up on a chair. : ) The amp sits on the floor in the corner of my living room. I use an XVive wireless system, mainly because I hate tripping over cords. I usually sit in my gaming chair roughly 10 to 12 feet away from the amp and it is facing me when I am playing. This amp sounds great like this. I don't know if I could do anything to make any better? It's pretty awesome as is.
Zac. Same preference here. Just sounds better on the floor. I will say the speaker type can affect the ‘blooming’ of the sound. My boogie with an evm needed more distance and even then the sound was very focused. I learned to NOT point it directly at the sound guy as I would always be too loud. My response. It’s a Boogie !
Read a long time ago to get the speaker cab up off the floor, point it at the farthest corner in the room, and also aim it just above the audience head level.
The best way to hear your amp is to have a drummer that can play the room with control. If you play big rooms get a big amp. Keep your mids up. As you exceed about 70 db turn the highs down. It softens your tone to a comfortable loudness and frees up sonic space needed for treble in the vocals. Helps reduce feedback issues because excessive highs from amps arent feeding into the mics. Keep the bass out of the vocals. Keep some bass in your guitar amp but cut it from the mic signal on the amp in the PA. These tips will get you most of the way to sounding great vs making people annoyed by the sound.
I turn the amp around so it faces the back wall or place it side stage. I also have amp stands that I use in some venues that works real well and helps my guitar cut through the mix as well… Thanks dude, you covered it all Oh and it is a sickness, your shirt says it all. lol…
Another way is shifting a 100db V30 speaker to a 95db speaker extension cabinet. I always use the G10 Greenback. It's low volume, tight sounding and just great -for those certain venues!
Back in the late 70's-early 80s I went with my bandmates to hear the Eagles play. We were all shocked to see they were using small amps (believe they were Princeton's) that were mic'd up and they were in front facing the band. Thinking this must be the way pro bands did it we gave it a try but everyone hated it and we went back to the amps on the floor behind us.
Not trying to be a jerk here but are you 100% sure those weren't the monitors .Just because I have never heard anyone do this it doesn't mean they didn't just wondering .
In the mid-seventies the Eagles used Blackface/Silverface Deluxe's and Twins in a conventional rear "amp line", except for Don Felder who played mostly through a vintage tweed Deluxe, same thing they used on the records. To pull off small amps in arenas you have to have really good FOH and monitor mixers.
Hence the old Fender tilt back legs. I added a pair (14", same as a Deluxe Reverb cabinet) to the Brownface Deluxe kit from Mojotone. It's an old trick to prevent you being too loud - point your amp at your ears.
The floor DOES enhance the bottom end, doesn't it? I played most of my 35 year career without miking, which was beneficial. For those really bouncy rooms, it is best for the entire band to just turn down. My first amp was a new '64 Super Reverb (still got it!), and I seldom got to run that thing where it was best sounding. Today, I am blessed with a '77 Deluxe Reverb in a MOJO cab, that has a BF Output Transformer: and that is one of the best sounding amps on the planet. Lots of good ideas here, Zac. Thanks.
Appreciate your e-mail answer about amp placement in a man cave kind of space, which you kindly sent me last week. One of the main things I got from this vid was: distance from the amp. I'm sitting too close to mine. What the amp is generating is coming together behind me so I don't really know what I'm dialing in. Thanx for the pointer!
The last band I was in we had plexiglass shields to go in front of the amps of and I always had a sM 57 to mic it if needed. The shield actually shot the sound up to the back of my head and I really enjoyed that.
If you are guitarist playing out with me as your drummer, I don't really care how you go about the details of how you get your amp to sound good, any more than you care about my drum details. But if you are going to put your cabinets in front of me or alongside of me facing forward, and your favorite pro engineer from DrummerGoScratch Productions beams a monitor at my head with nothing but your voices in it ... well, lemme give you and your pro engineer a hint: I'm not trying to mix my drums with your voices, I'm trying to mix my drums with your instruments. In case you haven't noticed, I'm sitting inside of my instrument. If I'm drumming in your band and I can't hear anything but my own drums, then what do I need your band for? I'm better off at home practicing. I do need the the practice, as do most of us, and practice is productive. But I don't need sonically miserable playing situations with people who will be resentful for me having any self interest at all. That is not productive. And the same goes for rehearsal as well as playing out. I'm supposed to be a problem solver? If you can't put that cabinet someplace that can help satisfy my ears then I don't belong there. Problem solved. And if you're in some miserable loud room with your electric band, with real drums and all the volume that goes with that, and they bitch that you're too loud, expecting you to be at the same level as a home stereo, you don't belong there.
I have a early 90’s blues Deville I used to gig with. Kept it on the ground but as the night went on, and we got drunker, deafer and louder, I would lean it against the wall so I could hear myself a bit better. Thankful it never rattled and fell over.
Guys that have effect loop on their amps can insert a volume pedal from the send of the loop then from there to the modulations pedal s so they still have the grit of the pre amp and overdrives pedals at low volume ..Works great in low gigs situations ...
I've put my guitar case in front of the amp to diffuse the sound. Looks better than an amp cover, but not as good as another amp... It really only works if you've got a hardshell case, in my opinion.
As a bass player having played on mostly small stages I hate guitar amps on the floor. There have been times I've stopped playing mid song and I was told later there was too much bass in it. It's been a long learning road with bandmates and they've come to understand they need to cut their bass. As a guitar player I like putting PTB wiring into my guitars and adjust bass levels as needed from the guitar. When I play guitar unaccompanied or with an acoustic player, I let the bass frequencies flow.
Read a mike cambell article I. Guitar player magazine...in the early years they used big powerful amps. Tom had to sing over this loudness...until th they learned to used smaller amp..and they sounded better.
The one solution not talked about, the sound person puts their ego in check and mics the amp just enough to go through the monitors, and let’s the amps do what they do.
this is what literally every good engineer will do. amplifier volume only becomes a problem when it's loud enough in the room that raising the vocals above that will be beyond 1.) the limits of the PA system 2.) the limits of what sounds good in the room 3.) SPL limits defined by the venue. this can all come into play without the amp being mic'd at all, especially in smaller rooms or venues that are not a typical rock club.
I always have a tough time with outdoor gigs? That's a different beast all together. Finally a chance to turn the volume up with no complaints and the open air seems to suck everything out of it?
Was doing a small gig a couple of years ago and was doing lead part to 'Take It Easy' and the drums were so freaking loud and the amp too far away for me to hear my playing that I just got covered up and had no idea where TF I was......this was my first gig with our small group ! ! ! ! Why they 'mic' t he drums is still a mystery to me ! A lesson learned on amp placement !
I always ask the guys who have the amp 6-12" from the "back of the leg", Is that where your ear is located? Most have way to many highs in their EQ settings, due to the lows and mids is what they are hearing the highs (from center of the cone) are hitting the crowd dead in the face and since the player can't hear them, what do they do? Crank the highs due to only hearing mainly the lows and mids. I use beam blockers with a raised amp or kick back legs so that its aimed at my head/ears.
I installed a pair of fender tilt legs onto my less expensive fender champion 40 amp. I have not altered my Carr or 3 Monkeys amps in that fashion. Ahhh yes, the DB police.
I ended up on my 1x12 combo amps replacing the Celestion G12H speakers with the less efficient G12-65 Speakers. They don't seem as beamy as the heavy magnet speakers, and singer will as more often from me to turn up a hair, versus before when I could not get to the edge breakup before I was asked to turn down. I had to use my compressor to compensate for the lack of natural tube sustain.
I always set up my tone and sound check with my guitar volume around 7 so I have somewhere to go on a good night. An old jazz guy taught me this years ago. 😉
At church I use a stand like that with legs and I use either some type of champ or my Princeton reverb off to my right side only like 3 feet away with a mic on it. The sound guys are REALLY unnecessarily strict about specifically the electric guitars while the fake pianos and keyboard are blisteringly loud.
When I'm at home in my studio I set my amp up on a bench so I can tweak it to my liking at a gig I set it on the floor like you. Some great tips here.Love when you cover real world situations .Side note I just purchased a Tele Deluxe and would love to hear your thoughts on Teles with different pickup configurations.
An AskZac episode about some Tele players who use humbuckers instead of the traditional pickup configuration would be really cool Like Keith Richards,Terry Kath,Mick Green, Brent Mason (mini humbuckers)ect.I would like to see you try out the new Tele Deluxe with Dual humbuckers also.Anyway really love your channel and thanks for turning me on to the Deluxe Reverb combo .Im forever grateful 🙏.
Still Inside....I lost my Tony Rice signed copy of that book!!! It has to be around here somewhere!!! i dont remember leaving the house with it other than reading it in my car but i didn't take it out of my car...pther than to bring it back inside ..my house , hope it turns up one day!
Why not just use the deluxe reverb tone master cut the power setting down and keep it cranked to keep the sound you need ? Anyway just a question. Not trying to be rude or a smart A. Enjoy your channel.
My whole thing is being able to mix in on stage. The situation depends way more on the room and the ensembl..the drummer etc than on me. I adjust to those things. I need sound guys to understand that. We will dial the stage the way it needs to sound. His job is then to take that and bring it to FOH. Nothing more, nothing less, no monitor witch-doctoring, nothing required other than some kick, and vocals really required in mine.
A very good vid, Zach. And great stuff in the comments. I never had to lay my amp on its back for a show, but I did have an iso box situation where this worked great. I do use things to decouple my amp when recording/playing at home. Live, I do like it leaned back and pointing at me from the side of the stage, but it does sound better on the ground. It is just a matter of dealing with it as it comes.
I recall seeing Roy Buchanan (genuflect) in concert. He had his mic'd Vibrolux facing away from the audience. I suppose that was a way to keep it from being too loud on stage while still giving the audience the full thing. I have seen bass players do this as well, even with closed-back cabinets such as a B-15N.
I am 6foot5 and mostly play small stages so I always angle the amp to be able to hear better. A simple guitarstand do the trick if you don't have a proper stand.
my friend told me never set your amp parallel to the wall. it creates frequency chaos. another told me never aim your amp at the bartender or the soundman. important stuff.
I've heard that too about the walls. Funny thing though is It starts getting confusing when you start getting completely contradictory rules. For instance I've heard a guy say never set your amp on the floor to always use a buffer to decouple, also I've heard to ALWAYS set it directly on the floor. Wtf..lol these days I just try to experiment as much as possible with each room, amp, and each situation & see what works best in the moment.
Another option is using a large size door stop , wedge it under the amp giving you just a little bit of tilt. This helps to retain a small amount of floor coupling and not have that “amp up in the air sound” . Unpleasant to me.
Placing any speaker cabinet on the floor gets a Bass gain from the reflections off of the floor in Bass wavelengths. Think about it like turning your Bass Tone control up +6. But the mid-range and upper frequencies of the guitar in the 1,000 hz to 2,000 hz range will be thrown into huge peaks and valleys from phase cancellations and phase reinforcements cause by those frequencies being reflected off of the floor. Tilting the amp just moves the peaks and valleys. Getting the amp onto a stand >28" makes your tone flatter (without your tweaks), more repeatable from room to room and stages and let' you hear directly what it truly sounds like. It's the old joke "how does the lead guitar player listen to his guitar? Through the back of his knees." Your ears are a long way from the back of your knees or your can work in a circus?
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#1 lesson to take from this: Be adaptable in any gigging situation, Listen to your engineer, and work together. Everyone benefits
I can't believe how much my tone and clarity increased when I got a small amp stand for my Deluxe Reverb, instead of just directing the sound towards my lower legs
Funny, your worst-case scenario is my first choice. I added amp legs to my Princeton to aim the amp at my head. That way, I’m hearing exactly what the mic in front of the amp hears. If the amp aimed at me sounds good then I know what the sounds guy gets sounds good. And, my sound disperses after hitting ceiling. The people in the front row aren’t getting their hair parted either. It also helps when on ears. Love the video and getting to hear alternative options.
Some amps even came with swing out legs built right in. Keep doing what you’re doing.
I started using a stand just over ten years ago, and it is angled to aim at one’s head.
I tried it because I had been having trouble hearing myself in the mix of a band with a lot of instruments. Keys, 1 acoustic, 1 electric, Bass, drums, multiple vocal mics and myself, playing lead. I was just talking with an older guy at a shop in town, telling him I was having trouble going too loud to cut through the mix, or I was having to add more mids than I was wanting to.
He suggested it for any gig I wasn’t mic’d, and gigs without a monitor. My amps still have plenty of bass.
I almost never have a problem with sound guys, as well as the bassy room problem wasn’t an issue.
Now, it takes me a bit to get used to an amp on the ground. I’d at least have to have it slanted, either with something under the front, or leaning the amp against a wall.
I mix a guy that has his amp like that, but at deafening volume, Just don't do that. I use a supercardioid mic, 2 monitors in the nulls, battle feedback as he still wants more, and the stage wash is loud enough to get noise complaints from the bar.
I'm of the same mind, started doing that as soon as I started teching 😅
Works super well, though I find being right on axis can be a bit too spikey for me for lead stuff so sometimes I split the difference and aim just below my head, unless I have room to move away from it for leads
@@noisefuljoy yikes
I always carry a Boss graphic eq pedal to scoop out frequencies that interfere with other instruments or add to mush in the room. You can lower your apparent volume by choosing your frequencies.
I've started using a little 6 band end of my board, similar idea, I set it room to room. Sometimes I leave it flat but it's quite handy just to fine tune from the place I'm standing if something is bugging me
It’s about time. This is a much needed topic to be discussed. I’m a guitar tech that comes from a hifi background and I’m in disbelief of how few players have even a clue on speaker placement and how profound a difference it can make.
Mr Gary I'm as ignorant as a person can be - I can get around a guitar but - I don't know shit about getting the best out of my marshall amp
I love how Stephen Stills' Strat and Tele sounds especially on Austin City Limits - it's mean, raw and clean - if this makes any sense
I'm a Soundguy and guitar tech, and I can vote a resounding yes. Virtually no player seems to know how to place an amp for effect.
I’m a player and I agree with y’all for sure! I’ve battled tone for years. Between making the crowd happy, the sound guy happy(if we have one) and the rest of the band and be able to hear myself like I want to….it’s just hard to do. I’ve spent thousands of dollars on different amps….. I’ve finally came to the conclusion that amp placement is SUPER IMPORTANT! No matter how good your amp is, the room will be different from the last gig. The rhythm player may be louder or EQd different…. Drummer may be playing harder, bass man…… more or less of a crowd can impact……. There are sooooo many variables. If the rest of the band isn’t as anal about tone as the guitarist, then….. well…… ANYWAYS, I have to say since I bought a Deflex(made in Germany) I have had near the problems I had before…… I knew a guy one time who would turn him amp backwards or throw a blanket over it….. folks look at you like your dumb if you don’t just point your amp at your freakin ear…… smh
Three things I love about Zac’s channel: depth of historical context, passion for detail of his subject and importantly, he doesn’t try and show off on the guitar. It’s probably my favourite guitar channel for these reasons.
Man I am so glad to hear you speak about having your amp on the floor. So many sound guys always make the argument of "if it's on the floor it hits your legs" or whatever. You lose all the low end that way. Yessir you are spot on.
....and I appreciate your counterpoint on the topic i.e. elevating your amp.
It kinda depends on what sort of floor is involved
@@slimturnpike sure, concrete is way different to a wooden stage or sprung floor. The coupling effect can be pleasing or not depending on the type of floor or stage, and the size and construction of the cab (open back, ported etc)
@@stevehood418 Yep
Freakin sound guys….. Had one tell once that my ankles are listening to my amp, like I’m stupid….. I said, buddy…. When your in your car, are your ankles listening to you speakers??….. is your windshield listening to your speakers??….. he never gave me any more crap! 😂😂
Great post. I’ve been a bar band guitar player for 4 decades (holy crap!) and I was a sound guy for quite a while. One hard fact I have learned is that in problem rooms, things get logarithmically worse as volume goes up. But you can’t solve the problem on your own by turning down. Everybody has to do it and everybody has to be listening to the whole band. And the drummer is the limiting factor. If you have a drummer who can’t dial it back, just crack out the Fender Twin and put it on 8 and levitate! Also, as a sound guy, tilting back your amp is brutal if you are pointed at the vocal mics.
I should have addressed the vocal mic issue....
Im glad i found this videos! I realized how much a dramatic difference amp position makes and not enough people talk about it.
I’ve had amps too far away from me, like 15 feet away and it sounds horribly brittle and bright. Ive had it angled too and that can be pretty unpleasant too.
Best really is to in the floor and 5-8 feet away!
"Is to in the floor" What does that mean?
@
best is to have on the floor. Typo. My fingers goes faster than my brain sometimes haha
Hey Zach, I invented and patented the first 25 position guitar amplifier stand. It has 6 up positions and 19 amplifier angles. It is one structure, so no pins or bolts. I nationally and internationally patented it. I am currently waiting for the government to make China to abide by our patent laws, before I release my design. I have built 4. Two are mine. 2 I built for a couple of friends of mine who are working musicians. They have been using them for 3 years and with excellent results. No matter how small or large the stage my stand works perfectly. I engineered this stand as a musician, to make it work on any gig. I built it as a welder, to last a lifetime.
License, don't waste time on patent or waiting for the chicoms to protect it. Get the design/product out there as soon as possible. License it to manufacturers and distributors = inventing 101
@@CravenStudiosArt prototype is already done. I can't someone to produce it. All the American companies that I have contacted so far, said their tooling and manufacturing would cost more than what I wanted at a base price.. so that it would be affordable. Also their other projects would take precedence. I would really like to sell my patent to an investor or group of investors.
@@cwcooper3463 go on tv with the sharks. The problem with pitching it to musicians is that we are all broke because a 60’s deluxe just came up on marketplace. If you built it, I would set up a fixture and jig to make them even if one at a time and sell them for honest money. Once someone famous convinces their friends they want it, yo7 will get the support needed.
Great topic, Zac. Lots of good ideas reflecting experience. One thing I've learned is that using an open-back combo amp, the distance from the back wall can make a big difference due to reflections and phase interference. Baffling behind the amp can be helpful for this, and if time permits during sound-check, I try moving the amp back toward the wall or further away to see how that affects the sound.
Tab Benoit mics both the front and back of his amps and sends both to the house mixer. Seems like a great idea. Opens up the tone a bit. He uses basically a Super Reverb style amp. No pedals... Just cranks that mother...
When I toured the GAS countries (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) I ran into repurposed buildings hosting rock shows. Many were old postal buildings and boy, where they ever bouncy/echoing/Cavernous. Amps came off the floor immediately. They even had solutions there for that beause so many bands didn't bring their own. I have turned the amp towards me many times in small country bars with tiny stages and dancers. Works great. The drummer can lock in but no one gets hit with "the beam".. Good one, Zac!
Playing my first gig in a few days. This has really helped. Thank you so much.
I retired from live gigs back in 2015 and I don’t miss dealing with these issues or carrying my vintage pro reverb in and out of gigs. I played live music for 15 years and never had much luck finding the perfect situation. I enjoyed using an amp stand, even if it costed me some bass. It was great to have the amp on the floor, especially on a wooden stage.
I have really appreciated your channel Zac. I have benefited greatly from watching your posts.
From pro level insider tips to wonderful interviews and bios, your show has made it way easier to get through this difficult time. Have meant to send you something to help offset the cost of production and to keep you channel going.
Finally made use of the tip jar…I’m sure I’ll sleep better tonight.
Thanks for posting so much of your hard earned knowledge.
Francisco
Thank you so much, Francisco!!!!
After you've run through all your solutions, and you still get the the final "nope, nope, STILL too loud" - next solution is obviously to haul in your 200w Marshall Major, point it at your sound engineer, dime it, raise your arm in a Pete Townshend swing and say "how 'bout now?" :-)
You do not lose bass when decoupling from the floor. The difference you hear is a lack of artificial bass created by room boundries;the floor,walls,hollow stages etc. which is extremely boomy and flabby. Keep your amp on the floor, but put four squares of some kind of dead cell foam or rubber, under each amp foot..I guarantee you like the difference!
I've played Fender style amps for years, and was never able to get the bass past 3... Till now! No more boomy low notes and less speaker flub. Thanks!
Rock on!
Appreciated this one. A lot of people don't put the time into really learning how to "hear" their amp from the spot that it's in. Your times for lifting the amp or tilting the amp make sense and I appreciate that you were saying that wasn't your first choice. That said, if a guitar player is also singing, tilting the amp (more than a little) or lifting it off the floor has another side effect that can be pretty negative. The fact that the guitar amp is now blowing into your vocal mic can make a real mess of the monitors. You touched on the different amps you might use for different gigs. That to me is key. A player needs to have the right sized amp for the gig. Even that requires a player to learn how to "hear" their amp on stage. I appreciate you tackling this subject as it's a real important one. Put it on the floor and let it roar! ;)
The vocal mic issue should have been mentioned. That is an absolute killer. Yes, ideally you bring the right amp to each gig. Great input!
I made a couple plexi shields with a packing tape hinge in the middle. Got the plexi free on the craigslist. Skill saw to cut it and a little sandpaper to smooth it out. Nice thing about the hinge is you can make the v shape face either way. Either you are concentrating and containing the sound, or you can spread it out like stereo. That and your jacket over the top really tames the laser beam. I made a 4ohm 2-10 cab for my Champ that gives me all the tube soak of a Deluxe at user-friendly dbs too. Celestion g10n-40 is a perfect speaker for SF Champs.
I’ve been a bar player for 30 yrs. I’ve been using 12-18 watt amps exclusively. Basically a 5e3 does a lot of my work. I also carry an sm57 or a sennheiser to mic the amp. I also get a big rubber door stop to angle the amp up a bit. Makes a huge difference when the band is focused on stage volume.
These are all great tips. I used to play in a Rush cover Band (Loud). Nowdays . . . if my Fender Princeton is not loud-enough (mic'd-up) - It's not the right project for me. I want to enjoy Music and Conversation for the entirety of my Life. I have a friend who is completely Deaf. He loves and misses Music terribly. His Quality-of-Life has deteriorated dramatically.
That's very helpful advice. I play in a band where I stand next to the lead singer because we sing a lot of close harmonies. The problem is finding a level where I can hear myself play and he can hear himself sing. He's incredibly sensitive to instrument levels. So I play a Princeton, keep it low and angled away from him, and have my guitar in my monitor. The drummer and bass player also have me in their monitors. The lead singer has zero guitar in his monitor. It took a while, but this is how we have learned to do it. I will be trying some of your methods, thanks.
Great episode, Zac! Very practical and helpful advice. Thanks so much for the mention of my records last episode! I appreciate it. Looking forward to the next Ask Zac!
Great again, Zac.
Outside birthday party gig, our drummers at his house. Long time friend of the co guitarist and a good player said we sounded good but our combo amps might sound better if they were on milk crates or something.
We never did that but it did remind me of an interview with someone who did and said "My knees are hard of hearing".
Great topic man. I’ve been a hired player for a lot of churches in the NE and they do not like loud guitars up here. I have words about that mentality but I’ll leave that for another time. I have stepped down to a 12watt amp and constantly turn my amp towards the side of stage and put a nice mic in front of it. Most of the time they are IEM gigs. Still not a fan but the artist I play for likes me to open it up at bigger and outdoor gigs.
What is IEM?
I have a picture of a Twin Reverb. When people see that, they tell me to turn it down. Loud is over. I'm waiting for them to come out with Tweed ear buds.
But you'll have to be careful. If you take them out of your ears without turning off the volume, you'll get a ticket for a noise violation.
Rock and Roll
Whoooo Hooooo!
Thank you for everything you do Zac. I love this channel so much and you seem like such a genuine good guy. You're a seriously great player that shares all your knowledge and you're a true inspiration. Thanks again buddy, best channel on youtube.!!
Much appreciated!
I was tired of not hearing myself on stage so I bought a MojoTone Slammin' cab, such a great purchase
Great topic dude. I think this subject is critically overlooked.
Found your advice super interesting, thank you for the video!
What I was missing, though, was the question, what the audience is actually hearing, when you were talking about bass coupling to the floor.
Usually, I want to hear the same sound as the audience. In case my combo is being miked, I would always raise my amp off the floor, because the mic wouldn’t capture any bass coupled into the floor, anyway.
Things get more tricky, though, if I play without PA. Then may main goal would be to achieve a similar angle between the amp and my head vs. the heads in the audience.
I’ve used the Standback Amp Stand for years. Super light, angles the cabinet upwards whilst retaining the coupling to the floor.
About Buchanan’s reversed Vibrolux, for years I thought it was only to control that direct beam of sound until a buddy demonstrated to me during a gig in consecutive sets how his Tele and Strat reacted differently to the forward/reverse amp position. Amazing stuff!
Great Episode, Zac! Personally, I think using plexi glass shields will give you the best of both worlds: you can turn the amp up some to get it to where it starts to come alive and the audience won‘t be deaf after the first song. Works great for me!
@BudMovies where did you get your plexi baffles?
Great info! Thank you! This is great reason I like using the Tone Master these days. “Attenuation” and DI options can help find the middle ground in situations without too much sacrifice for the player. The amp in a box, for me, is too much compromise and the tube amp can be be not enough compromise when compromise is called for.
Right on!
Auralux Gramma - carpet covered board with foam feet. Amp wedge - rubber angle. For outdoor shows its a nice heavy duty milk crate I rescued (stole according to the label). Get the gig bag for the Gramma and the Amp wedge, cables are all in one package with a shoulder strap. For touring a road case with wheels is best though. That gives you options as well.
Hi zac... Greetings from England!! Nothing to do with guitar... But every time I watch you chatting I hear John Wayne's voice... And on TV right now is my favourite Western... The Searchers!!
In the "pit" it can get very tight space wise and the horns and drummer can get very loud to the point where I can't hear my amp. I run an acoustic guitar and amp and a Vox AC15 for electric. The acoustic amp will lean back and I can hear that. The Vox I typically have to set up on a stand or run it directly in front of me. The acoustic amp has a "line out" which gets run to board the Vox has to have a mic put on it. Working with the engineer is so important. He can hear the house, when we're in the pit there is now way we know what it sounds like. Thanks Zac!
When you mentioned too loud it reminded me of the mid-80s when I did some work with Pantera. I still have tinnitus, but they were the sweetest guys in the world
Also. Last year or so rooms are much more open with fewer people and distancing, so even familiar rooms sound different. Reverb is almost always off these days and maybe the mid boost is skewed a couple of bands lower to fill the empty spaces.
Great post! I REALLY wish I had RUclips back when I was gigging! Would have loved having these solutions in my tool kit. In my memory-scape there were so many situations where I was overwhelmed by trying to “problem solve” and ended up playing gigs where I couldn’t hear my self, or my sound SUCKED!
If I had a nickel fort every time a sound engineer said I was too loud…
I was playing a 18 watt ‘61 Tremolux piggyback with a closed back 1 x 12”, that was MAGIC with the volume between 4 and 5. The ABSOLUTE most amazing on-board Tremelo! Hit the front end with a little boost (Zvex Super Duper 2 in 1), and it had the nicest breakup. But, it sounded very different between 1 and 2?
Miss that amp 🥲
Ironically, one of my best playing gigs happened when my amp blew up, and I was forced to go direct with just my Super Duper in front of the board! Almost everything on that gig went wrong, and I just said F#$@ it! The show must go on!
I’ve put the Fender 14” Chrome Tilt-Back legs on my 2 HRDeluxes.They’re perfect for when I need more room. Takes about 7-8 mins to install a pair.
Pretty much each room requires some tone adjustment.
I always clap fairly loud with the room still empty while setting up to see how “HOT” the room is,but we also know when the audience starts filling up the “inside”venue,their bodies soak up a lot of volume.
Each room is different.
Sometimes it sounds great out front but sucks on the bandstand or vice versa.
I subscribed based on how valuable I found this subject. Thanks for covering this topic, it's an important one.
Agree with some comments below - the Fender Tonemaster solves so many of these challenges with the ‘attenuator’ and direct XLR out. You can even play with the speaker off and just send signal to the board, relying on monitor or in-ears. Oh, and it weighs under 25 pounds and sounds great! The Tonemaster should be a bit less expensive, have an effects loop and a longer warranty but as a practical gigging amp it’s hard to beat.
I always use an amp stand that leans back my Deluxe Reverb and elevates it about 2 feet or more. It sounds clearer to me aimed towards the back of my head when playing plus and it's easier to adjust the knobs without bending over. And it's got another big advantage. When I'm setting up the amp goes on the stand last. That way I don't have to get down on the floor with my bad knees and open my guitar case from the floor. Same thing with my gig bag. I have an elevated platform I can fold open the bag and see what I'm doing and again not work from the floor. Same thing when I'm packing up. The amp comes off the stand first and I have the platform again for my guitar case, bags and other folding stands.
I do the opposite. My Roland Blues Cube has a 3/10" configuration so bottom end is never an issue.. I put my amp on top of it's case or tilted on an amp stand right behind me because my sound/style is dependent on the amp/pickup/volume relationship. I set it so I can use feedback as a tool when I hit the high gain pedal. This is for blues/rock playing of course. If you're a country chicken-picker then the amp on the floor some distance behind you is fine. This is one of the reasons I despise what's happening in some of the venues in Nashville... You're not allowed to even use an amp... You get in-ears and plug directly from your pedal unit into the house mixer. El Crapola Sound and musical experience in my opinion. I refuse to partake. 🤣
I used to play in a "dad's band" for school fundraisers for my kids' schools, etc. The other guitar players always had Schecters, Gibsons / Epiphones, Superstrats - a plethora of humbuckers that sounded like mud in the mix. My Telecaster and Blues Jr. amp up on a folding chair always cut through that mud. Thanks to you I now understand how getting the amp off the floor helped "lift me out of the mud" as it were. (I mostly did it to have easier access to the controls on the top of the amp.)
I’ve been on both sides of that volume issue as a player and the soundman.. as a player in the 80’s/90’s with Marshall/ Boogie amps and 4x12’s it was hard to get a good tone without some air moving and not killing the audience / sound guy. Painted plywood hinged baffles that looked cool in front of the cabinets did the trick in bigger rooms .. nowadays I bring a custom Vibrolux Reverb modded to 63’ Vibroverb specs.. put it on the floor, use the tilt back legs pointing at me and it gets all the mojo I need without being too loud on stage ...
I play at home with a DRRI mostly jazzy kinds of stuff, clean tones, etc. sometimes with some old music friends down in the basement studio. For me I like to hear the amp pretty much pointing at my head just 4-5 feet away. Usually I'm not playing very loud so if the amp's on the floor the highs pretty much go away. I built some folding amp stands that fold up out of oak flooring material. Also I find this approach useful when recording live w/o headphones. I hear exactly what the amp sounds like live this way.
I built a mobile amp stand so I could hear things better so does the audience and it's easier on your back when making adjustments,I'd recommend it to all guitarists.
I'm just a "bedroom' player. I have a Marshall Stack. So, there is no getting it up on a chair. : ) The amp sits on the floor in the corner of my living room. I use an XVive wireless system, mainly because I hate tripping over cords. I usually sit in my gaming chair roughly 10 to 12 feet away from the amp and it is facing me when I am playing. This amp sounds great like this. I don't know if I could do anything to make any better? It's pretty awesome as is.
Zac. Same preference here. Just sounds better on the floor. I will say the speaker type can affect the ‘blooming’ of the sound. My boogie with an evm needed more distance and even then the sound was very focused. I learned to NOT point it directly at the sound guy as I would always be too loud. My response. It’s a Boogie !
Read a long time ago to get the speaker cab up off the floor, point it at the farthest corner in the room, and also aim it just above the audience head level.
Thanks Zac, I hope you cover more topics like these. That tele looks so damn beautiful
I play a hollow body Gretsch and amps on the floor boost feedback. So I use a stand, chair, or even a drum case!
The best way to hear your amp is to have a drummer that can play the room with control. If you play big rooms get a big amp. Keep your mids up. As you exceed about 70 db turn the highs down. It softens your tone to a comfortable loudness and frees up sonic space needed for treble in the vocals. Helps reduce feedback issues because excessive highs from amps arent feeding into the mics. Keep the bass out of the vocals. Keep some bass in your guitar amp but cut it from the mic signal on the amp in the PA. These tips will get you most of the way to sounding great vs making people annoyed by the sound.
I turn the amp around so it faces the back wall or place it side stage.
I also have amp stands that I use in some venues that works real well and helps my guitar cut through the mix as well…
Thanks dude, you covered it all
Oh and it is a sickness, your shirt says it all. lol…
Another way is shifting a 100db V30 speaker to a 95db speaker extension cabinet. I always use the G10 Greenback. It's low volume, tight sounding and just great -for those certain venues!
Great tip!
Back in the late 70's-early 80s I went with my bandmates to hear the Eagles play. We were all shocked to see they were using small amps (believe they were Princeton's) that were mic'd up and they were in front facing the band. Thinking this must be the way pro bands did it we gave it a try but everyone hated it and we went back to the amps on the floor behind us.
Not trying to be a jerk here but are you 100% sure those weren't the monitors .Just because I have never heard anyone do this it doesn't mean they didn't just wondering .
In the mid-seventies the Eagles used Blackface/Silverface Deluxe's and Twins in a conventional rear "amp line", except for Don Felder who played mostly through a vintage tweed Deluxe, same thing they used on the records. To pull off small amps in arenas you have to have really good FOH and monitor mixers.
Hence the old Fender tilt back legs. I added a pair (14", same as a Deluxe Reverb cabinet) to the Brownface Deluxe kit from Mojotone. It's an old trick to prevent you being too loud - point your amp at your ears.
Thank you for this! I play in a very bright room sometimes with lots of reflection awesome to hear tops!
The floor DOES enhance the bottom end, doesn't it? I played most of my 35 year career without miking, which was beneficial. For those really bouncy rooms, it is best for the entire band to just turn down. My first amp was a new '64 Super Reverb (still got it!), and I seldom got to run that thing where it was best sounding. Today, I am blessed with a '77 Deluxe Reverb in a MOJO cab, that has a BF Output Transformer: and that is one of the best sounding amps on the planet. Lots of good ideas here, Zac. Thanks.
I have the same “2 Guitars Country Style” ep sitting next to my stereo. Great stuff!
Appreciate your e-mail answer about amp placement in a man cave kind of space, which you kindly sent me last week. One of the main things I got from this vid was: distance from the amp. I'm sitting too close to mine. What the amp is generating is coming together behind me so I don't really know what I'm dialing in. Thanx for the pointer!
The last band I was in we had plexiglass shields to go in front of the amps of and I always had a sM 57 to mic it if needed. The shield actually shot the sound up to the back of my head and I really enjoyed that.
If you are guitarist playing out with me as your drummer, I don't really care how you go about the details of how you get your amp to sound good, any more than you care about my drum details. But if you are going to put your cabinets in front of me or alongside of me facing forward, and your favorite pro engineer from DrummerGoScratch Productions beams a monitor at my head with nothing but your voices in it ... well, lemme give you and your pro engineer a hint: I'm not trying to mix my drums with your voices, I'm trying to mix my drums with your instruments. In case you haven't noticed, I'm sitting inside of my instrument. If I'm drumming in your band and I can't hear anything but my own drums, then what do I need your band for? I'm better off at home practicing. I do need the the practice, as do most of us, and practice is productive. But I don't need sonically miserable playing situations with people who will be resentful for me having any self interest at all. That is not productive. And the same goes for rehearsal as well as playing out. I'm supposed to be a problem solver? If you can't put that cabinet someplace that can help satisfy my ears then I don't belong there. Problem solved. And if you're in some miserable loud room with your electric band, with real drums and all the volume that goes with that, and they bitch that you're too loud, expecting you to be at the same level as a home stereo, you don't belong there.
I have a early 90’s blues Deville I used to gig with. Kept it on the ground but as the night went on, and we got drunker, deafer and louder, I would lean it against the wall so I could hear myself a bit better. Thankful it never rattled and fell over.
Guys that have effect loop on their amps can insert a volume pedal from the send of the loop then from there to the modulations pedal s so they still have the grit of the pre amp and overdrives pedals at low volume ..Works great in low gigs situations ...
I've put my guitar case in front of the amp to diffuse the sound. Looks better than an amp cover, but not as good as another amp... It really only works if you've got a hardshell case, in my opinion.
As a bass player having played on mostly small stages I hate guitar amps on the floor. There have been times I've stopped playing mid song and I was told later there was too much bass in it.
It's been a long learning road with bandmates and they've come to understand they need to cut their bass.
As a guitar player I like putting PTB wiring into my guitars and adjust bass levels as needed from the guitar.
When I play guitar unaccompanied or with an acoustic player, I let the bass frequencies flow.
Great vid. Thanks. Some timely reminders and some new ideas as well. Thanks Zac. Very relevant as I start playing with a band again.
Read a mike cambell article I. Guitar player magazine...in the early years they used big powerful amps. Tom had to sing over this loudness...until th they learned to used smaller amp..and they sounded better.
The one solution not talked about, the sound person puts their ego in check and mics the amp just enough to go through the monitors, and let’s the amps do what they do.
this is what literally every good engineer will do. amplifier volume only becomes a problem when it's loud enough in the room that raising the vocals above that will be beyond 1.) the limits of the PA system 2.) the limits of what sounds good in the room 3.) SPL limits defined by the venue. this can all come into play without the amp being mic'd at all, especially in smaller rooms or venues that are not a typical rock club.
Grateful Dead: dose the sound person
I always have a tough time with outdoor gigs? That's a different beast all together. Finally a chance to turn the volume up with no complaints and the open air seems to suck everything out of it?
Was doing a small gig a couple of years ago and was doing lead part to 'Take It Easy' and the drums were so freaking loud and the amp too far away for me to hear my playing that I just got covered up and had no idea where TF I was......this was my first gig with our small group ! ! ! ! Why they 'mic' t he drums is still a mystery to me ! A lesson learned on amp placement !
Because when the drummer hits the drums, it should hit everyone right in the chest. Your amp needs to have headroom to play a room with a live band.
Great video Zac! Easy solution: bring two 4x12 cabs, use lower one as amp stand..😎
That's the plan!
I added tilt back legs on my Silver face fender princeton and this seems to work well.
I always ask the guys who have the amp 6-12" from the "back of the leg", Is that where your ear is located? Most have way to many highs in their EQ settings, due to the lows and mids is what they are hearing the highs (from center of the cone) are hitting the crowd dead in the face and since the player can't hear them, what do they do? Crank the highs due to only hearing mainly the lows and mids.
I use beam blockers with a raised amp or kick back legs so that its aimed at my head/ears.
All that you said is true… adding some audiences are simply unforgiving! Sad, but it is what it is…
I installed a pair of fender tilt legs onto my less expensive fender champion 40 amp. I have not altered my Carr or 3 Monkeys amps in that fashion. Ahhh yes, the DB police.
Great video. Thanks for the info. I learned slot I did not know. I keep my amps in the floor!
I ended up on my 1x12 combo amps replacing the Celestion G12H speakers with the less efficient G12-65 Speakers. They don't seem as beamy as the heavy magnet speakers, and singer will as more often from me to turn up a hair, versus before when I could not get to the edge breakup before I was asked to turn down. I had to use my compressor to compensate for the lack of natural tube sustain.
I always set up my tone and sound check with my guitar volume around 7 so I have somewhere to go on a good night. An old jazz guy taught me this years ago. 😉
@Desert Drive-In Theater When the room fills up, the bodies rob a lot of sound. Give yourself a little more volume the sound guy doesn't know about!
At church I use a stand like that with legs and I use either some type of champ or my Princeton reverb off to my right side only like 3 feet away with a mic on it. The sound guys are REALLY unnecessarily strict about specifically the electric guitars while the fake pianos and keyboard are blisteringly loud.
When I'm at home in my studio I set my amp up on a bench so I can tweak it to my liking at a gig I set it on the floor like you. Some great tips here.Love when you cover real world situations .Side note I just purchased a Tele Deluxe and would love to hear your thoughts on Teles with different pickup configurations.
An AskZac episode about some Tele players who use humbuckers instead of the traditional pickup configuration would be really cool Like Keith Richards,Terry Kath,Mick Green, Brent Mason (mini humbuckers)ect.I would like to see you try out the new Tele Deluxe with Dual humbuckers also.Anyway really love your channel and thanks for turning me on to the Deluxe Reverb combo .Im forever grateful 🙏.
Still Inside....I lost my Tony Rice signed copy of that book!!! It has to be around here somewhere!!! i dont remember leaving the house with it other than reading it in my car but i didn't take it out of my car...pther than to bring it back inside ..my house , hope it turns up one day!
Always make sure it's placed in your possession.
in my trunk
Excellent information Zac, thanks for sharing your experience & expertise with us
My pleasure!
Why not just use the deluxe reverb tone master cut the power setting down and keep it cranked to keep the sound you need ? Anyway just a question. Not trying to be rude or a smart A. Enjoy your channel.
That’s a great solution, but Not everyone has one.
THIS WAS A HUGE HELP!!! Thanks Zac
My whole thing is being able to mix in on stage. The situation depends way more on the room and the ensembl..the drummer etc than on me. I adjust to those things. I need sound guys to understand that. We will dial the stage the way it needs to sound. His job is then to take that and bring it to FOH. Nothing more, nothing less, no monitor witch-doctoring, nothing required other than some kick, and vocals really required in mine.
A very good vid, Zach. And great stuff in the comments. I never had to lay my amp on its back for a show, but I did have an iso box situation where this worked great. I do use things to decouple my amp when recording/playing at home. Live, I do like it leaned back and pointing at me from the side of the stage, but it does sound better on the ground. It is just a matter of dealing with it as it comes.
I recall seeing Roy Buchanan (genuflect) in concert. He had his mic'd Vibrolux facing away from the audience. I suppose that was a way to keep it from being too loud on stage while still giving the audience the full thing. I have seen bass players do this as well, even with closed-back cabinets such as a B-15N.
I am 6foot5 and mostly play small stages so I always angle the amp to be able to hear better. A simple guitarstand do the trick if you don't have a proper stand.
I leave the amp on the floor but lean it back using a brace on the back. I hear the best of both requirements.
I do the same with my Deluxe, Bob. Works fine.
my friend told me never set your amp parallel to the wall. it creates frequency chaos. another told me never aim your amp at the bartender or the soundman. important stuff.
I've heard that too about the walls. Funny thing though is It starts getting confusing when you start getting completely contradictory rules. For instance I've heard a guy say never set your amp on the floor to always use a buffer to decouple, also I've heard to ALWAYS set it directly on the floor. Wtf..lol these days I just try to experiment as much as possible with each room, amp, and each situation & see what works best in the moment.
My super reverb has the legs you can lean the amp back on.I know a lot of the bigger fenders came with them in the old days.
Would love to see/hear some live video of the vibro-champ in a band setting.
Another option is using a large size door stop , wedge it under the amp giving you just a little bit of tilt. This helps to retain a small amount of floor coupling and not have that “amp up in the air sound” . Unpleasant to me.
That, or a stack of Bibles.
Have to tell you. The deluxe and that guitar in the opening riff sounds great together.
Thanks
Placing any speaker cabinet on the floor gets a Bass gain from the reflections off of the floor in Bass wavelengths. Think about it like turning your Bass Tone control up +6. But the mid-range and upper frequencies of the guitar in the 1,000 hz to 2,000 hz range will be thrown into huge peaks and valleys from phase cancellations and phase reinforcements cause by those frequencies being reflected off of the floor. Tilting the amp just moves the peaks and valleys. Getting the amp onto a stand >28" makes your tone flatter (without your tweaks), more repeatable from room to room and stages and let' you hear directly what it truly sounds like. It's the old joke "how does the lead guitar player listen to his guitar? Through the back of his knees." Your ears are a long way from the back of your knees or your can work in a circus?