The TRUTH About GUITAR TONE Live - This is the BEST ADVICE for Live Guitar Tone

Comments · 212

• MA

  @markandclairethomas2062 · 11 months ago

  The best live sound is just the amp . Mic’d up is always compromise I think . That’s why small gigs are always better in my view , not having everything mic’d . Nothing like the sound of a live band . Years ago before arena dates famous bands always used to do the pub and club circuit . Those really were the best of times ❤️👍

  12

• DA

  @davidyelland908 · 11 months ago (edited)

  Any decision we make has to be done in conjunction and cooperation with band mates.  It starts with “can you all hear me?  Unfortunately it is more often “I can’t hear myself”.

  19

• MR

  @mrbuttons1243 · 11 months ago

  Having a drummer that knows how to hit hard enough to get a good tone and knows how to balance out the levels of his own kit by how he plays is key. Some drummers get it and can do it other drummers just bash as hard as they can.

  34

• YO

  @youngandrew66 · 11 months ago

  I get told to turn down before I've even pulled up at the venue ( or shitty pub)😅

  5

• ST

  @strategist7671 · 11 months ago

  "Can't hear it not because its too quiet but because something else is too loud"  Absolutely nailed it ( it goes against the grain for sure as a reformed LOUD guitar player) but it is a sublime truth right there. Cheers 🙂

  4

• SH

  @ShinyShinyBlack · 11 months ago

  As a FOH mixer, record mixer, guitarist and drummer: the cymbals dictate the volume of the gig 90% of the time. Out of several thousand shows I’ve mixed in the last 20 years, I’ve only had the guitar amp be the problem a handful of times. <br>That said, when the guitar has been a problem, it’s usually a combination of an overpowered amp that actually doesn’t sound good when it’s turned down, and the amps pointed at the guitarist’s ankles. <br>I 100% agree with Hugh’s suggestions here.

  35

• AL

  @alfgwahigain5544 · 11 months ago

  Another issue for guitar is that a lot of players like a mid-scooped, bass heavy tone, and that will generally get lost in the mix. &nbsp;Midrange is your friend, and an EQ pedal can be a great boost if you boost the right frequencies.

  20

• TH

  @TheActressAndBishop · 11 months ago

  And I &nbsp;completely agree about not mic&apos;ing .. until you need to, you shouldn&apos;t..

  3

• NI

  @nickf2170 · 11 months ago (edited)

  One of the best guitar sounds I heard in a local crowded bar with a low ceiling was a Blues Jr. The place was pure din.....but that guitar sound cut thru like I couldn&apos;t believe. Probably the mid range character of this amp.

  3

• TH

  @TheSongoftheriver · 11 months ago

  I largely agree with you on these points, and definitely on the advice to turn things down in monitors instead of reaching to turn something else up. There is one other advantage to having at least some guitar in the mains: dispersion. Amps tend to be very &quot;beamy&quot; in the highs, so depending on how the amp is dialed in for tone, there could be basically one spot directly in line with the amp where the tone is great but elsewhere it is boomy and undefined, or the one spot in front is shrill and unpleasant and very loud, but most other places it sounds decent. Giving the sound person the ability to add some spice in so that the guitar sounds good wherever you are in the audience is really helpful.

  2

• NI

  @nicolasbairrada2668 · 8 months ago (edited)

  Great analysis, John. The &apos;Truth&apos; about the Deluxe Reverb at 6 is exactly why so many players struggle in small venues.<br><br>While you mentioned attenuators, the real technical hurdle is that they often suck the life out of the high-end and change the impedance interaction with the speaker. For those looking for that exact analog compression and &apos;sag&apos; without the 120dB headache, you should check out Heptode from France (their Leo &apos;64 or Jim &apos;81).<br><br>Unlike digital modelers or passive attenuators, Heptode uses high-end analog circuitry to recreate the power stage behavior. You get that &apos;pushed&apos; Tim Pierce tone—where the amp finally breathes—but at a conversational volume. It’s the most elegant solution I’ve found to the &apos;Volume 6&apos; dilemma. <br><br>The secret behind Heptode’s &apos;Sag&apos; isn&apos;t digital emulation; it’s an analog power supply sag simulation.<br><br>In a vintage tube amp pushed to 6, the power transformer and rectifier can&apos;t keep up with the demand, causing a slight drop in voltage. This creates that &apos;spongy&apos; feel and natural compression we love. Heptode uses a specific analog circuit (multi-stage transistor clipping and FET technology) that mimics this non-linear behavior.<br><br>Unlike an attenuator which just &apos;chokes&apos; a finished signal, Heptode creates the distortion and compression within the circuitry at a low level before sending it to a very transparent Class D power section. That&apos;s why the feel remains consistent whether you are at 0.1W or 100W.<br>Cheers!

• JI

  @jimilee459 · 11 months ago

  I love it. I always turned my amp across stage and raised it up so I don’t blow anyone away. I can’t recommend this enough.

  10