May 2010 \ Gigging & Recording \ Tech Tales \ How Many Amps Are Enough?

How Many Amps Are Enough?

Chad Weaver

Do you stockpile amps for every occasion? Do you channel-switch between several amps to get the right tone for every song in the setlist? Do you use a single, versatile amp for everything and call it done?
Premier Guitar May 2010
There’s been something on my mind the past couple of weeks. Between addressing the subject in the last couple of columns, and conversations on a road trip this past weekend, I am once again pondering the question, “How many amps are enough?'

Whether you’re facing the age-old “little amp in a big room” or “too big amp for a small room” problem, you’ve all thought about it. Do you stockpile amps for every occasion? Do you channel-switch between several amps to get the right tone for every song in the setlist? Do you use a single, versatile amp for everything and call it done?

I believe in choice, and in using what makes you feel good about your playing. If it takes three amps to get the job done, then carry three amps. How you feel about your tone has a direct result on how you play. I’ve always felt like I play better when my tone is right.

Nowadays, I work for a man who could squeak tone out of a cardboard box with a speaker in it, but chooses to use four amps for his live shows. Does he need to do that? Not hardly. There’s not a tone in any song Brad’s ever written that couldn’t be mimicked with an amp and a couple of stompboxes. I’ve stood on the side of a stage and watched him play along side of Redd Volkaert and Billy Gibbons; with one amp each, they all sounded incredible.

So does Brad do it so I’ll have a job? Because he feels sorry for me and no one else will hire me? Probably. But he also plays those amps because he can, and not because he has to. He loves having the ability to have the guitar tone he recorded a song with at the touch of a button during his shows. I respect that, and it keeps the job challenging.

The other two guitar players in Brad's band, Gary Hooker and Jody Harris, typically use single amps, but their choice will vary from venue to venue. If it’s a TV performance, it’s not uncommon to see these guys with a Dr. Z Carmen Ghia or Fender Deluxe so they can get that cranked-up tone at a volume level that audio guys can work with. But when we hit the bigger stages, Gary will wheel out his 4x12 and take it to 11! It all depends upon what the venue requires.

Years ago I worked in a music store for a man named Don Gorman, who to this day is still one of my favorite guitar players. He was a lot like Brad in that he could play through anything he wanted and would always sound amazing. His favorite amp was an old Fender Super, but on rare occasion could be seen with a wet/dry effects rig and channel switching amps.

The thing that always intrigued me about Don was no matter what amp he played, he always worked his guitar’s volume and tone controls, bringing a whole other variance in sound. I love to see guitar players do that—use the volume and tone controls on their instrument like they're tweaking a pedal to make the amp do what they want it to do. Over the last five years I've watched Brad do this more and more. It's taking the choice of sounds your rig gives to making even more tones to play with. The use of these two knobs and your own touch and pick attack is what turns a good amp into a great amp—and just might cut down on the number of amps you need to have.

I'd love to hear what you guys are using out there. In a club, theater, arena or a basement... wherever you play. Let's hear what amps you’re using and how/if you're chaining them together.

     

Related Articles

On the Road with Clapton
Tech Tales: Soothing Single-Coils
Tech Tales: Packing Your Guitar for Air Travel
Humidity Hassles
A DIY Tool for Tuning in Loud Environments


Comments

 (64 comments) display by
UsernameComment
Gitaryzt1985
on 05/08/2012 		I play a Two Rock and a Dr Z Carmen Ghia. They couldn't be more different. The Two Rock is dark and jazzy and the Dr Z is bright and spanky. I use the DR Z at the church where we play Southern Gospel and Country and I use the Two Rock for my personal music....simple as that. By the way, using your guitar's volume and tone controls is the ONLY way to go.
gary redden
on 08/16/2010 		always been a fender vibrolux, super, then a blues jr. guy, a blackface Princeton Reverb sans PEDALS. But now, playing in a pop dance band (huge departure for blues!) I'm playing a Matchless Lightnin 2x10 and, for the first time, a Line 6 M13. I've been a pedal guy for so long but with this kind of music I just need more sonic goodies than my full-drive 2, H2O chorus and DD3 can do. I'm pleasantly surprised with the M13's array of very cool tones and it's designed for a stomp head like myself. A digital pedal I like?!
Paul Pinkham
on 05/31/2010 		I play as many styles as I can, because I just love music. It has come down to one amp for me, a Tech 21 trademark 60 w/4-10's. When I play an archtop with a big band or trio with a singer, the amp handles the clean thing beautifully. When I play musical theater gigs, the amp has the versatility for me to go elec/acoustic, hollow body or hard-on rock with no trouble. I bought a 1/12" as a back-up, and will probably get a 30 watter for even smaller gigs. I've sold almost all my others, except my old Silvertone 2-12". That was my first amp ever, and was rebuilt to perfection by Dave Hodtwalker in California. I'm afraid to take it out of the house!
tad sharpe
on 05/29/2010 		On stage I used a Vox VT100 for electric shows and a Marshall AC50 for acoustic shows. in the studio I use any of those plus a Crate 16 watt tube amp, an ampeg 2x12 150 watter I picked up somewhere,a Yamaha 70's solid state 35w into a 12", two roland crate amps, one pignose, one fender bassman 60, one ampeg B20 bass combo, and a couple of handmade combo tube amps I built, one does 2x8W into two 8" speakers, the other 2x16W into two 10" speakers. my pedals is a 30 yr collection, too numerous to list here.
Evan Warren
on 05/14/2010 		I use a Marshall MG100hdfx Half Stack at all of my live gigs and every sunday at church. I love this amp because its a solid state and is 100W and can handle all volumes and still get equal tone at all volume levels. It can handle just about anything that i can throw at it and still keeps sounding better and each time I turn it on it has a different characteristic. I just love this amp.
Bryden Bellrock
on 05/14/2010 		I use many rigs depending mainly on my mood when I am getting ready to go. Obviously the size of the venue has a bearing on the selection, for small venues I would use a princeton and a blues jr both running in parallel. I use a GigRig for that and pedal control. Larger gigs I will use my 65Amps London and a Vox like clone again controlled with the GigRig. Recently I have changed again and am now using a G-System to run effects through a Fender Super 4x10 combo amp. I love this setup.
Lespaulson
on 05/14/2010 		I use a Music Man 65 RD 1x12 that I've had since 1982 on most gigs. With an EVM-12L in it it's more than adequate for most gigs. They are amazing amps and very reliable. For larger venues I haul out a '65 reissue Twin Reverb that seldom needs to be turned up past 2. Very loud. I had a Rivera S-120 2x12 combo but recently sold it as it was way too heavy to transport and was seldom used. I'm happy with what I have as they do everything I need to cover from Wedding gigs to large rock shows. Given that, who needs more?
Phil
on 05/14/2010 		for larger venues i use my '67 Ampeg B-12 xt Filptop and for the smaller ones i use my 60's Sano - an odd sears amp from back in the day with 1 12" speaker and about 15 W of power. -phil my band: www.hellosparrow.com
HKK
on 05/10/2010 		I have 15 tube amps, vintage and boutique from 1950's to 2010. Watts from 3 to 101, each have they use for different size venue and different music style. I believe in less guitars and more amps = you get more tone .
rollie delgado
on 05/09/2010 		hughes and krttner switchblade nuff said.



Your Comment:  

All comments are subject to editing or deletion by the Premier Guitar staff.

Your Name:  


Please enter the text you see in the image:  
10

D3E34657-D750-4B7B-B9CC-38E7ECFA3748