Question:
okay, i can't make up my mind about the amp/cab combo i'm going to buy or build.... i think i'm gonna buy the amp and build the cab... my questions are as follows... #1 would 60 Watts be loud enough? #2 What are the advantages of mic'ng the amp vs. line out...? #3 is there any way to reduce feedback from a guitar with serious feedback problems...? #4 if i am mic'ng the amp why would i need a 4x12 cab? #5 where is the best place on stage to place the amp/cab #6 is the Marshall TSL 60 worth $1,200? #7 When i'm playing through these amps is it better to use a guitar that's gonna generate a lotta feedback, or a really cheap fender knock-off?
Here's the information you may need:
Venues: Most will have their own pa's
Crowds: Anywhere between 100-2000 people (huge margin i know)
Style of Music: Rock, very heavy rock
Answer:
Originally Posted by AXguitar okay, i can't make up my mind about the amp/cab combo i'm going to buy or build.... i think i'm gonna buy the amp and build the cab... my questions are as follows... #1 would 60 Watts be loud enough? Can sometimes be overkill. (for a tube amp) #2 What are the advantages of mic'ng the amp vs. line out...? With a mic'ed amp, you get the sound that the speaker produces. Using the line out, the speaker is bypassed, creating a crappier sound. #3 is there any way to reduce feedback from a guitar with serious feedback problems...? Cover the strings up as much as possible. #4 if i am mic'ng the amp why would i need a 4x12 cab? Absolutely not. 1x12 combos are loud enough as is. #5 where is the best place on stage to place the amp/cab #6 Depends on the venue. #7 When i'm playing through these amps is it better to use a guitar that's gonna generate a lotta feedback, or a really cheap fender knock-off? Play the guitar you normally play.
Answer:
Originally Posted by Building429_Boy Cover the strings up as much as possible
A touch confusing. I beleive your little ( ) upgrade thread could answer that, as shielding is often woeful in a very cheap guitar. I'm guessing its either a single coil guitar or a hollowbody of some description. Two different issues really.
Originally Posted by Building429_Boy Absolutely not. 1x12 combos are loud enough as is Depends on the sound. 4x12 pushes out a lot more sound than a 1x12 speaker style which has benefits that i'm not fully aware of. Speakers themselves matter as well, but I would say that with a decent micing up, any decent amp thats about 30 watts would suit you fine. I'm not sure how different the dual and triple super lead series are, but the DSL 401 would rock most if not all venues. They're pretty nice amps as well.
What guitar specifically? Are you looking to play only through the amp or use pedal distortion or overdrive or something?
You may be able to find a decent amp secondhand that'll be great for gigging and touring (hopefully eh!).
If you do make a cab, you have the option of putting some interesting speaker formations, but I've got to say you really won't need more than 2 speakers. I'm looking to get a 2x12 (roland jc120) and a 1x15 speaker cab extension for this crazy baritone experiment. Bear in mind, I'm not a shoegazer!
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Continue on...I'll be back to answer your questions when I get a chance...which likely won't be until 9pm or so.
But, you ask alot of good questions. I'm curious if you're trying to generate feedback, or if your current guitar is just a feedback beast and you're trying to stop it. Also, what is your current guitar exactly?
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Originally Posted by telecasting A touch confusing. I beleive your little ( ) upgrade thread could answer that, as shielding is often woeful in a very cheap guitar. I'm guessing its either a single coil guitar or a hollowbody of some description. Two different issues really. Is he talking about excess noise or the high pitch feedback? I haven't noticed any decrease in feedback but a total decrease in excess hum and noise.
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lol, my guitar is a hollowbody ibanez AG85 (Yeah the Expensive Artcore, lol, expensive as far as artcores go)... which surprizingly puts out monstrous tone when i play rock, it just creates WWWWAAAAYYYY too much feedback... i'm gonna be using a good bit of gain, think UnderOath and DeadPoetic, with less emphasis on the screaming and more on the musicianship and singing... almost like a christian rufio with a keyboard, and a darker sound, and not really punk... .... it's an interesting sound... you just have to hear it... i also have a squire fat strat but i really don't like to play it soo much, because of it's cheap tone, but would it matter coming from an amp like that? i plan on buying a schecter C1 Blackjack once i save up the money... i'm gonna put the amp and stuff on my credit card..
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Exaaaaaaaactly! Not too sure there. If its actually feedback, turn away from the amp. The thing is, while there are obviously some amps that are better than others, but isn't everyone going to sound quite similar, technique aside, as everyone gets similar gear. I think I shall go for something different. Jazz tones from a krank maybe?
Might not be the best advice in the world, and you may want to discount it, but go on ebay and find something with a bit of character and make it yours. If it doesn't have a second channel, using a pedal will give you a second tonal channel style. After all, quite a few slightly cheaper tube amps share eq so it doesn't matter that much. You'll end up with a tone thats quite different from most people. You can also tell people when they ask that you've got a really cool, unusual setup, rather than "i use a traynor/hrdx/peavey classic".
I'm not saying these aren't good amps, but loads of people have the same stuff. The guy from the subways (british indie band) plays sg's, into a vox ac30 through a boss mt-2 and gets a seriously hard tone, as I found out to the discomfort of my ears. Of course, you could go the other way, and try and get a handmade amp that suits you perfectly. There is so much gear now, you've got almost too many choices.
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not exactly sure what you are saying "Exaaaaaaaactly!" to.. but... hmm.. having an unusual setup intrigues me... but i need an idea on an amp and the pedal to use... but i know i need more than a 112 combo and that i probably don't need any more than 100 Watts.... when i saw Dead Poetic (who would be our heaviest INFLUENCE, not somebody we're trying to copy) they used a 60 Watt TSL with a 412 cab, and it was plenty loud enough... but i never saw any signs of them micing the amp...of course i don't know a whole lot about it....
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Sorry, I was being slightly weird. Its quite difficult to control fully hollow guitars at those kinds of volume, hence why Les Paul vetted the les paul.
As for an unusual amp/ pedal setup, it doesn't matter all that much, but something like a mesa/boogie v-twin preamp may be cool, into a whatever. I had a look on ebay but its really going to take a decent scour to find an interesting amp. There is a really cool guitar shop near me which does old interesting amps. Try and find somewhere like that and you may unearth something really exciting.
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it's not a full hollow it's a semi-hollow.... and that thing is a sexy beast... but really, i think i might hold off on a lot of the gain, because i've been thinking about it.. and a good bit is needed but not really a whole ton because then i would be sacrificing my tone, and that would be bad... tone before gain before volume, that should be every guitarists motto...
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You might be able to stuff some padding or foam or something in the wings of your semi-hollow. if you can do this, you should be able to cut the feedback down.
that being said, i still don't have the time to answer all of the questions asked...but I will try to get to them soon!
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it's cool, the only questions i have left are how do i go about micing the amp (correctly), and if the 60W Amp is enough and cost effective...
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Originally Posted by AXguitar it's cool, the only questions i have left are how do i go about micing the amp (correctly), and if the 60W Amp is enough and cost effective... 60W is probably enough...whether or not its cost effective is based on how much you like the tone. you can probably find a better price on it used.
As far as micing the amp goes...eh. I usually just let the sound guy do it. When I do mic it myself, I usually just put it a 1/4" fro the grille and slightly off-center so it's over the cone itself and not directly over the center cap.
does this mean going back and answering the other questions is unneccessary now?
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Here's my opinion FWIW...
Originally Posted by AXguitar #1 would 60 Watts be loud enough?
Depends on your needs. If you want super clean cleans at a really loud volume, it might suffice, but bumping it up to 100 watts or so would help that. If you're looking to really drive your amp hard so you get some nice power amp tube drive, then 60 watts will likely be too much.
#2 What are the advantages of mic'ng the amp vs. line out...?
Line out is basically having your guitar go through the preamp section of your amp and then out in to the PA. Doing this, you lose 2 of the most important sections of an amp's sound: the power amp and the speaker. This will almost always result in a tone that is less than desireable. Use the line out in a pinch, but whenever possible, mic.
#3 is there any way to reduce feedback from a guitar with serious feedback problems...?
It's because of your semi-hollow body guitar. Either don't turn up so loud or stand farther from your amp and face the other way. Or you could just get a solid body guitar, but I like the tone of hollow bodies, so it's a trade off. Decide what's more important to you.
#4 if i am mic'ng the amp why would i need a 4x12 cab?
4x12 cabs will spread the sound a lot more. Personally, I think they are a bit over-kill for most situations and most styles. But for a hard band, it can be great. They'll put out great tone that you just won't get out of a 2x12 or 1x12. At the same time though, they're a beast to carry around and for smaller gigs they're just way too much. Take it from me. I used a 4x12 cab for a couple years before I sold it and went with a 2x12 combo. It fits me a lot more now, but a 4x12 fit me before. If you're just starting out and don't have the chops or tonal knowledge to use such a large beast, I'd say stay away until you know how to harness it. Otherwise, you'll just be putting out a lot of sucky tone.
#5 where is the best place on stage to place the amp/cab
Wherever it fits best and you can hear and reach it. Mine's usually just behind me. Sometimes at smaller venues they may prefer for it to face sideways so there's less of your amp going in to the crowd and more of the PA. It really just varies from gig to gig.
#6 is the Marshall TSL 60 worth $1,200?
Personally, I've never been too impressed with the TSL or DSL series.
#7 When i'm playing through these amps is it better to use a guitar that's gonna generate a lotta feedback, or a really cheap fender knock-off?
Whatever works best for you. If the feedback producing one has better tone, learn how to cut back on feedback. If it's too big of a problem, then maybe try using the Fender. Sometimes you can kinda make up for a bad guitar with a really good amp.
Answer:
yeah, i'm gonna use the hollowbody for now, but later i'm gonna buy that schecter... which btw is the best playing best sounding guitar for under $1K i've ever played... though if i had the money i would have no problem springing for a Gibby, the Paul that is, not an SG, i hate those things to no end...