Electric Guitars

[97bigapple]

I play in church. I stand about two feet in front of my amp. I can't hear it from there. It is louder if I am further away from it, but I can't stand further away during the service. When I turn up where I can actually hear myself, the sound guy says it is too loud. When I turn down and then ask him to turn me up in my monitor, he says it is maxed already. I already have the amp tilted back. I may try an amp stand or turn the amp backwards toward the wall. Question: Are different speakers designed so that they can be heard from different distances? I was at a friend's birthday party a few years back. The band there had two guitarists. Each had a Marshall amp. But they were two different types of Marshalls. I could only hear one of them when I was in the audience. But when I was invited on stage to play a song(on the amp I couldn't hear), I could actually hear that amp quite well, but couldn't hear the other one at all. I mentioned it to the guitarist whose amp I played on and he said, "Yeah, it's those greenbacks." I appreciate any input in helping me solve my problem. Thanks!

[Patuney]

You need a different(better) soundman, if you can find one. Few seem to know how to send guitar through the monitors. The problem may be that monitor speakers are not like guitar speakers. PS- our band never solved that problem either.

[FormerlyBassred]

Yeah, if the sound guy says you are cranked in the monitors and you cannot hear it, then get a new sound guy...

Try an amp stand. Getting the amp up and angled will be the only way to get the sound to your ears (and not your knees/butt) without turning up too loud.

[Guitzilla]

I like to use a keyboard stand like this.... http://www.musiciansfriend.com/accessories/on-stage-stands-pro-platform-keyboard-stand. I also use the amp as a side fill rather than have it behind me.

[Grantus]

Sounds like there's a lot of stage noise from other band members. The monitors should never be maxxed.

[joecool1963]

My 2 cents worth.... In ear monitors... Better for the audience you are playing to.... Mike the amp, go through the mains....

[Burgess]

To be honest, it seems to me the sound man just doesn't want to hear your guitar.

[catalinagoose]

You need a lot more midrange. When your guitar sounds similar to a transistor radio, you're there. Also, cut the distortion to where it sound like it's not nearly enough, then cut it some more. I played in church worship bands for 11 years, and church soundmen are usually deficient. Most of the time, their rule of thumb is, if you can hear the guitar at all, its too loud. Good luck.

[Marko]

---

Burgess wrote:
To be honest, it seems to me the sound man just doesn't want to hear your guitar.

---

Ouch…

but in any case, as mentioned, an amp stand that gets it closer and aimed at the player’s head.

Or maybe a headphone amp, go direct with a DI box, from there, one line to the board, and one to a headphone amp, like a Rolls PM50s personal monitor amp, and a set of in-ear headphones.  That way you’ll have control over how loud your guitar is in your ears. 

Just a thought. 

[Tone Deaf]

I've always been of the opinion, that unless you're playing stadiums or other extremely large venues, monitors are for vocals. Muddying up the monitors with anything other than vocals should be avoided. Instrument players should be hearing themselves through their own amps. 

Not sure what your actual situation is, but maybe everyone else needs to turn down if the stage volume is such that you can't hear your own amp. See if you can have others back their stage volume down, pull everything but the vocals out of the monitors and see if that helps.

Your issue could be placement/angle of your amp. Set it on a stand/angle it toward your head instead of your knees. Another potential issue could be how you're dialing in your tone. Guitars are mid-range instruments, yet a lot of players insist on dialing down/out their mids. If you've done so, put some back in.

[onelife]

If your amp is going through the monitors then it must also be going through the PA. If you put it in front of you and point it back towards yourself, the soundman will not hear it nearly as much and he will turn you up in the PA.

By placing the amp in front of you and tilting it back like a monitor so it points right at your face, you should be able to adjust it so you can hear it well enough without it being too loud for anyone else.

[sammyreynolds01]

What is your midrange setting on your amp?

[Faber]

---

Burgess wrote:
To be honest, it seems to me the sound man just doesn't want to hear your guitar.

---

as far as I can tell a lot of soundmen feel like that. Not so much as a player since I work with soundmen I know, but as an audience member I very often hear mixes where the guitar is way too low. 

As for the OP's problem, in ears or having the amp pointing at your ears is the way to go. EQing may also be needed. I agree with the others that a healthy midrange is a good thing

[DaleH]

get the amp up on a stand and aim it at your head.

[unworthy]

Regarding aiming the amp in different ways, yes, pointing at your ears will help, but probably not enough to improve your overall stage volume problem.  And you also risk sound reflections coming off walls and ceilings that are out of time and phase.  Trust me, that sounds like a mess.

I fought this for years.  I eventually left my amp at home and put a Sansamp on my pedalboard as an amp simulator, routed my guitar, monitor and mic signals to a Rolls PM70 (I think) and quickly learned to not worry about what anyone else heard.  I couldn't have been happier.

D

[97bigapple]

Yeah, we wanted that but they didn't want to spend the money.

[97bigapple]

I wondered that. I think, in part, the issue may be that the sound man feels like he is walking on eggshells. The ones in power have made comments about the guitar volume. If they hear it, it is too loud, it seems.

[97bigapple]

Yeah, I've tried many variations with my tone controls, etc.

[97bigapple]

I already have it tilted back some. I think I am going to try getting it higher.

[dmhi11]

I've been in that situation before. Sounds to me like the soundguy is either unable to provide a decent mix through monitors because his equipment is crap or because he doesn't really want guitar in the mix to begin with.  I agree with everyone else, add some mids into the sound. A soundman friend of mine told me that if the guitar is to quiet on stage just bring a bit louder amp and force the soundguy to turn it down at the board--Not saying that won't get you in trouble with the soundman/church or whathaveyou for doing something like that but it is an option.

Personally, a lot of people who mix sound don't know crap about how your band SHOULD sound and frankly don't care--thats why stuff like this happens in the first place. I even see this at big-ticket shows pretty frequently where the audience mix can't hear the guitar(s).