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Topic: Are you ever blown away |
Larry Behm
From:
Mt Angel, Or 97362
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Posted 19 Feb 2018 3:19 pm |
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By the sound of your gear on a particular night? Last night was one of those nights for me, good old country music just asking for some good old steel guitar. Even the guitar player (who is also a steeler) was impressed with the sound I was getting. (70's PP and N400).
Some nights it is all about the sound, not the licks and tricks.
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'70 D10 Black fatback Emmons PP, Hilton VP, BJS bars, Boss GE-7 for Dobro effect, Zoom MS50G, Stereo Steel amp, Telonics 15” speaker.
Phone: 971-219-8533 |
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Brett Lanier
From:
Madison, TN
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Posted 19 Feb 2018 5:23 pm
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I enjoy playing lively sounding rooms where I can hear the sound from the pa coming back at the stage a bit, rather than just hearing the sound off my amp. It also helps with how much reverb or delay to use. Obviously the bigger and more reflective a room is, the less I'll use.
Two nights ago was a particularly good one, where the stage stuck out into the room more than it normally would for a theater - so the ceiling above my head was the same height as it was for the crowd. I've been using an old Marlen d10 and a 50's Standel 50L15, which has kept me pretty happy. |
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Jim Sliff
From:
Lawndale California, USA
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Posted 19 Feb 2018 8:27 pm
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most players I know have certain gigs where their sound is *so* good - at least to themselves - that playing goes into a sort of "slow motion", effortless mode where everything is incredibly easy and flows in a dreamlike state.
Those are *really* fun situations.
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional |
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Kevin Fix
From:
Michigan, USA
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Posted 20 Feb 2018 5:55 pm Blown Away Sound
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| Once in a while I will get that perfect tone. Makes you not want to quit. I rarely get to play a inside gig. I play 99% Outdoor gigs. (County Fairs and Festivals). I always set up on the right side of the stage and to the right of the Lead player. We work hand and glove that way. I like it when their is a main right close to me. I can hear myself better there. |
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Tom Mossburg
From:
AZ,
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Posted 20 Feb 2018 9:06 pm Blown Away
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Larry, you've sounded good every time I've heard you. I get what your saying here. Some nights are better than others. Each venue is different. I find that even in my personal studio, the sound, or my ears, can be different from just the night before and nothing has been changed. I am addicted to my Telonics gear and that Blend knob really works well for playing in different places. But there are those times when everything just sounds so right. And then there are others.
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MSA Studio Pro U-12 x 2, Telonics |
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Bill Terry
From:
Bastrop, TX
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Posted 21 Feb 2018 6:21 am
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The corollary to that experience is the night where nothing sounds right, everything is different, something sounds out of tune, the band isn't playing well and you look at your watch about every two songs.
Invariably, those are the nights where you'll get tons of compliments on your tone and playing. Conversely, the really great nights like Larry mentioned, don't always seem to be as 'real' for other folks as they are for you.
Something about playing steel guitar really messes with my head in a unique and not always pleasant way. |
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Bill C. Buntin
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Posted 22 Feb 2018 4:56 pm
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Its a fact Larry. Some venues, tone is automatic, and just "happens". Others..I used to just suffer through and hope the sound was decent out front. But When you have a tone that feels and sounds good to you, in my opinion, you tend to relax and then your best work is evident.
~Bill~ |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 23 Feb 2018 5:32 pm
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| Quote: |
| Are you ever blown away by the sound of your gear on a particular night? |
Nope, guess I'm weird. Neither my own nor anyone else's live tone ever had that effect on me. I have heard several records, though, where the sound of the steel was really impressive. What has blown me away (in live music) on many occasions was the sheer talent and mastery of a select group of players I've been fortunate enough to see up-close and personal. Guys like Curly Chalker, Buddy Emmons, Hal Rugg, Buddy Charleton, John Hughey, Reece Anderson, Tommy White, Lloyd Green, Paul Franklin, Gary Carter, and Randy Reinhard always managed to "knock my hat in the creek". They all featured different tones at different times, but they all sounded great to me.  |
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Bill Cunningham
From:
Atlanta, Ga. USA
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Posted 23 Feb 2018 6:08 pm
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| Donny Hinson wrote: |
| Quote: |
| Are you ever blown away by the sound of your gear on a particular night? |
Nope, guess I'm weird. Neither my own nor anyone else's live tone ever had that effect on me. I have heard several records, though, where the sound of the steel was really impressive. What has blown me away (in live music) on many occasions was the sheer talent and mastery of a select group of players I've been fortunate enough to see up-close and personal. Guys like Curly Chalker, Buddy Emmons, Hal Rugg, Buddy Charleton, John Hughey, Reece Anderson, Tommy White, Lloyd Green, Paul Franklin, Gary Carter, and Randy Reinhard always managed to "knock my hat in the creek". They all featured different tones at different times, but they all sounded great to me. |
Well said...as you do so often  .
However, an unpleasant tone can shut me down. And that unpleasant tone is usually a function of my mood, being tired, etc. In other words, it's all in my head. I have two Mullen G2's. The red one sounds an angstrom better than the black one. I practice on the red one becasue it is ugly (I feel like it's starring back at me:) ) and gig with the black one because it feels a little better. I am more comfortable and my playing has an edge when things feel good.
Not diss'ing anyone individual, but is there any other instrument where the players are so obsessed with tone?
I think my friend Bill Ferguson used to have a tag line along the lines of "stop worrying about how your guitar sounds and worry about your playing" Sage advice.
Good topic and apologies for rambling on.....
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Bill Cunningham
Atlanta, GA |
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Bobby Hearn
From:
Henrietta, Tx
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Posted 24 Feb 2018 11:49 am
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| I’ve noticed that I seem to like my tone better when my amp is miked. Why is that? |
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John Sluszny
From:
Brussels, Belgium
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Posted 24 Feb 2018 4:41 pm
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| Bobby Hearn wrote: |
| I’ve noticed that I seem to like my tone better when my amp is miked. Why is that? |
Your amp speaker maybe ! |
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Bobby Hearn
From:
Henrietta, Tx
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Posted 24 Feb 2018 10:45 pm
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| Speaker is fine, Old JBL in a LTD and it cuts through the stage bs but when it’s miked I like the tone better |
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Fred Treece
From:
California, USA
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Posted 25 Feb 2018 8:45 am
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| Bill Cunningham wrote: |
Not diss'ing anyone individual, but is there any other instrument where the players are so obsessed with tone? . |
Yes. Probably all of them. Bass players, guitarists, keyboards, fiddlers (violinists too, hehe), even drummers who actually care about how they sound...all spend thousands of dollars and thousands of hours chasing tone, and are never quite satisfied.
I believe your own tone has a lot to do with what the rest of the band sounds like, and the venue. You have to start with good equipment and chops, of course. But blending in and standing out are the two sides of the same coin you deal with at every gig. Some players insist on amp settings that cover as much bass and as much treble as the human ear can process, instead of tightening up what their particular instrument covers best. That doesn’t leave much range for anyone else. Bill Ferguson is right though, when the count gets to 4, it’s time to start playing through the tone as well as you can and try to make it work.
Bobby- Why does an amp sound better mic’d? You are probably hearing some it in the FOH system, and the full range of frequencies from your amp are all there. It can be a beautiful thing. |
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Larry Behm
From:
Mt Angel, Or 97362
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Posted 26 Feb 2018 8:01 am
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Well last night was yet another good night, you really get inspired to pick one when it sounds good. The nice thing is the N400 was $300, the Zoom MS50G was $100, and my 19 70 PP was $4,000, so not bad.
For me it is not "all about the Bass, all about the bass"
_________________
'70 D10 Black fatback Emmons PP, Hilton VP, BJS bars, Boss GE-7 for Dobro effect, Zoom MS50G, Stereo Steel amp, Telonics 15” speaker.
Phone: 971-219-8533 |
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