Updated with Clips: Why is everyone so down on using lots of amp models at gigs?

[la szum]

Also, for me the abruptness of amp model/cab model changes within a song
are a different thing than between songs. If you do a diverse range of music
you might need to change it up a bit. That said, I still stick to a JCM800 model
90% of the time, because with how I ride pickup changes and volume on the guitar
I can get from John Cougar, Skynyrd, and Kansas to old school Metallica without
changing much outside of pickup selection, a boost, approach, and volume on the
guitar.

 

[la szum]

I think the short answer for many people is, "nobody cares". There are people who watch me all night long, and think I play bass, (they hear with their eyes), so they certainly aren't listening to my tones.

My last band played everything from Elvis to current hits, and my preset only had a Fender Deluxe and the Friedman Placater as amps in my one preset with 4 snapshots. Clean for oldies, dance, and funk, lighter gain for classic rock and country, heavier gain for 80's/90's, and a solo snapshot.

Past that, I just don't care enough to come up with another different tone.

Haha! Love that. You can go to Youtube and watch someone from the crowd zoom in on the
wrong person when the "solo" comes---and then they stay there for the entire solo. Nailed it!

It's great for me to keep in mind that what we do for ourselves is often far beyond what 99% of those
hearing the end product will expect from us.

I am way less anal in my older age, and I honestly have a lot more fun, and we seem to have better
relationships in the band as a result. None of that means we don't care either. I have just learned
that sometimes it is our own drives/desires/expectations that become our greatest obstacles in life.

I bet grooving on stage and having fun makes more of a mark on the crowd than "nailing a tone" ever
will. Our body language is a bigger statement than we often realize---because yes, people do listen
with their eyes.

 

[Mooselake]

I would guess a fair number of cover band guys using modelers would probably change it up as the songs dictate, e.g., a Vox AC30 model would maybe be perfect for a Queen song but probably not so good for an early Van Halen. Other guys might not want to curate a patch for every song and may be okay with only approximating the tone on an original recording. From what I can tell there are a fair number of players who take each approach. So I'm unsure the original premise is really a thing.

 

[Orvillain]

Honestly, I just don't need a lot of different amp types or Manufacturers. Yeah, I own a bunch of amps sure, but when I play live I need clean, dirty clean, low-gain rhythm, high-gain rhythm, and maybe a boost every now and then.

 

[la szum]

From an artistic/aesthetic perspective I think even cover folks can be divvied up into
those who try and nail/cop the original tones, and the more interpretive folks who like
to make a song their own.

I can appreciate both approaches. Sometimes doing the latter can even be more interesting
to the listener, because you give them something that is familiar (the song), but also something
that is different (how you play it/interpret it.)

 

[Orvillain]

Honestly, I just don't need a lot of different amp types or Manufacturers. Yeah, I own a bunch of amps sure, but when I play live I need clean, dirty clean, low-gain rhythm, high-gain rhythm, and maybe a boost every now and then.

I wanna correct the record, coz I read this back and I heard the voice of an idiot boomer guitarist who can barely play 3 chords, lecturing the yoot of today.

I didn't mean that at all.

What I meant is, my amp tones are important to me to a point. After that it is effects. I have about 8 different delay tones I use across different songs, which is why I use Helix as effects-only platform.

As long as the amp can do a sick high-gain tone, and I can back off from there to get everything else... I can make that work. Amps are super important to me, but actually not that hard to tick the boxes.

 

[TSJMajesty]

Also, for me the abruptness of amp model/cab model changes within a song
are a different thing than between songs.

That's a great point!! I doubt I'd ever switch amps w/i a song.

 

[metropolis_4]

Because it’s totally unnecessary and causes more issues than it solves.

IME it's no different than using multiple drive pedals, or multiple amp channels. It's just another tool to get the gain textures you want for the music you're playing.

If all I'm doing is setting up 3 sounds: clean - crunch - lead

And I'm getting the sounds I want that sit just where I want them in the mix does it really matter if I get those three sounds by using drive pedals, multiple settings of one amp model, or separate amp models?

 

[Whizzinby]

Are cover dudes really trying to get that granular? (Per-song replications of gear/tones)

Would seem to me a fender clean, marshall of your choice (Plexi/800), and something high(er) gain (Dual Rec or 5150) would be enough presets to adequately cover 95% of the gig.

Sounds like hell on earth trying to create 87 different presets mixing and matching precise amp/cab combinations to squeeze an extra 2% of tone for a non-discerning crowd.

An amp sounds like it would be great for someone’s sanity in that respect .

 

[Orvillain]

Are cover dudes really trying to get that granular? (Per-song replications of gear/tones)

Some of them are yeah. I can't speak to the quality of their shows or anything, but I have seen dudes on forums going on and on about getting the tones as close as possible to the song.

But there again I've got a mate who just uses a GT1000 Core into a small amp for his shows.

If I'm being serious, I don't really acknowledge the problem at hand - guitarists are saying and doing all sorts of stuff these days. "Everyone" isn't anything.

 

[TSJMajesty]

Are cover dudes really trying to get that granular? (Per-song replications of gear/tones)

Some do.

Sounds like hell on earth trying to create 87 different presets mixing and matching precise amp/cab combinations to squeeze an extra 2% of tone for a non-discerning crowd.

Yeah. F-that! I'd never get that crazy. Just imagine the time you'd need to spend doing the research.

 

[Orvillain]

The irony is, it is literally some of these same guys who have taken the piss out of me for caring about different delay sounds and needing so many options.

One guy once told me it didn't matter if I used a 100% wet huge hall reverb for one part, or a spring reverb.

Like.... okay.... I'm creating ambient pads, but sure.... let's just make it sound like the fucking Beach Boys or Dick Dale or some shite.

 

[DrewJD82]

I am way less into anal in my older age

Not what I heard….

 

[la szum]

 

[TSJMajesty]

some of these same guys who have taken the piss out of me for caring

DGAF about what others think. Your ambient stuff is great!

 

[hippietim]

I must have missed something - who is down on using lots of amp models at gigs?

 

[fretworn]

(Not me …)

 

[Alex Kenivel]

I'll usually flip flop between an AC30 model and a modded Mesa model - sometimes in the form of changing presets mid-song (another modeling no-no apparently).

 

[dk_ace]

I’ve been using one kitchen sink preset for years now. It’s Marshall based and through all of its iterations it does clean to high gain achieved various ways.

At one point I did this because I thought it was easier to maintain consistency in the mix that way. Now, I really just do it because it’s easier, I can dial in other amp tones to sit in the mix too. But it is really easy. Getting ready for most any gig I make as many copies of that preset as there are songs and set up the snapshots for the parts of each song and I’m done.

I’ve recently been thinking that I want to make multiple presets with some different amp flavors though. A great fender sound, or Ac30, or mesa just take you different places and inspire different things, I think I need to add a few more presets to embrace that. I doubt anyone will notice that much in the live stuff, it’s more for me.

The problem is I need the time to do it. I’ve been planning to do this for a couple months just haven’t had the time to do it.

D

 

[la szum]

I’ve been using one kitchen sink preset for years now. It’s Marshall based and through all of its iterations it does clean to high gain achieved various ways.

At one point I did this because I thought it was easier to maintain consistency in the mix that way. Now, I really just do it because it’s easier, I can dial in other amp tones to sit in the mix too. But it is really easy. Getting ready for most any gig I make as many copies of that preset as there are songs and set up the snapshots for the parts of each song and I’m done.

I’ve recently been thinking that I want to make multiple presets with some different amp flavors though. A great fender sound, or Ac30, or mesa just take you different places and inspire different things, I think I need to add a few more presets to embrace that. I doubt anyone will notice that much in the live stuff, it’s more for me.

The problem is I need the time to do it. I’ve been planning to do this for a couple months just haven’t had the time to do it.

D

That's pretty much exactly what I am doing. Which Marshall model?