Tone at home vs. tone at a gig

Tom Karol · #1 10-24-2010, 10:49 AM

It's interesting. I've learned this the hard way over a long period of time. When I play (for example) my 'Jazz' guitar through my Henriksen amp at home at low volume, I get 'perfect' tone by leaving all 5 bands of EQ flat and rolling off the tone on the neck pickup from 10 to 5. When I play out as a solo, I have to roll off the 100 Hz control on the amp just a little bit. When I play in a (Jazz) group - even it it's just a duo - I find that I need to roll off the 100 Hz knob a bit more and roll off the 300 Hz knob to a lesser degree as well, and I also nudge the 3 kHz knob up and return the tone control on the guitar to 10. Further adjustments depend on the room's sonic characteristics and the volume level at which I'm playing. I'm sure some of you acoustical engineers out there can explain it, but that's my long time empirical experience. Just thought I'd mention it.

billkath · #2 10-24-2010, 11:15 AM

Your experience is correct.
It's very simple-it's to do with the room reflections, standing waves and absorption, the absorption of the furnishings and people, and also the way the ear detects different frequencies at different volumes--Google "Fletcher-Munson curve" for details on that. It's all inter-related.

docbop · #3 10-24-2010, 11:15 AM

It's not only the room, but amp's and cab's their tone changes with volume. So always have tweak for room and level changes.

wizard3739 · #4 10-24-2010, 12:03 PM

Hiya Tom,

I have had pretty much the same experience as you. I need to adjust the tone for every gig to get the sound I like. When I am playing at home, I get a great tone and the chords are really warm and perhaps a bit more appealing.

wiz

keith · #5 10-24-2010, 02:30 PM

Tom do you play through a monitor or straight off your amp?

Another thing I've noticed is how much the amp placement relative to me, effects the sound that I'm hearing and hence playing off of. It really seems to be a work in progress every time to get that sound that sings to you.

Tom Karol · #6 10-24-2010, 03:37 PM

Wiz - No matter how much time I spend 'perfectly' dialing in my sound at home, it seems that my documented settings are only a starting point when I get to a gig.

Keith - I normally play straight through my amp - no monitor. I agree that amp placement relative to me (as well as relative to the room - particularly the back wall, though a closed back cabinet diminishes that aspect a little bit) is a big factor.

And I've noticed that my new AmpWedge thingy (I posted about it a few weeks ago), which tilts the amp up at about a 20 degree angle, helps alot.

But the funny thing is that while I'm so meticulous about dialing in the settings of my guitar and amp in my home music room, when I get to a live venue it usually all seems to get filed under, "Best laid plans ...!"

Jake Hanlon · #7 10-24-2010, 06:26 PM

one of the real beautiful things about the Henriksens is that you really can take that tone you want and get it in just about any reasonable room without too much effort.

No two rooms react the same way, especially to amplified instruments. I always hated going to gigs in big rooms or rooms where my tube amps would just get too boomy. You can't leave your settings glued in place and that was always my main issue with current generation tube amps, most of them are very limited in my opinion.

Myself I like to experiment with tones a lot but typically when it is time to play it's always the same now that I get that 5 band eq which is just so superior to most other amps imo. Best piece of gear I ever bought.

Tom Karol · #8 10-26-2010, 07:48 AM

You know, I've been thinking (Oh no, not again!):
It's not just the acoustical properties of a venue. It's also the psycho-acoustical properties of playing with other instruments. My duo partner plays an electronic keyboard; it produces alot of midrange content, so I need to thin out my tone a bit (as compared to playing solo) to blend well. When I comp when he plays sax, I can have a bit more bottom end. When I play with a singer/songwriter who uses an amplified acoustic 12-string, I can have more mid-range but cut back a bit on the high end to get a good blend; I still have to complement - not compete with - her vocals. It's a never-ending quest!

cosmic gumbo · #9 10-26-2010, 03:51 PM

This whole truth of how things really sound in a real world playing situation leaves me laughing when I hear how many living room guitarists spend tons of money and become gear freaks, not realizing that their elusive dream rig sounds like crap the minute they leave the world of their living room, bedroom, basement, etc.. Tom, you're right about how it actually sounds when it blends with other instruments. That's real.