"Turn you amp up - it will sound better" - Fender Princeton test

[pauln]

In the studio, maybe all of this is audible.

But, on a gig, I find this -- often, in the first set everything sounds terrible and in the second set, the exact same gear/settings sound fine. Why? Probably because I need to acclimate to whatever my rig sounds like in that particular room.

Also, in some rooms I never get a sound I like -- with the exact same gear/settings that sound good elsewhere.

So, with dramatic variations in how I perceive the exact same thing, it's hard for me to get excited by subtle differences (I'm not even sure I hear) depending on how I have the guitar and amp volume controls set.

The most important thing is how it sounds out in front to the audience... when it sounds best to the audience it very well may sound kind of dull, muddled, and a bit thumpy listening to oneself on stage. Best thing in the world is to recognize, get used to, and learn to hear yourself with that muffled on stage sound. You can test and verify this with a long cord during sound check; then just have faith that the tone and blending with the band your audience hears is better than what you hear.

[KirkP]

How nice to hear a youtube gear demo by someone who actually plays well!

The 7 setting on the amp seemed to have a bit more mids in the right place for me. I describe that as warmth, body, or muscle and is usually what I aim for. The slightly increased hiss from the input tube is a penalty I can usually live with.

The 4 setting seems thinner. But your 7 setting also seems slightly louder, which can greatly effect perception. Did you set the two volumes with a VU meter or did you just set roughly equal volumes by ear?

[sgosnell]

I just tried this with my Vibrolux Reverb, as well as the Little Jazz and Clarus/RE. This is just my preference and taste, but I prefer having the amp low and the guitar up, by far. When the amp gets turned way up, the tone becomes softer, fuzzier, less defined. I had the old VR serviced not so long ago by the top tube amp tech in the Houston area, and he said it was one of the best-sounding VRs he had heard. Personally, I don't like it that much, preferring my other amps, but that's just me. I just don't like the sound of a tube amp pushed hard. I prefer clarity and definition. I know I'm in the minority on that, but my preferences are valid for me.

[Robertkoa]

With modern Cab IRs amd modelers and/or Tube Preamps and/or Attenuators , load boxes etc..

You don't need to subject yourself to high SPLs AND your family , neighbors etc. to listening to you play 2 to X hours per day.

Even if you are Eric Johnson or George Benson or John Williams - people don't want to hear you when not in the mood.

Thread 2- why does the Soundman keep turning me down ?
" Too loud in the Mix"

[KirkP]

With modern Cab IRs amd modelers and/or Tube Preamps and/or Attenuators , load boxes etc..

You don't need to subject yourself to high SPLs AND your family , neighbors etc. to listening to you play 2 to X hours per day.

Even if you are Eric Johnson or George Benson or John Williams - people don't want to hear you when not in the mood.

Thread 2- why does the Soundman keep turning me down ?
" Too loud in the Mix"

This thread is not about playing louder, it’s about backing off the guitar’s volume pot to change the frequency response of the magnetic pickup. Doing so requires turning the volume knob up on the amp to keep the same sound level in the room. Some people like the result and some people don’t. It costs nothing to try it, so why not?

[BFrench]

0.5watts on BCH with guitar volume 1/2-2/3 with amp master wide open and channel volume on about 2-3 is more than plenty loud, perfect is combination of amp and guitar acoustically in volume, best of both worlds for me

[One_Note]

I use alightly different approach for playing at home. Volume on amp set seven or higher, but with a volume pedal in the fx loop at about 25% and the Tele between 8 and max.

Sounds good to me and better than the amp at 3, which would produce the same db's.

I do something similar. Running the amp hotter but hitting it with less volume seems to achieve additional warmth and compression compared to running the amp at low volume and hitting it with normal volume from the guitar/pedals.

I do this with a Tone Master Deluxe Reverb, but it reacts similarly to a tube amp (and has power scaling as well, which helps for playing at home volumes)