Amp Up - Guitar Down (Volume)

[D.G.]

The amp matters. Also, your tolerance of the noise floor. The louder you turn up the amp, the more noise. I play with the volume close to full up and adjust the amp volume from there. Guys who constant futz with their knobs drive me nuts because, though they think they're turning back down to the same spot after their solo, they're not.

I find I like to turn down the volume on the guitar to about 8-9 with p90's and humbuckers because it moves the resonance peak out of the way and the tone becomes "sweeter", but YMMV. I trade off the slightly greater amount of amp noise floor for the better tone.

[cosmic gumbo]

Guitar down - amp up.

[Spook410]

This isn't a 'one size fits all' sort of thing.

[p1p]

“Head down, bum up”

Usually with guitar between 6 - 9.5, amp same. It’s almost never the exact same each time too. Knobs and buttons asking to be played with...

[yebdox]

I turn mine to '11'.

I saved money and had custom “11” knobs installed and instantly things got louder, and I found my metronome practice speed increased by 10%, as well. Great investment!

Wes Montgomery supposedly used the “guitar low, amp high” approach, And I can hear why that works with an L5, it reduces the mud and gives it a more stringy, open tone quality, but for any processed tone with overdrive or boost, a volume pedal after the guitar and any drive pedals, but before the delays or modulations seeems to preserve tone better, with the guitar volume between 7 and 10, depending on the guitar and pickups.

It definitely is a case by case thing, but its nice to play straight into an amp with an archtop. I probably do that 50% of the time, but delays are addictive and my pedal board calls to me...

[Doctor Jeff]

My Fishman is a loud box (pun intended), and I have the Gain and Master volume both set at 12 o'clock. The bass is at 9 o'clock, mid at 11, and treble at 2.

On the guitar for comping I set volume at 6, for solos go up to 8 or so.

Having the guitar volume way up gives a thicker tone; if I want a more defined, acousticky tone turning down the volume works.

[campusfive]

So, I documented exactly the desirable tonal changes from my guitar and amp by using the volume knob low as a choke and running the amp high. It's definitely not the kind of thing that a tone knob does exactly. Dig:

[BeBob]

^ This is a good example of the nuance that can be missed by always setting all of your knobs on full.

[KirkP]

The amp matters. Also, your tolerance of the noise floor. The louder you turn up the amp, the more noise.

It depends on the noise source. If the noise source is getting into the signal chain after the guitar’s volume control what you’re saying is true. If the noise is coming in ahead of the guitar’s volume knob, the amp up guitar down method won’t make it worse. I know, that’s a nitpick.

[Herbie]

My ES175 vol knob has a scratch right in the 8-9 area so it is a bit difficult to use it.

Most times I variate the right hand technique to vary the volume, hitting easy in te background and harder in the solos.

But sometimes I use the Tone knob as a Vol knob. Turning it to 8-9 from the background stuff it takes off a bit highs so it sits in the mix and on 10 on solos bring just a bit of cutting treble.

Overall I like to set my amp a bit ’too loud’, then I can play a bit easier with my right hand. I hate playing on too silent amp, then You have hit the strings and it sounds just awful in jazz setting. In punk songs it is great effect though!

[Roberoo]

Many pickups push too much signal into an analogue or digital amp and sound harsh. Rolling back the volume on the guitar prevents this. I started by rolling back the volume to 7 or so but have actually rolled down to 2 or 3 and got the best sound I have ever had. Of course, the amp volume comes up accordingly. One caveat, if the volume and tone pots are crap on the guitar it may sound muddy. I have found this is effective with good solid body guitars also. I have a Yamaha AES 620 with a 59 as a rhythm pickup. When I dial back the volume I can get a good hollow body rhythm sound out of it..uncanny.

[pauln]

Keep in mind the signal levels with respect to the gain stages and amp volume (attenuation)...

Typical guitar straight to amp (Fender) is more like...

pickup -> guitar volume -> first tube (two gain stages) -> amp volume control -> ... etc.

So if you drive the first tube with the guitar full up, then what the amp volume controls is a driven signal. But if you reduce guitar volume, the first tube is not driven, so it is a clearer sound that the amp volume controls. You may get the same output sound level either way by adjusting the amp volume, but the guitar volume control makes a big difference in the tone...

I have always liked mine around "8" and I notice that if I connect a VOM to the guitar cord and vary the volume, for each pickup the VOM indicates a maximum value of resistance when the volume is at "8"... not sure quite what I am measuring of the circuit in situ but I like it.