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Post subject: Controlling volume: guitar vs amp
Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 7:14 am
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I'm still a fairly new player, so I'd like to get some advice for getting the best tone out of my guitar and amp, at least from a volume perspective. As I understand, volume is affected by three basic variables:

1. Guitar volume knob
2. Amp gain control
3. Amp volume contol (and various other channel and master volume controls, depending on your amp)

My guitar teacher likes to keep his guitar wide open, and he adjusts the volume on his amp. He hasn't really addressed the gain issue with me.

How do you adjust your volume to get the tone you want while also making sure you don't damage your amp? Do set the various controls differently for clean vs overdrive settings? Thanks for any advice you can give!


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Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 7:38 am
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I usually play with my guitar volume almost (8ish) cranked up all the way. I play around much more with my master tone and SPC (which is basically a DB booster also known as the ''Fat tone''). A common use is to have your guitar volume low (clean sound) and your amp fairly high in volume/gain. When you crank your knob to get the desired amount of distortion/gain. The only thing i don't like about this is in a band scenerio your guitar will often overpower everyone else around you when you want some gain. I prefer a 2 channel amp so i can set similar volume levels and switch between channels with a foot switch/or a click of the amp. Also the type of amp you have will have a direct effect on this. Tube amps (being much more dynamic) will be more sensitive and react more naturally (although i have tried a few solid states that have come quite close).

Personally my EQ's are quite similar for both channels (clean/lead).
Usually something like this: Treble: 4 / mid: 8 / low: 6

Then i'll noodle with my volume and Gain1 / gain2 (post/pre).
Also soemtiems to get the tone i want i also throw in a wah-wah pedal but use it in the Zappa way. So i won't rock it but i'll set it according to the other musicians/room/acoustics kinda like an EQ.

As you grow as a guitar player you will experiment and find something you prefer. Don't be scared to try stuff out.
You'll sound bad before you sound good.
p.


Last edited by phuot on Thu Jul 24, 2008 7:43 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 7:40 am
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I put volume all out on my bass, then control the master volume off the amp.

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Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 7:48 am
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There can be several scenarios. You could mic an amp or run it through a H&K RedBox or attenuator. Many of the new processors have compressors and limiters with noise gates.

My personal philosophy is find your best tone at a low volume and then figure out how to amplify it as needed. Good luck!

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Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 7:57 am
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These are all very different. A quick overview...

- Gain: What this simulates is having an old tube amp, cranking up the volume all the way until the tubes start naturally overdriving and distorting, while allowing the...
- Master Volume: to control the overall volume OF that sound
- Guitar knob volume: While this does control the volume, it also does other things. Having it up all the way will let the true tone of the pickups sound out. As you turn it down though, you'll also notice that - usually - the gain drops a bit and the tone starts to sound cleaner, and the treble rolls off a bit, making the tone a little rounder and bassier. There are mods and things to change the way this works, but this is probably the most common scenario.

My main rig is a 98 American Strat and a Mesa Boogie Rectoverb combo. I'll usually have the Gain at around 12:00 (straight up), the Master Volume as loud as I need the amp, and my guitar's volume between 6 and 10, depending on how much gain I need at the moment.


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Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 8:24 am
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I like putting my guitar volume at mid-range. The I adjust the amp volume to where I want it (loudness). Now I'm able to adjust my overall playing volume, either up or down from the guitar.

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Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 8:26 am
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My Marshall has a Master Volume, so I can adjust gain and volume on each individual channel as needed to get the best tone, and use the master volume to get a good level for wherever I happen to be playing, and then use my guitar volume to slightly change tone/overdrive within each channel as the song calls for.


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Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 8:58 am
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i almost always plaay witht the guitar volume wide open. Now sometimes if want to clean up a dirty tone i will back it off. Both of my amps sound better turned up, and so i try to do that and make it work for the situation as well. In most cases i use either a boost pedal for claen leads, and a overdrive/distortion as volume boost for dirty leads. This way my tone doesnt suffer.


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Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 9:17 am
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If I'm playing my Strat, I like to put the amp at a reasonable level and control it from the guitar. With my Casino, though, with two volume controls, it's much easier to adjust the amp.

So if I'm playing both during a show, it's the amp that gets adjusted.


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Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 9:18 am
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My guitars volume knob is always on 10 or full. You lose so much tone when you back off the volume knob on your guitar. I adjust volume and master or gain to obtain the desired volume and tone.

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Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 12:12 pm
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Good explanations here. I would just add that you should get use to using your guitar volume knob. It will one day be your friend.


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Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 12:27 pm
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I imagine it's also very different based on what amp you have...

For instance, I use an Epiphone Valve Junior, stock, so it only has a volume knob. Anything past 12:00 overdrives. The rest of the control is from the guitar.


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Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 12:47 pm
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Wow, I'm surprised how uncommon my approach is.

I like having my strat's volume cranked to 10, and adjust my amp's volume.
I've found that lowering the guitar's volume just takes away
what I love about my strat - the brightness, and the quack.
Plus, as you turn down the pickups output, it seems to take alot more volume to break up.

I also have my neck pickup's tone at 10, as bright as I can get it.

-David

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Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 1:22 pm
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Great topic...
Usually for me it's an amp with 2 channels... (switch to different settings)
You can also use a switcher & select between 2 totally different amps entirely.

One thing I love to do is (with my guitar's volume knob on say 9 or 10)...
Then I set the gain and master so that I am barely getting that brash slightly distorted sound.
Then when I play softly, it actually sounds clean
but if I strum or play hard the distortion starts to become more audible...

This setting is great for maybe rythym tracks but not exclusively of course.
Its nice because I can actually hear all the notes in the chord I am playing instead of a mesh of gain.
From there maybe put a tube screamer, fuzz pedal, or whatever with a light setting as well...
So when I turn on the tube screamer it takes me into those searing high gain lead sounds...

The good news is that your question is actually your own answer...
There are infinate combinations that can be exploited when it comes to gain &/or distortion.
Some of the first distorted electric guitars were actually players POKING HOLES in their SPEAKERS!
Don't poke holes in your speakers though. lol

The point is u should definately feel free to experiment...
It is doubtful u will damage an amp or whatever in my opinion but its definately possible though.
Eddie VanHalen used to get what was known as 'the brown sound'...
I heard he fried alot of amp heads because he was actually browning out
the electricity the amp was getting its power from. (I dont advise that lol)
Good luck man, maybe u will discover a hidden sound while praying to the gods of gain

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Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 1:26 pm
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^^^ Exactly, which is a good thing at time. If I have my volume all the way up on my guitar, I have the full tone of the amp. Now, if I have a quieter part to play, I can just dial it down a bit, which mellows the tone AND takes some of the gain off. When you understand what it really does and how to use it, it's a great thing.

Same with the tone knobs. You can get some extra tones and "round out" the tone to a more jazzy feel somewhat by turning the tone down.


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