crank amp or guitar?

[birv2]

I was just discussing this topic with two good players tonight, and they had completely opposite views.

Is it better to crank the amp's volume all the way and then control the volume from your guitar? Or the other way around? I'm talking about tube amps here.

I experimented some tonight, and I think it sounds better to crank the amp.

Any thoughts?

Bob

 

[just strum]

I have heard on a couple of occasions that in most cases you want to crank the amp and control as much as you can from the guitar. I don't have a tube amp, but I usually apply it when I am playing.

 

[sumitomo]

I mess around with both,but B.B.King says he cranks the amp all the way up and controls the rest at the guitar and its worked for him for a long time now.Sumi

 

[sunvalleylaw]

I think it depends on the amph and the need for volume. I think turn up the amp so that with the guitar turned up to anticipated desired volume, with desired pedals, volume is right, then use guitar to control. On my C-30, 3 to 5 is often all I need if I am mic'd, and I then can use guitar volume to control it. At least that is what I learned from my betters here at the fret! :beer:

 

[F_BSurfer]

I always adjust volume at guitar
Depending the amp I use, my pro jr i like at about 12 o'clock

 

[Jimi75]

I think it depends on the amph and the need for volume. I think turn up the amp so that with the guitar turned up to anticipated desired volume, with desired pedals, volume is right, then use guitar to control. On my C-30, 3 to 5 is often all I need if I am mic'd, and I then can use guitar volume to control it. At least that is what I learned from my betters here at the fret! :beer:

+1
Very good explanation. I couldn't live without working the guitars volume. I set my amp on break up mode, most of the time with a pedal on like for example the TS-9.

 

[tot_Ou_tard]

In my limited experience a hybrid works.

I only play at home & volume is an issue. I can get great results with the Fender Champion 600 by keeping the amp low & blasting it with a clean boost.



You can still control things with the guitar volume from there.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

+1
Very good explanation. I couldn't live without working the guitars volume. I set my amp on break up mode, most of the time with a pedal on like for example the TS-9.

Thanks Jimi for the complement. It all came from this place. For me, I would do the same as you but use the Bad Monkey, which is basically my TS-9 substitute.

 

[markb]

When I last used a single stage amp (i.e. no master volume), a Fender Pro Junior, I'd set the amp for crunch, use the guitar for clean and kick it into solo drive with a Tube Screamer. Very flexible rig and a minimum of tap dancing.

 

[Algonquin]

I am not the knowledgeable resource when it come to this, but I prefer tone that comes from a full on guitar and amp signal!

I realize that turning down the volume on the guitar will clean up your sound somewhat, but I feel it robs your sound to some degree.

I understand this may be a result of my equipment and not yours... so don't hold me to this.

 

[just strum]

They don't make amps that go to "11" for nothing!!!

 

[Spudman]

Them amps is made tuh be KRANKED! Light em up brother.:rockon:

I don't max mine but the clean channel gets turned up into mild to mid breakup when the guitar is wide open. Very much like Jimi75. Tubies likes tuh be warm.

 

[Rocket]

Why choose... crank both!

 

[Spudman]

Why choose... crank both!

That's the spirit.:AOK:

 

[wingsdad]

They don't make amps that go to "11" for nothing!!!

Ah, but guitars can go there, too.

 

[Brian Krashpad]

I think it depends on the amph and the need for volume. I think turn up the amp so that with the guitar turned up to anticipated desired volume, with desired pedals, volume is right, then use guitar to control. On my C-30, 3 to 5 is often all I need if I am mic'd, and I then can use guitar volume to control it.

This sounds right to me. I set the amp at the max volume I want with the volume on the guitar all the way up. I do not just max out the amp totally. For the amps I have, if I mistakenly hit the guitar's volume knob all the way up with the amp at 10, people would get deafened. Playing with a drummer and a band sitch my Sunn is usually around 6 or 7 outta 10. Generally the guitar volume is all the way up or just a smidge backed off, maybe moreso depending on the song and the relative volumes of the other players. For solos I have a volume pedal.

 

[hubberjub]

I don't think they are just talking about volume. They are talking about overdriving the power amp tubes. That's why I like low wattage amps. My Mesa is 35 watts and my Soldano is 20. Either amp is plenty loud to gig with. I keep the volume cranked on the amp and use my volume pedal to control the output.

 

[LagrangeCalvert]

This sounds right to me. I set the amp at the max volume I want with the volume on the guitar all the way up. I do not just max out the amp totally. For the amps I have, if I mistakenly hit the guitar's volume knob all the way up with the amp at 10, people would get deafened. Playing with a drummer and a band sitch my Sunn is usually around 6 or 7 outta 10. Generally the guitar volume is all the way up or just a smidge backed off, maybe moreso depending on the song and the relative volumes of the other players. For solos I have a volume pedal.

+1

I don't use a volume pedal but I do prefer a guitar with 4 pots so you can set the neck pup at a lower volume and roll the tone back some to get a great rhythm sound then just go to the middle position for gritty tones and then the full on bridge tone/volume for more gain and leads....I use a BBE green screamer if I need more tonal/volume options.

My Delta Blues/Classic 30 stays at about 4/5 on the clean channel and 7pre/6post on the lead channel.....I use the BBE green screamer on the clean channel to get a Texas blues style breakup and as a gain boost on the lead channel.

Now when I get my Peavey Windsor studio (if I don't fire bomb Musicians Friend and UPS first) I will be using the volume on the guitar to control gain and overall volume.

IMHO good single channel and class a amps respond better to the guitar volume pot.....

 

[Plank_Spanker]

It depends on the amp. When I play my Germino, I have to keep in mind not only the volume, but the the distortion threshold I want to work at. With the the amp parked around 11 o'clock, I can get squeaky clean with a lower guitar volume, and roll into some nice distortion when I crank the guitar up. Sometimes I'll set the volume on the amp a bit lower to leave it full time clean and use the ToneBone for distortion.

With the Johnsons, I usually leave the guitar volume full up. I can set the volumes and gain of the patches I use individually.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

+1


My Delta Blues/Classic 30 stays at about 4/5 on the clean channel and 7pre/6post on the lead channel.....I use the BBE green screamer on the clean channel to get a Texas blues style breakup and as a gain boost on the lead channel.



IMHO good single channel and class a amps respond better to the guitar volume pot.....

I own only the C-30 so that is the program I am working on. It is gratifying to know I am learning effective techniques from the good folks here. I am going back to no effects and using just the amph channels too to figure that out as well.

Plank, that makes sense to me on your Johnson given its capabilities. I don't own one yet, but do you think that approach would be a good way with another modeler like the Vox ADs?

 

[Plank_Spanker]

Plank, that makes sense to me on your Johnson given its capabilities. I don't own one yet, but do you think that approach would be a good way with another modeler like the Vox ADs?

I'm not really familiar with the AD's, but if you can set the volume and gain level of each patch, I see no problem with just parking the guitar's volume at full. Just set the amp's master volume at a level you need for the loudest patch.

However..................

I still use the guitar's volumes with the Johnsons to balance the mix with both pickups selected or to roll back a bit for rhythm if I'm using the same patch for a lead.

There's a huge difference between playing the Johnsons and the Germino. The Germino needs to played just like the guitar, and that's a never ending dance on the volume knobs and careful pick attack.