Sound Advice - Guitar Players

Getting the right guitar tone is very tricky. The quest for the right combination of guitars, pedals, amps, mics, tubes, strings, picks, pickups is the holy grail for most guitar players. On top of that you have to find the right relationship between the level of the amp, input gain, EQ settings - it's an entire juggling act before you even hit that first note. I am fully aware that you want to have that special tone that is in your head and coming from your amp faithfully translated through the PA system. Here are some things you can do to make that happen with more transparency and with less stress.

First, match your sound levels very carefully. In the era of presets and stompboxes and modelling technology the number of sounds a guitar player can go through in one set is mindblowing. Even if you are working with your own sound engineer, you have to be very careful when setting levels for each preset. You want to have a seamless transition between sections and punch through the mix in just the right places, instead of disappearing in the choruses and blasting everyone’s head off with blaringly loud solo patches. Those level settings are not only dependent on your own levels, but on the arrangement of the song, so even if you have done some careful level matching on your own, always double check your work in context of the performance. An effective way of doing that is by recording your rehearsals and listening for anything that might disappear or pop out - multitrack recordings and virtual soundchecks are your best option, but even a recording on your phone can reveal anomalies that you might not have heard on your own.

Second, you have to keep in mind that your sound does not end with your amp. Unless you are playing in a small club and are not being reinforced through the PA system, your sound is coming through the PA speakers and boy, oh, boy, can it differ from what you are used to if listening to just your amp. The microphone selection and positioning are key in getting your sound right, then the rest of the signal chain will add even more difference. I have had a lot of guitar players comment on the solo guitar sound and complain that it sounds different than what they are hearing on stage. Let me share a little secret - it is supposed to. While you are concerned with getting the fullest sound of the guitar from your rig, I am concerned with shaping that sound in the context of the mix. That usually means shaving off the frequencies that might compete with other elements of the mix and create unpleasant sound when being reinforced. So if you are listening to your channel during a virtual soundcheck, listen to the sound in the context of the song, not only in the context of “the sound in your head”. Depending on how busy the mix is, you might have to concede to some sonic differences for the benefit of the big picture.

One big difference between guitarists that are “road tested” and those who might not be so well versed yet is the way people manage their stage levels. Experienced guitarists know that they need to get their tone without compromising other act members on stage. There are several ways you can do that. The obvious one is turning down the volume. But that is not always the option. I am completely aware that guitar tones are very dependent on the input gain and output volume of the amp and cabinet speakers give a different saturation with high levels. Having said that, finding the lowest possible denominator of level and sound can be of great benefit to the show. 

If, however, your levels are high because of monitoring issues, here is something you can do. Try directing the sound of the guitar cabinet directly to your ears and away from the audience. That can mean having the amp from the side of the stage, raised or tilted, so that the center of the speaker is aimed directly at your head. That way you have much better control over the sound as well, since you will be hearing the entire frequency content, instead of a significant high frequency cut that happens if the amp is right behind you, on the floor of the stage, aimed at your knees. Another approach you might try is aiming the amp away from the stage and the audience, requesting the sound in your monitor wedge instead. It might differ from the amp sound, but you can get a bit more control that way in certain scenarios. You can also try experimenting with power soaks, iso boxes or guitar modellers - all great solutions for managing sound levels on stage.

The last thing I want to touch upon is the use of spatial effects in your sound. Guitar sounds can be quite dull without reverbs and delays and guitar players experiment with their spatial positioning all the time. The only caveat here is that if you set a space that is very different from the tone of the song, it might be hard to place that tone in the context of the entire band’s mix. Even more problematic, overloading your sound with reverb will push it back in the mix and no knob on my board can bring you back from the depths of “The Pit of Early Reflections”, making it impossible to make your sound more punchy or present. My advice - find a level that feels good, and go just one notch back to accommodate for what happens during sound reinforcement. Then talk to your sound engineer and get their opinion. They might suggest changing the type of the reverb or some minor setting adjustment that does not affect your sound greatly, but it matches it more closely to what the mix needs to become an impactful, cohesive piece of art.

And, as always, keep an open dialogue with sound engineers. Ask questions about your sound, the mix, how it all fits together. That way you can gather valuable information and then decide which of those you can implement into your sound, playing style or anything else that might make you better at your craft.