uncle fester Posted July 12, 2020 Share Posted July 12, 2020 This is to you folks with many guitar and amps to play with. What drives you to specific guitar / amp combinations for regular gigging, or just sitting around. And then if you want to mix it up, what do you change in your set up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twang Gang Posted July 12, 2020 Share Posted July 12, 2020 My purpose in owning different guitars was that they sounded different. So choosing which one to use and with what type of amp depended on the gig that we were doing (and the corresponding material/set list). At the end of my band career I stopped using an amp altogether and just ran through a signal processor direct to the PA and it had over a 100 different settings, so could do many jobs regardless of the material being played. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mihcmac Posted July 12, 2020 Share Posted July 12, 2020 (edited) My all P90 guitar collection, feel and play different, neck access on my SG's and LP Junior DC is incredible. LP Standard is extremely precise but fret 21 and 22 are hard to reach. Blueshawk is a tone machine with hum cancelling a Vari-Tone and a 25.5" scale neck that is smooth as silk. Explorer has a wonderful neck and is extremely well balanced. The Tele is heavy but joy to play with really good neck access. Then there is the weight range from light to heavy, what does my back feel like. Pickups, I decided a while back that I couldn't live without the rude in your face squeal of a P90. My LP Special DC was proving to be noisy at times and I thought hasn't anyone come up with a better way to control P90's. My search ended with the Epiphone Blueshawk which uses a reverse coil P90 in the neck position and a dummy coil inside. Then I though I should get a Gibson Blues Hawk with Blues 90s, but the Epiphone version won out on many levels, specially because it has true P90s. After this I reworked all of my P90 guitars to have hum cancelling using reverse Coils. My amps I discovered needed to be tweaked for P90s so I got rid of my contrary humbuckers. Over the last few years I have been using my Roland Cubes most of the time while also having a Fender half stack and a Deluxe. Then I started trying out new tube amps and decided it was time to return to the tube world after gladly leaving it in the 70s. So now I play my Stage Right 15's most of the time unless there is no power then the old Rolands come out... My most currently reliable guitars are selected first, Amps, the lightest load possible. Unless I just want to enjoy the sound of multiple amps. Edited July 13, 2020 by mihcmac 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveFord Posted July 13, 2020 Share Posted July 13, 2020 Not too many amps but for guitars it's kind of what I'm doing and also I just get fixated on one at a time. Played a Martin acoustic for a year, for instance, and seldom looked at an electric. Can't play a Flying V if you're sitting back on a couch watching the NY Giants lose but an SG or one of the lighter Les Paul models are perfect for that. Roy Buchanon really got me thinking about guitar sounds: it was his old Telecaster but then late in his career he switched to a gold top with humbuckers. He sounded JUST LIKE Roy Buchanon. I think that once you get to a certain level of talent and gear it's fiddle with the knobs a bit and then the rest is the player. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retired Posted July 13, 2020 Share Posted July 13, 2020 (edited) Not that I have a lot of guitars, I only have 8 with one yet to be delivered and 2 amps. What gets me is the brand first up, I have names like Gibson, Fender, Guild, Gretsch and so on that I always wanted to own as a kid. Then when I go into a store, The flashy ones draw my attention first. I start playing one after another and then Tone of the guitars win over to where I just have to have that one. I had a Vox amp I bought that eventually shorted out. So I bought a Mustang 3 and used that, It just didn't have the sounds I was looking for in my head although I did love all the settings it had. I eventually bought a Tube amp and it seems to be what I was looking for. The Casino with P90's and that amp are the best. But I still just play in my man cave alone. Love the sustain with that combination, so I am waiting for my Custom Riviera with 3 P90's yet to come in. Edited July 13, 2020 by Retired 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle fester Posted July 13, 2020 Author Share Posted July 13, 2020 Thank you all for the replies. Very cool to read. Not as much playing around with amps to get different tones as I thought, but I appreciate the selection process you all go through choosing which guitar when. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retired Posted July 13, 2020 Share Posted July 13, 2020 Oh, I did have that Vox amp and played with that one all the time. It had tons of selections and sounds to play with. I'd love another one. I counted once and came up with like 85 settings on it. I never could get sustain on it though like this tube amp. It's a Fender Super Champ X2. Still has plenty enough stuff to play with. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted July 13, 2020 Share Posted July 13, 2020 (edited) Unc,, I have way more than I need, but it's cool to have all this stuff available. I am a big fan of tube amps, I have a Marshall, Fender and Gibson Goldtone combos. Do I need three of these? Nope, but there the are! I'm using two of them at our jam spot. Running in stereo. It's awesome. And loud when I need it.. yep! I have a few solid state amps, (Modelers) Fender and Marshall, they are great practice amps. do I need two, nah, but they're not expensive, and they both give you a lot of sonic options. On the cool factor, they're like 8 out of 10. Many people don't like em but they've probably never taken the time to dig in the capabilities these amps have. I ahve and I think they're awesome. Not that I would gig with them, they don't really hang in the mix like a good tube amp. After all, they ARE solid state. so... For electric guitars,, I'm almost ashamed to give that number, but I guess in scope, it's not that crazy based on what some other guys have amassed. . that number is 12 all the same. 5 are Gibsons, 3 Fenders, a few Epiphoine archtops, a Gretcsh,,.. My grandson's Squire strat is included here but I never play it. Neither does he so there is that. Some of these I have had for decades, others not so long,, The Gretsch follwed me home at the start of this year.. Before the fire and before Covid,, the good ol days.. as for, what setup when.. since that was the question.. !RIGHT?! Practicing, learning/reviewing songs for band work: Modeling amp, and any guitar handy. Recording: Marshall with main pedal board. (which has a compressor few ODsa Line 6 DL4 delay, and MM4 modulation) Guitars, usaully a strat, or an LP unless something else seems better fit. (Tele, 135..) Gigs: Full Marshall setup (2x12 combo w/2x12 Matched cab) or my Fender 4x10 Deville with the Main Pedal board. Guitars A les paul, and one of my strats. Edited July 13, 2020 by kidblast 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mihcmac Posted July 13, 2020 Share Posted July 13, 2020 One thing to take into account is that guitar amps are very directional, if you are positioned off the side of them you may not realize how brutally loud they could be. In close proximity position the amp so its firing at you for gigs or even practice, the interaction between the guitar and amp resonance or sustain will be at its best. If you are 10ft in front of a wall of amps it doesn't really matter, there is no place to hide.. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle fester Posted July 13, 2020 Author Share Posted July 13, 2020 4 hours ago, Retired said: Oh, I did have that Vox amp and played with that one all the time. It had tons of selections and sounds to play with. I'd love another one. I counted once and came up with like 85 settings on it. I never could get sustain on it though like this tube amp. It's a Fender Super Champ X2. Still has plenty enough stuff to play with. I haven't really chased after sustain, but have heard it mentioned a few times... what's the ultimate 'sustain' set up would you put together? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle fester Posted July 13, 2020 Author Share Posted July 13, 2020 3 hours ago, kidblast said: Unc,, I have way more than I need, but it's cool to have all this stuff available. yep 🙂 3 hours ago, kidblast said: Practicing, learning/reviewing songs for band work: Modeling amp, and any guitar handy. Recording: Marshall with main pedal board. (which has a compressor few ODsa Line 6 DL4 delay, and MM4 modulation) Guitars, usaully a strat, or an LP unless something else seems better fit. (Tele, 135..) Gigs: Full Marshall setup (2x12 combo w/2x12 Matched cab) or my Fender 4x10 Deville with the Main Pedal board. Guitars A les paul, and one of my strats. Cool 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle fester Posted July 13, 2020 Author Share Posted July 13, 2020 7 minutes ago, mihcmac said: One thing to take into account is that guitar amps are very directional, if you are positioned off the side of them you may not realize how brutally loud they could be. In close proximity position the amp so its firing at you for gigs or even practice, the interaction between the guitar and amp resonance or sustain will be at its best. If you are 10ft in front of a wall of amps it doesn't really matter, there is no place to hide.. I'm pretty conscious of what the audience is hearing... there's me, where I try and position right in front of the amp, then I got myself and I not too far off to the sides. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted July 13, 2020 Share Posted July 13, 2020 1 hour ago, uncle fester said: I'm pretty conscious of what the audience is hearing... there's me, where I try and position right in front of the amp, then I got myself and I not too far off to the sides. this is where a wireless setup wins the day. We can stand WITH the sound guy at sound check.. Or go to the back of the room, or get a beer during the first set... Awwwwwsommmme! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mihcmac Posted July 13, 2020 Share Posted July 13, 2020 2 hours ago, kidblast said: this is where a wireless setup wins the day. We can stand WITH the sound guy at sound check.. Or go to the back of the room, or get a beer during the first set... Awwwwwsommmme! that works pretty well when you have a snake with an engineer on the end.. 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted July 14, 2020 Share Posted July 14, 2020 14 hours ago, mihcmac said: that works pretty well when you have a snake with an engineer on the end.. 🙂 yes.. however... even better if you're trying to run the FOH from the stage.. right?? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mihcmac Posted July 14, 2020 Share Posted July 14, 2020 6 hours ago, kidblast said: yes.. however... even better if you're trying to run the FOH from the stage.. right?? Totally... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merciful-evans Posted July 14, 2020 Share Posted July 14, 2020 Like Twang Gang, I use a signal processor to get my sound. This then slaves the amp in 'dry' mode so it minimises any further colouration. Works well. Occasionally I might line out to the PA too. I don't need much sustain. Anyway, sometimes too much sustain can negatively impact the overall tone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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