Am I being a Diva?

[andrus108]

OP already answered in post 44 that it actually worked, although with PA and controlled volume.....

...nevertheless, as also an OWNER of two slanted and one straight Marshall cabs, I can say this:

1) One half stack looks like a slightly over-sized combo amp, that is almost wimpy, so two half stacks is double wimpy; but one FULL stack is what REAL MEN play! (before upgrading to a wall which consists of full stacks, not half, never have a row of half stacks created a wall, a hedge at best)
2) The sound will become more pleasant (less fizz) in a full stack mode. Why? A guitar player can (finally) hear all the treble they've been killing the front row with before, and will adjust accordingly
3) +1 on phase issues; also a full stack works like PA's line array: setting up speakers vertically expands horizontal coverage, two half stacks spaced apart are like two narrow cones in two different places, makes absolutely no sense.

BONUS TIP: emptying the bottom cab and turning the top 4x12 into a diagonal 2x12 will a) put money in guitarist's pocket for the sold speakers, b) make the top cab lighter without taking away functionality, c) make the bottom cab from just a cab into a cable box, stage prop and amp stand at once!

 

[Mantis Tobaggan]

I think you should put another cab on his side.

 

[3bc]

I played bass in a three piece grind band in high school. Also played guitar in an emo band at that same time. We mostly played basement shows, but got on same great bills at the fireside here in chicago.

I actually gave my guitar player my guitar stack to run through an ABY pedal and have one stack on each side of the “stage”. While it probably sounds silly, playing two cabs through a 100 watt head sounds great, playing two separate cabs through two separate heads sounds amazingggg... for grind. It worked for us. It has the same effect as running one guitar track straight up the middle of a mix, vs overdubbing it and splitting them stereo. Can’t get that effect with only one head tho... We were “competing” against other bands in our scene that had two guitar players, some even two stand alone singers (screamers). It allowed us to sound and loud and doomy as any of them.

Not a diva for not wanting to deal with that, but for the right style of music, it can sound pretty cool...

 

[bassboysam]

i mean if you're doing it for the look then you need to stack the cabs. splitting them just makes it look like you have an unused cab on stage.

 

[BergerHead]

Should I just let the guitar player put his additional cabinet on my side of the stage? Am I being a Diva?

NO! Loud guitarists are naturally hostile toward bassist, i like them best playing over earphones on stage, so they can play as loud as they like then and get a 3-6db less on the monitoring or foh. I'll take a stable snare instead!

 

[Gyver]

Should I just let the guitar player put his additional cabinet on my side of the stage?

Yes, and you should do the same !

 

[gully_jones]

Tell him, cool I need a place to put my beer and spittoon.

 

[obimark]

You are playing with a guitard not a musician. He probably cant even hear your bass at all.

 

[HardNHeavy]

haha typical guitar player and their frikkin marshalls. you need to be working rhythms with the drummer as a unit and need to hear him..guitarist keep his sht on their side of stage....imo

 

[Wesley R]

The last volume war I was in cost me some temporary increase in spending and the band sounded like crud. The driving force to admitting we had a problem was me renting two large power and 4 - 2x15 cabs and basically creating a problem that could not be ignored.

In my defense, this was a last ditch effort to open peoples eyes as previous discussions failed.

 

[denhou1974]

" I want to put one of my cabs on your side of the stage! That way I will have a wall of sound going at the audience"...

Straight up, NO.

 

[klejst]

Just rock so much that the crowd will not even notice your backline/drop...

 

[EricssonB]

Dude needs to turn his ego down and keep it to one cab. He's not trying to power an arena in 1973. Maybe convince him to reduce to a 110.

Not sure if it's been said, and I'm going to caps it because you probably have ear plugs:
WEAR EARPLUGS. THAT IS A DANGEROUS AMOUNT OF SOUND. HEARING DOES NOT COME BACK AFTER IT WANDERS OFF.

 

[bassboysam]

does anyone really not wear earplugs this day and age?

 

[MCS4]

I wonder how many people on this thread who are focused on volume issues have much experience playing or attending local hard rock/metal shows. Probably at least 75% of the time you will see two or more guitar cabs on stage, regardless of whether there are one or two guitarists in the band. The volume is always "too loud" for it to be safe to attend without good earplugs, and generally every band will play as loud as the venue will allow, which usually is what both the audience and the bands actually want. Stage volumes are generally very loud as a rule, and often the PA provides minimal if any support to the instruments. That being said, the venues are typically small enough that one 4x12 is enough to fill the venue with no PA, so no one gets to really crank their guitar amp anyway -- meaning the potential difference in max volume between a half stack and full stack is immaterial. In my experience, it is very rare for one guitarist to be obnoxiously loud in comparison to the rest of the band, regardless of how many cabs they have because, frankly, everyone is loud and there is "nowhere to go."

The concept that two guitar cabs inherently equates to "too loud" makes no sense this context, regardless of whether it might not be sensible for other reasons.

 

[Muziekschuur]

For these occasions I bring three 8x10's or my 4x15. And I will go as loud as needed untill drumsticks are flying.

I once used my Bagend P.a. to get to that point. After that .... they know. THERE IS A LIMIT.

 

[Alan Ace Cooper]

I love the thought of going the Mark King route.

 

[BergerHead]

I love the thought of going the Mark King route.

View attachment 3381571

Yeah, if i d'be the band boss all other would play on earphones (get the drummer a Roland) and only me on 3 SVT + 8x10 ... i don't like Trace amps btw!

 

[godofthunder59]

So...I play in a hard rock/metal band. My band mates and I get along great, love those dudes. Our members consist of Drummer, Singer, Bass, Guitar, and Synth/Keys. We are finishing up a 5 song ep and have played quite a few local shows.

For all the shows we have played, I will set up on the left side of the drummer with my GK rig (NEO 4x10 8ohm, 1001 RBII head), and my guitar player to the right of drummer with his Marshall 4x12 and Marshall head. I have NEVER had any issue what so ever hearing my guitar player during our live shows, and neither has any other members (maybe drummer, but the guy hits so hard I dont think he can hear anyone but himself hah).

Recently, our guitar player purchased another Marshall 4x12 cab. He is now rocking a full stack which looks badass! At last band practice, guitar player brings up this great idea. " I want to put one of my cabs on your side of the stage! That way I will have a wall of sound going at the audience"...I thought he was joking at first, but hes dead serious. Couple things here:

1.) Just 1 4x12 cabinet is totally fine power wise for any venues we will be playing in our area.
2.) I personally have never seen any of my favorite bands or bands that WE as a band look up to, put another guitar cabinet on the side of the bass player UNLESS there was 2 guitarist.
3.) I personally just think it would be kind of...tacky ya know?

I have absolutely no problem what so ever with guitar player rocking his full stack on his side of the stage! I think it looks very bad ass. I mean, it's going to really blow loading in/up, but hey...thats on him. I am not intimidated by his rig in any shape or form. My GK rig with BBE sonic maximizer, Darkglass pedal, Keely bassist, and my Fender Elite sounds mean as hell and is VERY loud.

Should I just let the guitar player put his additional cabinet on my side of the stage? Am I being a Diva?

That's all you need is the guitar player blasting in your face all night. I'd say the guitar player is the diva. Tell him to keep his crap on his side of the stage.

 

[sqlb3rn]

Sounds like you're being a diva. I don't understand the problem with having a guitar cab on your side of the stage. I've played in bands with 2 guitarists, and one of them has a cab next to mine... I don't see the issue.