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dealing with boomy guitar cab

S

Sabu

Aug 7, 2006
113
2
Niagara Region, Ontario
www.myspace.com
#1
Hi all

I play in a band doing party tunes from the past 50 years or so. I try to stay with 3 distinct bass tones: old-school - tone knob rolled off, more modern - tone knob on full and then slap for a few tunes.

We play a lot of smaller "grill"- type places...basically bars with restaurants - and a lot don't want massive volume, which is completely understandable.

My problem is that our guitarist, a really nice guy, uses a 4x12 Laney cab with a 100W Marshall JCM. I often (read:90% of our gigs) find that his cab puts out a "carpet of boominess" on stage, especially when he palm mutes. I can't cut through this without dialing in an aggressive sound. My equipment can do this but...it's not conducive to keeping the bar management happy to have to turn up, right?

I've asked him several times to reduce the bass in his signal but next gig it's always there. He's mentioned that he had a hearing test last summer and is something like 70% deaf in one ear. I'm wondering if that is contributing to his dialing in more bass in his signal than necessary (IMO).

I don't want to be a pain and CONSTANTLY have to ask him to change his sound. The guy is really easy-going but still...it annoys me to have to mention it and I wonder if he'll just stop caring after a while. I know live sound is never perfect.

Anyone else in a similar situation? How do you deal with it?
 
#4
Sabu said:
Anyone else in a similar situation? How do you deal with it?
Click to expand...

I've been in that boat. I've gotten to the point that if a guitar player does stuff like that, one of us leaves.

I just left a band like that. 2 guys playing slant cabs "Not for volume, just to get that extra fatness" (they said)

It sucked when they both played Strats then, one of them bought a new Les Paul. I gave the guy two nights to get a grip on his tone then I was gone. NEXT!

It's just less aggravation to change bands than it is to teach a guitar player how to sit in a mix.
 
#6
Thanks for reading. I think it's a lost cause to find a permanent solution....I'll just have to keep mentioning to him how muddy it is on stage and ask him to reduce the bass in his sound :D This weekend was crazy for a while...my ears were actually overpowered by the boominess at times and I was wearing earplugs. :rollno:

The guitarist is really a nice guy and I doubt he's doing this intentionally. It's just his "rock n roll sound" (he's been playing pro since the 80s). So it's difficult to just say "stop it!" And...I don't know if I could be adding mud to his side of the stage. He's also a great guitarist...learns solos note-for-note and on time, that kind of thing.

Still...like you've mentioned...4x12 seems overkill. I also play in a Rage Against The Machine tribute band. We are plenty loud and the guitarist (a different guy) for that uses a 2x12 combo and has never been underpowered.

Ah well. The joys of being a bassist :smug: Just gotta smile and nod sometimes...
 
#8
why do guitarists do that? honestly. i don't think they can hear it... they probably practice with that tone at home, but don't understand how their tone functions in a band setting.

i've told a couple of guitarists that their tone was "trespassing on my sonic space". i just get a blank look and then i explain. i've played with some really cool and respectful people and they tweaked their tone, but sometimes not enough to make a difference.

maybe it's just their experience level? the tone i'd use on a recording is not the same tone i'd use live... it doesn't work. i'm thinking that this might be the problem.
 
#10
Bassist4Life said:
why do guitarists do that? honestly. i don't think they can hear it... they probably practice with that tone at home, but don't understand how their tone functions in a band setting.

i've told a couple of guitarists that their tone was "trespassing on my sonic space". i just get a blank look and then i explain. i've played with some really cool and respectful people and they tweaked their tone, but sometimes not enough to make a difference.

maybe it's just their experience level? the tone i'd use on a recording is not the same tone i'd use live... it doesn't work. i'm thinking that this might be the problem.
Click to expand...

Hit the nail on the head. When soloed, some guitarists boost the bass on their amps thinking "whoaaa....listen to that full, fat sound! This will be perfect!" not realizing the amount of 125 hz stage-wash they're creating. A good FOH guy will show you how to sonically notch instruments and vocals to avoid overstepping boundaries.

Riis
 

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