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The Combo Club

For bass players Doc...it's been that way with loud guitarists since the year Dot.

And in also going to guess your Fender amp player keeps his amp within reasonable limits. With that combo you’re after tone not volume. It’s like 12 watts I think, but still enough to fill a practice room. Is your drummer a basher or refined? If his bass drum is louder than your rig you will have to upgrade at done point, or tell him to lay off the extra oomph on that kick.
 
And in also going to guess your Fender amp player keeps his amp within reasonable limits. With that combo you’re after tone not volume. It’s like 12 watts I think, but still enough to fill a practice room. Is your drummer a basher or refined? If his bass drum is louder than your rig you will have to upgrade at done point, or tell him to lay off the extra oomph on that kick.
The Fender amp of our guitar player/singer is actually quite loud. Our drummer is 6'7" so he easily makes a lot of noise. My amp can keep up to him no problem. It is, as the story goes, only the guitar players I worry about.
 
And in also going to guess your Fender amp player keeps his amp within reasonable limits. With that combo you’re after tone not volume. It’s like 12 watts I think, but still enough to fill a practice room. Is your drummer a basher or refined? If his bass drum is louder than your rig you will have to upgrade at done point, or tell him to lay off the extra oomph on that kick.
My usual drummer now lives in Portland Or. and is that darn quiet I can't hear him at all from South Australia so my Rumble rig has no trouble with the drums at the moment..time for a new drummer loll
 
The Fender amp of our guitar player/singer is actually quite loud. Our drummer is 6'7" so he easily makes a lot of noise. My amp can keep up to him no problem. It is, as the story goes, only the guitar players I worry about.

As Popeye used to say, “We’ll blow me down!” I just lost my respect for those tone enthusiasts who were Fender’s bread-and-butter customers a few years ago. I’ll bet that baby gets a little gnarly cranked up. It’s git a fifteen in it so that’s what you’re competing against. What’s your H & K guitarist’s cab? I don’t remember and am too lazy to look.
 
The Fender amp of our guitar player/singer is actually quite loud. Our drummer is 6'7" so he easily makes a lot of noise. My amp can keep up to him no problem. It is, as the story goes, only the guitar players I worry about.
My dearly departed old Dad always joked with me that he was thrown out of The Salvation Army for putting his foot through the bass drum loll..I think he was having a bit of a go at Mum who was a Salvationist loll
 
The Fender amp of our guitar player/singer is actually quite loud. Our drummer is 6'7" so he easily makes a lot of noise. My amp can keep up to him no problem. It is, as the story goes, only the guitar players I worry about.
One of our 2 guitarists often says I'm too loud(my amp is on a stand that angles it up toward my ears). Even with that, a lotta the time I still can barely hear me 'cos he has his loud enuff for him to hear, tho it's on the floor and pointed at his lower legs. I've given up suggesting he put his amp up closer to his ears. There's always a reason not to.:banghead:
 
As Popeye used to say, “We’ll blow me down!” I just lost my respect for those tone enthusiasts who were Fender’s bread-and-butter customers a few years ago. I’ll bet that baby gets a little gnarly cranked up. It’s git a fifteen in it so that’s what you’re competing against. What’s your H & K guitarist’s cab? I don’t remember and am too lazy to look.
POPEYE.JPG
 
Part of the problem/situation is that our lower frequencies don't carry as far, esp. outside. The guitar's higher notes are more audible-to a point. Then you can only hear bass at a distance from the venue.
Many times when there are complaints of "the band's too loud", it's the high notes of the guitar 'searing the hearing', particularly of older folks.
 
Part of the problem/situation is that our lower frequencies don't carry as far, esp. outside. The guitar's higher notes are more audible-to a point. Then you can only hear bass at a distance from the venue.
Many times when there are complaints of "the band's too loud", it's the high notes of the guitar 'searing the hearing', particularly of older folks.
Totally agree with that statement GP
 
As Popeye used to say, “We’ll blow me down!” I just lost my respect for those tone enthusiasts who were Fender’s bread-and-butter customers a few years ago. I’ll bet that baby gets a little gnarly cranked up. It’s git a fifteen in it so that’s what you’re competing against. What’s your H & K guitarist’s cab? I don’t remember and am too lazy to look.
The Fender does have a 15 and is 25 watts I believe. The H&K has a 12. I'm not sure of the watts. Now the Sorin has the H&K the other guitar player, Ryan, wants to get his aspirational amp - and AC 15. I remarked that we are having an 'arms race' in the band! If that happens maybe I'll have to expand in some way, but we all use hearing protection now so I'm not sure we should get any louder.
 
The Fender does have a 15 and is 25 watts I believe. The H&K has a 12. I'm not sure of the watts. Now the Sorin has the H&K the other guitar player, Ryan, wants to get his aspirational amp - and AC 15. I remarked that we are having an 'arms race' in the band! If that happens maybe I'll have to expand in some way, but we all use hearing protection now so I'm not sure we should get any louder.

Yeah, that arms race can be hazardous to your health...literally! Back in the 80s ('member them?), the band I drummed for had the area's loudest guitarist playing lead for us. His reputation preceded him. He had an incredible rig (several trips to the car each night) and felt that his volume made him who he was. What did I know? I was 21 and a dope. I loved the volume too but had to revise my drum kit like three times to make it work with our band's sound. In case you're wondering, we became the area's loudest rock band too and I think it kept us from getting some gigs. Good fan base though. They were mostly deaf. Ah, those were the days...

Oh yeah, and the Peavey amps/PA speakers we used weighted like a million pounds!
 
Yeah, that arms race can be hazardous to your health...literally! Back in the 80s ('member them?), the band I drummed for had the area's loudest guitarist playing lead for us. His reputation preceded him. He had an incredible rig (several trips to the car each night) and felt that his volume made him who he was. What did I know? I was 21 and a dope. I loved the volume too but had to revise my drum kit like three times to make it work with our band's sound. In case you're wondering, we became the area's loudest rock band too and I think it kept us from getting some gigs. Good fan base though. They were mostly deaf. Ah, those were the days...

Oh yeah, and the Peavey amps/PA speakers we used weighted like a million pounds!
You shoulda hid his car keys Mike!
 
Yeah, that arms race can be hazardous to your health...literally! Back in the 80s ('member them?), the band I drummed for had the area's loudest guitarist playing lead for us. His reputation preceded him. He had an incredible rig (several trips to the car each night) and felt that his volume made him who he was. What did I know? I was 21 and a dope. I loved the volume too but had to revise my drum kit like three times to make it work with our band's sound. In case you're wondering, we became the area's loudest rock band too and I think it kept us from getting some gigs. Good fan base though. They were mostly deaf. Ah, those were the days...

Oh yeah, and the Peavey amps/PA speakers we used weighted like a million pounds!
My ears are still ringing today, unfortunately. This is a new development, and happened because I'm a smartass and didn't wear ear protection for most of the first year of practicing. Learned my lesson. It isn't unbearable ringing, but it is there now and I don't want it to get worse.

After our discussion this morning onTBCC I chatted with the guys via text and we've decided to aim for lowering our volumes at practice. I thought we were scaling to the drummer, until he told me he adjusting to us! We are all pretty relaxed and therefore easy to work with. For the most part I am the BL, since I have the most experience, but we operate on consensus and there are no egos in the band.
 
My ears are still ringing today, unfortunately. This is a new development, and happened because I'm a smartass and didn't wear ear protection for most of the first year of practicing. Learned my lesson. It isn't unbearable ringing, but it is there now and I don't want it to get worse.

After our discussion this morning onTBCC I chatted with the guys via text and we've decided to aim for lowering our volumes at practice. I thought we were scaling to the drummer, until he told me he adjusting to us! We are all pretty relaxed and therefore easy to work with. For the most part I am the BL, since I have the most experience, but we operate on consensus and there are no egos in the band.
I have late stage tinnitus..its only been the last 5 years or so that i've noticed it badly enough for it to become a real nuisance..so yes, ear protection is something I would invest in these days although its likely too late for me anyway, but it may still help. My hearing is extremely good otherwise according to hearing tests I did last year but I would love to go back 50 years and have had decent ear plugs protection back then, but still able to clearly hear myself and others in the band..I probably would have reduced my chances of ending up with this continuous annoying ringing in the ears that can keep you awake at night...I keep the TV on when sleeping these days to block out the tinnitus..I found it helps. When you're 25 in loud bands you never think of consequences into the future like hearing issues from volume, blown discs from lifting, or bad marriages from getting together with groupies.
 
Extreme fires in the neighbouring state to me..in Victoria bushfires are threatening towns as 1 young firefighter was killed when a fire tornado lifted his 10 ton fire truck and flipped it on its roof..2 others in the truck flown to hospital. Our thoughts go out to the Aussie, American and Canadian firefighters in Australia coping to put out these dangerous fires. The pics below are what residents woke up to in a small Victorian town surrounded by the fires..mid morning the normal blue sky was red.
Victorian Bushfires Dec 31 2019 3.JPG Victorian Bushfires Dec 31 2019 2.JPG Victorian Bushfires Dec 31 2019 1.JPG
 
Extreme fires in the neighbouring state to me..in Victoria bushfires are threatening towns as 1 young firefighter was killed when a fire tornado lifted his 10 ton fire truck and flipped it on its roof..2 others in the truck flown to hospital. Our thoughts go out to the Aussie, American and Canadian firefighters in Australia coping to put out these dangerous fires. The pics below are what residents woke up to in a small Victorian town surrounded by the fires..mid morning the normal blue sky was red.
View attachment 3648892 View attachment 3648890 View attachment 3648889


Colour me learned
 
Extreme fires in the neighbouring state to me..in Victoria bushfires are threatening towns as 1 young firefighter was killed when a fire tornado lifted his 10 ton fire truck and flipped it on its roof..2 others in the truck flown to hospital. Our thoughts go out to the Aussie, American and Canadian firefighters in Australia coping to put out these dangerous fires. The pics below are what residents woke up to in a small Victorian town surrounded by the fires..mid morning the normal blue sky was red.
View attachment 3648892 View attachment 3648890 View attachment 3648889

Hey, @Giffro, I heard that up to 90% of the firefighters in Oz are unpaid volunteers. If that is true, they deserve special recognition.