Sunday's Gig

[Nubbs]

Yesterday I was asked to replace the lead guitar player for a worship band at my church. The songs that were chosen were well rehearsed by the drummer, piano player, acoustic guitar and bass. I know them also, except in the three bands I am lead guitar/vocal in I play them differently. I would guess the difference is they like to sing and play in a more traditional style.

As we were getting set up the fella running sound is an accomplished guitar player and had a few more years doing it more than I do. After warming up and setting my Express 5:25/10" to comply with the bands sound I was filling in for he came up and asked why I had my clean and overdriven sounds so same like. I said that in the other bandmates have a more "conservative" sound affinity and did not like the sound I normally use.

Well after a short discussion we both agreed to set the overdrive (red channel) to a pretty solid dirty sound, in fact more than I usually use. We also reset my clean sound to a chimey ring.

At this point a discussion broke out with the band and the sound guy about how the lead guitar should sound. After about two minutes the sound guy said, "here's the thing, on stage you cannot hear the sound as it hits the FOH and therefore you are not a good judge of what is being heard". Needless to say the bandmates were skeptical but agreed with the sound guys assessment.

We played the first four tunes and then came back to the stage for the last four. As we met off stage after the first set, they all came to me and said the sound was fantastic and what I was improvising for the solos were better than what they were use to hearing. After the second set the entire church stood up and clapped for the band.

The last song is He Reigns and it is a very simple tune made up of F-C-G that repeats. On the opening and the solos I play in the red channel and riff a jazz and blues lead line. Every time I have done this in the groups I play in it always gets people standing and enjoying the music.

The point I am making is having two distinct sounds is exactly what was needed and the Express 5:25/10", unmic'ed, was just the ticket!


Nubbs

Taylor Classic SolidBody
Taylor T-5
Carvin DC-200 Koa
Washburn Prairie Song
Mesa Boogie 5:25/10"

 

[gadgetfreak]

Sounds like you had fun, learned a ton and everyone enjoyed the show. Awsome stuff, good to hear people enjoying there equipment.

 

[Newysurfer]

Yesterday I was asked to replace the lead guitar player for a worship band at my church. The songs that were chosen were well rehearsed by the drummer, piano player, acoustic guitar and bass. I know them also, except in the three bands I am lead guitar/vocal in I play them differently. I would guess the difference is they like to sing and play in a more traditional style.

As we were getting set up the fella running sound is an accomplished guitar player and had a few more years doing it more than I do. After warming up and setting my Express 5:25/10" to comply with the bands sound I was filling in for he came up and asked why I had my clean and overdriven sounds so same like. I said that in the other bandmates have a more "conservative" sound affinity and did not like the sound I normally use.

Well after a short discussion we both agreed to set the overdrive (red channel) to a pretty solid dirty sound, in fact more than I usually use. We also reset my clean sound to a chimey ring.

At this point a discussion broke out with the band and the sound guy about how the lead guitar should sound. After about two minutes the sound guy said, "here's the thing, on stage you cannot hear the sound as it hits the FOH and therefore you are not a good judge of what is being heard". Needless to say the bandmates were skeptical but agreed with the sound guys assessment.

We played the first four tunes and then came back to the stage for the last four. As we met off stage after the first set, they all came to me and said the sound was fantastic and what I was improvising for the solos were better than what they were use to hearing. After the second set the entire church stood up and clapped for the band.

The last song is He Reigns and it is a very simple tune made up of F-C-G that repeats. On the opening and the solos I play in the red channel and riff a jazz and blues lead line. Every time I have done this in the groups I play in it always gets people standing and enjoying the music.

The point I am making is having two distinct sounds is exactly what was needed and the Express 5:25/10", unmic'ed, was just the ticket!


Nubbs

Taylor Classic SolidBody
Taylor T-5
Carvin DC-200 Koa
Washburn Prairie Song
Mesa Boogie 5:25/10"

hehehe Nubbs - that's all fine and dandy provided you know and trust the judgement of the sound guy.
If you don't you have no option but to trust your own judgement - its your performance after all.
When you're filling in then it's fine to go with the flow of what they want.

Totally different situation when it's your band, and your sound on the line, and you're being paid to entertain

 

[FXR]

So what were your settings and how did you use the two channels back and forth?

 

[tonejam]

Here's the thing, as far as I'm concerned.
A sound guy has no right to tell a musician how to set his sound, no matter how experienced the sound guy is. It's the MUSICIAN's sound, not the sound guy's! So many sound guys just don't get the fact that a musician will not perform well if he isn't happy with his sound, no matter how great the sound guy thinks it is.
What is the sound guy's job? As far as I'm concerned, it's to get the band's sound out to the audience, not to change it to his own tastes.
One of the biggest problems I have had is with sound guys who don't provide any accurate idea of the FOH balance, in what they're giving back to the band in the fold-back. I had a guy actually come on-stage and turn my volume control down on my guitar amp. I was loud because he had the lead singer excessively loud in the fold-back, and that's what I balance my guitar volume to! I later went and changed all the settings on the FOH desk, to let the sucker know how it felt.
I remember reading about when Eric Clapton's band, Cream, first went into the studio. They brought their full rig in with them, and told the engineer "we're going to play exactly how we play live, and YOU FIX IT".
I agree.