Gigging amps - Which Amp Should I Get?

You need a "gigging amp"? Not really sure what amp to get? How much Watts do you need? What is a gigging amp? I try to answer all these questions within this video. Oh and please SUBSCRIBE!
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[@luise8701]

All the tone purists be like "No digital amp comes close to valves" but can't tell apart a Kemper from an actual valve amp if they're not told which is which lol

[@shanealan2995]

Not by hearing them I completely agree. Way different playing experience though.

[@didamnesia3575]

Not true. Maybe you're going deaf? Have you done some self reflection, such as, "my friends and I are going deaf and we can't tell the difference"

[@stablehuman8551]

@@didamnesia3575OP’s comment really hit home huh?

[@Unknown-ko7xt]

1 played a gig with nearly 7000 people with just my line6 pod hd 500x. To be honest I really enjoyed that much better than my Marshall DSL 100 and ⁴/12

[@MusicIsYourFriend]

Thank you for commenting. I agree.

[@Stanseng]

I play my bass throughout the exact same thing!

[@thosenerdymetalguys3027]

This was very useful. I’m an old guitar player who switched to bass eight years ago and finally am looking to upgrade from my old Peavey combo (85lbs is too much for me to lug around anymore). Talk Bass denizens keep pushing insanely large and expensive rigs. It felt like I was hitting a wall over and over and over. This real world advice is just what I needed to hear.

[@MusicIsYourFriend]

Hi, thank you for your comment. I do these videos to help other people, so I'm glad that my words didn't fall on deaf ears. I have a whole playlist called MIYF instruments where you can check out different practices that diverge from the standard sales pitch. If you're playing gigs where your bass is fed through a P.A., try to get two channels of bass to the FOH. One that's more piano like and clean and another that has some grit to it. If you have any question on what to do feel free to drop me an e-mail. It's listed in the about section of my channel. Stay metal my friends!

[@Theweeze100]

This is really funny, I am about sixty years old and am always looking for a way to get a decent sound out of lighter equipment. When I was a kid it seems like we did not mind pushing refrigerators around from venue to venue. Several trips to the chiropractor later, I would love to have something that sounds like an SVT that fits in my lunchbox. Thanks again.

[@davevann2925]

Yes, i,m 57 and 20 years ago it was a totally different situation. Now these "kids" have a 20 ch mixer board with no wires and it looks like a laptop computer.

[@doctorskull8197]

My thoughts exactly! I’m 67, been playing rock guitar in bands over 50 years. Anything over 30 pounds is out of the question. I particularly like Line 6 Catalyst 60. LOUD! And only 26 pounds ‼️😎🔥

[@rorysstuff5129]

To resume: Get an amp you like that is loud enough to play with no one in your band being mic'd (but the singer of course!) and when it's not loud enough mic it!

[@MusicIsYourFriend]

Well yes, but I would add that you might need to ask yourself do you even need a classic amp and then if you do decide that you need something that makes noise on stage, think about the size of the amp you need. As there are small sized, under 300$ alternatives and weigh under 30 lbs/15 kg.

[@jrodgers211]

I got a fender champion 100 watt. Was about 350 bucks, i was using a 35 watt peavey solid state but couldn’t hear over my buddies drums when we’d jam, we’d basically have to set it up right next to our heads to hear the guitar. This fender amp though is plenty loud enough to hear over a loud drummer so I’m happy with it. Cheap and light and the clean channel takes pedals great.

[@LIHPIT]

That just means you need 2 amps the second amp might not be available to you idiot

[@wretch1]

Miking up your amp is just adding another device between your instrument and the PA system.

[@coyote_in_the_city]

really informative video, tank you! in the forums so many guys just try to compete each other with higher watt numbers. :D I also really like the illustrations!! they make it very comprehendsible!

[@MusicIsYourFriend]

Thank you so much for commenting. You made my day. I've spent a lot of time making these videos. The preparation or the bullet points take the most time, but then I make it all work and then I remember that I have to put in graphics. And then it's a gruelling process to make them. I'm glad that someone appreciates it. If you have any question that I might answer (all music/all instruments) or help you along to do music in any way, put it in a comment, drop me a note, I will respond one way or another and it would be my pleasure to do so. Have a wonderful new year!

[@lichkrieg4898]

I play a 15 watt tube amp and a 2x12, and even that is more than loud enough to keep up with acoustic drums at about 1 o clock on the master volume. If I'm in an extreme situation, i still have enough headroom, if i want to push the power section I'll use an attenuator, or use my cheap 4x12 cab if i need more volume. Anything over 20 watts for guitar is overkill unless you play 100% clean all the time Bass is a little bit different for a garage band setup since solid state bass amps tend to sport crazy wattage for not a crazy amount of audible volume. But more than 150 watt is enough solid state sound to bring the bass up to ear ringing volumes. I've been through tons of live shows and the gear is half the show, dimebag had a wall of empty cabs and so did yngwie...the best value a small band can offer is transparency and honesty as a show and musically.

[@MusicIsYourFriend]

And this is exactly why I made this video. The best thing would be to invest in other things. Get a decent sound. These days, you can get a good sound for not a lot of money. If you want to invest in something, invest in studio recordings, monitoring setups, a van, backdrop, stage show. These things are more important than buying an amp and a cab. Thank you for your comment.

[@Sl33zytheclown]

So yngwie wall of Marshalls is all fake lmfao. I always wondered

[@ashuzguitar]

@@Sl33zytheclown yeah bro. he doesn't turn on all the Marshall's in the wall. It's just for the aesthetics. Yngwie has atleast 4 ferraris too, and what not! Once you've made is as big as Yngwie has, you wouldn't watch a video on youtube to tell you whether or not to buy a gigging amp :P :D ;-)

[@Sl33zytheclown]

@@ashuzguitar he's just like extra. Yngwie as always lol. Love that about him tbh

[@ashuzguitar]

@@Sl33zytheclown "More is more." - YJM

[@JohnLumapaskeith]

I remember Gigging with a 15 watt Epiphone starter amp. the one that came with my les paul special 2. I was asked to turn down many times. It's mic'd of course.

[@symphonyno7mvt2]

If i hear digital sound on live performances, i leave bar/pub everytime. I like high gain and want to satisfy my hunger. It is impossible to get that tone with digital boxes on live stage. I have big respect to all musicans who trys to get their own analog sound.

[@alanredversangel]

The more I mic up my amp the more I prefer hearing the amp in a monitor and not pointing the amp at my head.i find it better for eqing too because you can eq better ar lower volume.

[@mr.rjryno5274]

who dafaq wants a chrysler k-car when you can have 600hp mustang...i have neither, but i get your point...

[@mr.rjryno5274]

I totally agree with unnecessary huge amps in a small area, but having a good 12 inch combo would be perfect for alot of situations. The reason metallica uses kemper is because they are the biggest band in the world and don't need to prove anything other than people enjoying their music. If it were the 80's, I can't really see james hetfield saying "lets go kick some ass at the whiskey a go go, oh wait i forgot my kemper in the volkswagon". But yeah it is a handy piece of equipment.

[@ricardogomezvasquez3291]

My friend, thank you so much for this valuable video.I was just about to buy a head amp and cabinet which was going to be an imminent pain for my back. I'm buying now some active good speakers, a mixer and an amp simulator with the same or less amount of money (I've been saving for one long year).

[@SciCoBunny]

Fractal FM9 with a couple expression pedals + lots of cables + 2 guitars, that's it. When the venue needs it, I carry a 2x12 from Barefaced (extremely lightweight) and a SD PowerStage 170 (solid state.... yes... solid state power amp). My show-off dream amp and pedalboard stays at home for recording, the gigging FM9 rig is a 99.95% representation of what I have home, does the job amazingly well. The 0.05% remaining is just ego. 😀

[@gabeitch3542]

Get an amp that is loud enough to be heard when none of you in your band are miced up to a PA.

[@GruevyJamLover]

Seems like an easier way to put all this would be... If you are just getting into gigging then you want a balance between what you can make sound good by itself or with any venues pa/monitor sysem. Also to be as portable as possible. I'm also pretty sure there isn't a modeler that can imitate what an old fender bassman/bassbreaker/Marshall jtm45 can do. Tones like that are in a class of their own and sound so organic and dynamic and have such a unique feel, resonse, character, and percussive nature. If anyone knows about anything that does imitate that properly please let me know. There's so much out there and I'm not an expert at all.

[@MusicIsYourFriend]

Hello and thank you for commenting. Firstly, what people usually don't consider is that a guitar player needs to put in the time into researching stuff. Buying an amp doesn't mean that you don't need to tweak it and dial it in. It takes time. It takes money when you take channel switching into consideration. Some might opt for different effect pedals ans other gizmos. Check out all these famous cats and delve into their gear. For example, Angus Young is known for his straight shooter approach. Guitar, cable, marshall amp - that's the sound, yeah? Yeah! Well, not really. He uses different marshalls with this vintage wireless unit that is a level booster and a compander (compressor and exapander) and then he uses a noise gate. Makes sense when you know that old marshalls have a very loose and flabby low end. Most players try to tighten it up. If you check out all these metalcore guys today with their high gain amps, they do similar things by using active pickups and tubescreamers that just boost the level (the gain pot is at it's lowest setting). They just use the tone pot on the the pedal to tighten the bass response on their amps. Honestly, there are so many variables to guitar tone, especially when discussing vintage gear. Take any era specific amp, but let's go with a jtm45 and say that you want to recreate a specific sound from the early 70's from some specific record. That amp, during the early days of it's production run, had every single tube/valve under the sun put into it. So firstly, you should know the exact sprecifications of that amp. And try to get these poweramp tubes. Most tube companies don't exist today and production evolved a bit, so finding a close match is a challenge. And then you need to bias them. They sound best just before they explode. :) Then you need to find the right speaker cab with the right speakers. Then you need to find an era specific guitar with era specific electronics. Then, there is the question if the original artist used a fuzz pedal, a treble booster (like a pete cornish unit) or something similar. Then you need to dial in the right settings. THen you pretty much have the thing nailed, EXCEPT that the sound that you hear in your bedroom differs from the sound that is on that specific record. Chances are that that specific guitar tone was recorded with era specific microphones (they all have different positioning) with era specific consoles. The guitar tone was mixed, eq'd and compressed, double tracked with overdubs and then mastered. I'm pretty sure that I'm forgetting some crucial part in this expose. Oh, I just remembered, my father can't hear above 6500 Hz. :) For all these reasons, I find it hard to say: 'Get this amp modeler and there you go.' Chances are that you will need to tweak the sound a bit regardless of the gear route you are on. People don't want to tinker od they think that it's more simple to tweak a few knobs on a wooden box then to copy/paste amp models and input responses. You can change any amp drastically by switching to a different cabinet impulse. I can't tell you that the guy who modeled/profiled the sound has similar taste in guitar tone. Also it depends on what is your monitoring setup both in the studio and when it comes to live sound. Good news is you can mix and match all these different platforms. You can have a marshall head or a preamp and use a cab simulator, something more like a palmer or something new like a torpedo captor. Also you can use the UA cab simulator. These things usually come with a load box, and then you can get consistent sound every day, everywhere you play. As far as the preamp section goes you can take a huge marshall head, get a smaller one (victory, prs and so on, there are options), then there are all these different modelers like the AxeFX, the line6Helix and profilers like the kemper. And the truth is that you can't tell really if it's properly tweaked and you're using the same monitor setup. A kemper doesn't care if you're profiling a very expensive 60's vintage marshall head or a brand new hi gain mesa boogie.

[@MusicIsYourFriend]

Also google Michael Britt kemper profiles. You will find many tones that you could play with there.

[@ashuzguitar]

@@MusicIsYourFriend wow man. You've written such a big article on youtube. You must know a thing or two about tones and amps. __/\__ Btw I'm an intermediate guitarist. I have blackstar fly 3 (2 5W units, one has head, one is just dummy extension. Can't really call it a cab, now can I?) and Vox stomplab 2g - which more than servers my purpose in my bedroom. However, I've recently bough a new Jackson guitar \m/, and I want to play lead guitar solos from 80's era - Ratt, Motley Crue, etc. \/, Do you think I need to buy anything? I use reaper daw, I could just buy AMPED ROOTS VFX, or NEURAL DSP VFX plugins and I believe I should be able to sound like Crue and Ratt with these alone. But I've seen these KZbinrs with lot of views tend to always have big valve tube amps and big cabinets. I think the bigger my cabinet is, and the more popular the brand of head and cab is (Marshall /Messa Boogie) the more seriously youtube audience who don't play guitar is gonna take me. Ofcourse, you would not be impressed by big gear alone. But what should I do? Should I still buy these and just keep in background, and also by VST Plugins and use that to record? I have Focusrite Scarlett Solo audio interface as well. So I need your best suggestion. Thanks a ton. \m/,

[@PushSueAside]

Wow. Thank you, you make an amazing point. Good stuff. Cheers

[@tlb2732]

You're comparing apples to oranges, and being smug and arrogant toward others while doing it. Furthermore, you're much too young to be coaching older, more experienced musicians on how the world has changed. The world is ALWAYS changing, and although you appear too self centered to acknowledge it, older musicians have more experience with world change and with music than you've lived long enough to acquire. So why not check your attitude at the door and entertain the thought that such people may know a little more than you think they do. When someone advises you to buy a gigging amp, they're not telling you this because they're too outdated to know about ampless rigs. Most avid musicians stay abreast of new technology because it benefits them. They're telling you not to waste your money buying a weak amp because if you continue growing as a guitarist who uses an amp, because you ARE shopping for one, you WILL need one capable of getting the job done on stage. They are simply trying to save you from making mistakes they've likely made themselves by recommending that you make your purchase count buy selecting an amp that will give you enough volume to play with a full band with acoustic drums plus enough headroom to prevent ruining your tone trying to play loud enough. The advice they've given you is solid advice to benefit YOU, not mislead you. Heres some more advice. Nobody wants a jerk in their band. Don't be one.

[@Bozemancurtis]

Took a little too long to make the point, but I'll always give a like to someone that's putting out content for the general good. I was actually looking for recommendations for a good amp -- which this was more a pitch for a PA with a modeling gadget.

[@MusicIsYourFriend]

What kind of amp did you want to buy?

[@Bozemancurtis]

@@MusicIsYourFriend I was considering a tube amp. I play through a modeler directly into a PA currently. I love the flexibility and ease of use -- but I know that a "pure" tone is just that much better.

[@MusicIsYourFriend]

@@Bozemancurtis Hi man, ahm I don't really know what to tell you. I don't think that "the real deal" is better. Metallica switched over to AxeFx. What is your setup? Which modeler, what sound do you normally play, do you switch between different amps, what are you using for monitoring for your guitar and for the rest of the guys in the band?

[@Bozemancurtis]

@@MusicIsYourFriend I play through a digitech IBP-10. It is a virtual pedal board and amp modeler which is controlled by an iPad. It's super convenient. I can make a specific tone for a song and reliably return to it every time with this system. So I love that aspect of it.

[@lightninginmyhands4878]

Informative. And around here it's just bars and pubs, so I'll be hauling a 212 vertical. Unfortunately the problem of _the look_ re: amp head - the tube amp vs lunchbox vs powerstage. To be continued...

[@apope06]

Actually gigging amp is a correct thing. Most times you will be playing in local dive bars or outdoor bars. If you are in a rock band you need to be loud. In most situations you arent going to have monitors. You need a loud enough amp. Your video depends on technology at local videos. Thats not a common thing.

[@MusicIsYourFriend]

I see what your point is and I can agree to a certain extent. However, times have changed and you can find a PA system nearly everywhere. On top of that I was talking about the term. You can get pretty loud with a 10w amp if you have enough speakers. And you can get pretty loud with a class D 600 Watt pa speaker with an analog or digital unit in front of it.

[@dmv3373]

ya i was thinking about this after a recent gig. i brought my bass amp head to plug into the house Cab but instead they plugged me into a combo which sounded fantastic and since it was a smaller venue, had more than enough juice especially when mic-ed up by a great sound guy. i realized that A i didn't need my head and B i brought it for nothing haha so it's definitely something to re-consider when you're in a band :) so thanks!

[@MusicIsYourFriend]

Hi D Vigz, thank you for commenting. What rig do you have now and what kind of music are you playing?

[@dmv3373]

@@MusicIsYourFriend hey no problem dude. i'm in a rap metal band called Fatal Switch. i use an Ampeg SVT400 i think (i suck with model numbers) plugged into my Bugera Bts201 or something like that. my bass is an LTD with EMG humbuckers.

[@MusicIsYourFriend]

It's a matter of logic reallly. An amp works on the first few rows only of you play in a club where you have a decent PA. If you want to be heard it's not a matter of bringing the largest amp. In reality the best thing to do in your situation would be to carve out frequencies that your bandmates are occupying and turning up your volume. The point is not to be loud where they are loud already. If you use a sample for the bass drum for example, I would remove this specific frequency from my bass tone. Also a thing which I would do is use a compressor and use two channels. A cleaner low end and a slightly fizzy top end. In reality you can get this result without an amp. All you need is monitoring. ;)

[@jdssurf]

no everywhere has a PA....why would you not want to be prepared, and also be able to jam outdoor parties snd such as loud as u want with plenty of headroom.......why cut yourself short

[@fastacesus8499]

So I have been gigging a long time. Started with 100 watt Marshalls. Over the years I have seen many many changes. Its no longer acceptable to make peoples ears bleed. These days its a solid state amp 🎤 into the pa. I can get to the sweetspot without having to crank the hell out of it. For silent stages just use pedals into a joyo America.

[@stratplayr6997]

Good video - lots of useful tips here

[@shredtildeath777]

Slight disagreement. If you’re a touring band you probably want to have a big cabinet with you just in case the PA system takes a shit. As for heading to your local place though, I agree. Simple is smart, concise is precise.

[@doctorskull8197]

Outstanding video! Very well said! Bravo, sir👏👍

[@LordBransty]

Nice review man!

[@MusicIsYourFriend]

LordBransty Thanks man. Please do subscribe. I'm going to try to push out more content soon.

[@johnmusachia466]

I agree with you one hundred percent.

[@TheChef470]

Excellent recommendations. I am an older bassist,(60+) who plays mainly clubs and the like and occasionally an outdoor show. Work smarter not harder and know a much as possible about the gig and venue you are playing.......it helps.

[@modahead]

Very helpful advice, thanks!

[@MusicIsYourFriend]

Glad to be of service. I have other videos in my MIYF Instruments playlist

[@jeffcampbell6898]

It's funny you mention Bands that use big stacks of amps on stage but I looked at a famous old school rock band's rig and all of thier speakers and heads were just empty shells and they used small Amps pointed backwords mic'd up to a PA.

[@MusicIsYourFriend]

Hi Jeff, thank you for commenting. If you just go to your local place where they usually have concerts, you will see some pretty big amps roll in. Yes, some people use empty boxes on stage as it's cheaper, weighs less and looks massive. It's basically a prop. If this is a part of your stage show - great. And yes some bigger bands have isocabs and make sound in different ways. However, if you're carrying full stacks for no reason, that's just insane. Especially if you're just putting your music out there and you don't have a trailer and a crew to lug these things around. I made another video. Check it out. The cover image is a little bit clickbaity but the content is there. IT's white with a red title.

[@ariepermadi]

Which Amp Should I Get for amp bass?

[@MusicIsYourFriend]

Well to give you an answer you need to give me more info: What is your budget? What is the purpose of your amp? Are you going straight to the P.A.? Which bass guitar? What kind of sound do you prefer?

[@ariepermadi]

@@MusicIsYourFriend what amp bass loud enough vs drum kit? Budget $266

[@MusicIsYourFriend]

I would check the local adds. Something like "Craigslist" but for your area. If you send me a link to your site with adds I can check it out if you want and tell you what amp would i buy. 250 is barely enough for a 100W bass amp with a speaker if you want to buy new.

[@ariepermadi]

@@MusicIsYourFriend how about ampeg or hartke?

[@MusicIsYourFriend]

Ahm, it doesn't work like that. Your best bet is a combo 1x15 or a 2x12 or a 4x10 combo bass amp. I would also recommend more than a 100W so you have enough headroom. Competing with the drums is easy if the drummer isn't a hard hitter. A smaller combo will do. If your drummer is an animal, then you need more power. If you have 250$ and if you want to buy new gear from a store, you won't get anything by Ampeg for 250$ that can be as loud as a drumkit. Hartke maybe offers a 150W 1x15 combo amp. That might not be the best option. The used market is where you could find a better deal and get more amp for the money. Do you have a website with used music gear in your area that i could check out?

[@GuyHarrison-nm1xt]

Put a multy effect boards threw the mixer. Then plug into a valve amp you will be laughed off stage no matter what multy effect u put threw a pa. U must be a beginner player

[@MusicIsYourFriend]

Mate don't really know what to tell you. You haven't been paying attention for the last 20 years. Currently, there are A TON of major touring artists that have abandoned tube amps for good.

[@stevee.oneder891]

Yeah but there’s a certain warmth and fullness you get from tubes/valves that digital just can’t do, it can get close but tubes just sound better to me 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@aryinc]

great. till your running into those shitty pubs with no monitoring and the singer is an exeption. ran into allot of these. a kemper looks cool but you still need a cab for back support in those situations, but 2500 euro ouch. a lbx version??, mostly doesn't cut it in those situations, big amp comes in aggain. to be honest, the big ones also sound best mostly. i had a hughes and ketner grandmeister, sounds ''okay'' at best.

[@MusicIsYourFriend]

Hi Arjan, Thank you for commenting. Yes, there are shitty pubs with no monitoring. That is a reality, and there are ways to battle that, only If your whole band is on-board and you put monitoring before your backline. However, that being said, the sound backline severely changes from place to place. Many times you will have an amp and won't be miked up. Many times you will be miked up by a bad/good/old microphone. Even if you do get a good microphone that works, you are only miking a very small part of the speaker. The microphone may move, so basically your sound can vary widely. The acoustics are also an issue. The PA is different if you're miked. The preamps on the mixer are different, the cables are different, the processing and bussing is different on the board, the sound guy is different and he controls the mix to a certain extent. So having your own sound doesn't mean much in reality. More to the fact that the guitar is only a part of the mix, not the whole mix. So yes, having a character of your sound is reality. As a guitar player, you can hear a typical Mesa, typical Marshall sound and everything in between. But you can get that from things that cost far less than a Kemper. Again, big touring bands like Cradle of Filth have 2 mooer pedals and that's it. One of the guys from Rammstein uses a sansamp pedal. Kempers are expensive. And if you have a kemper, you can go into a shitty pub, put a Tech21 power engine 60 and make more than enough noise. You can get a EHX Mangum 44 pedal and a 1x12 cab and you will be loug enough and plug your preamp into the pedal. You can get a small 1x12 cab, with a Joyo bantamp amp that can fit into the back of the cab and still make enough noise even if you're not miked up. If you want, you can plug in a your kemper into that thing and be loud enough. However, now you don't have to have a kemper. You can plug in almost everything into that setup. Check out my thumbnail, you will see. with a Helix, Helix stomp, Sansamp Flyrig, Mooer preamps + Radar pedal, Boss preamp pedals and the GT1000, all sorts of pedals (too many to count i'm just going to mention H&K, Mesa Boogie, heck even Behringer), Sansamps (at least 20 models), The flyrigs sansamps are something else, Palmer Pocket amp, headrush effects, Fractal stuff (ax8), Mooer stuff with multiple preamps, Atomic Stuff, Thomas Blug has the BLU amp which has more than enough even without the cab , look at the ISP theta and ISP theta pro, look at the randall stuff, Two notes stuff, Hughes and kettner has the black spirit floor, randall has a powered 3 channel pedal. Then you have the bias head, the DV mark digital stuff and so on. Need more volume or headroom, get a quilter or DV mark little giant head. And these things sound great. Ask Paul Landers. (i know what rikard z uses as well, but that is because he's working thru some issues)

[@aryinc]

@@MusicIsYourFriend theres allot of things idd. but sometimes it also very "pickup" dependable. kemper is kinda every sound you can think of. hmmm. the hughes and ketner stuff is very "boxed" in with it's own sound, with seymour duncan jb's ,"wich are my favorite pickups" it's sometimes tough to get that certain sound. but i get where you're going. the less variables the less chance your sound will sound like ass. and even if you have a sound guy,he can't probably have full controll on the situations. but it's all electronical and theres where the fear lies. a full tube amp always sounds beyond electronical stuff.

[@ignaciolinale2206]

In most places in my country we can't mic everything (atleast in small places) so is a fender champion 40 good enough if i am playong with a drummer?

[@TWDsLeftBack]

I've gigged for the last 30 yrs and I do think you've given some great advice however... thow whole point is if someone want's an amp for gigging then the amp has to be able to get over the drums or its not fit for purpose or else you'd be talking about playing a silent stage with iem's or small amps being miced up through inhouse. Given that it is unlikely beginners would play the latter two then I would assume they would be looking for an amp I play in rock bands and I can tell you that nothing quite compares to standing in front of my Marshall Stack, its nothing about showing off with a couple of grands worth of amp or how cool it looks. You just don't get the feel and responses from anything else and yes I've tried almost every option out there to reduce the bulk and weight we carry around. I guess I'm just old school.

[@MusicIsYourFriend]

Hi Jon, sorry for the late reply. Yes, I understand where you're coming from. We can agree that many people are protecting their investment. Gear is sentimental and buying something nice (like an expensive amp) is still seen as some rite of passage. I'm not saying that you are doing any of these things, but you know what I'm talking about. Being old school is fine if you have someone to lug things around. To carry less, you would need to change some things within a band as a whole. And yes, standing in front of a Marshall stack is a great thing. Also, there are some better things, but again, more things needs to change within a band. It doesn't make any sense if only you come up with a guitar and a pedal. But thank you for commenting. :)

[@Ramo_Baramia]

Im with you brother There is nothing like firebreathing marshall no fx can compare to it...🤘🤘🤘old school way is the way 🤘🤘🤘

[@MusicIsYourFriend]

That is cool, but I've played a Kemper with a really nice Electrovoice 1x12 PA speaker that served as a monitor (has extra legs so it can do both). It was almost unreal. It had ALL the thump in the world and was MORE impressive than any amp I've ever encountered. And by clicking a button you could switch between a crushing peavey sound and a soldano that made your nads curl up and crawl back into your body. Then you understand why Steve Vai had his stereo setup in front of him. It won't ruin your FOH sound, even if you're pretty loud. People like to hear themselves on stage. A lot of it is a matter of perception. It's a fact that most monitors suck live because they are usually cheap monitors with bad speakers, you didn't have time to set them up on a short sound check and then there is the fact that you're feeding them usually a bullshit signal from an old rusty Shure sm57. Old school way is the good way, yeah but which old school way? Arena bands didn't see their amps for decades. Is that old school then? Rammstein is an old band now. They do it old school, right? One guitar player plays thru a Sansamp GT2 pedal and that's it. That's his sound. One pedal. Old school? Metallica and Def Leppard switched to Fractal Audio AxeFx. Old school? Geddy Lee, one of the most influential bassists of all time, used a sansamp rack unit for his sound. His guitar counterpart Alex had multiple Hughes and Kettner full stacks with tube heads, real cabs, speaker simulators for the front of house and later in ears. Who is more old school out of the two? See my point?

[@TheChef470]

I love my SVT set up but not moving it.

[@TheClamy8911]

How are you about to say it doesn't matter if its tube or solid state? have you never played before?

[@MusicIsYourFriend]

Which solid state amps did you play through?

[@dave1proud324]

perfect.

[@jcobena9849]

What should i get guitar amp for gigs like wedding (outdoor,indoor),battle of the bands (outdoor,indoor)

[@MusicIsYourFriend]

Do you have a P.A. or are you only relying on the power of your amp?

[@raee.y6836]

So im the lead guitar and vocal in my band and idk if i should get a 15W amp

[@MusicIsYourFriend]

Hi Rae E.y, please check out my video called Don't buy a guitar amp. It will give you new insight on issues that you will run into when playing live. So it all depends on what you want and what does your band want. I would say that you should start from your monitoring setup. Get your drummer some in-ear headphones and let him hear the guitar, the vocals and the rest of the band. You try to do that as well. Stacking amps and speakers doesn't make any sense if you can't hear your bandmates. 15W is such a vague figure that doesn't mean anything. Let me give you an example. A Vox AC15 is a 15W tube amp with a 12" speaker - it's incredibly loud and will work next to a drummer. Like in a small pub where the amps are not miked up and put through a PA system. However, there are little 15W solid state amps with a 6" speaker that sound like dog farts. You can't put that in a garage next to a drummer and expect to hear the guitar. The guitar player can't hear and the drummer can't hear the guitar. Send me an email or message with a list of all of your gear from the band and I can tell you what I would do in your case.

[@raee.y6836]

@@MusicIsYourFriend thanks man, im gonna check out your video👍

[@Jeff4014]

Question: I have a boss katana 50 watts , if I gig in a bar what do i need so the people can hear me, a good mic and good speaker for that mic?

[@MusicIsYourFriend]

If you play in a bar where the PA is only used by the singer, that amp can stand by itself. You don't need anything else. Did you turn up your amp? Do you think that you could hear it next to the drummer? However if your amp is miked, plugged in direct and if you have monitors then you potentially have 50 watts too many. :) You might benefit from having the speaker replaced and having decent mikes but since it's a Katana, I wouldn't advise it. It's a digital processor hooked up to a transistor amp and a speaker. You might get a different character of the amp if you change the speaker, but then again, you have so much tone shaping options if you connect it to your computer. If you really use those options, you can get a great sound when plugged in direct into the PA. If you get some of the fizz out of the sound, you can get a great guitar tone without mike bleed on stage.

[@paulcummins4134]

The boss katana 50 is crazy loud dude, you don't need anymore than the 50 watts that amp delivers. I have the 100 watt but I honestly never need it to be in the 100 watt mode. It's usually never more than halfway up on the master volume in the 50 watt mode. Defintely an amp you can use for gigging in any situation. If you ever go with a tube amp you don't really need more than 20 watts for those things unless you want more headroom in which case 30 watts is way more than enough I've experienced.

[@_vez]

@@paulcummins4134 can the 50 keep up with a loud drummer?

[@MusicIsYourFriend]

Sure thing

[@zlyp9698]

We like big!

[@nyx9208]

Im going to be playing bass in one band and guitar in another. Can I get away with bringing a amp head to still have some control and use my fx loops while just forgetting the speaker at home?

[@MusicIsYourFriend]

It depends on the design of the head. Which amps/gear do you own?

[@nyx9208]

@@MusicIsYourFriend rightnow I use a blue voodoo for guitar using fx loops for the usual, the bass rightnow is using a pretty bad practice amp but I'm going to be upgrading to a combo soon. This is so I can use it for practice and the utilize the effects loop for a tuner aswell as a phase and chorus pedal. I dont really need the speaker on it but I feel like its a pretty good way to make the rig portable and versatile

[@MusicIsYourFriend]

@@nyx9208 I see. Well, it all depends. Honestly, I would probably opt for like a Valeton Dapper Bass, and just use that as my bass sound and take an output to the existing practice amp for monitoring. For other effects I would get a Donner pedal as they're dirt cheap if you really need a phaser. It's all very much foot-switchable and you definitely won't blow out your amp and lose your Marty Friedman goodness. :)

[@dust17111]

I have a 60 watt cab prs mt and a 20 watt semi tube semi solid state that gets plenty loud for home playing , wanting a amp to gig or play with a band , would my joyo zombie suffice or do I need to get like a 40 to 60 watt tube ?

[@MusicIsYourFriend]

Hi Dust. Thank you for commenting. There isn't a simple answer here and the answer is 'it depends'. Did you ever crank up your joyo to it's maximum volume? Did you try to play it next to a drummer at your rehearsal space? Did you try to hook up the zombie to a 4x12 cab? If you play in a band with a drummer who doesn't hits hard, that should be enough without any PA or monitoring system. However, if you do have access to a monitoring setup, then you don't need any extra volume or speakers as you can just mike-up the prs cab. Watts do not equal volume and do not follow conventional math. "John has 20 apples. Frank has 40 apples. Frank has 2 times more food. That's conventional math. Decibels don't work that way. If your amp and cab currently produce say a 103 dB, if you had double the wattage, if you followed conventional math, you should be able to produce 206 dB. These are building shattering volumes. In reality, if you double or even triple the watts of the zombie, you would probably hear an increase of only one or two decibels. Please check out my other videos for more clarification and if you need any help, get back to me and I will tell you what I would do in your situation. Cheers

[@nicolethewitch7]

I've been playing bass for a couple of months but Idk which amp to buy for small gigs,I don't have a big budget but I do need smth that can be heard in a band practice what do you recommend?? I have a harley benton enhanced mp-4mn

[@MusicIsYourFriend]

Which stores or which used instruments are available in your area. I'm guessing you're in Europe.

[@nicolethewitch7]

@@MusicIsYourFriend I was thinking of maybe buying Orange crush 50 or idk fender lt25 or smth like that, I'm from Serbia,we have here laney,hartke,ampeg,blackstar,peavey i think warwick....

[@SARDELASCHRISTOS1978]

To much talk ( better change your title : Why dont buy big amp )

[@MusicIsYourFriend]

Well the point was to debunk the myth of "gigging amps", not to do audio demos. :)

[@SARDELASCHRISTOS1978]

@@MusicIsYourFriend thank you for your response. For a gig in a club playing hard rock , what kind of an amp would you recommend? ( a marshall 100 watt or 50 watts , your right , is way to much!!! )

[@MusicIsYourFriend]

Well, things changed in the way that some venues, clubs and pubs do their sound system. Many of them now have a stage, a sound guy present, digital mixer, a couple of PA active speakers and a full on monitoring system with monitor speakers on the floor - where every member of the band can have a personalized mix. IF you perform in an equipped club, you don't need an amp. As ONE of MANY examples, you could buy a Tech21 flyrig (with a british sound, or the Richie Kotzen one) and go direct to the board and play AC/DC all niiight looong (excuse the pun). So guitar-flyrig-Mixer and you can hear yourself from the monitor. No amp is needed. And you have a delay and a boost for solos. However, if you perform in a bar which is the size of a 5 car garage, where there is no monitoring system, you still need to hear yourself. You could still use a Tech21 flyrig direct to the board and just get a signal splitter (DI box) and a Tech21 Power Engine 60. With that combination you could be loud enough to hear yourself. If you are running thru a PA and have a monitoring system which is not personalized, you could put the Power Engine 60 in front of you and use it as a monitor for your guitar only. It's a good sound. It's modular, more easier to transport and it's more reliable.

[@SARDELASCHRISTOS1978]

Dear @@MusicIsYourFriend , thank you for your responce...you're EXCELENT!!!