The unintended consequences of excessive volume

Bo Legg · Post by **Bo Legg** » 7 Oct 2012 11:47 am

The old "we're so good we can play as loud as we want"
Most of the time those bands are too loud to drown out the not too good singing.
A good singer wouldn't put up with a too loud band.

Dave Hopping · Post by **Dave Hopping** » 7 Oct 2012 1:49 pm

Bo,sounds like your guys don't know about the PA being supposed to do the heavy lifting,and that they're trying to drive the house with drums,amps et cetera,which makes for a sludgy,weak sound.As a sideman,I've never been able to convince loud players to act like pros and listen instead of soloing all the way thru the set,but if you're a bandleader who pays well,replacing the malefactors shouldn't be difficult.

Chris Walke · Post by **Chris Walke** » 8 Oct 2012 7:32 am

Stuart Legg wrote:Herb you nailed it but what do you do to overcome the "my amp don't sound good at a lower volume" "I just can't get dynamics out of my drum set at a lower volume" "this is as low as I can get" etc..

Amp has to be cranked too loud for good tone? Then get a smaller amp. I play thru a 15 watt amp (Fender Blues Jr)....that's my BIG amp. I gig often with my 6 watt Fender VibroChamp. Anything above 20 watts is a waste, IMO, assuming you can mic the cab and run it thru the PA.

Drummers....that's a different story. Brushes (unlikely) or multi-rods are possible solutions for drummers whose dynamics consist of too loud and even louder. Electronic drums give the ultimate control over volume, but then you lose the feel. And electronic cymbals sound like crap.

Dave Hopping · Post by **Dave Hopping** » 8 Oct 2012 11:26 am

Chris,funny you should mention about little amps and quiet drummers.Just got through watching a Marty Stuart show,where Kenny was playing through a SF Princeton Reverb with a mic on it,and the drummer was using sticks,but lightly.Sometimes I just don't get it.What is so hard about playing simply and quietly?

Fred Glave · Post by **Fred Glave** » 8 Oct 2012 11:28 am

I would think just listening to that recording would scare anyone straight. If they still don't get it after that, there ain't no cure. Good Luck Bo.

Riley Hart · Post by **Riley Hart** » 9 Oct 2012 1:57 pm

...or how about the old "you gotta get thru loud before you get to good." I have been dealing with volume issues regular every week. I tried earplugs, but then I had to turn up louder than what I was blocking in order to hear myself.

Then a more advanced player came out and sat in, and I played some bass and guitar, and the volume all of a sudden became under control.

Maybe they're just playing loud so they can't hear me lol!