Guitar / Bass Amplifier Info & Education

If you're laying down bass or guitar tracks in the studio and the engineer asks you to go direct, you may be slightly concerned, especially if you're a guitarist. Playing through a DI is a very common practice for bassists, but guitarists generally prefer to mic up an amp to get their sound and might be a little apprehensive about using a DI. For some, a DIed guitar and/or bass track may sound dull, sterile, and flat, even when using a high quality DI unit. 

Some of the awesome adjectives bassists use to describe their ideal tone- for instance, “grindy,” “punchy” “clanky”- can be attributed to a single knob present on many of today’s bass amps. While the big picture of overall tone depends on a myriad of different factors, from the amp and cab to the bass itself, and of course the player’s technique, the often-overlooked high mids knob can be just what you need to dial your tone into its sweet spot.

It goes without saying that there’s nothing quite like an all-tube guitar amp cranked up to its sweet spot. In fact, many tone aficionados will tell you that this setup is the only way to go if you’re serious about your guitar tone. However, weight and portability are often a factor with all-tube amps (with the exception of smaller, more compact designs like the V3M). And if you’re in a position where you’re downsizing your transportation to save on gas or just do not want to lug a heavy amp to the gig, you may find yourself wondering if there’s something else that can come close to the sound of an all-tube amp. And while nothing will sound exactly like it, there are a few options that may prove to be worthy substitutes. 

Aside from drummers, bassists generally have the most weight to carry at load-in. Bassists stand out among the rest of the band with their huge, heavy bass cabinets that often take two people to move and have a huge onstage footprint. Of course, smaller combos do just fine at smaller venues, but there are still some bassists who prefer the headroom of a “big rig” in nearly any gigging situation. These players, contrary to popular belief, are not necessarily egocentric showoffs who like to have the biggest rig onstage and the loudest instrument in the mix- in fact, there are many reasons why a big rig can help support the overall sound of the band.

Sometimes we learn to do something without understanding why it is important. For example, these days most players with tube amps know that we have to get our power tubes biased when we replace them. But the reasons why always seem just a bit mysterious because the related folklore among musicians clouds the issue. You could play a tube amp all your life without knowing or caring about the reasons, especially if you have a great tech to maintain it. Still, having a grasp of the general concept can give you more options in fine-tuning your amp's performance. It could also provide just enough information to get through a tube failure in a pinch.