Guitar / Bass Amplifier Info & Education

Today’s gigging musician will play in a wide variety of venues: small bars, clubs, outdoor stages, and so much more! As such, it is important to have a rig that is suitable for a range of venues and performing situations. Conventional wisdom says it’s better to get way more amp than you need to make sure you have enough juice for any situation. You can always turn down, right? That usually is not true, because the tone and dynamics change on guitar amps when turned up or down. It is also financially wiser to purchase a rig for the long haul, with the power and tone that you won’t grow out of anytime soon. That’s in a perfect world at least- in the real world, if your band is playing the local bar circuit or going on your first tour, you are going to be responsible for moving your rig around and setting it up onstage, so having a huge, powerful rig isn’t always the best way to go. Having a modular rig is highly beneficial for players seeking the easiest setup and best sound at every gig, no matter where it may be!

When it comes to how often you should change bass strings, the jury is out. Some bass players never change them, and others change them every other week. How long a set lasts on your bass depends on a number of factors, including how often you play, the brand, the environments you play in, and even how much you sweat! Old and new strings have significant sonic differences, and depending on what style of music you play, you may not mind the sound of a dead set. (This article is specific to the roundwound type- the discussion of roundwound vs flatwound and other types is a whole other topic that we will cover later).

Impedance is something that can make or break your amp- literally! Even a general understanding of it can be a real lifesaver. This article will cover the basics of impedance and how it applies to your bass heads and speaker cabinets, specifically with matching them together.

Even the most experienced musicians forget essential parts of their rig from time to time. A drummer I know forgot his drum sticks at an out of town gig, and I myself have showed up to play at a local show having forgotten to bring my bass amp head (I had to use a DI that night)! It’s something that happens to the best of us. Fortunately, if there are other bands on the lineup or a helpful soundman, they may be obliged to help you out lending you the item you forgot, especially if it is something like a cable.

If you aren’t getting the bass sound you want, you may immediately consider investing in some new pedals, a new bass, or even a new amp. But before you do that, spend some time adjusting your equalization. Understanding how each of your amp’s equalization controls affects your bass tone can help you achieve a sound that sits perfectly in any stage or studio (and it’s free)!

Many tube guitar amplifiers on the market today come with a feature that can either switch or vary the maximum power output of the amplifier section. Simply put, this allows you to adjust the maximum output of the amplifier, making it higher or lower at the flick of the switch. If you have a tube amp with a lot of clean headroom and plenty of power for any gig, you may be wondering why you can’t just use the volume knob to get it to the level you want.

Watch The Tone King's outdoor demo and review of Carvin Audio's VX Series Birch Guitar Cabinets. He demos both the VX212S Slant 2 x 12 cabinet and the VX112 cabinet with a Carvin Audio V3M 50W Tube Amp, and explains the features and benefits of the VX Series and the different tuning options. Watch both videos below. Project the passion of your music with a USA Built VX Series Birch Guitar Cab.

Compression is an often-overlooked effect that can make your bass sound better than ever if you use it correctly. Understanding how it works will be of great use on stage and in the studio!

A good solid footswitch is the unsung hero of a guitar or bass rig. While it may not be part of the glamorous backdrop of glowing power tubes and pilot lights upstage, adding a footswitch to your rig will help you take full advantage of the versatility of your Carvin Audio amplifier.

Many of today's bass amplifiers, including Carvin Audio's B Series, come with the added flexibility of a PRE/POST EQ option. While often overlooked, this simple switch can make a notable difference in how your bass rig sounds onstage.

Many guitar players dream of standing in front of a massive audience at a sold out show, playing through a huge stack of tube amps. While countless guitarists have actually done this, it doesn’t make too much practical sense (sorry to burst your bubble!) Not that you shouldn’t have that dream, but even if you are playing in an arena, the soundman will mic up your amp and use a quality PA system like a Carvin Audio TRx 3000 Series system to make sure your guitar is heard everywhere in the venue. Whether you are playing in a small club or actually playing an arena, your guitar amp probably won't have to do the heavy lifting.  Instead, your amp will provide stage volume and monitoring, and put out the tone that will be picked up by the mic and sent to the front of house. You don't necessarily need high wattage and lots of speakers to be heard.