Guitar / Bass Amplifier Info & Education

When the time comes for your band to hit the road for a couple of weeks or months, you’ve all worked on sounding your best. You’ve put in the time at practice, working on the set and making sure everything goes smoothly. You’ve turned knobs on your equipment and tried different settings, making sure that everything is dialed in. Hopefully, you’ve also made sure that all your equipment not only works as it should, but will hold up to the rigors of the road (and fit in the van!) It can be difficult to find gear that meets all these requirements, and if you’re a bass player, chances are you’ve sat there and pondered which cabinet could fit the bill.

All practical audio amplifiers require some type of amplifying device, whether in the form of new school transistors or old school vacuum tubes. Transistor amps are durable, efficient and in lesser forms, comparatively inexpensive. Tube amps like power, they eat it like a college student making a fifth run at the "all you can eat buffet” while being fragile compared to their solid state cousins. Let’s not forget to mention the heat generated by tube amps. Your studio rarely needs that radiator to work on those cold nights while you are honing your craft.

When purchasing a new speaker cabinet, guitarists are often faced with the choice of open back or closed back cabinets. An often overlooked factor, this seemingly simple choice is responsible for a large part of your tone. While no cabinet style is necessarily better, they are different, and it’s just a matter of finding which one works better for your situation.

If you’re a singer-songwriter or one man band, your amplification needs are much different than your typical rock group. Sure, you can bring your half stack or PA system into the coffeehouse or small venue, but it certainly is overkill, and your back will hate you, too. And if you play multiple instruments during your set, forget about it! It is just not practical to bring one of each amp into the gig, unless you’ve got a crew of hulking roadies or really, really good friends to help you out.

Ask any bassist what the worst part about playing bass is, and chances are most will tell you that it’s moving their bass rig around. That, or being underappreciated. But let’s face it, bass amps and speakers have a reputation for being heavy, cumbersome, and a mission to move.

So, you were stiffed on your last performance? Yes, that can really suck, but it is important to understand what you can do to ensure that doesn’t happen to you again, like ever. Let’s just explore some of the reasons why most bands often get stiffed. In a majority of cases, bands get stiffed at the last moment due to either:

Music is all about expression, from the style of music you play to which gear you choose to play it. Even what you wear and how you or your band’s stage setup looks contributes to your overall identity as a musician and performer and helps the audience connect with you. This is important because while live music fans want to be entertained, many also want to feel that the musicians playing the music they are listening to are interesting, funny, or unique in some way. A good live show is not only entertaining and fun, but caters to both sight and sound. People say they are going to go see a band play a show, not that they are going to go listen to a band!

Once you’ve finally acquired that perfect power amp, bass amp, wireless system, or power conditioner, the next step is to invest in a quality road case to get it to and from the gig in one piece. Compared to studio equipment, stage equipment is subject to constant bumps and scratches as it is moved around, so it is essential to have a case that’s right for the job. Not only will the proper road case protect your investment, but it will allow you to house and transport your equipment a lot more easily and make you look and feel more professional doing so.

Did you know the Vintage 16 guitar combo amplifier and the VT16 head version have an internal dummy load? When you want to play your amplifier without a speaker load you need what is called a dummy load. With tube amplifiers you have to load the amplifier (connect speakers) or you may damage the output power tubes.

Knowing how to properly set your bass amp’s gain staging is critical to achieving the best possible bass sound for your style and your band. With a little practice and a good ear, you can dial in a sweet bass sound with any amp, on any stage.

The visceral, gritty punch of an overdriven bass is sonic nirvana to the ears of many bassists— that is, until the drummer and guitarist start playing too.

There exists an intricate and unique relationship between band members. With their varied goals and personalities, things have a way of getting tricky. Some members are more organized while others can be passive or direct. Musicians are by nature sensitive creatures, so inevitably a band becomes a loving, if somewhat dysfunctional family when the leader has what it takes to bind them together. Effective leadership within the band is imperative to create camaraderie, manage expectations, and get everyone on the same page. No matter what your band culture, here’s how you can ensure your group survives the ups and downs and doesn’t go astray: