How to play loud, what am I doing wrong?

[THX1123]

This is why people assert that the louder you play some amps the more they become instruments in their own right.

I think this could be why some people buy amps and then don't like them. My friend lusted for a Princeton, then he plinked around with it on 2 and didn't like it...

Loud amp in live band mix is yet another challenge.

Hey...maybe it isn't loud enough? heh heh

 

[58Bassman]

Again, as much as we would like to be a rock star, these amps are designed for jazz combos (15 watt 1x12) or loud dance bands (40 watt 2x12) in dance halls full of people. You want to crank it up, get a Champ and some earplugs.

But why not use it for Rock/Rawk! if it works (after the requisite experimentation)? My amp was designed to be a bass amp and look at what it caused. I don't need the power, I just like the sound and with my modded SD-1, I get all kinds of crunch at low volumes, or clean at almost the same level. I'm one of those who set the OD's level at about the highest I would normally use it and back off the guitar's volume- I was tired of switching it on/off and needing to mess with levels, tone controls, etc. Having a treble bleed really helps because it allows playing at a wide range of volume without needing to touch the tone control(s). The SD-1 also compresses a bit, so the volume doesn't go nuts like it would if I were trying to play clean, through an amp that was set for clean without anything to make the dirt happen at a lower level.

I don't need the police coming to my door again.

 

[58Bassman]

IMO, anyone who has an amp that can get loud, needs to play it loud, to become familiar with it. That way, they'll learn to dial it down and still be able to play it live without messing with any of the controls, aside from the guitar's volume, maybe tone and pickup selector switch.

I had problems with level until I started going to see Greg Koch and talking with him about this- the only time he messes with the amp's level controls is early in a gig when he finds that it's not quite set the way he needs. His signature amp has three channels of gain and he can switch between all three or use any combination of them, but he uses the guitar's volume control and picking techniques when he needs to change it while he's playing.

 

[marc2211]

A. Needs space to breathe. You’re likely getting massive reverb buildup in the bottom end from your walls and furniture. Without acoustic treatment you’re creating just one big wall of sound in that low mid range.

B. My older closed back Blackstar HT40 had this issue when cranked. The new ones eq’d that frequency out…yes, they sound less ballsy, but fit in a mix perfectly.

I have a Mini Jubilee with a matching 2x12 - it sounds amazing on the reduced watt mode in my small practice room. If I even try to crank it I have the same issues - it's just a wall of sound reflecting all over. Big amps, when played loud, need the room to breathe.

 

[58Bassman]

I have a Mini Jubilee with a matching 2x12 - it sounds amazing on the reduced watt mode in my small practice room. If I even try to crank it I have the same issues - it's just a wall of sound reflecting all over. Big amps, when played loud, need the room to breathe.

If you have drapes, put the amp in front of them- the heavier, the more it helps.

 

[LOSTVENTURE]

Regardless of speaker angle, if the cabinet is sitting directly on the floor, you're going to lose harmonics, at all volume levels.

 

[telemnemonics]

There is a good reason many OD pedals have a preset bass cut.

But then MIAB pedals often get a bass boost!
Not for me thanks..

 

[kbold]

Overall I think the room and my amp placement are the main contributing factors here. The resonance I'm getting from the walls and sliding doors as well as being flat to the corner isn't helping the acoustics.

Speaker placement is a factor.
A speaker will be most boomy/bassy if placed in a corner of the room. You can reduce boominess by placing the speaker between corners. You can reduce it even more if you raise the speakers off the floor (putting the speakers on a chair for example).

As others have mentioned, the bass end becomes more problematic in a small room when you increase volume. Decrease the mids a bit, and the bass a lot.
Also, using 2 amps may be contributing to your EQ woes .... perhaps try just one amp (if one is loud enough ).