getting louder...?

gibson59neck

Villiage Idiot Keeper
Here's a situation I was looking for some opinions on - I currently run from a Boss GT8 into both a Fender Hot rod Deluxe and a vintage Fender Bassman head/cab. My bassist has an Ampeg head/cab, and our other guitarist has a Crate half stack. My trouble is, although I like the effect of playing stereo, it's just not getting loud enough to cut through. Since I am the lead guitarist, I need to be able to get just over them for solos.

I am not a guy with lots of cash, but I am toying with a few ideas, and here's the question. Does anyone out there know if it is possible to run from the Boss GT8 into two 4x12 cabs, without the use of heads? Since I have the Boss GT8, and am able to get basically any sound I want, I was thinking that I wouldn't need a head to plug into, but would instead get two cabs and go directly into them. Is that stupid or is it possible?

If not possible, then has anyone played the B52 half stack that is currently on sale for $599? It gets good reviews, but since it isn't a tube setup, which I have, will it really affect my overall sound with the Boss?

Any help on this would be great....
 
gibson59neck said:
Here's a situation I was looking for some opinions on - I currently run from a Boss GT8 into both a Fender Hot rod Deluxe and a vintage Fender Bassman head/cab.
...

it's just not getting loud enough to cut through. Since I am the lead guitarist, I need to be able to get just over them for solos.

Does anyone out there know if it is possible to run from the Boss GT8 into two 4x12 cabs, without the use of heads?

Ya know, having played through a HRD and '69 Bassman, I find it hard to believe you can't be heard using both at the same time. Both of those amps are stupid loud when they're cranked.

Do your ears ring after practice? That's an indication that you're damaging your hearing. Keep it up long enough and the ringing never goes away.

Here's a novel idea for you.

Tell the bozos you play with to turn down.
Tilt your HRD and the Bassman cab back and point them at you so you can hear them better.

You might actually be able to hear each other, and start sounding good.
 
You can't run the pedal directly into the cabs because you'll have no power to push the speakers. Speakers won't work without an amp to push them. Come on, you should know that. :D
 
i play a lot of funk and jazz music (on trombone) which includes a Big Band (5 trumpets, four trombones, 5 saxes, bass, guitar, keys, drums, percussion) we never mic up soloists, and we aim to allow them the use of all their dynamic range - which means, in impros and written solos, especially when theres a horn backing part, the band has to be playing pretty quiet for the audience to be able to hear the soloist! but it works, and if anything, sounds tighter and less mushy than it otherwise would.

so yeah, i agree with moonrider. don't turn it into a volume war (there's two of them, you don't stand a chance =P), get them to play quieter. and if you're getting miced up at gigs, i find you get a Much better monitor mix if your amp isn't over loud.

Andy.
 
gibson59neck said:
Here's a situation I was looking for some opinions on - I currently run from a Boss GT8 into both a Fender Hot rod Deluxe and a vintage Fender Bassman head/cab. My bassist has an Ampeg head/cab, and our other guitarist has a Crate half stack. My trouble is, although I like the effect of playing stereo, it's just not getting loud enough to cut through. Since I am the lead guitarist, I need to be able to get just over them for solos.

Get over them for whom to hear? At rehearsals, as long as you can hear what you are doing, that's all you need, and at gigs, mic your rig. Lean your amp(s) back, too; guitar speakers are very directional. If your bandmates are complaining that they can't hear you, tell them to turn down.

I play with a heavy handed drummer, a bassist with an SVT, a keyboardist, and at least one other guitarist, and my amp is a Fender blackface Deluxe Reverb that puts out a whopping 22 watts. If you point those amps at your head (you're not standing up close to them with your speakers pointed at the back of your legs, are you?), and you can't hear yourself, then you guys are just way too damn loud.
 
I know exactly how much my ears can take. I don't like to wear the ear plugs or any of that. If the other guys are too loud, then I have to walk away. I will not trade my ability to hear music for the rest of my life for anything.

I like it loud, but not THAT loud.
 
Not to mention....

if your are competing with a bass player, and a Crate 1/2 stack(which flat out pushes too much bottom end on its own) you should easily be able to cut through those two things with your set up.

If you are using the GT8 for distortion, then you too are probably pushing way too much bottom end your self.

I agree with the rest. I think your band mates are too loud. I play live in the biggest clubs offered in my state to cover bands, I stand on stage the same side as our bass player who uses an Eden full stack(800 watts) with a 8x10 cab. I use a 20 watt hughs and kettner 1x12 tube combo, and never have trouble hearing myself. At practice with no monitors I still have no trouble.

What I would do is start with just a guitar plugged straight into your best amp with just one cable(no pedals or anything else hooked up just the guitar). Set all your eqs at high noon. get your volume squared away first, then start cutting or boosting so you can hear, then add your pedal board in and see how it effects it. Sometimes there is so many settings going in it can squash your volume.

Something to think about.

Oh and that b52 1/2 stack soid state is Junk, total amature sounding, they are the same sounding as a Crate solid state.
 
thanks to all!

Hey - We did some looking into our sound, set-ups, etc. at the jam space, and all of us decided to get smart about the volume and TURN DOWN. We also rearranged and cleaned the space and it has given us a whole new perspective on the overall sound. (We've all only been together as a five piece band for about a month, and none of us has a lot of exp. with gigs, etc., so it's a universal learning experience.)

As far as my HRD and Bassman, I was able to make adjustments between them and my GT8 and I seriously think that I'm getting the best sound I've ever gotten now. It helps that I am not having to fight with two other overly loud guys, too. I had gotten the Hot Rod for the reason that it was talked about as being very loud and sweet sounding when miked into a good PA, but it was sounding pretty shitty before when I wrote this original thread. I think I was trying to get a low end out of it that was comparable to the half stacks, and it was just too much.

Since I've only ever owned combo amps ( my last one was a Fender Pro 160, a cheapish solid state 212 that they don't make anymore) I wasn't sure if the Boss GT8 was able to push speaker cabs by itself...Hey - I never said I was a gear guru - I really just like to play and make solid music - the rest is and has always been a pain in the ass. Since I have not yet played out, is it too soon to want my own personal sound guy that does all this crap for me so I can just play??? ( That will probably piss off those of you that live, breath, eat, and shit the technical stuff, but hey, even though I've been playing for 23 years, it's really only ever been that - playing. Now that things are getting more serious, I am trying to learn as I go about all the aspects of it. It aint easy when there are 10,000 varied opinions out there! At least here many people seem to be on the same page about my question. )

All told, things are sounding much better now and it's also much easier on the ears. I have always worn plugs because my ears are too important to me, so they never really rang after practice anyway, but now the whole sound is much more balanced and tight, so thanks for all the responses!
 
metalj said:
Oh and that b52 1/2 stack soid state is Junk, total amature sounding, they are the same sounding as a Crate solid state.

I was worried about that - I think that most solid state stuff I've played thru sounded thin and bright - thanks for the warning!
 
You made a wise decision to turn down and eq. Your ears will thank you and hopefully give many years of service and fidelity. :)
 
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