Too loud, walked off

[Dan Dare]

1 hour ago, Cato said:

With the revolution in digital modelling over the last decade there's just no need for guitarists to play through maxed out valve rigs anymore.

 

True, but you don't even need to go digital. Modern multi gain stage amps can give virtually any sound you want at any volume. If you desire speaker distortion, rather than amp distortion, use a lower power cab and cane it.

[oldslapper]

11 minutes ago, alyctes said:

At least for rehearsal, we used to do most of ours without a mic for the vocalist.

I constantly asked for separate vocal rehearsals with just an acoustic guitar. But was met with resistance, or guitarists turning up with full kit. 🙄

[alyctes]

12 minutes ago, oldslapper said:

I constantly asked for separate vocal rehearsals with just an acoustic guitar. But was met with resistance, or guitarists turning up with full kit. 🙄

And guitarists wonder why people think they are egocentric.

[chris_b]

2 guitarists is one too many, 3 is madness.

 

I do occasional gigs with a cover band and I've told them that  they are too loud and play the songs too fast. . . . it's water off a duck's back!!

 

I bought 26dB filters for the very loud guitarist I play with and find I'm wearing them for most gigs these days. Volumes are definitely going up, across the board. I guess it's in proportion to how deaf everyone is getting.

[chris_b]

26 minutes ago, Dan Dare said:

 

. . . .  you don't even need to go digital. Modern multi gain stage amps can give virtually any sound you want at any volume. If you desire speaker distortion, rather than amp distortion, use a lower power cab and cane it.

 

Many years ago I played with a very good guitarist. He did a lot of recording and West End theatre work, and got every tone of every guitarist at very sensible volume levels. He was using pedals and his amp properly. It was a treat playing with him.

[chris_b]

I haven't walked off, but on one gig the guitarist was so loud I stopped playing and stood there with my fingers in my ears. The guitarist started ripping me a new one, but his wife (the band's singer) weighed in on my side, telling him his volume was stupidly loud. We were half way through a contract playing US airbases in Germany so were stuck with each other, but we never got on after that.

[Steve Browning]

1 hour ago, casapete said:

The best compromise is the use of small valve combos, 15/20 watts is usually fine for a band.

 

Absolutely the best live guitar sound I've ever heard was a Les Paul through a Marshall 2x12, 18 watt Bluesbreaker-type combo. Apparently they were made for the old catalogue market many years ago (this would have been 40 years ago anyway). Just a volume and tone control. Just a gorgeous rich sound with loads of depth and beautiful sustain.

[casapete]

42 minutes ago, Steve Browning said:

 

Absolutely the best live guitar sound I've ever heard was a Les Paul through a Marshall 2x12, 18 watt Bluesbreaker-type combo. Apparently they were made for the old catalogue market many years ago (this would have been 40 years ago anyway). Just a volume and tone control. Just a gorgeous rich sound with loads of depth and beautiful sustain.

I owned a late 60’s model like this, mine was the 1x12 though. Had it since the mid 70’s, sold it 

in 2023 to a very famous player. Was the best sounding guitar amp I’ve owned, my old LP Junior

sounded great with it. I now have a Fender 65 Deluxe Reverb which sounds fine, just not so raunchy 

as the Marshall. 😊

[ian61]

My favourite beef with the whole flippin scene.. Im totally with you. My 2nd to ever last gig was a dep with a Sixties tribute type thing.. Beatles, CSN, etc etc. I had my suspicions about the volume so took my purple -30 industrial plugs but it was borderline... "Im outta here"

I stuck it out and then told them, 'no thanks'.  Pity cause they were very good, but two guitars and keys blasting out of a trio of 100w Twin Reverbs with five part harmonies?   One of the loudest gigs Ive ever done. Awful.

[Rosie C]

1 hour ago, chris_b said:

I haven't walked off, but on one gig the guitarist was so loud I stopped playing and stood there with my fingers in my ears. 

 

We did one, where the head lining band provided the PA and sound engineer. It was so loud I did the gig with my 19dB ACS IEMs and 30dB ear defenders over top. That was the last gig I did with that band. When the headliners came on they turned the levels up, and even outside the venue it was too loud to not have hearing protection. 

 

Me at the gig, looking p***ed...

 

[ead]

Ref the OP, I did the same thing myself a few years ago.  Only minor difference was at the break I made my position clear that if they didn't turn down then I was on my way.  They did, thankfully, but I still left the band the next day.

Edited 4 hours ago by ead

[zbd1960]

What would sort it out - but they won't do it - is to go and book a hearing test. These are easily available on the high street. Then they might understand that they've got a problem, or will have one soon... That would determine frequency range and sensitivity.  

[chris_b]

40 minutes ago, zbd1960 said:

What would sort it out - but they won't do it - is to go and book a hearing test. These are easily available on the high street. Then they might understand that they've got a problem, or will have one soon... That would determine frequency range and sensitivity.  

 

Most of the deaf guitarists I know are in denial. They wouldn't acknowledge they have a problem if you paid them. A couple are wearing hearing aids as well. Their hearing is obviously shot they're still playing way too loud.

[Skybone]

If it was too loud for the members of the band, imagine how the punters felt.

[chris_b]

In one band I get a lift to gigs with the guitarist. Lately I've had to ask him to turn down the volume on the satnav. It's so loud it's hurting my ears!!

[Buddster]

Superglue one of these to thier speaker grill

 

[itu]

In 2004 I went to listen to G3 tour (Fripp, Satriani, Vai) with three friends of mine. The venue was made of concrete and the volume was infernal. All I heard from Billy Sheehan was bzzzzzz. No chance to hear any notes. We left after fourth "song". A g-word player friend of mine was working there and said the same, the sound was a chore. I couldn't have believed that good players were counting on volume instead of skills - and Vai's hair fan was just ridiculous. Yngvie may think it differently, but there exists a level of too much. 

[Geek99]

7 hours ago, police squad said:

yep but they're all friends of mine, 

Doesn’t mean they should cost you your hearing 

[JoeEvans]

I saw BB King in a big venue once, he was playing through a tiny little amp beside him on the stage (couldn't see what it was but I'm guessing an old valve amp, 20w or something). The amp was mic'd up. No effects, just guitar, lead, amp the size of a shoebox, and his guitar tone was incredible.

[fretmeister]

I walked out of a Walter Trout gig in the first song because it was immediately painful.

It was at The Stables in Milton Keynes and it was loud enough the back rows at Wembley.

 

Out through double sets of doors into the bar and it was still too loud there. 
 

I have absolutely no doubt the people who stayed for the 2 hour set had permanently damaged their hearing.

 

You did the right thing walking out.

[Dad3353]

John Entwistle's Ox, at Brunel University. We left after very few minutes, having been pummelled in the guts until we reached the exit doors, plus the sax screech. Loud..? Not arf..!