Play It Loud
Just the other night, Nev Marten, Mick Taylor of That Pedal Show and I met up at a Bristol rehearsal studio to prepare for our Jimi Hendrix tribute gig at Bristol’s annual International Jazz & Blues Festival. While we were romping through Manic Depression and other works of Jimi genius, I was reminded of something that’s all too easy to forget when playing at home. All my effects were dialled in at what I thought were the correct levels – relative to one another – having been trialled at loud home volume. Loud enough for my better half to hear from the end of the road when she was cycling home, anyway! But just you add an enthusiastic drummer and two other guitarists to the mix – it’s amazing how much louder than ‘home loud’ things can get in rehearsal, if you’re not careful. Before long, my amp – a 40-watt JAZ 20/40 by Dr Z was working so hard that all my carefully prepared gain tones off the pedalboard were now way too hot and compressed, because the amp itself was singing in a more full-throated way. It didn’t need so much help. It was a welcome reminder of what a moveable feast tone is – and how you don’t really know a set of sounds, and a set of kit, until you’ve used them in all ranges of their performance envelope. With this month’s cavalcade of kit tempting further GAS-induced purchases (see page 56), it’s always worth attempting to trial gear you intend to gig with in a band setting, as it’ll reveal another side to its character – for good or ill. Besides our mammoth new gear review in this issue, you’ll also find a debate on where digital modelling is at today (see page 78). Personally, I love small, open-back valve combos for gigs and noodling at home – but find modelling devices such as Line 6’s Helix very useful in recording scenarios: decluttering the whole process, making it more consistent and allowing you to get ideas down effectively before inspiration cools off. Setting prejudice aside, perhaps we should simply ask of any piece of gear: ‘does it inspire me to make music?’ If so, then it has a place. Enjoy the issue.