For some reason I received a Musician’s Friend catalog today. Must be because I bought something at Guitar Center? Anyway, I was thumbing though it while dinner baked and was pleasantly amazed by the number of 15 to 20 watt boutique guitar amps listed.
It fitted in with my own experience: Our killer rhythm guitarist just bought himself a Vox AC-15 and I must say, it sounds mighty nice. As he said, we’re either playing at a club with sound or we bring our own PA, which has at least 5000 watts available. He’ll get himself heard one way or another. Being that we are a harmony-heavy band, keeping stage volume somewhat controlled is a good thing.
Looking at that catalog and of Sam’s new AC-15 got me thinking back to high school days in the mid to late sixties. I semi-fondly recall playing in bands where the lead guitarist had a Twin Reverb. Or make that two Showmans with cabs. Or best of all, two Super-Reverbs stacked on top of each other, cranked up loud so they’d break up.
As a bass player with a humble white Bassman and then a Guild amp with a 2x15”cab, then a Traynor, it was a real chore to even be heard. The endless wars encouraged me and my main rival bass player to lend each other our amps so we could each use two amps to try and keep up with our guitarists. It also made us open to welcoming higher powered solid state amps, even if they did not sound all that great. It also influenced my technique to this day – I still yank on the strings too hard rather than employing a light touch.
Circling back to today, I called an old friend who knew me back then. He only took up bass in recent years but now kicks ass. I mentioned the MF catalog and teased him about his GAS problem. But then I wandered over to the topic above and he told me how his band, which has been actively gigging recently, had been forced to part ways with a really good guitarist. I’d heard him play = he was really good and is a fine singer. Plus I liked him as a person. But he was getting too loud at the kind of venues they play at. His amp? A Twin Reverb. I asked “Why doesn’t be just trade down to a Pro?” But I guess the guy is set in his ways.
A long story short = aint it nice that our gitards are finally figuring out that a lower power amp can be a better stage amp? I say “can be” because, if we are playing at an outdoor venue, I totally want and demand that our guitarists wheel out some serious amplitude. How else can I justify bringing out one of my big rigs? I do miss having my pants flapping in the breeze!
