The pastor is the lead guitar player and the first one I've EVER encountered who doesn't overplay ANYTHING. He's got a respectable effects setup with pedals into a newer Fender 1600 amp and can play great- and he's been playing his Black Epi LP, so we match. He's a bit older than I am, not by much, just enough that our tastes in music are different. He's more into 70's- 80's AOR and classic rock, and I'm from the pissed off school of music informed by Motown and never forgetting that I'm smack dab in the middle of the East Tennessee mountains.
After practice today, we started jamming on old Van Halen tunes. I stand with him and the drummer on one side of the stage and the praise and choir leader stand on the other with (plugged into the PA) acoustic guitars and the piano. My bass fills the room and provides the glue for the drums and guitars and is never more than a single click (Trace used stepped pots) on the input gain or master volume away from being perfect and still is very touch sensitive. (Of course my "touch" is just a smidge heavy to start with.) I'm not in the PA, but when I went direct before I brought in my amp, it wasn't awful, but I don't want to mess up their monitor mix, which works right now. Did I mention that I LOVE the drummer? First cymbals I've never needed earplugs to be around!
It's funny; I've played hundreds of shows with never a tingle, but playing in church makes me nervous like nobody's business. I've already pissed off God enough as it is!
