HawkeyeKane
1205 posts
Sep 19, 2012
9:43 AM
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I have another triple-header gig weekend coming up. The first is a simple small club gig that we've played numerous times before, so my Zoo will work fine, and should be fine on the third gig since it's a more laid back wedding reception. The big one is an outdoor gig for the local Route 66 festival and car show. The Zoo could probably hack it, but for gigs like that I like to use something with a little more oomph behind it. Basically my three options are:
Gretsch 6149 - approx. 25W through a single 12" CTS ceramic with a HUGE magnet. She's a Valco-built screamer.
Lectrolab R500 - 15W through a single 12" Jensen SD alnico. Good amp, comaparable to a Tweed Deluxe, but very finicky on the tone control creating a feedback.
Sonny Jr. SJ1A - 25W through 4 8" Pyle ceramics. Do I really need to elaborate further on this one?
The Gretsch and Lectro are gonna be easy to get and use. The Sonny belongs to a buddy of mine, and availability may prove difficult due to uncontrolable circumstances.
All three would be mic'd into the PA regardless of which one is used. The stage will be set in front of our local "sacred store" from American Pie in downtown Springfield, and that's located in a brick canyon, so resonance is a factor.
I'm pretty sure I'm gonna wind up using the Gretsch. But as I have little to no experience playing in a box canyon outdoor environment, I wanna run those options by all of you who ARE experienced with this kind of gig to see if you have an insight that might help me.
Mic will most likely be either my Cherry Bomb or my Akai DM13.
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Hawkeye Kane
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Joey Anchors
1 post
Sep 19, 2012
9:55 AM
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I say the Gretsch so for the added watts.
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LSC
301 posts
Sep 19, 2012
10:37 AM
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+1 on the Gretsch. More band always more better. If the SJ has to be borrowed under unreliable circumstances forget about it. Too much monkey business.
As to the box canyon environment, there's not much you can do to control that. The common mistake in big rooms/outdoors is for the whole band to turn up too loud. Often volume does tend to go louder outdoors because you're in a field and don't get the usual room bounce back. This situation would appear to be different. Get a good balance on stage at volumes you're ALL happy with and let the PA guy worry about the canyon. Also try getting that Gretch up on a crate or a chair so you can hear it properly instead of the sound shooting past your knees. As long as your body is between the mic and the amp and you're not too close, feedback shouldn't be a problem.
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LSC
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HawkeyeKane
1206 posts
Sep 19, 2012
11:04 AM
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@LSC
I have an amp stand that I use regularly with a number of amps, mainly with my Zoo. I've put the Gretsch on it before with good results. One thing that makes me a little leary though is the Gretsch's inordinate weight. With the huge speaker mag, the reverb tank & circuitry, the sizeable power tranny, and the solid wood cabinet, she's got a fat ass. But I'm sure I can elevate the Gretsch one way or another. My body is usually a barrier between mic and speaker. I sometimes bounce around a bit depending on crowd energy, but if I do, my cup provides a throrough pad.
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Hawkeye Kane
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Frank
1186 posts
Sep 19, 2012
3:59 PM
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Dude - Don't fear the reaper, get the 4/10 JUST DO IT :)
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HawkeyeKane
1208 posts
Sep 20, 2012
10:12 AM
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410 isn't one of my options.
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Hawkeye Kane
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Frank
1190 posts
Sep 20, 2012
10:22 AM
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Bummer... I was hopin you could tandem the SJ with the Gretsch? Hope you get a little footage, I enjoyed the last vid you posted Tim.
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HawkeyeKane
1210 posts
Sep 20, 2012
10:40 AM
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I'll see what I can wrangle footage-wise of the Gretsch. The Sonny's out of the picture now.
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Hawkeye Kane
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kudzurunner
3528 posts
Sep 20, 2012
10:53 AM
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You need to use the first two amps in tandem, my friend. You'll need to purchase something that divides the output signal--either directly from your mic, or from whatever pedal you use. Try it at home. You'll have a monstrous sound from those two smaller amps.
Rack of amps.
Once you grab a rack, you never go back.
Edited to add: Feedback will be much less of a problem outside. Bass feedback wont be a problem at all--it will disappear. Screeching feedback, too, will tend to disappear.
Word to the wise: Don't assume that you can just crank your amp or amps way up, higher than you'd turn them up indoors. You should get out in front and listen to what they actually sound like. You might find that they're distorted and need to be tweaked back down.
Last Edited by on Sep 20, 2012 10:56 AM
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HawkeyeKane
1211 posts
Sep 20, 2012
10:59 AM
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I'm not using a pedal presently...
But the R500 does have a second instrument jack on the first channel. Would that not work to split it off and run it into the Gretsch?
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Hawkeye Kane
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kudzurunner
3529 posts
Sep 20, 2012
12:06 PM
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It might! I don't slave my amps that way, but I HAVE done it. The first time somebody showed me how to do that, I said "What???!"
It only works with older amps, where you've got two identical side-by-side inputs that share circuitry.
But I'd like to hear folks weigh in on this. Rick?
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HawkeyeKane
1212 posts
Sep 20, 2012
12:26 PM
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Heck, I ran my 'Zoo's line out into my Vypyr two weekends ago and placed the Vypyr on the other side of our stage. That was a pretty solid setup that almost gave me stereophonic overtones.
The R500 is from the mid-50's, which I would definitely classify as older, and I've slaved my Kalamazoo's 2nd jack into another amp before. And yeah, when I first read about that technique on this very forum I had about the same reaction as you Adam.
I dunno....I'm thinking I'll just go with the Gretsch for this weekend. It's bulletproof on volume, breakup, and tone. I don't like to monkey too much with equipment that doesn't belong to me. I'll try experimenting a little with this in the future though.
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Hawkeye Kane
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