How many guys gig with 4x12's , 2x12's, 1x12's?

  • Thread starter Thread starter ericb
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reilly":29vhru4z said:
Don't get me wrong I love the sound of a good 4x12 cab cranked but even in decent size venues you still don't get to push your amp as loud as you want too on stage. I also make it a point that my band can control our overall volume and mix on stage without getting into a Volume War, makes the sound guys job easier as well, then we have a better mix.

My other guitarist ditched the 4x12 and now plays through a 2x12.

4X12s aren't louder than 2X12s, you get a little more spread though, sure. But while I agree you generally don't get to crank your amps in venues, that has way more to do with speaker efficiency and amp wattage than it does cab size. If you're saying you get to "push" your amp with a 2X12 vs a 4X12 based on cab size alone I disagree 100%.
 
When I was gigging, I used 212 cabs (horrizontal turned on their sides). Venues were small bars. Music style was classic rock, alternative, old school metal, modern rock.

I think a lot of the issue is the perceived volume of a 412 or 2 412's. You show up with a half stack or full stack and right away people assume you are going to be too loud, which is just not true. The thing is a 112 pointing at someones ankles is likely going to be run louder than a stack, since the speaker is far from ear level. I have gigged with a 112, it was an outdoor gig and I was asked to turn down by the sound person.

I remember this gig in a small bar where we showed up with big EV PA speakers and the owner was freaking out. He perceived them to be really loud, which they were capable of, but we did have a volume control on the PA. :)
 
blackba":2dbhoboo said:
When I was gigging, I used 212 cabs (horrizontal turned on their sides). Venues were small bars. Music style was classic rock, alternative, old school metal, modern rock.

I think a lot of the issue is the perceived volume of a 412 or 2 412's. You show up with a half stack or full stack and right away people assume you are going to be too loud, which is just not true. The thing is a 112 pointing at someones ankles is likely going to be run louder than a stack, since the speaker is far from ear level. I have gigged with a 112, it was an outdoor gig and I was asked to turn down by the sound person.

I remember this gig in a small bar where we showed up with big EV PA speakers and the owner was freaking out. He perceived them to be really loud, which they were capable of, but we did have a volume control on the PA. :)

Exactly, playing too loud for a given venue has everything to do with being a noob, and virtually nothing to do with the gear.
 
reilly":3rz4sv61 said:
Don't get me wrong I love the sound of a good 4x12 cab cranked but even in decent size venues you still don't get to push your amp as loud as you want too on stage. I also make it a point that my band can control our overall volume and mix on stage without getting into a Volume War, makes the sound guys job easier as well, then we have a better mix.

My other guitarist ditched the 4x12 and now plays through a 2x12.

Even though, I can push as loud as I want to... I typically just play loud enough to hear my amp across the stage from my normal position, just over the the drums. The 4x12's always sound bigger even when not cranking through them, and for me... it's all about the show and the tone, and nothing says Rock N Roll show like a bunch of 4x12's on the stage.
 
'63-Strat":1h9n85gx said:
blackba":1h9n85gx said:
When I was gigging, I used 212 cabs (horrizontal turned on their sides). Venues were small bars. Music style was classic rock, alternative, old school metal, modern rock.

I think a lot of the issue is the perceived volume of a 412 or 2 412's. You show up with a half stack or full stack and right away people assume you are going to be too loud, which is just not true. The thing is a 112 pointing at someones ankles is likely going to be run louder than a stack, since the speaker is far from ear level. I have gigged with a 112, it was an outdoor gig and I was asked to turn down by the sound person.

I remember this gig in a small bar where we showed up with big EV PA speakers and the owner was freaking out. He perceived them to be really loud, which they were capable of, but we did have a volume control on the PA. :)

Exactly, playing too loud for a given venue has everything to do with being a noob, and virtually nothing to do with the gear.

100% agree!!! I can't tell you how many times I have had sound guys pleasantly surprised that I don't have to be told to turn down.
 
maddnotez":3r3bn1d6 said:
ericb":3r3bn1d6 said:
reilly":3r3bn1d6 said:
In the past i have gigged with either two 4x12's or a 4x12 and a 2x12. These days I play my Mesa Mark IV with either one or two 1x12 mesa thiele cabs loaded with EVM12L's

I play in an Original Hard Rock Band and feel I can push my amp a little more and get better tone when using a 1x12, I only play venues that have a Sound System and mic everything. Plus i like the small footprint it takes and doesn't weigh a million lbs. I hate moving gear.

Cool , makes total sense to me (Voice of experience!) Here in Vermont , there aren't many clubs we play at with sound systems, so we use our own and are our own soundmen! I've been a soundman for other bands for many years, and even had a sound company for a brief time , and yep I'm with you , so much to carry damn... . I do similar as you ,in using 2 1x12's, or 1 2x12 , but I made the mistake today of firing up the 4x12 again! :doh:

Eric


I love VT, my old band play a show in a thrift store :thumbsup:


COOL! Now that's 1 venue I haven't played. . haha. . . if you remember, out of curiosity where was it? I know a few guys on this forum toured the cover band circuit up here WAY BACK WHEN, and a few others have played ski areas here and/or at Nectors, and I even was the co-promoter of a 2 and 1/2 day music festival here once and did sound for 14 original bands! I've played in a country Town Hall with a bunch of thrash bands, played in an art gallery with punk/newwavy bands, played in the Flynn Theatre with a punk band , played hard rock in country dance halls, and did sound in the Memorial Auditorium and Burlington Town HAll but mostly play the small/medium cover rock barband circuit . I never get to play the best clubs because in my bands , I refuse to play the 'same old tunes as everyone else) , but always get work, BUT never in a thrift store (YET!) :D Rock on

Eric
 
Zachman":2shlt8k6 said:
'63-Strat":2shlt8k6 said:
blackba":2shlt8k6 said:
When I was gigging, I used 212 cabs (horrizontal turned on their sides). Venues were small bars. Music style was classic rock, alternative, old school metal, modern rock.

I think a lot of the issue is the perceived volume of a 412 or 2 412's. You show up with a half stack or full stack and right away people assume you are going to be too loud, which is just not true. The thing is a 112 pointing at someones ankles is likely going to be run louder than a stack, since the speaker is far from ear level. I have gigged with a 112, it was an outdoor gig and I was asked to turn down by the sound person.

I remember this gig in a small bar where we showed up with big EV PA speakers and the owner was freaking out. He perceived them to be really loud, which they were capable of, but we did have a volume control on the PA. :)

Exactly, playing too loud for a given venue has everything to do with being a noob, and virtually nothing to do with the gear.

100% agree!!! I can't tell you how many times I have had sound guys pleasantly surprised that I don't have to be told to turn down.

I get told to turn up more often than told to turn down, honestly :thumbsup:

Band mix > anyone's individual "I need to get my tone bs" :D
 
primerib":3opb8zsb said:
I gig with 2 4x12's (full stack). We're metal. A lot of sound guys want my volume around 2 or lower on my rectifier, really hurts my tone that low, these amps were made to rip! And my rectifier is in a road case with a built in rack which is on casters so I take up a lot of floor space. that's the only down side to my rig

I play with fullstacks too. It looks cool but sound guys always seem to be intimidated by it and make you turn down lower then you should... Invest in a THD hotplate my friend and your troubles will be over. Best thing I ever did was get that and a power conditioner.

-Alex
 
'63-Strat":12a15con said:
Zachman":12a15con said:
'63-Strat":12a15con said:
blackba":12a15con said:
When I was gigging, I used 212 cabs (horrizontal turned on their sides). Venues were small bars. Music style was classic rock, alternative, old school metal, modern rock.

I think a lot of the issue is the perceived volume of a 412 or 2 412's. You show up with a half stack or full stack and right away people assume you are going to be too loud, which is just not true. The thing is a 112 pointing at someones ankles is likely going to be run louder than a stack, since the speaker is far from ear level. I have gigged with a 112, it was an outdoor gig and I was asked to turn down by the sound person.

I remember this gig in a small bar where we showed up with big EV PA speakers and the owner was freaking out. He perceived them to be really loud, which they were capable of, but we did have a volume control on the PA. :)

Exactly, playing too loud for a given venue has everything to do with being a noob, and virtually nothing to do with the gear.

100% agree!!! I can't tell you how many times I have had sound guys pleasantly surprised that I don't have to be told to turn down.

I get told to turn up more often than told to turn down, honestly :thumbsup:

Band mix > anyone's individual "I need to get my tone bs" :D

Yup!!! :yes: :thumbsup: It helps that I run sound too, so understand everybody's job. You are correct about it being a noob thing as they don't typically operate from a position of "The overall mix is the goal", rather operate from an incorrect assumption that at a live show you're "Supposed to" crank the amps on stage. If they can't get their sound live, without cranking-- it's usually because they don't know how, or have made compromises with their gear purchases and cut corners to avoid higher gear expenses.
 
Seems like a gear bizarro world these days in some ways...

With the current trend and pressure for lower volumes at clubs, the 4x12's are kept for home use more often and sometimes played louder than at smaller clubs with smaller more portable cabs. :lol: :LOL:

So the 100 watt stack and 4x12 are increasingly becoming the domain of the bedroom players while the club players use smaller rigs. :lol: :LOL:
 
My hard rock band plays small to medium sized clubs currently. Both my singer (who also plays) and I use 4x12 cabs. I could get away with my 2x12 but the stage look is important to us. fwiw, I also use an attenuator so I can get my cranked tone and adjust the volume as needed.
 
Cover band = Hughes & Kettner Switchblade 100C combo (2 x 12)

Metal Band/very small venues = Splawn Quick Rod + Splawn 2 x 12

Metal Band/small venue = Splawn Quick Rod + Marshall 1960B (4 x 12)

Metal Band/larger venue = Splawn Quick Rod + Marshall 1960A/B (4 x 12) full stack :thumbsup:
 
For years I used a 1x12 JTM45 custom combo and my tone killed. AND I played every bit as loud as I do with the (1) or (2) 2x12's that I use now.

The JTM45 is only 30 watts so getting a killer tone at lower volumes isn't an issue. I usually get asked to turn up.

I've never been a really loud player. I like it to thump but not at the expense of the singer being able to hear himself.
 
Ever since I got a trailer, it's been as many 4x12s as I can bring. Fuck all the people stuffed into the tiny bar. I'm putting up a wall!!!!
 
I used to play regularly at a bar that had these big towers of speakers on either side of the stage, the bass bins were on the bottom, so I would just put my 112 combo up on there pointed at the oposite corner of the stage. It got the speaker up nice, and high so that I didn't have to be cranked, and everyone could hear it no problems. It worked great. The sound guy there was awesome, and he was in charge of booking bands for a few bars, so you keep him happy, and you get lots of gigs.

In my first band I had a small solid state combo so I had to bring a chair to gigs to point it up at me so that I could hear it lol.

I have found that I am in the minority here, I prefer a good 212, or 112 over a 412. I have gone through a number of 412s in the past couple of years, and I just find that they are not my thing. I have always played combos growing up, so I think I am jsut used to it, that and I don't like a lot of bass I like to be able to hear the bassist.
 
I use a 4x12. I found that I kept inching up the volume when I played through a 2x12. A 4x12 always made more sense to me for a "lower" stage volume since more sound was was being dissipated and covered more stage real estate....Plus, guitars and stage gear are jewelry to me and 4x12's just look cooler IMO....2 4x12's look even cooler! Oh... and SCREW the whiney sound guy and club owner!! Hire an Air Supply tribute band if you want a "pleasant" stage volume! I have always found that belly aching to be so offensive! I went with Clearsonic panels to put a stop to the bitching....everybody wins!
 
BeZo":rf1ux6c0 said:
Ever since I got a trailer, it's been as many 4x12s as I can bring. Fuck all the people stuffed into the tiny bar. I'm putting up a wall!!!!

Do you bring both your 810 cabs for a Bass gig? :rock:
 
blackba":25xlii41 said:
BeZo":25xlii41 said:
Ever since I got a trailer, it's been as many 4x12s as I can bring. Fuck all the people stuffed into the tiny bar. I'm putting up a wall!!!!

Do you bring both your 810 cabs for a Bass gig? :rock:

My bass player does. Nothing like stereo bass to kick you in the fucking balls :D
 
I try to bring 2 4x12's even in the smallest of clubs. The full stack looks cool and I only run one cab just loud enough to get feedback.
 
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