How to control Guitar Volume on Stage?

[ACShreds]

i use an ernie ball vp jr. in my amps loop and it works great as a master volume. If anything i dont really here much a tone change.

 

[blackba]

First thing I would do is adjust where your volume pedal is in the chain. Try it out front. Not sure if you have pedals out front, but if you do, try it both first and last in the chain.

There are 3 main methods I have used to control volume with a band.
1. Volume pedal out front. I tried my Visual sound volume pedal in the loop of my Orange RV50 and didn't like it, but I sold that amp, I need to try it in the loops of other amps. The advantage here is you can always tweak your volume and you can still use a booster like in method 2.
2. Booster out front or in the loop. I have used a tubescreamer, clean boost (BYOC tribooster), or EQ in the loop. EQ in the loop is my favorite method and the one I generally go with. Volume pedal is rarely used.
3. Riding guitar volume. Works great for some, but not so much for me. Part of the issue is I need to mod my guitars so it doesn't get muddy as I roll the guitar volume down.

 

[milkman]

Thanks guys for a lot of good advices!

I've done a tone-test (git straight into the amp, in the loop only the vol-pedal). If the vol-pedal is in the loop you hear a degredation óf the tone ... loop disabled and the amp "shines". Not tried to use the vol-pedal infront ... I guess that would also effect the tone.

I'll try some active vol-pedals to see if that helps.

The best way to control the overall-volume would be between the amp and the cab ... but I'm not aware of anything that could do that (without harming the amp...)

 

[blackba]

Thanks guys for a lot of good advices!

I've done a tone-test (git straight into the amp, in the loop only the vol-pedal). If the vol-pedal is in the loop you hear a degredation óf the tone ... loop disabled and the amp "shines". Not tried to use the vol-pedal infront ... I guess that would also effect the tone.

I'll try some active vol-pedals to see if that helps.

The best way to control the overall-volume would be between the amp and the cab ... but I'm not aware of anything that could do that (without harming the amp...)

I believe there are some attenuators that you can footswitch in and out of the signal chain. I know Weber attenuators have that feature as an option. I am sure others do as well.

 

[Mr. Burton]

I have presets on my Gmajor2 to drop the db for the guitar with higher output pickups.

It really shouldn't be necessary to change your volume on the fly. I would personally smack the shit out of a bandmate if he turned his amp up after soundcheck.

I also guess I don't get why one would set all 3 channels at the same volume. If you have a dedicated lead channel why not increase the volume and add some versatility? If you have dirtboxes on the floor you can set their levels differently also.

There are plenty of footswitchable options but if it's just a stupid bandmate turning his amp up I would straighten him out and be done with it. I played volume wars for years with other guitarists. I bought one of the loudest power amps on the planet to make sure there were no further arguments.

 

[Giga]

I have to disagree on a volumepedal in the loop by default deteriorating your tone. That's only true for a non-buffered pedal in a non-buffered loop.

The Boss pedal is non-buffered I'm sure. I've used a Morley Little Alligator which worked fine. Also look into the "one-cable method"; most of the time that's one cable going from FX-send to the output of the volumepedal.

Giga

That sounds like a solution! I'll definitely check this Morley out! Great tip!
I don't get the point of the "one-cable-method" ...

It's a trick to bleed signal to ground without influencing the signal going straigh from the fx-sen jack to the fx-return jack.

Giga

 

[milkman]

I have to disagree on a volumepedal in the loop by default deteriorating your tone. That's only true for a non-buffered pedal in a non-buffered loop.

The Boss pedal is non-buffered I'm sure. I've used a Morley Little Alligator which worked fine. Also look into the "one-cable method"; most of the time that's one cable going from FX-send to the output of the volumepedal.

Giga

That sounds like a solution! I'll definitely check this Morley out! Great tip!
I don't get the point of the "one-cable-method" ...

It's a trick to bleed signal to ground without influencing the signal going straigh from the fx-sen jack to the fx-return jack.

Giga

Hm .. so just a cable from amp fx-send to Output of the volume pedal?
No cable back to close the loop?