[Harp-L] RE: Loud drunk guitar players

["Jim Broughton" <jim.broughton@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

We rehearsed the other night with our dep drummer who hasn't played with us
for a while. He got a bit excited and went a bit Keith Moon on us - as a
result backline levels crept slowly up. Now, we're in a rehearsal rooms
using their gear. Normally the guitarist is pretty considerate, gigging with
just a modded Peavey Classic 30W combo, but that night he was using a 100w
Marshall Head and 4x12 cab (complete overkill for a room that size - and yet
it seems to be pretty much standard issue). Then I realised something, a
4x12 is pretty directional and it was blasting full tilt at me (we were
setup in the classic rehearsal room circle setup) Guitarist on the other
hand was right in front of the amp, with his backside to the cabinet. Having
not managed to get him to turn down, after the song had finished I asked him
to swap places with me. He could not believe the volume and and was also
somewhat shocked at the shrillness of his tone. 

Basically I don't think a lot of guitarists appreciate how loud they are. I
understand the amp/tone argument, but I don't think that's all the story
either. A lot of the time, guitarists are oblivious because they are
standing in completely the wrong place - right in front of their speakers
where a lot of the sound waves won't even have formed properly yet; what
they hear are the attenuated sound refelections. Maybe if they had ears on
their backsides they'd have a better idea of how everyone else hears them.
The real issue is of course whether they care. Like I said the guy I work
with does care about the whole band sound and learnt a lesson that night -
but there are plenty of ego maniacs out there who wouldn't lose sleep over
it.