Where do you place your amp at the gig? (don't sit on it!)

djadam

The recent thread on Audio Technica mics touched on this, but rather than hijack that thread...

Where do you place your amp when you play? Is it right behind you? Several feet off to one direction?

Seems like some of the gypsies I've seen will put their Compact 60s a few feet in front of them pointed towards them as monitors. Has anyone tried this on gigs which have a PA available?

And where do you place it when it is the sole amplifier for your guitar for you and the audience?

pinkgary

I tend place it 2 feet to my left (just within reach of the knobs), about a foot behind me. To my left, 'cos as a lefty the ATM350 using the violin mount is pointing left away from the amp.

This works in every room i've tried so far, (and will go real loud out doors) without feedback. Some times i have to change the angle it's pointing at, to avoid feedback, but nearly all the time it's fine.

Tom Landman

One common practice is to place the amp slightly behind you on the neck-side of the guitar. The reason for placing the amp slightly behind you is so that you'll be able to hear yourself. The reason for placing the amp on the neck-side of the guitar is so that the speaker does not face - and is as far away as possible from - the guitar's resonating chamber and pickup (to reduce the possibility of feedback). This method was explained to me by a well-known NYC guitarist some years ago, and it makes perfect sense.

djadam

Nice tip about the putting it on the neck-side, especially for gigs without a PA.

I've always put my amp on my right side, about a foot back simply because I have a slight preference for my right ear. Can't believe I never thought to try the left side... perfect sense indeed.

Tele295

pinkgary wrote:

I tend place it 2 feet to my left (just within reach of the knobs), about a foot behind me. To my left, 'cos as a lefty the ATM350 using the violin mount is pointing left away from the amp.

This works in every room i've tried so far, (and will go real loud out doors) without feedback. Some times i have to change the angle it's pointing at, to avoid feedback, but nearly all the time it's fine.

Same here

djadam

OK, I've pieced together where I got into trouble... I've spent so many years leaning over my acoustic guitars to hear them better that I've conditioned myself to listen with my right ear, hence tending to put the amp in a place which would case the most feedback.

Time for some re-conditioning. Meanwhile, I'm starting to really see the benefit of a sound port - a feature which perhaps I should have ordered on my Park guitar.