Understanding Your Live Rig
When it comes to performing live it is absolutely essential that you know your gear. We’ve all been there. During soundcheck something doesn’t quite feel right, or there is a crackle in your sound that normally isn’t there. ‘It’s fine’ you say, ‘it’s probably the power in this old club.’ Before you know it, you hit that first chord and a string breaks, or worse yet that crackle was actually a broken cable and you get no sound at all!
If, like me, you have a penchant for the slightly extravagant then you probably have an unfeasibly large rig. Maybe a couple of guitars, a pedalboard, a 100-watt valve amp (or two), a minimum of a 4x12 cab and some rack effects also. It’s imperative you know every inch of your rig and thoroughly test it before each gig. Your rig is going to sound different in every room but you should be able to tell when it doesn’t sound quite right.
As usual, a variation on the old adage applies: ‘the more complex your rig, the more likely it is that something will go wrong.’ This is undoubtedly one of the primary reasons that regularly gigging players are using a digital modelling system plugged straight into the PA. Even with such a simple system however, plenty can still go wrong.
Your rig will sound different in every room so it is important to allow yourself a few extra minutes during sound check to dial in your sound exactly how you want it. One of the biggest mistakes I discuss with many players is when they try to replicate their ‘bedroom’ tone in a live environment.
In a gig situation you are nearly always going to need less bass, more mids and more treble than you are usually comfortable with.
It is also very important that you understand how your guitar reacts in various environments. If you are using a guitar with single coil pickups you’ll definitely want to consider where you position yourself on the stage, especially if the mains power is less than optimum or the venue uses dimmer switches or fluorescent lights. The last thing you want is uncontrollable feedback throughout the whole set. With that in mind, be prepared to have to adjust your setup throughout the show. If you find that you are getting a lot of feedback you may wish to turn the gain down a little or experiment with EQ to try and ‘notch’ it out and eliminate it. You’ll need to do as much of this as possible during sound-check, as to not negatively affect the balance of the mix mid gig, but minor tinkering throughout your set is probably okay. Always check with the sound engineer, and on that note, be nice to the sound engineer! He / She has the ability to make you sound amazing, or terrible.
Kit Bag Essentials
As well as bringing your guitar / amp etc. There are a few other things you’ll want to take with you.
Strings
Strings take a lot of abuse. They are the most consumable item you will ever use as a live guitarist. I personally change my strings before every gig and use NYXL exclusively. The benefits of NYXL are that they are stronger, reliable, break-resistant and last longer than a regular set of strings (they ‘sound better’ too). If you are looking for maximum string life however then a coated string is the way to go. D’Addario EXP coated strings have up to four times the life of an uncoated string and are popular amongst working musicians looking for consistent tone night after night.
Cables
Invest in quality cables! Cables are an essential part of any rig and there are few things worse than one breaking mid performance. A good cable should be durable, well- constructed and of course sound good too. D’Addario American Stage have many features not available in other cables on the market. These cables if looked after correctly, will last a very long time.
Kit Bag List
- Spare Strings – Better to have them and not need them than to need them and not have them. [D’Addario – NYXL]
- Spare Cables [ D’Addario - PW-AMSG-20].
- Guitar Maintenance Kit – A comprehensive kit for those last minute maintenance and repair jobs. D’Addario’s kit includes String Winder/ Cutter [DP0002], Guitar Multi-Tool [PW-EGMK-01], Headstand [PW-HDS].
- Gaffer Tape – Best to have your own than rely on the venue to supply it. [D’Addario – PW-GTP-25]
- Earplugs – Your hearing is your most important asset, keep it! [D’Addario – PWPEP1]
- Mains Extension Cables / Distribution Cables – Your always going to need one more plug socket.
- Torch – Chances are the stage will be dark.
Oh, you’ll probably want to bring a second guitar too! Better to have it and not need it than…well you know the rest!
Adam Ironside
Fretted Specialist with D’Addario UK.
