There are many important aspects one should consider when dialling up your guitar and amp setup for gigs. Firstly, what equipment is best for live gigs? Line-6 pods? Stacks? Amp racks? This is all a matter of opinion and preference and will be different according to what genre, venue and audience you are playing too.

Your Amp Setup For Gigs

From my personal experience, amp racks and equipment of that nature are best utilized in a studio situation. I find that pods and racks lack warmth and real tone in a live setting. A 100-watt half stack of any brand, i.e. Marshall, Mesa Boogie, Hughes & Kettner, etc., will do the job. Obviously this depends on the details of the gig, like the size of the venue and the size of your audience. I find that a 100-watt half stack is more than enough for most venues and audiences. The next most important aspect of a live gig is your tone. This comes down to personal preference mixed with the particular style in which you perform.

If you’re a rocker you’re going to be loud and proud and full monster distortion, whereas a jazz artist will be on the softer more gentle side of things.   Either which way, you should be familiar with your ‘sound’ and be able to replicate that on stage and on multiple rigs. The luxury of playing on your favourite equipment is not always the case. Having to play on a backline that is provided for you is something you have to adapt to. Having a sound check gives you time to play around and find your sound, otherwise, be quick to adapt.

It’s so important to know your equipment. It’s almost safe to expect that something will go wrong during a show. Know what cables should be plugged in where and know where your power source is and be able to fix any possible problems quickly and efficiently. Most importantly, KEEP PLAYING. It’s never a pretty sight to see a band stop playing half way through a song… but let’s not get carried away. It’s also a good idea to get a band mate to play your guitar while you stand in front of the P.A system. It will sound totally different from what you hear on stage so adjust your sound according to what you here through the front of house P.A system.

Your Guitar Setup For Gigs

Now we move on to the axe! Obviously one becomes very familiar with one’s weapon of choice. Every guitar sounds different and once again it comes down to personal preference. Setting up your guitar is the most important aspect of a live gig. It’s your tool of the trade. Make sure you have a new set of strings on your guitar. New strings have not yet been stretched properly so don’t put on a new set an hour before you go on stage. Your guitar will go out of tune after every song. Make sure you re-string your guitar at least the day before the show. Give the strings some time to settle and play a few chords and scales to loosen everything up.

Always have a chromatic tuner, or any tuner of your choice, with you on stage. Check your tuning before the show and after every song. There is nothing worse than an out of tune guitar. It’s unprofessional and just plain wrong and makes your entire band sound out of tune. It’s always a great idea to have an extra set of strings close by just in case you get carried away and happen to snap a string. Depending on what bridge you have you should be able to change a string quickly and efficiently.

Your audience didn’t pay to come watch you restring your guitar for 20 minutes. Alternatively, have a spare guitar that is already in tune and ready for action if needed. This is especially important if your guitar uses any sort of floating bridge like a Floyd Rose. Although it is much more difficult to snap a string on a Floyd Rose, you just don’t want to take the chance. It can happen. Lastly, have fun. Engage your audience and let them see your emotions through your music. I hope these tips will help your amp and guitar setup at gigs go smoother.