Guitar amp volume on stage question?

Question:I get confused on how loud a guitar amp should be on stage. Most soundmen will tell me to try to point the amp away from the aduience and keep int down...that I shouldn't let the onstage sound bleed in with the sound coming out of the PA. I have the guitar amp miked or running direct to PA.
What do you think

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I get confused on how loud a guitar amp should be on stage. Most soundmen will tell me to try to point the amp away from the aduience and keep int down...that I shouldn't let the onstage sound bleed in with the sound coming out of the PA. I have the guitar amp miked or running direct to PA.
What do you think

The biggest problem that guitarists have is turning up too loud. Volume on stage is actually your enemy.

You should only have your amp loud enough to make a decent tone, loud enough for the mic to pick it up, and absolutely 100% no more. Can't hear it? Bully for you, don't turn it up. Would it sound better if you turned it up? Yes. But don't.

The louder your turn your amp up, the more likely it will bleed into other microphones, which will totally jack up the sound. Look at it from the soundman's perspective - if he has to turn the singer up because the singer is quiet, but when he turns it up it picks up your loud a** guitar amp, then he's going to have to turn the mic down, which means the singer would get buried in the mix. It's like that.

The quieter it is onstage, the more the soundman can do to balance and improve the mix... so help him out and keep your amp turned down. Nothing more pathetic than a band getting on stage and the guitarists turning up too loud, cuz then the audience can't hear anything *but* the guitarists.

Basically, it's a real sign of unprofessionalism.

So if multiple soundmen have told you to do this, it means you haven't listened, which means the audience isn't hearing the band mixed well, they're hearing an unbalanced mix of the band.

So... listen up and turn down. Your audience will appreciate you more. Oh yeah, and so will the soundman. You really, really want the soundmen to like you... a soundman doesn't *have* to work with you, and they won't go the extra mile for you if you don't listen to them.

PS When we're playing in bars, we'll ask the soundman if he has the ability to record us off the soundboard. If he does, we'll see if we can slip him some scratch to do it... it's not much extra for a soundman to do, and they usually appreciate the 5-20$ they ask for. It doesn't matter if it sounds good or not, it's one way to get the soundman to remember you, and to like you.

Saul

Yes, if the amp is mic'd - aim it at you so you get the most volume. Use your Gain control to get good tone, but keep the Master down. Let the soundman set the overall levels from the audience. You need to hear your amp over the drummer, so it's still going to be plenty loud. Also, don't mix any guitar in the monitors, your stage volume should be enough. That way most of the monitor mix is the vocals. If you solo, turn yourself up as usual b/c the soundman won't know where your solos are.
I used to do the sound in a large club - I'd tell the loud guitarists twice to turn down b/c they were overpowering the vocals - after twice I'd just let it go - and all you would hear is the guy with the Marshall who thought he was Van Halen

PS - in small or medium clubs, a lot of bands don't mic anything but the vocals - the amps and drums are enough by themselves. Just enough bleeds into the vocal mics for an even mix - usually works like a charm. Drums especially are mic'd way to often.