Are There More Bedroom Players on Here?

[scozz]

Venue has everything to do with a player wishing to discuss exactly what this post is about. It's not a dig against someone playing at home. I play from home a lot too.

Take the SV for example. You about can't have a discussion on it without getting all kinds of suggestions or questions on attenuators, boxes in the loop, how "stupid loud" it is coming across as unusable, etc. Yeah, it will ring your ears in a bedroom but so will a set of drums. Get it out with other instruments and singing it ain't THAT loud. Absolutely nothing wrong with using it like you want but for somebody wanting to know what it's like in a band, outdoors, whatever, you have to sift through a lot. I've had mine a month, used it twice lately in a group and i didn't need any attenuation and i had it cranked through a 2x12. I think that's valuable information to share for someone contemplating getting one for playing out even if in the minority on a forum.

Right, and well said too Biff.

I'm older than most here, and I haven't gigged in over 40 years. Back then most everyone gigging, in my circles anyway, used a 100 watt amp. Of course venue owned PA systems were quite rare back then, so that was the norm.

So reading how some folks use 20 watt amps to gig with seemed unusual to me. Now I know of two members here that have some slight concerns about these 20 watters in real life, live performance, situations.

 

[Biff Maloy]

Right, and well said too Biff.

I'm older than most here, and I haven't gigged in over 40 years. Back then most everyone gigging, in my circles anyway, used a 100 watt amp. Of course venue owned PA systems were quite rare back then, so that was the norm.

So reading how some folks use 20 watt amps to gig with seemed unusual to me. Now I know of two members here that have some slight concerns about these 20 watters in real life, live performance, situations.

Mine isn't so much a concern. I think it fits a need for me and it does sound great. Of all my years stringing it's my first 4 hole so I'm good with it. But, I still want a 1987X. I have no desire for clubs or anything like that anymore. Most of my so called gigs will be outdoors at parties and get togethers. PA for vocals only will be the norm. I think some situations like that a need for a more pronounced guitar tone may come up. If miking up is available if needed you're good with a 20 watt i think but unmiked and outdoors i do wonder.

 

[Phoenix]

I'm wondering if the majority of people on here are bedroom players and don't gig and play live?

I see more people trying to get cranked level Marshall tones at bedroom levels but not much discussion about playing live & their experiences, set-ups etc....

I'm assuming most guitar players in general don't play in bands but do it as a hobby only.

Should there be separate threat for Live Playing?

I play in my recently soundproofed 18 x 18 ft studio; I play by myself most every night, my 2 friends (one a drummer, the other a guitar/bass/harmonica player) join me every couple of Saturday nights to jam; we aren't working up material towards a set list to play out; we play for fun, our own enjoyment and the desire to improve as players. I'm 67 and have no desire to drag equipment to small gigs and be my own roadie for next to no money. My guitar player has 2 kids at home and he's lucky to get time to jam with us, much less practice enough to build a set list. I love to play and have 4 nice acoustics and 6 nice electrics. I play thru a Marshall mini silver jubilee (5/20 watts switchable) and 5 watts is plenty for my room. I do use a Radial Bones a/b switcher and play it together with my Vox AC 15 for a big wide sound. I'd love to have a singer/keyboard player/bass player to jam with us, maybe we will find a new player or 2 join us one of these days. The COVID crisis has made it difficult to play inside like it has for everyone. We soldier on

 

[Phoenix]

fact: 7 out of 10 people that say their "home studio" = bedroom... ...

A bedroom is a bedroom. When you actually take a spare room, prewire it, line it with MLV rubber, space the wall with aluminum hangers, use double thick wall board and hang double doors to the tune of 25k, it is now a studio. I am with the 3 out of 10 I live in a subdivision with small lots, and you can't hear my drummer pounding away from my next door neighbors driveway! I'm thrilled with the results, and I can tell you if you do the soundproofing right, you will be able to play as loud as you want anytime without the neighbors calling five oh on ya.

 

[Biddlin]

I'm wondering if the majority of people on here are bedroom players and don't gig and play live?

I see more people trying to get cranked level Marshall tones at bedroom levels but not much discussion about playing live & their experiences, set-ups etc....

I'm assuming most guitar players in general don't play in bands but do it as a hobby only.

Should there be separate threat for Live Playing?

When I read "bedroom players" i think something entirely different...

 

[Chris-in-LA]

A bit like 'The Lone Rangers' from the X-Files.

Wasn’t that the Lone Gunmen?

 

[jazzdj]

Playing a Bedroom is so sheety, it's for more satisfying playing a Guitar, keyboards or Drums.

 

[masher_uk]

I'm wondering if the majority of people on here are bedroom players and don't gig and play live?

I see more people trying to get cranked level Marshall tones at bedroom levels but not much discussion about playing live & their experiences, set-ups etc....

I'm assuming most guitar players in general don't play in bands but do it as a hobby only.

Should there be separate threat for Live Playing?

I play in an established local UK band and we (used to) gig regularly (before f'ing covid!). I use a 50W JVM head for gigs/rehearsals and the 100W JVM head for bedroom practice. I'm not sure but I'm beginning to suspect there may be a flaw in my logic somewhere...

 

[SkyMonkey]

Wasn’t that the Lone Gunmen?

That's it Simpson. You're fired!

 

[lonewolfsx]

I played a bit in college with some friends but never anything special. We weren't that great and we never really had a decent singer either. It was a lot of fun though. We got the chance to play loud a few times but it was never too crazy.

That time has long since passed and now I play at home. The "bedroom" volume never made sense to me either. I have a little room above the garage, you can hear me play out on the driveway but not really to either side because my neighbors don't have the extra room, it's every other unit. I play pretty loud in my opinion and I've never gotten any complaints. That said, I don't really crank it up and during the week I'm usually done around 9 or 10 and the weekends I don't play loud much after midnight. I think I could probably get away with it but it's all about mutual respect.

I recently got one of those little decibel gauges and set it up in the room about 6-8 feet in front of my cabinets on my desk. I've discovered most of the time I play around 95db, sometimes a little less, rarely a little more. Generally I don't want to spend too much time in the room at those volumes anyway since I don't wear earplugs. That's plenty loud to feel the thump in my chest but it's not so loud that I'm uncomfortable. Honestly most people listen to their headphones that loud so I think I'm being relatively safe as long as I'm not spending 8 hours a day 7 days a week at that volume. Usually it's only an hour or two every couple of days because I'm too busy otherwise.

I'm not really into the low wattage amp thing, since a 25 watt mini amp is only a few db quieter than a 50 or 100 watter, I'd rather have the big transformers, full tube compliment, and features the big amps have. Lots of the smaller amps seem to be missing modes, knobs, etc from their big brothers and I don't see much of an advantage to those. Plus, we're spoiled nowadays. I can run my 50 watt amps in a single 12" speaker and they sound fantastic in the room. In the old days you had to use a 4x12 because each speaker was only 20w or 25w. Back before I discovered this, I was always frustrated because my 4x12 sounded like ass - and it's because I was splitting my signal into 4 tiny parts and each speaker was barely moving. Now I pretty much run everything through a single 12", it sounds much better and the volume is pretty manageable.

 

[Ramo]

Im bedroom player from start , i never made to gig point with band drama hot in a way. Ive done last gig in collage many moons ago. I have new band now well half the band still missing bass and vocal and hoping it can go further then previous ones.

I got first proper jam coming up on wednsday so looking forward to it.
Cheers

 

[Thunderslug]

I gig when it was allowed and as soon as COVID is over, will be back out there. I’m less motivated to play without a band or gig to focus on.
Playing with a band was a real eye opener for what a good set up and sound is for guitars in a live context. Can be quite different to home playing.

 

[SkyMonkey]

If ever there was a thread that was screaming out for a Poll, this was it!

Maybe a bit late now?

 

[Iron1]

What's the line of demarcation? Are you trying to sort the gigging folks from the non-gigging folks? How about the ones who have toured and recorded from those who only played small gigs? Or those who have albums out from those who never did a demo? Or those who have thousands of studio hours but never played a show from those who played a thousand shows but never set foot in a professional studio?

And, where does the social clout kick in? Are you less worthy if you love guitar but only play by yourself in a room in your house? Are you a better person if you've toured and recorded? Are Ola Englund and Justin Johnson better people than you because they have internet followers?

My underlying question is: Why are so many people these days hell-bent on sub-grouping everyone? Every new metal band has to have it's own sub-sub-sub-genre and now folks who play Marshall Amps have to be segregated by where we play? Seems easy enough to participate in the threads that catch your interest without forcing a social compartmentalization on everyone else.

And, yes, I'm old and grouchy.

To quote a friend, "how about we just rock out and have fun doing it?"

 

[Mitchell Pearrow]

Bedroom player here - actually have my amps in the living room and home office.
Fairly new to Marshall & the forum, but I've been playing as a hobby since I was a teen in the 80's.
My little Marshalls sound good to me at any volume, but most of my life, I played through an little 10w Crate with a crappy multi pedal.
I find the input from both fellow bedroom players and seasoned road warriors equally useful and informative.
I have a G15MS with a DSL1 on a switcher, Haze 15, and recently got the Code100H & 2x12.
When I read a thread about a certain Marshall model, I can try things out without having to spend $20k on a Plexi, JVM, JCM, Bluesbreaker, etc.
Different opinions lead me to try different settings and find new tones.
Keep it coming - glad to be here.

To the forum

 

[Mitchell Pearrow]

What's the line of demarcation? Are you trying to sort the gigging folks from the non-gigging folks? How about the ones who have toured and recorded from those who only played small gigs? Or those who have albums out from those who never did a demo? Or those who have thousands of studio hours but never played a show from those who played a thousand shows but never set foot in a professional studio?

And, where does the social clout kick in? Are you less worthy if you love guitar but only play by yourself in a room in your house? Are you a better person if you've toured and recorded? Are Ola Englund and Justin Johnson better people than you because they have internet followers?

My underlying question is: Why are so many people these days hell-bent on sub-grouping everyone? Every new metal band has to have it's own sub-sub-sub-genre and now folks who play Marshall Amps have to be segregated by where we play? Seems easy enough to participate in the threads that catch your interest without forcing a social compartmentalization on everyone else.

And, yes, I'm old and grouchy.

To quote a friend, "how about we just rock out and have fun doing it?"

Well said brother.
Cheers

 

[marshallmellowed]

Haven't played a guitar in a bedroom since I was 18. Like most, I practice in whatever space works, which was the basement for a while, living room for the past 10 years, and band practice space on the weekends. I spend about 50% of the time practicing cover band material, and the other 50% playing whatever...

 

[rick16v]

I'm a full on bedroom hero. Posts talking about how an amp sits in the mix, NMV amps, less gain is more, output tube distortion, natural compression, speaker cone break up, etc. Blah blah blah!

Preamp gain for the win.

I do love learning about live rigs etc, so I still read the posts.

 

[Old Punker]

I quit gigging on a regular back in 2014 when I quit my old band. I have played a few one off shows with my friends here and there since, but not much. I consider myself more of a home musician than bedroom player. I still write and record music, I just don't really prefer to play live all that much anymore.

The whole live scene kind of took a shit a few years ago, and I'd rather keep it fun doing my own thing instead of losing my ass and beating the shit out of my gear to play live and not make anything doing it. Too many people out there are willing to play for free, or pay to play, and that ruined the scene for the musicians that are out there trying to make a living playing music. Why would a bar or venue pay a band to play when the next band will come along and play it for nothing, or a few free drinks? It just seems more than ever that people expect music for free on all levels. They just don't think they should have to pay for it anymore.

I am, and always have been very willing to pay for good live and recorded music. Musicians working hard and sounding great deserve to live well, just like anyone else. I've never understood the mentality of expecting so much for free!

 

[Old Punker]

50 watt Marshall with a Power Station II in my 12' x 12' Madison Square Bedroom.

How are you liking your Power Station II? I just got one recently.