David's Tip of the Day: Setting up your Amp for the Stage - Part 5

#1 - Setup your amp off the floor
#2 - Get away from your amp
#3 - Turn your mic to 10 if you have a volume control
#4 - Turn your amp up to feedback, then dial it down just below feedback

Simply put, set the amp as loud as it can go and then play at ~40% of your capable volume as your "normal" volume. You can go lower for soft passages and louder for more intense passages, all leading towards to hugely-important, though commonly-lacking element on the bandstand... DYNAMICS. Listen to Kim Wilson and I discuss this in his interview.

Tip: The reason why we play custom harmonicas is so we can play very softly