Setting up your Amp for the Stage - Part 2
#1 - Setup your amp off the floor
#2 - Get away from your amp
Now that you have your amp off the floor, get away from your amp. Imagine you're holding a hose with a nozzle on the end that give you the option to have a powerful stream or spray. If you set it to spray, but are only 1 foot away from the nozzle, you'll only wet a small area. If you step 6 feet away, you'll cover the entire object you're spraying with water.
The amp works the same way. Using a Bassman as a reference. If you're right in front of your amp, the sound "spray" is directed at your mid-section (no ears there)... but if you move forward so that you're 6' away, you'll get the full effect of the amp's sound.
The smaller the amp, the smaller the spray... don't be so far away. With a Bassman, 10' is great. I know, we usually don't have that much room, but IF you do, 10' is better with a Bassman... all four speakers work together with the floating baffle to send out a wall of sound, and around 10' you'll get the full effect.
Perform this test at home. Place your amp on the floor, be 1 foot away. Set the amp to feedback and dial it back so that you get no feedback. Play. Now, still playing, walk away from your amp, say around 6'... or more with a Bassman... notice how much louder your amp is. Still playing, drop to one knee and bend over until your ear is at speaker level... notice how much louder your amp is. It's really surprising how much of a difference it is. Don't just read this... do it... it will forever imprint how important amp placement is.
With this in mind... get to the gig early and get your amp directly behind you, wherever you'll be on the stage, and as far back as possible. If you arrive late (or it's a jam session), sometimes you can't do this... when it's time to solo, walk forward and off the stage if you can so that you can hear. Sometimes just bending over in the "harmonica hunch" position can help you to hear better in loud situations. You may want to experiment with having the amp on the side of the stage, again far way, but pointing at you. You're a little more prone to feedback, but sometimes this is the best solution (I've seen Musselwhite play this way a couple of times). In real tight situations I place my amp off the stage, in front of me, tilted upwards towards the stage. This sometimes is the best solution. Either of those two options (side or in front) you'll need to make sure to mic the amp.
