Ever have one of those "DUH" moments? A time when the solution to a problem was staring you in the face, but you just couldn't see it?
After
30+ years as a gigging guitarist you would think that I could pretty
much figure out the solution to nearly any equipment problem that arises
on stage. In my years as a touring musician I had just about seen it
all, and should know how to handle any issues or adversities almost as
second nature - right?......Wrong!
My "DUH" moment started a few
weeks ago on a gig. As we were playing a set I noticed that my guitar
amp seemed to be losing power. The output had diminished to the point
where I had to crank up the volume to almost double the normal level I
play at just to be heard.
In my infinite wisdom as an experienced
pro guitarist, I naturally assumed that the pre-amp tubes in my amp were
going out and needed to be replaced, so the next day I ran out, bought
some new ones and put them in. Problem solved...or so I thought.
Next
gig comes along and I fire up my rig with confidence knowing I've got
new pre-amp tubes and things are going to be great....Not!
Same problem, my signal was maybe half of the norm, and I was pushing the volume knob almost to 10 just to be heard!
Again,
my highly enlightened powers of deduction told me that, since I had
just replaced the pre-amp tubes in my amp, the problem must be with the
power amp tubes, so I whip out the credit card and order a new set of
matching bias 6L6's, just knowing that I will be back in business.
I
slap in the new tubes, go to the next gig and hook everything up, only
to find that the problem still exists. Almost no signal coming out of
the amp.
With the gig scheduled to start in a few minutes I
started to panic. But then, like an early morning ray of sun, a moment
of clarity took over, and I resolved to go back to basics and
troubleshoot the problem like I learned to do many years ago.
As I
began the process of troubleshooting by reaching for cables to unplug,
the problem jumped out and slapped me in the face. Looking down at my
trusty Boss ME-50 multi-effects processor, I noticed that the "level"
knob on the compressor section had been inadvertently turned down to
almost zero!
I turned the knob back up to my normal playing level and...presto...problem solved!
In the blink of an eye, several weeks of frustration (and expense) were wiped clean and all was right in the world again.
And the sad part was, it could have all been avoided had I just
initially done what I've always known I should have done. Take a deep
breath, and a step back, and troubleshoot..."DUH"
If you're experiencing problems with your guitar rig - no
sound, low sound, scratchy signal, unwanted distortion, etc. - here are
some steps to tracking down the problem.
1. First
of all, realize that there are many things that can cause a problem.
Especially with a guitar rig that uses a number of effects pedals and
processors. Never assume to instantly know where the problem is coming
from to the exclusion of all the other possibilities.
2. Break
the rig down to its lowest common denominator. Unplug all the pedals,
cables and processors and just plug one cable from the guitar to the
amp. If there is still a problem, or no sound at all, try another cable
that you know works properly.
3. If the problem
persists, you then know that the problem lies either with the amp, or
the guitar. Try plugging the guitar into another amp, or a channel on
the PA system to ensure that it is working properly. Conversely, try
plugging another guitar into your amp to see if the amp is working
properly.
4. If you get a good signal when
plugging the guitar directly into the amp then you know that the problem
lies somewhere in the signal chain of the pedals, cables and effects
processors that are between the guitar and the amp.
5.
Isolate each pedal or processor with cables that you know work, and try
to determine which pedal might be causing the problem. It may be as
simple as a bad battery in a pedal.
6. Check each
cable in the chain to see if there is a loose solder connection or bad
ground in one of them. Bad cables are one of the most common problems
that arise in a guitar rig.
7. Put the rig back
together one piece at a time and check the signal after each step. This
will ensure that you will catch anything you may have missed initially.
At
this point you should have narrowed down the problem and at least be
able to isolate it before the gig starts. You may have to go forward
without your favorite pedal, but at least the show can go on!
As a
fairly experienced guitar player, I'm almost embarrassed to share my
"DUH" moment with you. I've already taken a good amount of ribbing from
my bandmates over it, so why invite any more abuse?
In the hopes that you'll never have to suffer the shame that I have!
No comments:
Post a Comment