Cleans are warmer at a lower volume on the guitar knob even with a little chorus or other effect. Overdrive cleans up considerably, WITHOUT LOSING VOLUME, by simply rolling back to 5 or 6 on the guitar volume. If you have a foot pedal keep it all the way down, unless you are using it as an effect, rolling in and out.

I rarely play with my guitar knob full on, except when it is time for a full flame on lead. The remainder of the time I change between pickups and positions on the volume knob to control distortion and clean sounds. Most of the time, depending on how good of a distortion pedal you have, you can leave it on, and play rhythm just by rolling of the volume knob on your guitar.

John is all over it, and I submit to all of you interested in this little trick from John T. that it works and you all should try it too see if you like it!! If you don’t already do this, (most of you probably do) you will be amazed by how much you can change the TONE of your guitar by rolling off the volume knob, and you lose very little volume !!!!

Mike

Thank for you Reply John, and making more clear to me what I should be aiming for. Also many thanks for you products, first methods I bought were slide guitar in E tuning I was so amazed at how fast and permanent I learned to play slide in E tunning that I ordered the blues package… I am starting on the blues methods now… there is no greater joy to a guitar player to feel and hear his playing is improving… and that is exactly what your DVD’s deliver… Keep it up.

First, the guy who commented on youtube is a nit-wit and possibly knows nothing about how pickups, volume, tone and switches work together. I always EQ the amp for the loudest sound and tone I want from the neck pickup and work the volume and tone quite a bit on that pup. When playing the bridge pup I find most of the time back quite a bit so that I don’t get the icepick thing. It works for me.

Second, it really bugs me when the drummer bangs the livin hell out of the drums. I have noticed that is usually where a band that is LOUD get it’s drive. To be heard clearly above the drummer. It takes a good seasoned drummer to caress the drums and play them softly and still be heard. I prefer to jam and play with the later not the former. I seldom feel the need to crnk it way up just to be heard. Not my style, I like tone not LOUD.

Probably said enough but these are two sticky points with me.

I have spent many hours messing around with volume and amp configurations. I turn the amp up and keep the volume on my guitar down. The reason I do this is because, if a band picks up speed and increases dramatically in volume there is nowhere left to go. If you turn around and turn the amp up and the volume on your guitar is on 10 you are suddenly louder than everyone else. For solos it is a lot easier to start at a lower volume and increase the volume in small doses. At the end of a solo I am usually on 8 or 9 if not totally at the top.

In reality fast loud solos don’t impress anyone, unless they are begun with a quiet beginning and builds up to an ending.

It’s gotta tell a story and if you don’t, nobody will listen. Using dynamics will make people listen.

I know exactly what you are talking about… and it is exactly what I would like to do more… but when playing with my band… I always end up playing with the volume knob on Ten… Just to be heard better (louder)… It also seems to me I have to alterate the settings of the amp a lot between different songs… so practicing the volume knob would probably be very wise… so thanks for the e-mail as a reminder that I should work more on this… unfortunately I did not see the mentioned attached video….