Aside from a tuner.....

Jetfire · September 2022

Went to a practise today with a new singer and we were quite happily smashing out songs and it was great, really good fun. But the guitarist part of my brain went "Ooooo, new gear..." but I actually wonder if I need anything. So far, Ive got a Faith acoustic with a LR Baggs Anthem in it (prob overkill for a cheap acoustic but gotta start somewhere right?) and a tuner pedal. Im potentially looking at a looper but otherwise, is there anything else I should consider? Are preamp pedals etc really going to enhance my sound etc or is that set up simple enough?

For full disclosure, I have a Helix LT but I really dont fancy dragging that out every gig and some of the veunes dont have the floor space..

smigeon · September 2022

Just play the music.

Jetfire · September 2022

Yeah, it's what I'm thinking tbf

Mellish · September 2022

@Jetfire ; if you can play your Faith, and play it well, you don't need the gizmos out there.

At the very most, maybe a guitar upgrade at some point down the road, but even that isn't necessary. I'd say, for now, just enjoy what you're doing.

BillDL · September 2022

Absolutely nothing wrong with a Faith acoustic and an LR Baggs Anthem, especially if you are playing through an amp using the pickup rather than using a microphone. I'm not a big fan of chorus pedals when they are set too "wet", but used used very subtly where it's hard to know it's being used until you turn it off and hear the difference, a good chorus pedal can definitely enhance your sound for some slower songs. Most acoustic guitar amps include chorus and reverb anyway. I wouldn't say that it is a requirement though. It depends on what kind of music you are playing. If you are looking to buy a looper pedal, make sure it is one that allows you to create and save a few different loops for each song (eg. for verse, chorus, bridge/middle eight) that you can quickly and easily switch between with your foot and not have to think too much while doing so.

DavidR · September 2022

If you're playing with a singer, you'll probably need a capo?

D'Addario Guitar Capo for Acoustic and Electric Guitar - NS Capo Lite - Adjustable Tension - Guitar Accessories - Works for 6 String Guitars - Lite - Black : Amazon.co.uk: Musical Instruments & DJ

maltingsaudio · September 2022

A small PA would be on my list, I’ve just scored a secondhand HK Lucas Nano 600 for not very much money and am blown away at how small it is and how useful: 3 channel PA with enough power for smaller gigs, great with your helix, and excellent as a drum monitor!

https://youtu.be/5K3MvJYw8dI

bertie · September 2022

if you havent already got one, a decent Capo - a must if accompanying a singer, certain choons just need to be played in certain "open fingerings" - and if it aint a good key for the vox. a capo is must

Jetfire · September 2022

Thanks guys. PA is coming, but potentially looking at a pair of Headrush/Altos so I can use them with my Helix for my other band. I've got a mini mixer but no FX on it so may need an upgrade there. I've got a capo (or three!!!)

lincolnblue · September 2022

It depends on what sort of music you're playing. A Boss OC-3 would be good to give you the polyphonic bass notes, reverb? I always like to be able to draw on delay and tremolo for fingerpicking stuff too

Tannin · September 2022

I'd be thinking about some sort of mild compression just to smooth things out and give it a professional touch.

(But then I'm a complete non-user of amplification, so my opinion here counts for very little. I have a background in studio engineering but that was in the 1980s, which is a very, very long time ago. Current needs might be very different.)

TimmyO · September 2022

If you'll be playing amplified acoustic live in unknown venues then one luxury worth having is something that'll kill feedback - there's a reason some acoustic preamps have a notch filter on them.

There's a old and bold Baggs Para DI that does that plus EQ, the Align series was their more recent acoustic range, and the Session DI is kind of half way between the 2

Supportact · September 2022

I'd tend to agree with those saying not to over think it at this stage. If anything though, either an eq pedal or one of the preamp/DI types with eq can be handy, especially if you're playing in different venues with different sound systems etc. As @TimmyO mentioned it can help to have something to counter feedback, or just to adjust for a different PA/room. If using only your own PA gear you might already have that covered on the mixer though.

Lestratcaster · September 2022

Try to keep your setup as simple as you can, more connections and gear could lead to problems in the chain and a nightmare to diagnose on stage. I've been that guy before and its not fun. Basics like tuner and capo are good. If you can plug straight into the PA and go with that then its quick and easy and less things to go wrong.

blobb · September 2022

I keep a Palmer pocket acoustic amp handy. Can be run on 9v baterry, gives local eq control, feedback / notch filter - general useful stuff if the guy running the PA is a bit lost.

Rocker · September 2022

Don’t overthink about your guitar sound. Just enjoy the sound of the chords, play like hell and allow yourself to enjoy the experience.

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Aside from a tuner.....

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