Guitar rigs - less is more

STUDABAKER JOHN PUT on a great show Friday for Blues In The District. It's always interesting to see what gear the bands bring to Quincy, and John's guitar and harmonica rig blew me away.

John hooked up his guitar through a Behringer modeler and a small Roland amp. It was a 60-watt solid state job, looking good despite 30-plus years of use. Rollo Carder and Mark Mester put a nice microphone in front of the amp and it sounded incredible.

Right next to his guitar setup was another Roland 60-watt amp. This one was for his harp, and he ran it direct into the PA. Again, the tone and sound were amazing.

It's great to see a touring and legendary musician using gear we sell at Second String Music - we've sold a lot of Roland Cube amps. And it helps fight the notion you need a huge stack of speakers, amps and cabinets to put on a good show.

Part of the problem is that rock and roll was built on excess and in your face loudness. But with today's technology, you really don't need a massive head and cab if you want to sound good. Get yourself a decent PA system and somebody who knows how to run it, and you are good to go.

Thank you Studabaker John and The District for another great Friday night!