Single channel amp and switching guitars on stage?

[slybird]

I own several guitars with different pickup arrangements and output levels. They go from quiet single coil to a very high output active pickup.

I was using a Mesa Triaxis and had presets for every guitar with levels and tones relatively equalized for all the basic sounds I needed. It made a guitar switch onstage really easy. I would just bring any two guitars I wanted for a particular gig.

This year I moved to using a single channel amp and pedals. This is causing me problems. Now my quiet guitars are too quiet when clean, my active pickups are way too loud when clean, some guitars are way too bright, and others are way too dark. If I forget to move the knobs on amp and OD pedal things just don't always go as I want. Solos can be way too quiet or loud depending.

How do you manage guitar changes onstage without turning knobs? Just use the volume and tone knobs on the guitar? Some of my guitars only have a volume knob, wouldn't take care of tone. Maybe use a volume pedal? Just use the same type of guitars with similar output and tone?

Thanks.

 

[Blix]

I use a Fulltone 2B boost as "always on" when using singlecoils. When I grab a humbucker guitar I turn it off. Works for me.

 

[Crowder]

^^ a pedal could be your answer.

Maybe get an eq pedal like a GE7 that can adjust the level as well. Have it on for some guitars and off for others.

A passive volume pedal might also be handy.

 

[slybird]

Thanks guys, this thread is done for now. I'll start there. Start reading some boost/volume pedal threads.

I use a Fulltone 2B boost as "always on" when using singlecoils. When I grab a humbucker guitar I turn it off. Works for me.

^^ a pedal could be your answer.

Maybe get an eq pedal like a GE7 that can adjust the level as well. Have it on for some guitars and off for others.

A passive volume pedal might also be handy.

 

[sturge]

I hear ya...it can be tough to find the happy spot for two guitars with everything else being the same. I spend a little time before gig to find a happy starting point with both guitars, amp and pedals so I'm not searching too much when the time comes to swap but I'm not that anal about things. That way I kind of know where the amp settings need to be set quickly then I just play and tweak as the set goes on. One thing I always try to be sure of is to have the amp volume slightly higher than needed and use dynamics/guitar volume if needed to bring it down. When it's time for a lead I add OD/dirt as needed but I typically don't mess with the pedal settings as I prefer them to be set at a similar volume level. You could get a boost pedal to kick in only when using your single coil lower output guitar. I have a GE7 that works great for this.

 

[BADHAK]

I just use one versatile guitar(06 Faded LP Special with Pearly Gates, 50's wiring and coil splits ) the whole gig. But if I had to go from my LP's to ,say a Strat with vintage singles, then I would walk over to my amp, turn down the Presence, turn up the mids/bass a tad, and raise the volume a bit. With abit of practice you could do it in seconds.
I wouldn't touch the gain because I like my Strat sounds cleaner than LP tones, but engaging a low gain drive could do that job. Come to think of it, a Barber LTD SR set to give a little boost in gain/volume, and set a tad darker, could save you from touching the amp. I would however, recommend achieving this first without adding pedals.