What is a P&W rig? How is it different?

[1973Marshall]

Please explain P&W (prayer and worship) rigs to me. The confusion stems from not understanding how that is different than any other rig. I've played a couple of churches in my lifetime and P&W didn't require anything different. bigger rig for bigger places, and smaller for smaller. Nothing else was different. Heck, they often had the best sound systems at the venues and tiny rigs sounded great.

Would someone tell me how its different or is it just a community of players looking to connect?

 

[jay42]

This has been covered before...however, the short version is that you need to be able to cover the guys at Hillsong and The Edge's basic delay thing. Without being metal, you'll need pretty saturated OD and Distortion tones from my classic rock pov. For reasons I don't fully understand, Gretsch guitars are making a comeback in P&W. They're not going for the Buffalo Springfield/CSN&Y Gretsch tones, fwiw. For me, it's all a bit processed, but to each his own.

Your amp will need to be miked and possibly surrounded by isolation pads. An amp that can do Blackface Fender or AC30 will do nicely. Most EL-34 amps are out.

 

[stagerightguitar]

P&W players tend to have to keep stage volume low, it's common to see several different gain levels available on their boards... more delay/verb than many players as well, as swells are usually in the job description, and generally very little modulation with the exception of tremolo.

 

[bass_econo]

It's just a community of players. It would be no different from someone saying they are in a 90s cover band or 80s rock band. It's just a reference point on what you are looking for.

 

[ToneRanger72]

P&W players tend to have to keep stage volume low, it's common to see several different gain levels available on their boards...

To me this is a big issue with most P&W "gigs" - the vast majority of places want little to no stage volume, so you can't just "crank your tube amp and go" like you would in alot of other venues.
Things also tend to be a bit more ambient/atmospheric, so you'll see lots of funky delays - not just for the "U2" thing, but also for a variety of ambient textures.

 

[willyredeemed]

there's really nothing unique about a p&w rig...i think the moniker came about as a result of a growing trend in worship music is all. i prefer refraining from its usage altogether b/c it doesnt denote a genre of music (ie, country, rock, metal, blues, etc) nor is it a genre in and of itself b/c it is so broad. same goes with "christian" music.

 

[UrbanHymns]

It's just a community of players. It would be no different from someone saying they are in a 90s cover band or 80s rock band. It's just a reference point on what you are looking for.

This. And I'm guessing anyone asking is probably just trolling...

 

[thesooze]

P&W players tend to have to keep stage volume low, it's common to see several different gain levels available on their boards... more delay/verb than many players as well, as swells are usually in the job description, and generally very little modulation with the exception of tremolo.

Sheesh you just nailed my rig hahaha

 

[Fulldrive-1]

This. And I'm guessing anyone asking is probably just trolling...

Not necessarily, I was wondering the same thing myself. I used to do Masses, used the same pedalboard as with my rock band. Although playing the mass parts, I mostly used a clean strat with very few effects, a touch of chorus here and there. A slightly cranked Fulldrive was as "heavy" a distortion as I ever used.

 

[waters]

This. And I'm guessing anyone asking is probably just trolling...

Six year member and over 3,900 posts I doubt he's trolling. God forbid someone has and actual question about p&w.

 

[AParrotLooksAt4O]

The difference is 3-4 delay pedals all set to varying washes of dotted eighth settings. Dotted eighths with dark repeats(for playing over prayer), dotted eighths with bright repeats(all/any other applications), dotted eighths(bright) going into dotted eighths(w/ modulation) for double stop solos on a Tele thinline.

Let the spirit move...move...move... move...

There is no difference in my board settings when playing at a church or in a bar. The amp level is the only difference.

 

[JRBain]

It isn't.

There is a sad amount of mindless conformity that is all too pervasive - sadly copying the least interesting players and music (Hillsong United; Nigel Hendroff) - but not all of us are like that. Christian worship music has no one sound any more than 'rock' music does.

All you need is a band and some songs. It's more like jazz players doing standards; the music is the same but every band is (or should be) different. Copying CDs and using dotted eighths IN EXACTLY THE SAME WAY IN EVERY SINGLE SONG is very, very old, too!

 

[ToneRanger72]

I think maybe the pedalboard itself wouldn't be what's so different - other than as someone added there maybe be a few more different gain pedals to compensate for the turned down amp, and maybe a few more "color" effects (funky delays, reverbs and modulations) than normal.
The amp and how it's treated is probably the big difference. Heck, alot of places won't even allow an amp on stage - they seem to think a Line6 all-in-one pedalboard is the only thing permissable.
I have a monster board that I use at my church - I'd use the same in live secular gigs (although I often go smaller for transport sake) - the difference is @ the church "gig" I use a Line6 Flextone IIIXL amp with XLR outs -the soundman gets a consistent level even though I'm at minimal stage volume.
Secular gigs I bring a tube amp or two and run them at more of a full live band level...

 

[Occam]

And don't forget that everything needs to have black and yellow stripes including the spandex.

 

[1973Marshall]

Hmmm so to a degree its a community, otherwise its kinda a small/quiet gig rig based on smaller amps, delays, and getting a lot of drive from pedals

 

[AParrotLooksAt4O]

And don't forget that everything needs to have black and yellow stripes including the spandex.

To hell with the Devil, DEVIL, DEVIIIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AA AAL!!

 

[ShredSquatch]

I guess my car I drive to church is my P&W car, my TV I watch Joel on is my P&W TV and my iPad I take notes on during the sermon is a P&W iPad? Just kidding ;-)...

I personally play in a P&W band and I use the same pedals for P&W as I do for Country, Rock or Metal gigs... The board I use on Friday & Saturday is the same one I use on Sunday... I don't think there is ANY difference between any gear whether it's on stage or in a Church. I see these P&W post as more of a "community" type thing

 

[AParrotLooksAt4O]

Hmmm so to a degree its a community, otherwise its kinda a small/quiet gig rig based on smaller amps, delays, and getting a lot of drive from pedals

In a practical, non-sarcastic, unbiased, outsider point of view... yes.

 

[onwingsoflead]

I must be the only p&w player who

*Loves modulation
*Uses fuzz and octave fuzz pedals frequently
*has only two real "overdrive" type pedals
*abuses a Whammy
*cranks the snot out of my amp
*never really uses "the swells"

The whole U2-lite thing really grates my nerves

 

[stellablue]

I play in a church band, but I guess it's not P&W music because we don't cover Hillsong. It's a shame that this term has been tossed around in such a nonchalant fashion that it really doesn't mean anything these days. It's become like the word "organic". It's sad that when people use the term P&W music, that it is pigeon holed in to big white community church music. I'm playing a church service tonight. We're doing some songs by Israel Houghton, Vashawn Mitchell, Martha Munizzi, and Clint Brown. In my opinion the term should really refer to the setting, and not to the artists. You need to be specific about what kind of worship music you play. We also play intercessory music and shouting breaks. On my board right now are Timmy>SUF Civil War Muff>Thunder Tomate Taxi Driver>Strymon Brigadier>Strymon Lex. I'm using a 1970 Vibrolux reverb or Tone King Imperial. We play loud. That's how my pastor likes it.