How to Get Great

Guitar Sound in the Worship EnvironmentBy Mark Hutchins

As worship services and events become more and more diverse and tied into today’s culture, it’s inevitable that the music and performances involved become increasingly contemporary. It’s just as common to see full-band setups on the platform as it is to see pianos, organs, and choir ensembles. One very attractive element of modern worship music performance is the guitar — a very portable, versatile instrument, which also happens to be relatively affordable (at least compared to that hulking pipe organ). Though worship performers have been using guitars as accompaniment for decades, the last few years have seen a boom in guitars as standout instruments. But how do you effectively integrate the guitar into your gathering and avoid turning the proceedings into a loud rock show? Read on.

The Direct RouteThe dynamic, natural sound of an acoustic guitar is right up there with the piano when it comes to accompanying solo artists or ensembles with one instrument. Until relatively recently, though, playing your acoustic live meant remaining stationary in front of a microphone and fi ghting feedback from the sound system. The advent of onboard pickups freed acoustic players from this fate,

allowing them to plug right into an amp or PA system and, in many cases, control the guitar’s volume and tone. One mostly unsung but very useful tool for amplifying an acoustic guitar is the DI, or direct box. In general terms, the purpose of a DI box is to convert the signal coming from your instrument into a “balanced” signal that’s

compatible with the church’s sound system. While many mixing boards allow you to plug straight in, using a DI on

the platform means the signals coming from instruments and microphones are all consistent when they connect to the PA.

Even if you’re an electric guitar or bass player, you can benefi t

from using a DI box — especially if your setup involves outboard effects and other gear (with balanced inputs) in addition to your amplifi er, or requires extremely long cable runs. Balancing the signal with a direct box helps to keep the signal strong and helps to remove pesky electronic interference. There are DI boxes available to suit every budget.

Plug In for Natural SoundTaking “direct” to an entirely new level, some acoustic guitar-centric pedals and even onboard preamps include very specialized EQ curves and effects that give your plugged-in guitar a more natural sound. Fishman’s Aura line actually includes stompboxes matched to specifi c body styles. Simply plug in your favorite dreadnought or jumbo or classical to its corresponding pedal, and you get a very good approximation of your guitar’s unplugged sound. Best of all, this “microphone-like” tone doesn’t come with the baggage of feedback!

This Year’s ModelThough EQ curves and preprogrammed algorithms can make a guitar sound great, today’s standalone modeling and effects units allow you to coax an incredible array of sounds out of your acoustic or electric instrument. The number of effects that can be applied is simply

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staggering, and, believe it or not, as modeling technology gets more and more advanced, it also gets easier to pack into smaller and smaller effects units. One big advantage you get from modeling effects (Line 6’s POD standalone units, for example) is the ability to get the sound of your favorite guitar amp while plugging straight into your church’s sound system. This means you get total control over your stage volume and tone — and you don’t have to lug that hefty amplifi er on and off of the platform.

Little Amp, Big ToneSometimes, however, there’s no substitute for the sound and response of an honest-to-goodness guitar amplifi er. The trick is being able to coax peak performance out of your amp without shaking the walls of your church and drowning out your message. As recording guitarists and studio engineers can tell you, the secret to big

tone, oddly enough, lies in using a small amp — especially

if you rely on classic tube-powered units for that rich, sustaining tone. A

small single-speaker combo amp (the Fender Princeton Reverb, for instance) is relatively easy to transport and move, and its controls give you immediate access to volume and tone adjustments. Lower power levels, or wattage — 15 watts, in the case of the Princeton — means you can “drive” the amplifi er’s power section and speaker, getting the benefi ts of the amp’s dynamic response and full-sounding tone, without blasting the congregation and overpowering the rest of your worship team. If you need more than just one great sound from your amp, consider a multi-channel amplifi er (usually equipped with separate controls for clean and distorted sounds, as well as tone controls and reverb adjustments) or even that most recent of amplifi cation developments, the modeling amp.

How Many Amps Do You Need?Small modeling combo amps provide a two-fold solution for worship guitarists. The fi rst is versatility. Packed with multiple amp sounds and effects, a modeling amp can literally take you from shimmering clean sounds to uplifting, sustaining lead tones in seconds (and a footswitch is often included, so you can make changes on the fl y). Secondly, you don’t have to give up portability and low stage volume to get the most out of

these amps; in fact, modeling amps, by and large, are voiced to provide very consistent-sounding versions of the amplifi ers they emulate, even at low volumes — try coaxing the same sustaining lead tones from a real 100-watt Marshall amp stack that you can get from a preset on your modeling combo! Plugging into a small combo, such as Roland’s CUBE-30X, lets you call up pretty much all the the tones you’ll need for a worship performance, while the very compact size and light weight of such a combo makes it a snap to get on and off of the platform quickly. And let’s not forget the bass player: there are plenty of great-sounding, highly portable bass combo modeling amps available that can hold their own on any stage.

Acoustic Amp or PA?Since the primary goal of amplifying an acoustic guitar is to retain as much of the guitar’s natural character as possible, it’s important that your acoustic amplifi er provide a very clean, transparent sound. So why not simply run your instrument directly into the sound system? While that’s a perfectly fi ne solution for many worship leaders (especially solo performers or small acoustic ensembles), those playing acoustic guitar in full-band setups or on larger stages benefi t from the control and focused sound they get from a dedicated acoustic combo amp. Many of these amps include extensive EQ controls for fi ne-tuning your tone, while onboard fi lters hold feedback at bay. Amps with built-in effects let you add even more body and depth to your sound and eliminate the need for a complicated signal chain running through outboard effects pedals. Though amps such as Fishman’s 100-watt Loudbox Performer pack plenty of sonic punch from a small enclosure, bigger rooms still require sound reinforcement from a PA system. That’s where your amp’s built-in direct output comes in.

Using Your Amp’s Direct OutputMost dedicated acoustic amplifi ers include balanced direct outputs, giving you the option of running your guitar rig through your church’s PA system without sacrifi cing the control and sound you get onstage. Several electric guitar combos (especially modeling amps) with direct-out capability are also available — some even include speaker emulation, giving you very realistic amp tones straight from the PA. Using your amp’s direct out not only lets you “have your amp and play it, too,” but it’s also a great way to get a handle on the sound level that reaches your gathering. You can enjoy getting the sound you want on the platform, while your church’s sound engineer can make a mix that’s ideal for the room. All these great sound tools help to make playing guitar in the worship environment a more inspiring experience for you — and your listeners.

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