Anyone use a plexi glass baffle for 4x12 live?

cragginshrd

cragginshrd

Active member
Now that I have a real amp -JMP 100w 2203 I want to use it live periodically. It actually has a really good MV, however as you guess it sounds really full up around 3 to 3.5 which will piss off some folks. I could turn the cab backward or to the side but I'm curious about baffle or plexi glass options. Anyone try it and like it or not?
 
I use a couple of wedge-shaped plexiglass diffusers ("ToneShield") with a 2x12. Mostly for dispersion, so you can hear yourself everywhere on stage. But it kills the beam so you can crank your amp and you're not going to take anyone's head off. Works well.
 
I was watching blondie on axstv recently and her guitarist was plexi covered and turned to the side in a 2-300 person room. Seemed good. I’ve been told- never tried, that it doesn’t work. I’d love to try it and use a mic. I have also turned the cab around as well. Sounds anti-intuitive but don’t know enough to say what happens in a full crowd. I think… if you have a good sound guy; he can help define loudness and mix. My biggest concern is room dynamics. The room type changes everything. I have most of the time, been unhappy with final mix as guitar is lost but there. As of late, what I have learned over time is that verse and chorus mix is important BUT lead guitar really has to stand out so I control my own lead with a pedal for dB increase. Not sure how many dB I come up during solo (prolly 3-4) but that’s what we, as guitarists remember during the show-the solo. Fuck everything else… right? It’s like the happy shot.
 
alund said:
I was watching blondie on axstv recently and her guitarist was plexi covered and turned to the side in a 2-300 person room. Seemed good. I’ve been told- never tried, that it doesn’t work. I’d love to try it and use a mic. I have also turned the cab around as well. Sounds anti-intuitive but don’t know enough to say what happens in a full crowd. I think… if you have a good sound guy; he can help define loudness and mix. My biggest concern is room dynamics. The room type changes everything. I have most of the time, been unhappy with final mix as guitar is lost but there. As of late, what I have learned over time is that verse and chorus mix is important BUT lead guitar really has to stand out so I control my own lead with a pedal for dB increase. Not sure how many dB I come up during solo (prolly 3-4) but that’s what we, as guitarists remember during the show-the solo. Fuck everything else… right? It’s like the happy shot.
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there's just so many variables out of my control sometimes it feels like i'm doing it to appease the sound guy. At the end of the day, he's going to determine if I get heard by the whole room or by the line of people directly in line with my amp getting their faces ripped off lol.

Turning the cab backwards was my least favorite solution, but that's just me. it's probably the most effective for isolation outside of a true iso cab or burying the cabs in a room or under the stage, but it felt like going direct (not necessarily a bad thing and a whole 'nother can of worms, but if I get to choose, i'm always going to go with amp on the stage). One thing about the plexi shield that i liked - if i ease over towards my amp, i can still get plenty of stage volume.
 
If you just want to get a close approximation make a shield out of cardboard to try before you spend a bunch of money ordering a pre-made amp shield or a little money building one yourself. It does make a big difference and might even make the sound of your 4x12 less directional which can be a good thing in a lot of rooms.
 
I get stuck using one when gigging at casinos. They definitely do what they’re intended to do but it can mess with your tone when close micing
 
I tried that once at a very small gig. Man, those 2 or 3 people did not like being trapped between the cab and plexi glass baffle at all.
 
I have used them and as the others have said it does change your tone so you have to be careful with how far you stage the baffle off as well as re-EQ. That said I have found that at shows where the cab is close mic'd and in the PA / monitors it's not necessary. You're generally running a low stage volume & letting FOH do the work.

However, at shows where the guitar rig is on its own it really does help to kill the beam & allows the other guys on stage to hear you. In this case without it my drummer literally can't hear me so it's worth the tradeoff in tone.
 
Slant 4-12 with a guitar case covering the bottom 2….or use a Hotplate. Or 20 watt Celestions, they don’t throw the sound very far. Turning the cab around is horrible.
 
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