“Remember the golden rule of mixing: if you can’t hear something, that doesn’t mean it’s too quiet – it’s more likely that something else is too loud”: How to deal with sound engineers and help them help you dial in a killer live tone

A guitarist with long curly hair and a Les Paul jumps onstage in front of a wall of Marshall amps.

Any guitarist who has played live is pretty much guaranteed to have been asked to turn down by the front of house (FOH) sound engineer, with the inevitable tonal compromises that ensued. Equally, most sound engineers have felt obliged to ask guitarists to turn down at one time or another because they can’t deal with the volume.

As well as being a guitarist, I worked for many years as a ‘live sound guy’ in venues all over Europe, so I can relate to both sides of the argument. That said, I made a point of principle never to ask a guitarist to turn down.