Scott Henderson Discussion

[guitarplayer]

Hi Scott,
I really enjoyed the video that you did demonstrating your rig on the Pete and Tim show.
Do you ever have trouble with sound men getting the wet and dry amps mixed properly in the front of house? I am considering a rig like this but I get concerned that the sound man will mix the guitar too dry in the PA.
Do you like the wet/dry rig because it gives you a stereo image without it being "stereo effects"? or is it only because you like the the pure tone without reverb in the main cab like you mentioned?
Thanks a million!

[Scott Henderson]

I tell the sound man to keep both faders exactly even - as long as he does that, the mix will sound the same in the venue as on stage. It's very important to put the mic exactly the same distance from the speaker on both amps - even a half inch difference will change the volume of the mic.

This isn't a stereo setup - the sound man pans both the wet and dry amps to the middle. Stereo rigs on stage are dated and they were always dumb. Only people who sit directly in the middle of the venue hear a stereo rig the correct way, and that's not even 5% of the audience.

I use the wet/dry rig because the dry amp reacts better with my pickups when there's no reverb and delay in the same speaker. Notes feed back easier (in a good way) and everything feels more fluid. Also, FX and mixers in the amp loop color the tone and can load down the amp, making it feel spongy and less responsive. Getting rid of all that stuff in the loop makes the amp way more punchy and easy to play.