Joe Bonamassa On How to Play Loud

So, exactly why and how does Joe Bonamassa play so loud? Here's a look at the influences and philosophy behind his approach to amps.

[ICKY_Isaac]

My favorite thing about Joe Bonamassa is that he looks and sounds like he plays in a Joe Bonamassa cover band

[valuedhumanoid]

He is so spot on. You can achieve high volume with headphones. But you're not moving air. Joe is moving air. There is a huge difference. High volume is painful and unpleasant. Moving air is a religious experience

[gab.lab.martins]

He’s such a clean player. It’s absurd, every note is clear and defined, no flubber, no plectrum noise, no fret noise, no string scratch... he sounds like a bloody album. Live!

[Muckers.]

I love John Bolinger’s enthusiasm when he hears these guys play

[LIGHTintheHALLS]

So great to hear someone getting drive from their amp and not gain-stacked solid state drive pedals.

[MarkPritchardGuitar]

I love Joe, he is such a great player and has such genuine love for what he does.

[Dialetheist]

A long time ago I was at a Rory Gallagher concert, standing right up at the front next to the PA speaker. Apart from the general joy of really high volume there was one moment of truly enormous volume, like a thunderbolt right on top of me. It was shocking and, thankfully, momentary. Never experienced anything like it since and I have been to a few concerts!

[bobboitt]

I remember the Allman Brothers with cranked 50watt Marshall heads in the Stone Pony a small club in "FEEL" of rock...lol

[mwyatt]

I used to play with a guy that had 2 Sunn Colosseum Leads and 2 Colosseum slaves. He used 4 Sunn cabinets. Each had 440 watts. He also used a power booster pedal, MXR dist+ and the boost from a Roland Space echo as well. I had a Fender Super Twin Reverb at the time and a Marshall 4x12 that seemed almost as loud when cranked. Back when we didnt mic our guitar amps even in large venues ''loud'' was essential. I miss those days.

[jerrytee]

My benchmark for pure loud tube-amp goodness is Leslie West/Mountain @ Woodstock "Southbound Train".

[ChadAbdulJabar]

Not a fan of his music but, holy heck, the guy can play. Great tone, great feel, great phrasing. Wow.

[MattW]

Bonamassa is the reason I always use a sonic shield for my amp. It helps the mix so much and I can get that bottom end warmth he’s talking about.

[spyderlogan]

"It's got to HOWL..." Well put Joe...

[jammers]

such a WONDERFUL thing. My ears scream 24/7/365.... gets louder, gets quieter, NEVER goes away. The price I've paid for nearly 45 years of hard rock, heavy metal guitar playing. Plus race cars, guns, and power tools. Almost 25 yrs working in a factory. My yearly hearing evaluations look RIDICULOUS.

[markkendrick]

I saw Joe Bonamassa with Glenn Hughes, Jason Bonham and the keyboardist from Dream theater, in Black County Communion back a few years at The Grove in were Beyond they were loud especially with Glenn Hughes's voice peeling the paint off the

[raindropcleaners]

Hey Joe which amp do you want to play through tonight? Joe " Yes".

[visionsofbeyond]

I love playing loud too, but living in an apartment these days, I can only turn my 6505+ up to 1. It's never been turned up more than that, definitely frustrating for someone who loves to play guitar.

[epicmeade]

How Synchronistic. just 24 hour before you uploaded this, I was having an online conversation with a friend of mine in England who rents out gear to touring bands. And this is what I wrote. -"But I still understand why we brought all of that gear out. It's because giant amps making thunderous noise was an absolutely integral part of why we revered someone like Jimmy Page. It's because to watch him lightly pick a few small strings...and then have this THUNDEROUS noise come roaring out of the wall of cabinets right behind him from that slight gesture, was exactly the same as watching a wizard wave a tiny wand and bring forth lightning and, well, thunder. I was just watching a recent Todd Rundgren Utopia show the other day and realized how much it bothered and disappointed me that there were literally no amps on stage, just the members and there guitars. Sure, the music sounded just fine. and I'm sure, sonically, it sounded a lot clearer. But for me, the wizardry was gone. because there was nothing to connect the picking gesture to the giant amp (the guitar cable). there was just three guys onstage holding guitars and then sounds emanating from a PA overhead. and those sounds were nicely coiffed and very politely under control. For me, a huge part of the magic is lost without the amps. For me they're a totem that is necessarily needed for the ritual"-

[Turboy]

I like to run my two Marshall JMP Superlead stacks at full volume, in stereo, every now and then...in my bedroom. It's insanely loud but yes I use hearing protection. And it's SO MUCH FUN.

[williamjeffreys]

There's no substitute for the spongyness of moving air. It immerses you in the sound.