Play at church?

[Lewguitar]

Re: Play at church?

I play at church alot...but I use any of my Strats or Teles and don't really worry about the pickups. I'll use my Strat with Duncan Surfers or Strat with the Fralin Vintage Hots or my '63 Strat or my '54 Tele with the Fralin Blues Specials...doesn't matter.

I'll be using my Strats with the new Duncan prototype Stack Plus pickups alot from now on too...those are the best noiseless pickups I've ever used.

The amp choice is what has to be dealt with playing in church. I've had the best luck using a pair of tweed 50's Fenders in stereo: '59 Deluxe and '51 Super.

It's hard to get a good tone in church because you can't play loud at all...you have to be very careful with the volume but still come across with a powerful and uplifting sound.

Two 20 watt amps in stereo using a stereo digital delay or reverb have gotten me the best tone in church settings.

Two amps spread the sound out and it's not so focused and peaky sounding. The sound wraps around me and disperses throughout the sanctuary in a more pleasing and appropriate way.

Lew

 

[Dills]

Re: Play at church?

I beleive you should Use whatever pickups you believe will get the tone your looking for. Its not a matter of conforming to the way the church plays it, rather bring your own sound into the situation, its about you expressing yourself to God the best way you know how and if it means getting a certain pickup cos u like it cool.

 

[motorboy29]

Re: Play at church?

If you shall play in the house of god, then you must play stylistically correct to the music. There is such a thing as christian shred metal (believe me I've heard it) so, if you play, play it right, and if you can't play it right, for christ's sake play it LOUD

 

[jony]

Re: Play at church?

I use Dimarzio fast rack 1 for neck(nice smooth solos) duckbucker for middle for those quacky strat tones.
SSL-3 hot in bridge. For the louder songs where rock rhythm is needed..

and a 7 string guitar with stock hums.

 

[spuds]

Re: Play at church?

I use a les paul with a 59' in the neck and gibson Tony iommi in the bridge.
I also use a strat with texas specials and a duncan distortion or a JB.

I think that tone does play an important part. Although it's just a small part of the big picture, a great sounding team will tend to draw people into worship. I feel that its important to pursue excellence, amongst other things.

For me, one of the reasons I want to make sure I have the "right tone" is so that I can focus on other things... other than stuff like "Yikes, my guitar sounds so muddy". There are more important things going on. Thats why I want a tone I'm comfortable to work with, so I don't have to think twice about it on stage.

 

[jony]

Re: Play at church?

Ah yess, well said, I feel the same way spuds.

 

[jmcorey]

Re: Play at church?

Yes, I play with a large band there too., often brass, flute, and most songs are piano driven. So that requires me to to accentuate the right part of the bandwidth for the electric guitar - the midrange. I've equipped my strat to two humbuckers, and I would get anything that will help you cut through the mix.

I also think that great tone will help people in worship.

Another key when playing there... less is more. I try not to double anyone else's part, but come up with my own fill, licks, riffs. I often just add a bit of over drive and arpeggio in selected parts of the songs...whatever is called for. I play mostly with Bill Lawrence's now (the real guy at www.billlawrence.com) because of our transformers emitting very high EMF that get picked up in most bar magnet humbucker designs.

 

[Amateur]

Re: Play at church?

Why does using a hotter pickup mean that you have to use fancy and overpowering licks? There are people (on this forum, even) who play shred metal with '59s. Like most musical situations, I think a worship music situation requires balance. You need to stay sensitive to where things are going and really listen. Sometimes energy and enthusiasm are required. Sometimes sensitivity and restraint are also required. Both have their place, and I think a rock guitar tone can totally work as long as you work your dynamics properly.

I did not say fancy licks and overpowering palying goes hand in hand with a hot pickup. They are separate issues. A hotter pickup usually sounds louder and cuts through the music. It is good when you play the solo part. In church, I really don't want to draw any attention to my playing but have people concentrate on worshipping. That's why you seldom hear any solo part in church, other than the melody but not ad libs, because they do draw people's attention. When play loud, you also draw people's attention and playing fancy stuff usually have the same effect. Refraining from using the hot pickup does not mean that I don't use it at all, I just use it sparingly. Every musical instrument has its place in worshipping, but there is no place for a boosted up ego. We really have to examine ourselves when we paly in church. If one wants to show off during worship, one is putting oneself ahead of the Lord.

 

[jalguitarman]

Re: Play at church?

When you paly at church, your role is to lead people's attention to worship the Lord. Not drawing attention to your playing. It is not a gig nor a concert, and is not a palce for fancy and overpowering licks. I always refrain from using hot pickups in such situations.

I sometimes use my guild which has a duncan distortion in the bridge to play in church but i usally use the neck pick up because it works better for clean and i do not use distortion when i play at church i would in the right situation however. I pretty much agree with what you say except that sometimes i do play a little fast depending on what the worship leader plays on piano. Other than another guy who sometimes plays acoustic it is just the two of us and i never know what i am going to be playing from week to week so many times i play supporting lead lines to what the other guy is doing and sometimes i play the chords he is or something that compliments. The thing is i try to let the Lord lead the way i play. I know that some day i will be playing with all the skill i have been blessed with in places to lead people to the Lord, but i do agree that the idea is to lead people intop the lords prescence and i try to do it with everything i have in me as the bible says and try to glorify GOD with what i play.

 

[ErikH]

Re: Play at church?

First I'd like to know what Churches / Faith you guys attend, especially tskullt. Being from the Buffalo, NY area myself, the Church I went to, Catholic BTW, was/is very traditional. Organ, some singers and that was it. One mass on Sunday would have the folk group but that was it. Even the one I got to here is still somewhat traditional. Now I'm hearing about full blown bands playing in Church. What style do you guys play?

 

[ErikH]

Re: Play at church?

If you shall play in the house of god, then you must play stylistically correct to the music. There is such a thing as christian shred metal (believe me I've heard it) so, if you play, play it right, and if you can't play it right, for christ's sake play it LOUD

I've heard some of that stuff too. I guy I knew in CA had some CD's of a few bands. Amazing players. Better than many that we hear/listen to all the time.

 

[Nite_Maresz_25]

Re: Play at church?

I use my/my dad's acoustic when I play at church. But thats not during worship service, it's for the Christmas musical we(the 7th-12th graders) put on every year.

 

[JOLLY]

Re: Play at church?

I would think Pearly Gates would be best.

 

[ParameterMan]

Re: Play at church?

I want to get buried... my guitar plays a supporting role that fills in all the cracks, makes everyone sound bigger without ever elbowing it's way out front. My victories are the times when I help out a keyboard, bass and drums and people say stuff like "That sounded huge! It really helped sweep me into worshipping the Lord...guitar? when?"

Fat single coils seem to do that the best because they have a tonality that's not so rude and can ride the transition between clean and breakup smoothly and chime-ily. And, when I need to jump up front, they give a nice sizzle that enhances leads. Not to mention everyone else backs off and gives me space when the moment for guitar comes.

...I don't use duncans right now, but EMG SA's really seem to do the trick. I usually use a Johnson JM150 combo modelling amp- it took me forever to learn to tweek sucessfully, but now I can get a great sound at any volume. Just don't ever use the "speaker emulated" line outs.

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: Play at church?

I play in church and I think the same rules apply there as anywhere else: Whatever the song calls for. Even though the focus is on the choir/singers 99% of the time, sometimes a great solo can express things that the singer's words can't.

And besides, ego trips are as much an occupational hazard for singers as for players, in church or out, probably even more for singers since they get a lot more solos. Probably the reason it appears that way more for guitar players in a church situation is because an awful lot of them lack the sensitivity and skill to do anything but just cram screaming, clumsy, garage band pentatonics into the space for the solo on every song, no matter what the style.

 

[RW James]

Re: Play at church?

Be careful about making assumptions regarding what should or should not be played in a church based upon YOUR church experience. Every church is different as every congregation is different.

I used to play guitar in a praise band in a Prebyterian church. The center of the music was a grand piano. I was never to come out over the piano.

At my current church we don't have any keyboards. We usually have two guitars (lead and rhythm), bass, and drums - plus a lead singer and two or three back up singers.

Lead solos are expected - it's part of the music - and part of the worship experience. Every aspect of the music draws the congregation into worship - because that is how they are conditioned.

I know it wouldn't work in some churches. But you know, at some point, when all you heard was Gregorian Chants, an organ would probably have been considered an unnecessary distraction.