Garage band P.A. systems

[danny havoc]

hi everyone, hope I'm in the right forum for this question. But I want to ask what type of PA systems were used by garage bands in the 1960s and what were they like?
I don't mean this as a technical question with impedance and voltage concerns, but as a way to further my understanding of what things were actually like being in a garage band rather than some of the rose coloured glasses recollections i get saying EVERYTHING was just marvy and worked great back in the day.
From what i hear from rock/garage musicians i've quizzed from the 60s, the area of live vocal amplification was a particular bugbear, no monitors, ill designed equipment and expensive PA's abounded. My fave quote was when I met John Manners from Aussie stars Ray Brown and the Whispers who said " we just couldn't hear a bloody thing!"
In an era of probably the best and most innovative harmony singing in pop music , how did they do it? The Beach Boys, The Byrds, The Choir how did they hit those notes? and was it very enjoyable to do so ? If i can't hear myself harmonise in my bar band on a saturday night, I get shirty pretty quick, I cant imagine how Brian Wilson, David Crosby or Colin Bluntstone put up with it night after night....

 

[Hicksville Hogwash]

100 w Vox Pa.

I used to support Thee Headcoats many years ago and they used to use a 1960's 100w Vox PA system they dragged around (refused to use the house PA). It seemed loud enough in many rooms we played with them. Just meant the audience got closer too if they wanted very loud!. And yeah sometimes it was kind of hard to hear the vocals clearly but if you squashed in together turned the speakers at an angle you could kind of hear yourself. If you were rehearsed well enough you knew when the singers lips started moving where you were in the song. Winks, head nods, kicks also helped.

As for harmonising it didn't seem a problem you just leveled the other instruments down a touch if one of you couldn't hear to be pitch perfect we were garage punks tough and harmonized our shouty vocals kinda.....

 

[beccabear67]

An interesting topic. Hope there are more responses.

Even the big groups had problems; The Beatles were envious of The Remains' system. Vox does seem to have been the preferred brand in the U.S. from 1964 on though. Later, Kustom was quite popular, at least on the west coast.

 

[danny havoc]

thanks for your replies guys, just trying to get a handle on this subject, as i think it may put a whole different spin on my understanding of 1950s/60s live performance of rock n roll. through 20 years experience of playing in bands the difference in my enjoyment and quality of playing/singing due to foldbacks or monitors is like night and day. i consider the early days when i had no money to afford monitors akin to the dark ages, i cant imagine what it was like for those guys back in 1965 when they had no choice. And that is where my question arose, and i believe the question has been overlooked, The Bands simply could not hear themselves adequately. That scares the hell out of me, imagine sitting in the audience and thinking "wow, these Beatles are great they sound fab to me out here!" and meanwhile onstage Paul is thinking to himself " oh dear, i hope John can hear me hitting these gear harmonies over here, hmmm?" and George is thinking " singing while unable to hear, i'd be quite prepared for that eventuality..."

 

[beccabear67]

I would guess that in the '50s and early '60s most PA systems and amps didn't really get that loud that you couldn't get some idea of the sound you were putting out? Maybe Dick Dale with his dual showman was the first guy to really need a monitor?

For The Beatles it was all the stupid screaming usually that meant they couldn't hear themselves. Maybe the Byrds could use that excuse too although they are raved about at Ciros but trashed at other venues.

 

[Sancho Panza]

I don't think that any garage band had the PA system that the Dead had on Woodstock:
http://www.wald-electronics.com/images/preamp mods/woodstock_1969.jpg