If your guitar cab is miked up onstage, be careful not to put the FOH soundperson directly in its line of fire -- especially if you're using a closed-back cabinet. If your stage volume pushes anywhere near earplug territory, pointing the amp at the soundperson will cause him/her to hear it over the other instruments and compensate accordingly - by turning it down in the house system. Thus, what reaches the crowd through the mains might just end up being guitar-deficient. There are some options:

• Turn down. (Yes, we said it. Do as we say, not as we do...)

• Point the amp in toward you from side of the stage.

• Put it in front of you and aim it back toward you.

• Angle the amp up toward your ears, so the beam of sound from it goes over the soundperson's head.

• If you have the luxury of a monitor mix, take advantage of it - run your amp through the monitors and keep your stage volume lower.