A simple & Reliable Live Rig
This concept developed naturally through playing live and refining it over time. The overall setup is my own, but I got the idea of using a Ditto looper in this way from David Phillips.
Signal chain setup:
- The guitar signal is split using a Lehle P-Split.
- Signal A goes to a guitar amp (Blackface Fender Pro Reverb).
Signal B goes to a tuner (Boss TU-2) then into a looper (TC Electronic Ditto Looper) and finally into a bass amp (Markbass head with a 15″ EV speaker cabinet).
- After recording a loop, you engage the tuner to mute the live signal going to the bass amp. This way, the bass amp only plays back the low-end content of the loop, effectively creating a bass-like sound.
- By adding a boost (EP Booster) to the guitar signal—and because the tuner cuts the low end—the live guitar tone becomes more focused and sits better as a lead sound.
- It’s a very simple setup that’s quick to set up and works reliably every time.
- If needed, you can layer additional parts using the Ditto Looper.
Some practical notes:
- Keep your loop short and tight—this makes timing much easier, especially live.
- Start with very simple bass lines; less is more and it keeps the groove solid.
- Make sure the split signal is clean and phase-safe (the Lehle does this really well).
- Volume balance between guitar amp and bass amp is key—too much low end can get muddy fast
- Practice hitting the looper switch exactly on the beat—this is everything when playing with a drummer.