Phil Starr

Quick update, just spent a couple of hours playing with speakers and basses with GrahamT of this parish. What a lovely guy. Anyway amongst other things we compared the Basschat 12 with a Genz Benz focus 12, the first time I've been able to AB with a commercial cab. Volume levels were very similar. Surprisingly the Genz had a prominent upper mid compared to the Beyma loaded cab (with the tweeter turned off by the way) as well as a bass peak in the 100Hz region the Beyma going deeper and tracking the bass more accurately but the Genz having a pleasing warmth to it. The Beyma was much more even in sound across the strings and frets. We tried the speakers with a Harke HA3500 and a Genz Streamliner 600 and the influences on the sound of the two cabs were pretty clear with both amps. I'm not sure where this thing about the mid prominence of the Basschat design is coming from, I've heard it and so have Stevie and Dood but it doesn't show in the measurements and didn't show in this test either. I'm hoping to get back to the measurement room with Stevie to work out what we are looking at.

Compliment definitely. I'd settle for that. Two of the audience for us on Sat came up at the end and compared us favourably with other cover bands 'because our rhythm was just so much more'. I have to say drummist and myself just glowed. Praise for the bass doesn't happen very often so just enjoy it. Well done

Measurements taken at Glastonbury a few years ago showed the drummers experienced an average sound level of about 103dB. That would have been from the whole band but I would guess mainly from their own drums. They would be less than 1m from their drums and sound levels fall by 6db for every doubling of the distance. This ties in fairly well with your figures. Basically drums are bloody loud, your drummer may be at the top end but not exceptional. The damage/time limits you give are different and stricter I think than EU regulations about H&S sound level restrictions at work, but this is an inexact science and very dependant upon frequency in any case. I'm not sure this helps in any way. I think your measurements show your drummer is loud but not in any freakish way and that the sound levels your band produce would damage your hearing if you don't wear earplugs. I think you knew this anyway, but asking your drummer to be quieter than other drummers and everyone else to turn down by similar amounts is tricky in my experience. Really interesting measurements though. I wish you luck.

You've no idea how reassuring this is guys. Funnily enough I asked this on a guitar forum and they remember everything, forever, never make a mistake

[quote name='Sean Fairchild' timestamp='1438274578' post='2833172'] Dear All, Hello fellow bassists! I'm on the Experience Engagement team with MUSIC Group, which includes BUGERA, and I just wanted to drop in to clarify the power ratings we use on the VEYRON heads, as well as our other amplified products. As has been indicated here, we rate our amps based on peak power output rather than RMS. To paraphrase our CEO, Uli Behringer, on the matter, this is because we, like many manufacturers, have found the traditional way of measuring RMS with a sine-wave is not necessarily the best predictor of actual amplifier performance. Since maximum power measurements are not standardized across the industry, to assume the “RMS" of the Veyron amp to be 500W based on the 2000W rating would be incorrect. You can read a full explanation of our CEO's thoughts on the topic in this thread on SoundForums.net: [url="https://soundforums.net/threads/4299-Uli-Behringer-of-The-Music-Group-Q-amp-A?p=32194&viewfull=1#post32194"]https://soundforums....ull=1#post32194[/url] Thanks all, and let me know if you have any other questions about these amps or our other products. [/quote] Hi Sean, first of all welcome to BassChat, it's always great to engage with people from the industry. Music Group people are popping up all over the place and I hope it is a trend that will continue. I hope that you are part of a process that feeds back to your design and marketing teams so that we customers can get the products they want at the prices you tend to offer. [quote name='Sean Fairchild' timestamp='1439225034' post='2841022'] In regards to RMS and a "level playing field", well that's actually what that whole post I linked to was attempting to explain; that RMS doesn't, in and of itself, create a level playing field - it has just gotten to be a commonplace rating, albeit imperfect. If you haven't checked out our CEO's thoughts on the matter in the post of his I linked to, I would encourage you to do so, to further understand the company's point of view on the matter of power ratings. I'm unable to give you an RMS rating, because my understanding is that we don't use that metric to measure output whatsoever, so that information just isn't available from our technical group for me to give to you. [/quote] Well RMS is of course open to manipulation, but it remains the best basis for comparison for amplifiers particularly if one of the industry standards for measurement are adopted and the standard used is published with the ratings. RMS isn't just a bit of advertising speak it is a mathematical calculation used in the design of any equipment using alternating voltages. It is inconceivable that your engineers would have started the design of an amplifier without having a design spec, and the supply rail voltage and current capability of the power supply and critical components would have been decided on this basis. It is vanishingly improbable that they wouldn't have bench tested the design before moving to production and that production units are not regularly tested to see that they meet spec. Your engineers know the RMS output of these amps intimately. [quote name='Guinness21' timestamp='1437179547' post='2824339'] To anyone curious, I emailed Bugera asking what the rms for this head was. They said it's 500w at 4 ohms. [/quote] There you are Bugera do know. [quote name='Sean Fairchild' timestamp='1438274578' post='2833172'] As has been indicated here, we rate our amps based on peak power output rather than RMS. To paraphrase our CEO, Uli Behringer, on the matter, this is because we, like many manufacturers, have found the traditional way of measuring RMS with a sine-wave is not necessarily the best predictor of actual amplifier performance. Since maximum power measurements are not standardized across the industry, to assume the “RMS" of the Veyron amp to be 500W based on the 2000W rating would be incorrect. You can read a full explanation of our CEO's thoughts on the topic in this thread on SoundForums.net: [url="https://soundforums.net/threads/4299-Uli-Behringer-of-The-Music-Group-Q-amp-A?p=32194&viewfull=1#post32194"]https://soundforums....ull=1#post32194[/url] [/quote] [quote name='Sean Fairchild' timestamp='1439399391' post='2842512'] I appreciate that we all want the ability to compare items to each other in the best way possible, and I hope that some convention that's more of a true test of an amp's power. I'm certainly not trying to confuse the issue, my point in chiming in was that it's not accurate or fair to say that the VEYRON amps are simply XXX-Watt RMS heads. Thanks for your understanding. Thanks all for the questions, I'll keep endeavoring to assist as I can [/quote] You see this isn't true, and I'm not accusing you personally of anything other than good faith, particularly as you say you are not a technical person but your company doesn't publish any details we can use to research your products. You may not be trying to confuse the issue but Bugera are. You refer to Uli Behringer as setting the policy but that isn't right either. Behringer amps, like yours are marketed on inflated peak power ratings but their website and literature are models of good practice in giving plenty of good information. RMS power ratings are given at stated distortion levels and details of the testing procedures are all available freely from Behringer. Before I wrote this I researched this amp, in all your ads, videos and sales pitches you repeatedly claim you have a 2000W amp, but as we know from your own technical people it is a 500W amp (with probably some limitations from the power supply that means this itself won't be continuous). Bugera are the only part of Music Group that does this. It looks like you have something to hide, that you can't be trusted. This is slightly bonkers, a 500W amp with what seems from the reviews to be well built and with a decent sound at a price which is as good or better than anything else in it's class isn't something to be embarrassed about. It's an interesting amp you could be hampering with poor marketing. The only reason for giving peak figures is to confuse the customer. I can see why in the short term it is in the interests of a company to twist reality but if you want to build trust and a long term relationship then you need to get back to your marketing teams and get the data you have out there. Your customers clearly want this, other parts of Music Group know that and give the information that Bugera keep hidden. Jennie Innie wasn't being rude, just saying what we are all thinking.

I wonder if there's a difference between the USA and here. Accepting that the Venn diagram would show we have more in common than differences of course. Not many British musicians would say they were only in it for the money. There's a tendency over here to value the music highly, which seems strange sometimes if it's a covers band but then playing stuff you don't enjoy for a tiny rate per hour isn't very motivating. I also wonder if we Brits are just natures amateur enthusiasts. Me, I love performing, I'd take a poorly paid gig or do a charity event for free if I could guarantee a large enthusiastic audience and I've no problem playing Mustang Sally if it's what the audience want. So for me it has to be fun primarily, the music is part of that but good company is very important, or at least a positive and professional attitude. Gigging is a must, although start ups in gestation can be fun too, but at least you have to hit the open mic/jamming sessions right up front. My current band suits me fine, we're all pretty much interested primarily in giving the audience a good time, the guitarist is the only prima donna and we gig regularly and it's building up. We're playing rock covers and I wouldn't go to listen to a band doing our set in a million years but hey, it's fun to play and the audiences are usually up dancing from the first few songs. Having said that the whole band have to take the music seriously, practice at home, rehearsal is for rehearsing and working on arrangements not learning the song. If I mess up then I'd go away and work hard on that bit and I'd expect others to do the same. I don't mind lowish skill levels so long as you're trying to improve and take it seriously, we all start somewhere but I'd rather work with people who have a positive attitude than a lazy talent. My bands have always been more or less democratic, I'm often the bandleader in terms of organisation but I'm not the greatest musician and I don't sing so the musical side is pretty much shared. Not sure how I'd respond to the sort of band leader you describe Blue. On the one hand just having to think about bass might be fun but I can't handle doing things badly just because the boss says so especially in what for me is my social life.

Lot's of sympathy from me, you know what you need but when you are young you just can't afford it. You'll just have to do the gig with whatever is there. Until you have your own gear you have no choice. Music is full of dreamers and very few really good organisers so this isn't anything new. In my student days I used to organise this sort of event but would get one of the bands to share their gear and that would be set up on stage and used to sound check, they got the best sound and the best slot in return for their generosity. If anyone else wanted to use their own stuff they had to fit in around the stuff on stage. It is unprofessional not to be able to provide your own gear, but you have to get there somehow and turning down gigs wont help. You can get a usable backline amp for probably £100 if you aren't too fussy. Make it a priority but in the meantime play all the gigs you can and smile sweetly at the crap. keep the enthusiasm and deal with problems one at a time. Good luck.

The good news is that capacitors have got smaller so higher rating capacitors still fit, in fact they may b a lot smaller so you'll need to plan for how to physically support them. Always go for higher voltage and look to match the capacitance reasonably closely unless you really know what you are doing and understand exactly what function the cap is performing in the circuit. However as has been said 20% tolerance isn't unusual. The values now usually follow standard E12 or E24 values designed for resistors http://www.logwell.com/tech/components/resistor_values.html. You shouldn't have trouble finding a 39uF for the 40uF.

My need would be for something foolproof and simple, I'm already running the sound whist playing bass, singing and trying to work the audience. If they are up dancing we try and have no gaps between songs, maybe 5-10 secs every third song. I don't need the lights as a distraction. The current four switch controllers are great except for two things, scrolling through dozens of unused programs to reach a new scene relying on a confusing display the other side of the stage and the fact they are set up for DJ's rather than bands. Everything is rather frantic and even slow fades and strobes can't be slow enough for a band where the band not the lights is what you'd like to be displaying. Something where you could pre program say, half a dozen scenes which could be dialled up with just a couple of stomps would be great. An expression pedal would be a bonus too.

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1439241500' post='2841291'] I took an acoustic with me when Mrs Axe and I holidayed near Axminster a couple of years ago, and we had a thoroughly grand evening at Elijah's 'Howl' open mic at the Ax Inn. [/quote]My home patch, we 'grew' a band there, learned three songs a week betwen 7 and 9.00 then went and performed them at the Howl open mic, then played our first paid gig at the Axe once we had a full set prepared. Wonder if you were there at the same time. This week coincidentally Elijah is moving the open mic to Cloakham Lawns in Axminster, the Axe is going to just run one open mic a month on a Thurs.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1439207126' post='2840781'] Sounds like you had a much better time than we did. The current mrs discreet and I went on a two-week mid-life crisis group relationship-counselling holiday in the Lake District. What a disaster! We were sent packing after I got my banjo out at the dinner table. Needless to say we won't be going back there for our holiday again next year. [/quote] Oh the dilemma, four string or five string.

Just got back from a busman's holiday in St Ives, the Cornish one. Went with an old Uni friend and we took guitar and bass with us and did 4 open mics in a week. We had a really great time, the local musicians made us welcome, we even got invited along to jam sessions and we could have done more. In the summer there's music on somewhere every night. We heard some good stuff too. The audiences were really appreciative, a mixture of locals and holiday makers and we had a great time talking music and playing. My idea of a perfect holiday. Wonder how many others take instruments with them on holiday and grab the chance to entertain.

I really wasn't that impressed with the Yamaha's, they didn't sound great on vocals sounding harsh and lacking detail. The RCF's are so much better it is worth stretching to them if you can. There's an offer on at PMT http://www.pmtonline.co.uk/rcf-art422a-mkii-active-speakers.html making them just affordable. I say that as a bit of a fan of Yamaha and someone whose PA is mainly Yamaha. I just think the DXR's are a bit ordinary. Reliability is a given though. I'm another who would push for smaller speakers and adding a sub later. 15's can lead to problems in the crossover area which is often in the middle of what you need for great vocals and 15's are bloody big to be on stands,

iME metronome good drum machine better. You need to do some of your practice with a metronome/drum machine esp as a beginner. Seven years on I still use it to tighten up my timing every now and again or with a tricky run. I use them if we are recording too, just to tighten up and save wasted time and expense. the drum machines are much better, much closer to the real thing and metronomes are pretty boring. Get yourself a Zoom B1ON which is a dirt cheap multi effects pedal. It has a headphone amp built in and crucially a drum machine and metronome as well as a tuner. Runs for days on rechargeable batteries too. Great for practice with headphones or you can put it through your amp. I paid about £35 for mine

Hi Garry, the dimensions are here somewhere but I couldn't find them amidst the hundreds of posts either. I'm down in Cornwall this week on holiday. Playing music with an old uni friend mainly so I don't have measurements with me, but I did bring paper and stuff to do some sketches for you. So long as there aren't too many music pubs in St Ives I should have an update soon.

[quote name='dood' timestamp='1438428084' post='2834439'] I think I know the answer to this already, but I'd be keen to find out which brands in particular have been tested. I often read about the cheaper 1u power amplifiers having problems delivering their rated power output in one way or another. Either that manufacturers are telling porky pies, or that under extreme load the amplifier doesn't have sufficient cooling in order to keep it running under load. - Output sags after sometimes milliseconds or anything up to a minute of having to work hard. So, I know that bass signal requires lots of power in the lows and I also know that just because we have a 1000W amp it absolutely isn't running at 1000W all the time (if at all) and the chances of a continuous bass signal for any more than 30 seconds is also very rare. (Unless I suppose the amps are being used for other instruments as well including bass synths playing long notes?) My question is this - I suppose it's all about headroom. If you have an amplifier that on paper is capable of 2500W RMS in to 4 Ohms and in tests it is only capable of peaks of 2000W in the real world AND under hard load it drops down to say 1800W RMS continuous, does that then translate to an 1600W RMS amplifier that will never have any problems with delivering a big fat signal all the time? To take it a step further - using a 3000W rated power amplifier that only ever has to deliver an absolute maximum of 1000W seems like a logical thing to do, especially as there are some 'cost conscious' models on the market. You could buy two of those and still have change for the cost of a premium unit such as PXN or Powersoft? [/quote] There are essentially three limits to an amplifiers power output. The voltage it can swing, the current it can provide and the heat it can dissipate. In any given amp one of these will be the important limiting element. (I'm ignoring any protection circuits or DSP here) There are lots of ways to measure and calculate an amps output even if you stick to rms. they range from just measuring the voltage swing and calculating the power that voltage would drive through 8ohms to connecting the amp to a dummy resistor and running sine waves through it for a week and measuring the temperature rise. Different amps work differently so can scre better in some tests than others. It's relatively easy to switch huge voltages so class D amps score well here. Since in most applications the power is only needed for a fraction of a second it makes no sense to put in a huge power supply so this is often the limit. With transistor amps high voltage devices are more expensive and the transistors are prone to thermal runaway so heat is the problem even if the power supply is big enough. Valve amps were usually limited by current, not least because all the power would go out through the output transformer. So, a watt is still a watt but there is a lot of room for confusion and even when standard tests and rms watts are used there will be amps that seem louder than others. The other aspect of this though is the speaker. There is no single drive unit that can handle 1000W continuously at all frequencies, and if you use 1000W through multiple drivers then the sound levels developed are going to be so high as to be unusable on stage. These sorts of powers are only useful for PA arrays safely suspended way above the band and audiences heads. To answer one of your questions. A 3000W rated amp limited by heat and power supply to1600W continuous could be treated as a 1600W amp except it could also put 3000W through your speakers for long enough to damage them. In fact real world speakers rated at, say, 800W rms 1600W peak probably can't handle 200W at some frequencies. We are are all going to have to get used to class D amp ratings. Affordable power is now effectively unlimited, there are a few problems with power supplies but we are going to have to decide to be careful about what powers we wish for.

Not really, it slightly reduces the size of the baffle. It is intended to make it out of thicker ply to keep the construction simple. However Its up to constructors to add whatever bracing they want, that's the joy of home building. There's already enough data here for anyone to build the cab if they already have basic carpentry skills.

The prototype back only has the 'vanes' shown in the photo, they line up with the other cross braces so could be braced against each other, but whilst prototyping I like to gain access through the back. Like all small cabs there isn't anywhere to brace to on the baffle as the speaker and ports take up most of the front

[quote name='alexclaber' timestamp='1438293691' post='2833425'] The on-axis plot on the data sheet does suggest it'll sound moderately midrangey, based on how 12" drivers with that kind of construction behave off-axis. Likewise it won't sound hugely trebly. Considering the relatively low inductance voice coil I think the cone itself must be relatively soft yet heavily damped for a paper cone. The other thing is the harmonic distortion - if compared to the norm it has more harmonic distortion in the mids than the lows then they'll sound more prominent, especially if it has more odd order distortion in the mids and less even order in the lows. [/quote] Thanks Alex, you are right about the cone. I set out to look for something well damped but soft enough to have a decent output at the top end. The trade off for using a single speaker I guess. You may be right about the distortion aspect, we simply haven't investigated as yet. The bass is very open sounding and with this tuning has no real upper bass hump. The 2kHz peak is fairly normal for most speakers and less pronounced than many Eminence units used for bass, at the top end this driver has more output between 3-5kHz than most of its competitors in the price range, something I saw as desirable. I wanted something which would give a flat response which would respond well to eq tweaks and sound good when used with amp modelling patches which people are increasingly using. At the same time I wanted to avoid a ruler flat response which without a tweeter would sound completely lifeless, as I discovered with an earlier design. The sound isn't unpleasant, it's very open sounding and the bass seems effortless. The midrange character is there but not overwhelming in my eyes, but I practice with headphones a lot so I'm used to having all my little errors right out there Played live it rewards digging in and I'm getting some Martin Turner/Wishbone Ash tones out of my American Deluxe P bass which startled me the first time it happened. My main concern is to understand what is causing the comments so I can design this in and out with later cabs. My feeling is that the comments lie with the comparison most people will make with the commercial cabs they are used to, but you have given me something else to think about which is really helpful. [quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1438292037' post='2833404'] Is it a 2KHz upper-mid peak that people are hearing, or does the mid-forward character happen lower down? Could it be down to the cab having a relatively even response, where the lack of a bump around 100Hz and the relatively well controlled upper-mids make the content around 4-500Hz seem more noticeable than on most cabs? Not having heard it this is just a guess. [/quote] Well this is my current theory, more or less. The cab sounds very much how I designed and expected it to sound with a flatter response than most commercial cabs which would open out the detail of what you play. With bass and top end resonances tamed in comparison to many cabs mids are bound to be more forward but I'm taking the comments seriously so I can make recommendations. Dood has agreed to try the 50Hz tuning which does have a bit of a 100Hz bump and we need to get back and take a few more measurements and experiment a bit more with eq.

[quote name='Chienmortbb' timestamp='1438288418' post='2833357'] Dood said "[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Engaging the bright switch and setting the passive tone stack to that classic scoop setting (all controls pointing up) tamed the cabinet. A little bit of excess cone movement - but I think the Kilo has absolutely no subsonic filtering. "[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Do you think that and HPF should be fitted to al amps? The amp I am buiding has an adjustable one and the more learn about speakers, the more I am convinced they are vital.[/font][/color] [/quote] This is pretty much always sensible, the speakers excursion at frequencies below its resonance can exceed safe limits and distort heavily at a few 10's of watts.

Thanks for the review. I agree wholeheartedly with what you found though I'm wishing I'd sent you the warmer sounding 50Hz version as I think it might have suited you better. I think on the strength of this we will move designing a version with a horn further up the priority list. Remember though we did set out a speaker build that would be straightforward to build and at approx £150 all in, depending upon finish, I think we are thereabouts. I'm curious about the mid forward feel it gives, something I've noticed myself. Looking at the frequency plots (#291 and on) there isn't a pronounced mid peak until 2000Hz and that is a lot less than many commercial speakers. It's clearly there and like you I ended up rolling off the middle just as you describe as well as the deep bass, because there is too much bass in resonant room spaces. Yet the overall effect is of a mid prominent speaker despite the way it measures, and it doesn't ever sound bass heavy. Stevie and I will go back and investigate this as soon as we get time. It'd be great if you got time to put up some sound clips. Once again thanks

You need to research which cutters you are going to use. The Makita uses 3/8 shaft and has an adaptor for 8mm. Standard shanks are 1/4 and 1/2 so you'll struggle to find blades for it. I use an old ELU now sold as DeWalt 900W. I think of my 'big' router as the 2,200W 1/2" one I have. Both of these are small enough to be easy to handle. I use the ELU for just about everything so the 900W is plenty. Beware the cheapies, they work well but guides are often quite flimsy so accurate work is more difficult and some of them kick like a mule when you start them. As a minimum look for 900W, a plunge system with micro adjuster, A cast fence with micro adjuster is much better but you wont need that for working on guitars I wouldn't think. Check you can get a good range of blades with everything you might need readily available. That's 1/4" unless you need bigger cutters. Screwfix may have it wrong and the Makita may come with a 1/4 collet if not and you can't get one that is out IMO. I wouldn't look at the palm one. Double check this as Axminster have it (the Makita) with a 1/4" collet. They also have this which seems too good to be true at this price [url="http://www.axminster.co.uk/bosch-pof-1200ae-1-4-router"]http://www.axminster...00ae-1-4-router[/url] however the Makita is likely to be more robust if it can take standard cutters. They both have the BBOT fences though but better routers seem to be over £200.

[quote name='Monckyman' timestamp='1438030609' post='2831105'] The easiest way to use IEMs and not feel cut off from the band/audience is use an ambient mic. Experiment with position and have as much or as little as you like in your ears. Much better than going deaf for the sake of some pub shows. [/quote] Just to make it clear; this is good advice. I probably should be using IEMs too but I'm not in a position to advise on something I haven't used. I have used a range of floor monitors and I can offer an opinion on these. Your budget won't cover the top quality stuff which is why I am pointing you in the direction of cheap but functional floor wedges.

The biggest problem with IEMs is often the feeling of being cut off from the band/audience. I've no experience of gigging with them so I'm keeping out of that one, others will give much better advice. For £600 you should be able to achieve something sensible with wedges, both with new or high quality used. Given that turning down is the most sensible thing. You are either looking at dedicated wedge monitors or using PA speakers. Either way I'd go for actives. Using PA speakers can work well if your PA fails as they can be swapped in. Wedges usually point in the direction you want without fiddling and the controls are usually on the front, which helps if you are doing your own sound. As far as sound goes there shouldn't be too much difference. We've recently spent a similar sum on monitors. I've two wharfedale Titan 12's for the instruments and backing vocalists and a Behringer 1320 wedge for the main vocals. The Behringer sounds fantastic for the price, just a little too bassy but otherwise excellent. It's loud enough that feedback rather than volume is the limiting factor. The Titans sound great at low volumes and go very loud but the bass makes the cheap plastic cab rattle like mad so I woulnt recommend them for keys. I wouldn't really recommend them but I picked them up for £130ea and couldn't resist. The Wharfedale EVPs are worth a look though Depends upon how you feel about Behringer I suppose. I've always had no trouble with them and they sound much better than the alto's mentioned. Most gigs we just have the Behringer as the only monitor with just a vocal mix. The drummer sometimes has one of the Wharfedales as a monitor. You could try one 1320 and then replace your existing monitors if you like them. If you are happy with used then most of the EV and JBL PA speakers have a 45 degree tilt back angle which works well. We also use three personal monitors for the vocals. These are great but aren't loud enough for the rest of the band to hear.

Hi, Dad has been giving you great advice, mine might be slightly different but it is probably due to different interpretations of your needs. You start off asking for budget monitors. What is your budget? The Mackie speakers are pretty ideal but woudnt fit my budget. Your questions are good by the way. A fully mixed sound is ultimately the best way to get the best sound off and on stage, as are separate monitor mixes, but expensive and complex to set up. I'm imagining you are a pub band moving from one venue to another and playing in a few cramped and sometimes difficult spaces. It is often simpler and cheaper to use a back line of individual instrument amps and a front line of wedge monitors feeding mainly vocals but adding in anything else that might be getting lost. You mention feedback and not being able to hear yourselves. The first thing is to see if you can turn down. When the levels are high your ears protect themselves by restricting the vibrations going through to the inner ear which would get damaged. Turning down lets more detail through. I'm a little surprised you are micing the drums by the way if you are drowning out the guitars. The second free trick is to rearrange your back line. The amps are all really directional, much louder when you point them straight at you. Imagine a torch strapped to the front of the cab. To hear anything you need to be in the light from the beam. I'll bet the guitarist is pointing his amp at the back of his knees and not at his ears. Lift it on to a stand and angle it and that should solve some of the problems. Let us know your budget first of all. Then we can give more detailed advice.