Remember that dream where you’re standing on stage playing away, but no sound comes out? Anyone who’s ever played an electric instrument knows how this nightmare can become a reality. Ditto for anyone who’s ever accidentally gotten unplugged, spaced out by a soundman, or blown off the stage by a drum-pounding maniac. It makes you want to take matters into your own hands and make sure you’re heard—doin’ your own sound!

Electric string players who are already in a band probably have the basics covered: a nice instrument, an amplifier, and the cable that goes between them. Amplifiers with high-frequency tweeters especially designed for acoustic instruments, like the RMS AC-40 or the Zeta AP-12, are good amps for that sweet natural violin and viola sound. Lower strings sound great with bass amplifiers, such as the Roland Cube-100 Bass or the Gallien-Krueger MB150S-112 Micro-Bass Combo.

A 30-watt amp may be fine for jamming in the living room, but anything less than 60 watts of power won’t cut it when playing onstage with a drummer. An amp with an equalizer or sweepable mid-range control is a must for live performance. And a really long, say 30-foot, cable will come in handy.

To crank it up, or not to crank it up: that is the question!

Well, not really. As it turns out, when it comes to electrified instruments, the question of how loud to play isn’t as big a deal as the question of which frequencies to boost.

“As an electric cellist, you’re in a funny frequency range,” explains cello slinger Jonathan Golove, speaking during a break between a gig in Monterrey, Mexico, with jazz bassist Reggie Workman and an upcoming Carnegie Hall recital with the Baird Trio.