>>Assuming the MP3 accurately reproduces the analogue sound then I think the guitar may have been a bit close to the clipping point on the mixer.

There is a picture of what I have here which links through to a nice magnifiable image of the front of my amp which might help.

The clipping point - I presume that is where the level goes into distortion? I use some recording software and the clipping point I presume is where my indicator nips into the red? (Is it over 0db?)

If so I think it probably is elsewhere as the settings on the amp were very low because the volume didn't need to very high. I may of course have put the wrong settings in! My guitar with no pre-amp went straight into one of the Super Hi-Z inputs and the level setting was at maximum between 5 and 6. The MAIN level setting was on about number 2. There are some lights above the MAIN level button and probably twice in the evening the bottom Green pair flashed on.

It's possible of course that I have set things wrong - I read somewhere that I should have my main volume somewhere between 5 and 7 but I'm not sure I could then have set the levels on the separate channels low enough - the pre-amped guitar was set to under 1, the bass was under 1, the electric guitar was about 1 and it was only the mics and my guitar that were higher (mics probably on 4 - 6).

>>Next time take extra long guitar leads and take it in turns to go out in front of the speakers (or even both go at once) to see what the speaker sound is like.

We did try that with four sets of ears before... Next time we'll get there earlier! Why do people arrive early to things? (ie before we're ready? :)!)

>>It does however sound very like what I expect a magnetic slot-in pickup to sound like.

Depressingly that's what I thought! It's a sound that I don't particularly like but realise I have limited options - it's just a question of making the best of (what I see as) a bad job. Is there a better way?

>>Vocals sound fine. I hate recordings of my voice, I'm sure I don't sound like them!

Me doesn't sound anything like me.

>>What mics are you using?

Uni-directional dynamic mics of some obscure brand (Altai or something from memory). Welcome to the world of budget sound! they were given to me as a present by someone when a certain pub chain decided they no longer would have live music...