Necessary Wattage?

[Televators]

For home use, recording, jamming, miced shows, and maybe even non-miced shows, is a tube amp with 100 watts and 2 12s, that also switches to 25 watts, necessary? Or will a 50 watt, with a 12.5 watt option, amp driving one 12" due just fine?

[krankguitarist]

Re: Necessary Wattage?

unless you're playin real big venues, and depending on your style, the 50 watt will tend to be enough.

If you're playin metal or hard rock, having that extra speaker can really help for those un-miced shows.

[Simon_F]

Re: Necessary Wattage?

I would say 50 watts of tube amp is plenty for pretty much any occasion, unless you need a lot of clean headroom.

Regarding speakers, I go for a minimum of 2x12 if not mic'd. You just get a better spread and bigger sound that way. A 1x12 cranked can sound a bit boxy - though a lot depends on the dimensions and quality of the cab.

[Pecan]

Re: Necessary Wattage?

If you need clean at loud volumes then a 100 watt. But if you prefer your stuff slightly distorted it would actualy be better to get a 500 watt. I still suggest getting a 2x12" at least though.

[Simon_F]

Re: Necessary Wattage?

it would actualy be better to get a 500 watt.

500 watt???

Yeah baby, crank that sucker!

[Zerberus]

Re: Necessary Wattage?

For home use, recording, jamming, miced shows, ...... will a 50 watt, with a 12.5 watt option, amp driving one 12" due just fine?

Generally speaking, Yes, it may even be a bit too powerful depending on exact setting. But that´s what Master Volumes and attenuators are for

...and maybe even non-miced shows, is a tube amp with 100 watts and 2 12s, that also switches to 25 watts, necessary?

This depends entirely on the particular show.... for an ummiced open air of more than 3-400 people you´re probably going to wish you had that 2x12 and the 100 watter, if nothing else for the extra clean headroom.

[Pecan]

Re: Necessary Wattage?

Ohhh sorry. Typo above, its meant to be 50 watt*

[larry_emder]

Re: Necessary Wattage?

I've never gotten my 22 watter past 5, at any live show(but usually mic it up). Any more wattage would be a waste for me

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Necessary Wattage?

Yep, for clean headroom at loud volumes, ~100w really is needed. For most applications, I think a 50w will cut it. For micing at venues and loud practices, I think 30w is about right.

[Jeff_H]

Re: Necessary Wattage?

50 watts is generally enough...taking the clean headroom statements above into account as the only usual need for 100w. Miked 30-50 watts is enough.

[Pink Unicorn Horsey]

Re: Necessary Wattage?

These days it's not necessary to get anything in the 100+ watts range unless (a) you're playing large arenas or (b) you need lots of clean headroom at loud -- and I mean LOUD -- volumes.

Fifty-watt amps are very loud, as are amps that are a mere 30 watts. Any good club or other venue (and even most of the bad ones) will have some kind of PA system available, allowing you to mic your amp. The 50-watter with the 12.5-watt option you mentioned is probably the better of the two for your needs.

I think I wrote this in a recent thread, but it bears repeating: An amp with one tenth the wattage only reduces the volume by half. Amps in the 15- to 20-watt range are still pretty loud, and they can give you natural power tube saturation and speaker breakup at more tolerable volume levels than high-wattage amps.

[Baltar]

Re: Necessary Wattage?

*hmpf* 100w ? 500w ??
if you'd say for jammin and miced use ... i'd go for sth between 15 and 30
watts. ;-)
ofcourse it depends on your style of music and crazyness of the drummer

[GuitarStv]

Re: Necessary Wattage?

For recording, I use my little 7 watt amp . . . and even then, I have to make sure that nobody in the house is trying to sleep. I doubt you'ld need/want anything louder than that if you're trying for natural tube overdrive whie recording.

[larry_emder]

Re: Necessary Wattage?

Amt of speakers is important too - my 22 watter 1X12 sounds even louder through a 4X12

[Pink Unicorn Horsey]

Re: Necessary Wattage?

Amt of speakers is important too - my 22 watter 1X12 sounds even louder through a 4X12

+1 to that! It's great to have a low-wattage amp that has an external speaker jack. This is definitely something to look for.