100 watt amps

[Agileguy_101]

Re: 100 watt amps

I think a 100W amp would be much more manageable with a 1x12 or 2x12 combo/cab. Especially with efficient speakers.

 

[jeremy]

Re: 100 watt amps

a marshall 4x12 with 75w speakers isnt gonna be any louder than my 2x12 with more efficient speakers

 

[King IzzO)))]

Re: 100 watt amps

At most of the shows that I'm talking about there is not a sound system, there is a PA for vocals. Drums and cabs mic'd? HAHA.

My friends have a band that does play some large fancy soundsystem venues on occasion, and it's hilarious... 2 drummers, 3 guitarists, and a bass player with no vocals. Guitarists all playing through full stacks, 1 recto, 2 TSL's. Bass player goes through a M/B 400+ into a Ampeg 4x10 and a 1x18. And they really do need the stage volume or it doesn't sound right, mic'd or not.

 

[some_dude]

Re: 100 watt amps

Don't bring a knife to a gun fight.

Don't hand a dude a wine cooler at a biker rally.

Don't try to explain the relative merits of moderate volumes to people with Melvins and Sunn O))) references in their user name.

 

[everdrone]

Re: 100 watt amps

When I was living in Austin, I saw the Melvins and The Sword; all the guitarists used half stacks, not full stacks, at the outdoor venue Mowhawk. Im happy with my 2x12 orange cab! not getting a 4x12 orange cab, or Ill end up like Pantera/Down Singer Phil Amselmo with back surgery! those unaffordable Orange 4x12 cabs weigh 110 pounds and definitely do not fit anywhere in my Corrolla. Cheers to those who can do it tho. Everyone seems to use a half stack for punk/hardrock/metal. some use full stacks. I can fit my 4x10 ampeg in tho, so kudos

 

[blueman335]

Re: 100 watt amps

Everyone seems to use a half stack for punk/hardrock/metal. some use full stacks.

I'm used to seeing blues bands, and 2x12 (mic'd if need be) are the norm.

 

[King IzzO)))]

Re: 100 watt amps

Like I said 3 pages back or something, we're talking about different galaxies at opposite ends of the universe.


And I never said moderate volume doesn't have it's place, the question was who actually needs 100 watts. I was just answering.

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: 100 watt amps

Like izzy said, different worlds

if you're in a cover band, your job is to sound just like the radio and play quietly enough that people can talk over it. A deluxe reverb works fine here

If you play originals, your job is to make people shut the **** up and listen to you. This works out though, cause generally your audience is more into actually listening to music and hearing/experiencing new things. In this case, something like a hot rod deville is about the LEAST amount of power you can get away with.

 

[blueman335]

Re: 100 watt amps

If you play originals, your job is to make people shut the **** up and listen to you. This works out though, cause generally your audience is more into actually listening to music and hearing/experiencing new things.

I admire their efforts, and the obligation is then on the band to live up to it. Plenty of (most?) original local bands aren't as good as they think they are, and just end up being very loud and not particularly entertaining. If you're going to keep people's interest, you better have a lot more to offer than volume. I dare say that very good musicians in a tight band with good material, will keep people interested at moderate volumes. Turning it up louder to make up for whatever else is lacking is not necessarily the best strategy.

I play blues and like to play fairly loud on stage ('reasonably loud'), especially on my solos, but when ears start to crackle, then it's no fun for anyone there.

Whether you play covers or originals, people are still there to socialize and meet people, and not be in a trance and stare silently at a local band for several hours. I don't know about you, but I've seen precious few local bands that were that good. The majority would be best advised to put their egos aside, turn down a little, and kick up the level of musicianship a notch or two.

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: 100 watt amps

The mix is more important than any one player's personal volume. IF you MUST turn your 60 watt amp up to 7 to play, the PA damn well better be able to make the drums, bass and vocals equal so the sounds belnd correctly.

I've been to shows that were simply too loud, and I hate to say it, but your precious tone goes out the figgin window when the overall dbs get above 100 or so. All the audience hears when it's that loud, is just a bunch of reflections and blaring, choppy waves that muddy things up.

 

[Red_Label]

Re: 100 watt amps

Headroom... evidently some here can live without it. :wall:

 

[blueman335]

Re: 100 watt amps

The mix is more important than any one player's personal volume. IF you MUST turn your 60 watt amp up to 7 to play, the PA damn well better be able to make the drums, bass and vocals equal so the sounds belnd correctly.

I've been to shows that were simply too loud, and I hate to say it, but your precious tone goes out the figgin window when the overall dbs get above 100 or so. All the audience hears when it's that loud, is just a bunch of reflections and blaring, choppy waves that muddy things up.

Good points. So many local bands aren't mixed right: one or two instruments dominate, some can't be heard, and the EQ's are way off, so everyone's all muddled together. If the whole band isn't balanced & EQ'd right, it just doesn't sound very good. Rather than 'forcing' them to listen to you thru high volume (where 'they can't do anything else'), why not get their attention with great musicianship and playing tight together? People dig that all on it's own.

Agreed, low volume sucks on stage. You need to hear everyone clearly, and to feel the instruments. But you have to know where the upper limit is on volume for sound quality. But there's a point that can be reached where it's barely music, more like chaos and noise, and whether you're playing originals or covers, I don't think many people in a lounge want a whole night of that. Zeppelin blasting my ear drums, yes. Local bands, no thanks. Usually their playing and original material isn't that great.

 

[everdrone]

Re: 100 watt amps

I'm used to seeing blues bands, and 2x12 (mic'd if need be) are the norm.

Coming from Austin, SRV land, I agree, I have seen a ton of blues bands and this is definitely what they do, or two 112 cab/combos, I love my closed back 212 orange cab, love the blues as the stuff I play is blues/blues derived, cheers

Headroom... evidently some here can live without it. :wall:

... for great clean tones outdoors without/with a mic you turn up the volume and the clean is not so great for country/jazz/indie for sure.


ya, I mean like Blue Cheer and other Doom/stoner rock bands need all the headroom so that you can hear the low end, I am a distortion lover that really values my hearing a lot on many levels which has decreased over time (I tested it); that also loves downtuned classic rock so I am on both sides of the fence, I just want some low end and want awesome mic'd tone.

 

[Red_Label]

Re: 100 watt amps

Coming from Austin, SRV land, I agree, I have seen a ton of blues bands and this is definitely what they do, or two 112 cab/combos, I love my closed back 212 orange cab, love the blues as the stuff I play is blues/blues derived, cheers


... for great clean tones outdoors without/with a mic you turn up the volume and the clean is not so great for country/jazz/indie for sure.


ya, I mean like Blue Cheer and other Doom/stoner rock bands need all the headroom so that you can hear the low end, I am a distortion lover that really values my hearing a lot on many levels which has decreased over time (I tested it); that also loves downtuned classic rock so I am on both sides of the fence, I just want some low end and want awesome mic'd tone.

I've been wearing plugs every time I pay (even for daily practice) for years now. So that helps. I can FEEL the music, without going deaf for getting tinnitus (which is why I started wearing them in the first place). I'm definitely a big proponent of headroom, but I don't want to give the impression that I blow everyone out of the clubs, because many times I've been asked to turn-up and only very rarely asked to turn-down. One of the biggest bubble-bursters for me at a gig is when someone walks/dances in front of my cab and puts both fingers in their ears. Granted... mic'd or unmic'd, that can be common with guitar speakers cause they're so obnoxiously directional that you can be killing someone in front of you, and a person 5 feet to the side can barely hear you. Unfortunately that comes with the territory. I always envied bass players when it comes to that.

 

[blueman335]

Re: 100 watt amps

many times I've been asked to turn-up and only very rarely asked to turn-down.

+1. Same here. I'd much rather the crowd like my playing and ask to hear me louder, than be told to turn down.

 

[SirJackdeFuzz]

Re: 100 watt amps

This information is often repeated on internet forums, but a 100W amp is only about 3db louder than an equivalent 50W amp (IE JCM2000 50W vs 100W).
So the question becomes, "Does anyone play in situations where they really need the clean headroom a 100w amp can produce?"

The answer is yes. Most people playing the heavier types of metal need the clean headroom from the power section, because if the power amp was breaking up, along with the massive amounts of preamp gain used in these types of music, it'd be noise-a-palooza.

True !

 

[Agileguy_101]

Re: 100 watt amps

 

[lareplus]

Re: 100 watt amps

Always check the room to know what the ceiling will be. Measure the distance between the noise floor and the ceiling and multiply times occupancy + head room.

So, W = ( CE-NF ) x ( OC + HR )

. . .actually watts are important, but decibels is where the real volume come from, so check your speaker rating.

 

[Jeremiah]

Re: 100 watt amps

If the drums aren't mic'd up and played through sound system with good onstage monitoring, you will have to turn down anyway. It's far too easy for the kick drum to get lost in all the low end from those big stacks - and if you can't hear the kick drum you ain't gonna be playing in time.

 

[some_dude]

Re: 100 watt amps

If the drums aren't mic'd up and played through sound system with good onstage monitoring, you will have to turn down anyway. It's far too easy for the kick drum to get lost in all the low end from those big stacks - and if you can't hear the kick drum you ain't gonna be playing in time.

High hat.