15 watt Class A loud nuff for gigs?

[JohnnyGuitar]

Re: 15 watt Class A loud nuff for gigs?

I use my 15w 1X10 when I play with my band (we're still in rehearsal). It's loud enough buy just barely.
I know I'll have to buy and extension cabinet when we'll start playing live.
BTW,
In my experience, smaller Marshalls (which are mostly SS), cut through better then "American" voiced amps. It might be because of the speakers. So if you can, buy a "British" voiced amp or add the right speaker to it...

 

[alex1fly]

Re: 15 watt Class A loud nuff for gigs?

15 watts, especially through a 12 inch speaker instead of a 10, will be VERY loud. On my 40 watt Hot Rod Deluxe I NEVER turned the volume above 4 for any gig and could easily be heard through drums/trumpet/2 trombones/keys/bass/vocals. I hear that even little 5 watt amps are plenty loud for gigging. I think a lot of people are either afraid of really pushing their amps (myself included) or overestimate the size of the PA-less venues they'll be playing and thus get too loud of an amp. You could play a stadium with a 15 watt amp if it was miked.

 

[Rich_S]

Re: 15 watt Class A loud nuff for gigs?

My 18 Watter clone (which is really only 13-14 watts) with its efficient, heavy-magnet Celestion 12" will pin your ears back. I can't imagine ever needing more than this in any venue I'l ever play.

However, I don't think a 15-watt SS practice amp is going to cut it.

 

[Skarekrough]

Re: 15 watt Class A loud nuff for gigs?

I don't own any amps louder than 18 watts.

I would gig most of them without a mic.

 

[flank]

Re: 15 watt Class A loud nuff for gigs?

not enough in my opinion. suppose it does depend on the dynamics of the band though.

 

[aleclee]

Re: 15 watt Class A loud nuff for gigs?

Depends on

• How clean you want to go.
• How loud the band is, especially the drummer
• The genre you're playing
• The dynamic response and voicing of the amp

I think the last item is often overlooked. Some amps have their peaks in the right places to be easily heard while others tend to get lost in the mix. Some amps handle transients in way that makes them stand out while others don't. It's hard to describe and even to understand but I've had a 100W tube amp that had to be cranked way too much to be heard. It's not that the amp wasn't loud as heck, it just wasn't loud in a way that cut through in an ensemble situation.

 

[wahwah]

Re: 15 watt Class A loud nuff for gigs?

Depends on

• How clean you want to go.
• How loud the band is, especially the drummer
• The genre you're playing
• The dynamic response and voicing of the amp

I think the last item is often overlooked. Some amps have their peaks in the right places to be easily heard while others tend to get lost in the mix. Some amps handle transients in way that makes them stand out while others don't. It's hard to describe and even to understand but I've had a 100W tube amp that had to be cranked way too much to be heard. It's not that the amp wasn't loud as heck, it just wasn't loud in a way that cut through in an ensemble situation.

That's a very good point aleclee, it seems to be particularly the midrange voicing of the amp. Genre is crucial too, because it generally ties in with the relative volume of the whole band.


Cheers..............wahwah

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: 15 watt Class A loud nuff for gigs?

Depends on

• How clean you want to go.
• How loud the band is, especially the drummer
• The genre you're playing
• The dynamic response and voicing of the amp

I think the last item is often overlooked. Some amps have their peaks in the right places to be easily heard while others tend to get lost in the mix. Some amps handle transients in way that makes them stand out while others don't. It's hard to describe and even to understand but I've had a 100W tube amp that had to be cranked way too much to be heard. It's not that the amp wasn't loud as heck, it just wasn't loud in a way that cut through in an ensemble situation.

These are excellent points . . .

I like to play with crystal cleans and use a lot of effects. If I'm playing with an amp of less than 40 watts, I'm not getting the clean volume that I need. Someone else could definitely get away with an 18 watt 2X12 if they don't care about cleans at all.

 

[Snake Aces]

Re: 15 watt Class A loud nuff for gigs?

You people are all wrong!!

Get an Epiphone Valve Junior 5 watt class A $99 head with a 2 x 12 cab and you'll be set!

Of course you'll want to spend about $50 on mods for the Valve Junior, but it gets REALLY loud! Especially if you pair it with a 2 x 12 cab...

I couldn't believe it but my buddy has one going through a single 12 and it had no problem BLARING over the drums and my AVT50 Marshall at about 3/4 volume with a medium attack. Oh yeah, the tone? BEAUTIFUL! Great Led Zeppelin-like tone, better than you'd ever think with the mods!!

Trust me, you can't go wrong!

 

[aleclee]

Re: 15 watt Class A loud nuff for gigs?

Get an Epiphone Valve Junior 5 watt class A $99 head with a 2 x 12 cab and you'll be set!

:bsflag:
Gross oversimplification at best.

 

[Snake Aces]

Re: 15 watt Class A loud nuff for gigs?

:bsflag:
Gross oversimplification at best.

Whatever, all I know is if you can't sound good through a Valve Junior then you won't sound good through ANY tube amp. Period.

 

[spuds]

Re: 15 watt Class A loud nuff for gigs?

As noted, it depends on a few factors.
But in my opinion, I think its fine. I've grown to like smaller amps because you can crank it without killing someone.

I just bought a classic 30. 30 Watts but still freaking loud. I don't see myself pushing it to its limits even next to a loud drummer. I'm playing it on 2 at home, 2.5 if nobody is home. Oh... and the volume goes up to 12. =)

 

[Snake Aces]

Re: 15 watt Class A loud nuff for gigs?

As noted, it depends on a few factors.
But in my opinion, I think its fine. I've grown to like smaller amps because you can crank it without killing someone.

I just bought a classic 30. 30 Watts but still freaking loud. I don't see myself pushing it to its limits even next to a loud drummer. I'm playing it on 2 at home, 2.5 if nobody is home. Oh... and the volume goes up to 12. =)

Once again hinting that the 5 watt Class A Epi Valve Jr is PLENTY of juice for home/gigs.

 

[aleclee]

Re: 15 watt Class A loud nuff for gigs?

Whatever, all I know is if you can't sound good through a Valve Junior then you won't sound good through ANY tube amp. Period.

Not arguing about the quality of tone, just the volume. I've done the band thing with a 12W tube amp and had mixed results. As a result, I'm inclined to call BS. YMMV but the fact that it varies makes the certainty of your initial statement pretty darn dubious.

Once again hinting that the 5 watt Class A Epi Valve Jr is PLENTY of juice for home/gigs.

Except that volume is a non-linear function.

 

[schecterplayer]

Re: 15 watt Class A loud nuff for gigs?

if you arnt set on playing super clean the V1512 pushes a pretty obscene amount of noise, you can get the clean headroom much higher with the right preamp tubes, and higher rated power tubes, they come from the factory set up for a lot of preamp clip, and at least in mine the power tubes broke up pretty fast too. it is LOUD, mine at least is noticably louder than my friends blues junior. if you play bar gigs and like a bit of crunch this amp can definatly compete with my old drummer at least.

 

[MVI]

Re: 15 watt Class A loud nuff for gigs?

I am really a fan of small amps, but have lately come to the conclusion that 15 Watts is really only going to gig a blues / coffee house / jazz kind of thing with brushes, or maturity on the drums. 30 Watts is going to go better with a drummer, but starts to get too much for home, or even recording. ( sheesh make up your mind already ). I had an old 15 Watt vintage Deluxe I'd like back, that did nicely for tiny open mike blues venues.