how much wattage do you *need*?

[boulder4112]

Hey guys... considering I dont really have the ability to crank up a 100 watt amp around here... I was wondering your opinions on how much power you need for a gig. Playing live, with a band, do you think that 55 watts of honest tube power with two twelve inch speakers is enough? I always see bands around here playing with a 100 watter and a 4x12, even though the club seems pretty small. Do you think you really need all that power? are they even using it?

 

[Wattage]

Re: how much wattage do you *need*?

hehehe

My wife needs more than I do!

 

[theodie]

Re: how much wattage do you *need*?

Wattage is only part of the equation, the rest of the members of "Mr Nasty" plus wattage will paint the whole picture !!!!!!

 

[XSSIVE]

Re: how much wattage do you *need*?

the more wattage the better IMO...i say we clone him :laugh2:

-Mike

 

[beandip]

Re: how much wattage do you *need*?

I've played medium to large sized venues (large clubs to a mini-stadium) with my GA-30. At the mini-stadium I was miked, but hardly ran through the PA.

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: how much wattage do you *need*?

It all depends on the type of music you play, and how your bandmates regulate their volume. I've been at gigs where a guy with a strat and a DDRI is plenty loud.

I really think 50 watts is more than enough in MOST situations. If you need anything louder, either the whole band needs to turn down, or you are in need of a PA system.

 

[some_dude]

Re: how much wattage do you *need*?

I think it depends on musical style and the overall volume of the band.

30w is generally good for a normal drummer. 50w is generally good for a loud drummer.

100w is nice if you either need a really loud clean tone, or your distortion is largely preamp based, but the extra headroom will make it harder to saturate and overdrive your power tubes at a volume that club owners will let you play at.

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: how much wattage do you *need*?

100W + full stack
Anything less and you're fooling yourself ...
:headbang: :evil:

 

[Wattage]

Re: how much wattage do you *need*?

100W + full stack
Anything less and you're fooling yourself ...
:headbang: :evil:

Yup!

Depends so much on the stage size, band volume, style etc.

I have always had my best luck with at least a 4x12 and 100wt. head but reults vary. My old CLassic 50 into my Bassman bottom wasn't too bad until things got really smoking but for a small stage it was perfect.

 

[Hellion]

Re: how much wattage do you *need*?

I personally like at least 30-40 watts. A lot of clubs have a main system and anything more than that is overkill and pointless because the soundman will be struggling to match everyone else to you, because, let's face it, when you have a lot of horsepower, it's hard not to use it. If you're not using a soundman, or aren't running your rig through a main system, 100 watts is more than enough.

 

[Quencho092]

Re: how much wattage do you *need*?

what do you play? People were always telling me that i only needed 50 watts, yada yada...so i got a 40 watt amp and i need more headroom to keep things clean. I got 2 d130f JBL speakers and things are looking much better now.

If you have a lower powered amp with really efficient speakers you can get good cranked tone at lower volumes, but it could also handle larger venues due to it's ability to pump out more dB per watt.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: how much wattage do you *need*?

I filled in for a friend's band, ran my POD 2.0 into a Fender practice amp and mic'd it, then just ran the POD direct the next night. The other guitarist had a 5150 full stack, and my tone cut through and sounded better than his, because I went through the PA and he didn't.

You're almost always better off keeping the amp volume lower and going through the PA.

 

[Quencho092]

Re: how much wattage do you *need*?

yeah, some people just love that cranked tone too much. I'd probably mic my bandmaster at a gig with the volume at 3 or 4, nice and clean, but at just the right level for my tube screamer to deliver a liquidy sustaining tone from power tube gain.

 

[DeadSkinSlayer3]

Re: how much wattage do you *need*?

At band practices, I actually keep my amp at 5-6, and when I run it at 60 watts, It's at 7 or 7.5. I was surprised at how high I keep it. I prefer running 120 watts, because of the headroom, as my distortion is largely preamp based.

 

[Skarekrough]

Re: how much wattage do you *need*?

yeah, some people just love that cranked tone too much.

Sure, and that right there shoulod be enough of an argument for having nothing more than 20 watts.

My modified Blues Junior sounds great and doesn't blow eardrums out when we gig. I wouldn't hesitate to play that amp in ANY room as long as there was a decent PA to mic it.

I've got a HotRod Deluxe that barely gets played; it's unneccesarily loud.

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: how much wattage do you *need*?

Sure, and that right there shoulod be enough of an argument for having nothing more than 20 watts.

My modified Blues Junior sounds great and doesn't blow eardrums out when we gig. I wouldn't hesitate to play that amp in ANY room as long as there was a decent PA to mic it.

I've got a HotRod Deluxe that barely gets played; it's unneccesarily loud.

Not true ... In a big room, with a big PA, a small combo amp gets totally lost in the sauce, sonically. It sounds positively tiny when put thru a big PA. At all of the bigger shows I've played, even with a full stack behind me, it's a struggle to be heard over an amplfied drum kit, 2nd guitar, vocalist, and bassist.

Also, people tend to estimate how loud a crowd of people in an enclosed space actually is; let me tell you ... a couple thousand people crammed into one room is DAMN LOUD!!! That's just one extra factor you have to contend with while on stage.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: how much wattage do you *need*?

Not true ... In a big room, with a big PA, a small combo amp gets totally lost in the sauce, sonically. It sounds positively tiny when put thru a big PA.

How is it, then, that tons of guys are now using Randall Isolation cabinets (a single semi-soundproof 12" enclosure) as their only source of mic'd sound, for playing arenas?

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: how much wattage do you *need*?

How is it, then, that tons of guys are now using Randall Isolation cabinets (a single semi-soundproof 12" enclosure) as their only source of mic'd sound, for playing arenas?

That's the cab ... we're talking about the wattage driving said cab.

Also, there's a VAST difference in the quality of on-stage monitoring/mixing you get with your own sound crew than at your average rock/metal club.

Lastly, for every guitar player using an iso cab, there's one not using one. My argument is that there are tons of guys not using iso-whatsis ... and furthermore, I think iso cabs with their crappy 1x12s sound THIN. Anyone that's actually used one of these will agree with me. At $900, or whatever an iso cab costs, you can get a much better sounding 4x12.

 

[italic zero]

Re: how much wattage do you *need*?

Not true ... In a big room, with a big PA, a small combo amp gets totally lost in the sauce, sonically. It sounds positively tiny when put thru a big PA. At all of the bigger shows I've played, even with a full stack behind me, it's a struggle to be heard over an amplfied drum kit, 2nd guitar, vocalist, and bassist.

Also, people tend to estimate how loud a crowd of people in an enclosed space actually is; let me tell you ... a couple thousand people crammed into one room is DAMN LOUD!!! That's just one extra factor you have to contend with while on stage.

I have a theory: no matter how loud the band that's playing the concert, the teenage girl screaming in your ear will ALWAYS be louder.

 

[Mephis]

Re: how much wattage do you *need*?

Meh, my roland is so powerful, if i had a cord long enough, i could go up stairs and it would still hurt my ears... and its only 60watt, i hate to think what a 100+watt full stack could do.

I should mention, anything having to do with audio just rings in this house, this house carries sound so nicely.