loudness of tube compared to solid?

[Curly]

Re: loudness of tube compared to solid?

I seem to see a lot of players get preoccupied with power ratings when amp shopping - that is, they set a budget, then set out to get the most powerful amp they can for the money

I think it's better to get an amp that's appropriate for your needs, both power wise and tone wise. Some amps are designed with crunch in mind, others for good clean tones.

the essence of tube amps is tone, and as far as a good, natural overdrive, that happens when the amp is pushed. Get an amp that's too powerful for your needs, and you're less likely to push it hard enough to get good amp distortion without pedals.
of course, if you're looking for a good clean tone, that's a different matter

I happen to think that one reason you'll see used Twins going for $500 - $600 is that some players find they just don't push a 100 watt amp hard enough to get a decent tone for their style, plus they get tired of lugging around a heavy amp.

anyway, yeah, the DeVilles are pretty loud amps - that's why I didn't keep mine. I found the Bassman RI to be better in tone, but I guess some are attracted to the features of a DeVille.

 

[Jag513]

Re: loudness of tube compared to solid?

thing is, lookin around the internet, and people saying how some amps are way louder than others....... its not THAT much of a difference really, usually its more so one amp sounds BIGGER than another amp, it just has more of each frequency, but its not like TWICE the loudness as some people state

i mean, my buddy has a 50 watt tube 2x12 vs. my hiwatt 100 watt 4x12...... the hiwatt has just a bigger sound, but its not like its really twice as loud, the volume is nearly the same

That's because doubling the wattage only gives you a 3dB increase. Increasing the wattage tenfold (50w compared to 500w, for example) will get you twice as loud.