Personal Opinion on Headroom?

Personal Opinion on Headroom?

  • The lower the better!

    Votes: 4 13.8%
  • I like it when i have to crank it to really get it goin'.

    Votes: 14 48.3%
  • I want my clean channel clean, no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

    Votes: 11 37.9%

  • Total voters
    29

iDunnoMang

New member
i was wondering what everybody's personal opinion on headroom was?

im unsure about it and was just wondering what everybody else though.
 
Re: Personal Opinion on Headroom?

Tilt steering ;). J/k

My vote goes to how far you can turn the volume knob before the signal starts to distort, but I could be (and usually am) wrong.
 
Re: Personal Opinion on Headroom?

i need my cleans clean ALL the time whenever i need them to be. I use a boost pedal to get overdrive tones
 
Re: Personal Opinion on Headroom?

Some people their clean tone is more important to them other people their distorted tone is more important.
 
Re: Personal Opinion on Headroom?

HolyDirt said:
i need my cleans clean ALL the time whenever i need them to be. I use a boost pedal to get overdrive tones

If they were true clean cleans and the overdrive was transparent, then the amp wouldn't break up at all.

I love a clean channel that only breaks up at very high levels. I love overdriving my clean channel for blues (with a pedal), but I love a good clean channel that doesn't easily breakup. For this reason, much later breakup levels are necessary for me.
 
Re: Personal Opinion on Headroom?

I've never worked with an amp louder than 60 watts, and it seems to be plenty loud enough for me. It doesn't have much headroom, but if I'm getting my disotortion just from my pedal then it doesn't sound as good. I like it when my overdrive is coming from my power tubes, speakers, and pedal all working together. It sounds fuller and less artificial.
 
Re: Personal Opinion on Headroom?

cool.

reason why im asking is i can get these tubes for the hot rod that make the amp 30 watts ( dont ask me how ) and lower the headroom so it breaks up easier. im not sure im going to take it however, since i'll be using clean most of the time, and the times im not, ill be using my TS-9. i think normal headroom should be just fine.
 
Re: Personal Opinion on Headroom?

Peterku said:
Cleans are more important for me than overdrive. With an electric, there isn't anything more pleasing to me than pristine clean tube sound. My amp should be like a white blanket I can color with an OD-pedal.


It's the case with my bandmate, he really digs clean amps, then add some ODs.

I prefer to drive my amps somewhat hard. Then add a booster or fuzz for solos and stuff. I'm not a clean guy :naughty:
 
Re: Personal Opinion on Headroom?

depends on what im doing. if im doing a blues gig then i want low headroom, so i can just plug the guitar into the amp and turn it up, using the guitars volume control to adjust how dirty the tone is. for a more traditional rock gig, a little more headroom is nice
 
Re: Personal Opinion on Headroom?

What's clean? Who would be a well known player that has a clean tone? I think I know that Billy Gibbons wouldn't be known as a clean player, tonewise. Who would?
 
Re: Personal Opinion on Headroom?

I'm not a huge fan of the band, but I've always liked the clean tone the guy from Creed had. I think he ran through a '65 Twin Reverb with 15" speakers for his clean tone... tasty
 
Re: Personal Opinion on Headroom?

Mkf411 said:
What's clean? Who would be a well known player that has a clean tone? I think I know that Billy Gibbons wouldn't be known as a clean player, tonewise. Who would?


The Edge, Joe Pass, Wes Montgomery, Chet Atkins, Les Paul, Mark Knopfler, the list goes on. :burnout:

As far as where I am, I play right on the edge of break up, back off on my attack and clean up, or dig in and get som e drive.
 
Re: Personal Opinion on Headroom?

Mkf411 said:
What's clean? Who would be a well known player that has a clean tone? I think I know that Billy Gibbons wouldn't be known as a clean player, tonewise. Who would?


Mark Knopfler, 'nuff said :smokin:
 
Re: Personal Opinion on Headroom?

Mark Knopfler is awsome. Thanks guys, that clears it up.

I like clean sometimes and distorted sometimes. Probably distorted more. I'm thinking amp distortion if volume permits. The Jazz Corus 120 is supposed to be a great clean amp. I'd use two amps if I needed both cuase I'd want at least one amp to break up early.
 
Re: Personal Opinion on Headroom?

I used to wanted a pristine clean no breakup until your ears bleed and then use pedals for od. I eventually changed and want my amp (Z) which is a single channel to be clean when I turn down the volume. But when I switch pups or turn up the vol. and hit my SD booster pedal I want to grind. So I guess that means I want mine low?

Luke
 
Re: Personal Opinion on Headroom?

90% of my gigging work is done with my Vibrolux's bright channel on 4, which is the highest setting it stays clean with single coils. I push it a little further for certain tunes and then either dime the amp or step on an od for solos.

Occasionally I find myself wishing my vibrolux was 60 watts for a bit more headroom, but the truth is it's about perfect for the gigs I play. MAYBE a vibro King would be better...
 
Re: Personal Opinion on Headroom?

I love high headroom.

Then again, with a vicous extra channel or two to suck down the voltage, it's great. If I had one channel I'd ride somewhere in the middle so I could over drive it or back off on picking or the volume knob to clean it up some...
 
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