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30-watt tube amp enough for gigging?


Inazone

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I feel stupid asking this question, but I'm asking it anyway because I'm considering a new amp. I have gigged with all kinds of rigs, from pedals into power amps to rack rigs to the traditional half-stack arrangement. My best results have always come when running my pedalboard (distortion, EQ, delay) into old Peavey Classic combos, but in an attempt to find a compact, inexpensive head, I have been considering the new Classic 30 "Black Vinyl" head. Nobody in town has any 30s in stock.

 

My concern is whether or not the amp would be loud enough in a band scenario. We are a metal band playing clubs where there is a PA and sound guy, so I know I will be heard one way or another, but I would be using an old ART distortion pedal and tube EQ for either all of my distortion or as a boost on the amp's overdrive channel. In my experience with other amps, I can get some great tones that way, but without the amp's preamp section cranked up, the overall volume isn't all that high. Our other guitarist uses a Peavey Heritage head (100 watts?) and our drummer hits hard AND triggers his kick drum.

 

The Classic 30 probably sounds like an odd choice for a metal guy but I have always had better results with "non-metal" amps combined with pedals than with the high-gain amps that most local guys are using. The Classic 30 is small enough to sit atop an upright 2x12 cab if needed, and is more compatible with my current budget than Peavey's high-gain offerings. I'd like to have something that I can crank up to make the most of the power tube tone, and 30 watts *seems* sufficient, knowing that I used the Classic 50 combos with my same pedal setup for years...but I'd love to hear what other guitarists have done with similar rigs!

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Tough call to make without actually trying one out with your band.

 

It should be enough but then, I don't know how hard your drummer hits, how loud the rest of your band usually is and how clean you need "clean" to be. The 30 shouldn't be dramatically different from the 50 volume-wise, though you may hear a difference in bass response.

 

Personally, I'm a stickler for moderate stage volume. I've got to hear everything. So my 15 watt amps (Lightning & 5E3) are plenty for my needs.

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I can't really imagine any situation where a 30-watt tube amp wouldn't be enough... ok, maybe playing very big venues where the amp isn't mic'd- but why would you even try to do that?

 

I think that amp would be fine. The only issue I can forsee is if the other guitarist plays ridiculously loud, but that's not a gear issue...

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Also... for what it's worth, one project I've been playing guitar with is a loud rock (definitely not metal, but there's a lot of distortion) band, with truly the loudest drummer I've ever encountered. I use a Deluxe Reverb (22watts) and I've never needed to turn it up past 5 or so.

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Tough call to make without actually trying one out with your band.

 

It should be enough but then, I don't know how hard your drummer hits, how loud the rest of your band usually is and how clean you need "clean" to be. The 30 shouldn't be dramatically different from the 50 volume-wise, though you may hear a difference in bass response.

 

Personally, I'm a stickler for moderate stage volume. I've got to hear everything. So my 15 watt amps (Lightning & 5E3) are plenty for my needs.

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I gigged with a classic 30 for a few years - solid little amp with plenty of juice - had it up against a Marshall Valvestate and it held its own just fine. For the price and portability, you can't beat it. That being said, I moved to a deluxe reverb because the cleans were better, but I would still gig the 30 occasionally if I had it.

 

Dolan

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I play an Orange AD30, and have never had to turn it up above 75% on the volume dial. And my band is pretty loud, plus I've played with this rig with other groups in country, metal, punk, and hard rock styles at all volumes.

 

I used to never play a gig with less than 50 watts, but since I got this rig a few years ago I've sold off everything else I had that was higher powered.

 

I don't think its a matter of "what # of watts is best?", but more of a "Does it sound right?" If my amp was 1,000 watts and I could make it sound the same as it does now, it wouldn't matter to me at all. If it was 5 watts, and sounded the same it wouldn't matter either. Power rating, brand name, size of cabinet, number of speakers, etc. don't matter as long as it sounds good.

 

You've already had experience with the Peavey Classics, and you can make them do what you want, so go for that.

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I've played lots of gigs with a Classic 30, Mesa F30, and even a Gibson Goldtone GA-15RVT.

 

None of them have had any big problems. The Classic 30 and the Gibson got miced in the clubs. I've used both the SM57 and the newer Sennheiser E609 to mic the amps. Both sound great.

 

Sometimes I send my F30 direct out; other times, I mic it. Either way, it sounds great.

 

The only time I've ever had a hard time hearing it was when I had a bass cabinent with 8 tens right next to my little 12" combo.

 

Have fun!

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Thirty watts should be fine.

 

I play most gigs with a 1x12 combo, usually a 40 watt Tone King Meteor II. But I almost always have it switched to half power. I suppose that is 20 watts. I sometimes gig with an old Deluxe Reverb or even a Pro Junior at 15 watts.

 

I started using 1x12 combos because they are very portable. And it means one less trip to the car. Sometimes I can bring in my whole rig for the evening- a couple gig bags in one hand and the amplifier in the other- in one trip. And that makes loading up and transporting easier.

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You'd be loud enough for me... I'm a keyboard player! :D

 

Seriously, I was in a loud situation for a few weeks with a guy that used an old Fender Deluxe. What are they... 22 watts I think... and he was plenty loud in his area onstage. He had a slew of pedals, and placed it close in and aimed it up at his head. Cranked and the sweetest sound in the world. Mic'ed through the mains of course.

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You'd be loud enough for me... I'm a keyboard player!
:D

Seriously, I was in a loud situation for a few weeks with a guy that used an old Fender Deluxe. What are they... 22 watts I think... and he was plenty loud in his area onstage. He had a slew of pedals, and placed it close in and aimed it up at his head. Cranked and the sweetest sound in the world. Mic'ed through the mains of course.

 

A Deluxe Reverb, cranked, is LOUD. Probably too loud for most onstage applications!

 

:eek:

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I should have added that I would typically play this through a 4x12 cab, but the vertical 2x12 might see some use for out of town shows where we want to travel light. The old Classics had solid state preamp sections and 6L6 power, which I ran in various configurations of 2x12, 4x10 and 4x12. Part of the reason I'm looking at the new Classic 30 is that for years I've been using an ART Tube EQ on my pedalboard, which runs a single 12AX7 tube and warms up my analog distortion pedal nicely. Unfortunately, the ART stuff is getting old and showing its age, so I'm thinking that a tube head with a nice clean channel or mild overdrive of its own could offer me the same benefits as the current arrangement.

 

Thanks for all the replies!

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I've done couple of gigs recently with a straight up "guitar rock" band, and used, believe it or not, my little Epi.Valve Jr. through my Marshall 1936 2x12 cab and it sounded sweet! Okay 5 watts may not be quite enough for everything, but I'm just sayin'....:)

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I used a Classic 30 for quite a long time.

Modded it with JJ EL84's and a V30 speaker...kick ass little amp, loves pedals, built like a tank.

But... my band played quite loud...we just enjoy playing with a lot of volume, and sometimes at the larger gigs, my l'il 30 just didn't quite cut it, even when pumped into my Marshall 4x12 (not to mention it got scaldingly hot and noisy when run like that)

So I bought my Rivera, which I can change the output power from 100w down to 12w...or even half that if I pull two of the power tubes.

So maybe that route is your answer...either an amp that you can vary the power on, or maybe a power soak.

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I've always thought that 30watts was kind of the gold standard for classic rock and blues bands. Any more than that is just for headroom. I use a 60watt Genz Benz El Diablo combo with a single 12 inch speaker and I usually run it at 30watts because it really cooks at the lower wattage. It's still loud as hell.

 

A 60watt tube amp isn't really 'twice as loud' as a 30watter. In fact, the higher wattage doesn't give you that much more volume at all.

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A 30w tube amp is loud! So is a 15w, which is what I typically use. The difference between the two isn't so much loudness as headroom. We play a lot of funk, so I need some clean punch from time to time. The 15w breaks up at a lower level than the 30w.

 

My philosophy, having learned it as a soundguy, is bring the smallest amp that gets the tone right, then stick a mike in front of that. Let the PA do the heavy lifting (in more ways than one).

 

Terry D.

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30 watts was not enough for me. I needed my cleans super clean and loud. So I sold my 30 watt and got a 50w. Not sure if it was the type of amp or the additional 20 watts but it took care of my needs. For metal though i doubt you need to be clean that often so you could probably get by fine with a 30. They are plenty loud.

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