Members LesPaulCustom79 Posted July 2, 2011 Members Share Posted July 2, 2011 Especially in Marshalls 50w is easier to overdrive the 2 power tubes instead of 4 tubes to get that nice overdriven power tube tone with good punch. 100w are too much for most small to medium venues unless you are playing arenas and 2000 person clubs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Chippy Posted July 2, 2011 Members Share Posted July 2, 2011 Hello forum, I'm thinking of buying a new head and cab. Probably a jca50/100 and a valveking or some other decent cab i can get on the cheap. What i want to know is there a significant difference in tone between 50w and 100w heads and if i should get a 412 or 212. Application will be mostly for small gigs playing anything from classic rock to metal. Thanks for your time. Dual Mesa Coliseums. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Chippy Posted July 2, 2011 Members Share Posted July 2, 2011 Especially in Marshalls 50w is easier to overdrive the 2 power tubes instead of 4 tubes to get that nice overdriven power tube tone with good punch. 100w are too much for most small to medium venues unless you are playing arenas and 2000 person clubs. Duuuuude, 50W is only 3dB quieter than 100W, ceteris paribus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Wyatt Posted July 2, 2011 Members Share Posted July 2, 2011 My recommendation is to go with the 50-watt head for many for the reasons mentioned here. The significant difference between the two is headroom; while output isn't drastically different between the two, the point at which the power tubes overdrive is. A 100-watter is great if you need to be crystal clean all night, or you need clarity from a hi-gain amp in a rare high-volume situation. But if you want any chance to get power amp crunch at a smaller gig, the 100-watt may just prove too much. 50 watts is going to be more power than needed at small gigs, but it allows for a little more on tap when demanded. It offers more than enough headroom to stay clean with a loud drummer; you may find chances to get power tube overdrive out of it are limited (venues are getting quieter and quieter these days), but it will be much easier to overdrive those power tubes than in a 100-watt head. If you do want to use more power amp OD, then you'll find you can attenuate the 50-watt head easier (then an attenuator, post-PI MV, voltage regulation, etc.) without as much change in tone. But if you want to really crank power tubes for classic rock tones at small gigs, most people I now don't use more than a 30-watt amp, many as little as a 18-watter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members timmyfirst Posted July 2, 2011 Members Share Posted July 2, 2011 I tend to go for 50w amps, for me they always seem to feel a bit livelier at the volumes i use. If its a Marshall i always go 100w though, for me they were just designed to be 100w amps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Nerine Posted July 3, 2011 Members Share Posted July 3, 2011 I am currently using a 30w Marshall into a 2x12. It's just loud enough for gigs including a "louder than the rest of the band" lead volume boost. Any louder than that, then it's mic time. I rarely do a gig un-mic'd these days. The JTM is on the verge of the powersection breaking up for all of the gig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rushtallica Posted July 3, 2011 Members Share Posted July 3, 2011 50w is more then anyone will ever need, if you need more projection just use more cabsthe differance between 50w and 100w is usually less then 3 decibels From my experience, not all 50W amps are as loud as each other, nor are all 100W amps. And maybe the 3 decibals could make a difference in a mix or with a hard-hitting drummer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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