Members math2014 Posted April 2, 2006 Members Share Posted April 2, 2006 Hi all, I ve been reading some threads recently here and on the TGP, that made me wonder. One wants to play at his house and occasionally jam with other friends at band practice (or gig in a bar). He faces 2 options. 1. 5W amp like a Star Nova, Cornford Carrera/Harlequin, Badcat minicat etc.. 2. Get a 30-50W Master Volume amp (good MV) and an attenuator, like a Rivera Chubster 55, Orange R30/RV50, Zinky BV50, Cornford Hellcat/MK50H etc. What would you reckon that would be the best/better choice? I know that speaker interaction pushing air etc, just aint going to happen no matter what at home-friendly volume levels (moreso at tv volume). I am not talking about this, i am talking about hitting sweet-spots in an amp. I also know from experience, that a 5W amp isnt super silent, since i play my Laney LC30 with the hotplate at -12db (which is more or less 5W or less equivalent) and it is still too loud, maybe i got a bad MV or a quirky amp. So what do you reckon? Maybe this topic can help a lot of people, into finding a good balance point when choosing an amp. Another thing to consider is the sparse features offered by low wattage amps (1 channel, no fx loop, no reverb). CheersYannis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members shredheadjohn Posted April 2, 2006 Members Share Posted April 2, 2006 30-50 watt tube amp is absolutely necessary for jamming with a drummer (and sometimes those ego centrical lockminded metalhead guitarists that like to drown you out with volume) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members danbronson Posted April 2, 2006 Members Share Posted April 2, 2006 honestly, i'm a headroom fan. from now on, my main amps will all be 100 watts or more. there's just so much spread to the tone of the amp when you've got that much power on tap, even when the volume's lower it's totally noticable.find an amp with a well designed master volume and preamp and you won't need it to be cranked up to get good tone either. although, you may have to get used to a slightly different tone than the poweramp overdrive you're used to. if you just gotta have it though...i don't know what to recommend. i'm no help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members math2014 Posted April 2, 2006 Author Members Share Posted April 2, 2006 Originally posted by danbronson honestly, i'm a headroom fan. from now on, my main amps will all be 100 watts or more. there's just so much spread to the tone of the amp when you've got that much power on tap, even when the volume's lower it's totally noticable. find an amp with a well designed master volume and preamp and you won't need it to be cranked up to get good tone either. although, you may have to get used to a slightly different tone than the poweramp overdrive you're used to. if you just gotta have it though...i don't know what to recommend. i'm no help. So wattage affects tone regardless of volume?in other words, a 5W amp through 2x12 wont sound the same as a 50W amp i presume, at the same volumes for both amps.I am currently looking for 30 to 50W amps with a good master volume for rock tones (60s 70s) and i am stuck seriously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members danbronson Posted April 2, 2006 Members Share Posted April 2, 2006 Originally posted by math2014 So wattage affects tone regardless of volume?in other words, a 5W amp through 2x12 wont sound the same as a 50W amp i presume, at the same volumes for both amps.I am currently looking for 30 to 50W amps with a good master volume for rock tones (60s 70s) and i am stuck seriously. Yeah, that's arguably due to the power tubes used though. A 5W amp is going to be a class A amp with probably just one small tube, an EL84 or something. Almost all 50+ watt amps are EL34s or 6L6 (or less commonly 6550s, KT88s, etc.) in class A/B. it makes for pretty different tones. Also, between 50 and 100 watts in the same style, you have to double the number of tubes as well. 2 for the 50, 4 for the 100. Just having more tubes is probably the reason the 100W just 'sounds bigger'. Maybe someone who designs/mods/builds amps can chime in with some technical knowledge though. I'm just going by what my ears have told me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members danbronson Posted April 2, 2006 Members Share Posted April 2, 2006 PS. 50 Watt amp w/ master volume for 60s/70s stuff = Marshall 2204. You might want to get a PPIMV though to improve the master volume. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fishfartz Posted April 2, 2006 Members Share Posted April 2, 2006 i do know there are master volume amps that can sound good at lower levels, but in my experience almost all tube amps ive played did have that special blossom as the volume knob was turned up when i was 16 and saved up for my first stack i quickly learned that it sucked having a 100watt amp at home, even at small clubs where i had to keep the volume on 1, maybe 1&1/2. no, the sound did not totally suck but i felt like i sucked for buying it for home use after cranking it up outside and hearing how much the same amp came to life with some volume well im disabled from an auto accident and a fall from a high cliff when i was 18 so no more gigging for me (im not all that good anyway, good enough for covers but not to seriously try and do something original) - so now days i am happy with lower powered combos, being that i like the power breakup more than preamp crunch ive kinda been with lower powered amps for a while. but like i said - i have played some amps that sounded good enough at the lower volumes that i did not constantly wish i could turn it up. im thinking of picking up one of those little z vexx nano heads just for the crunchy at lowish volumes, im all set with cleans that breakup a little but would like a little crunchy at home. i sold off my C30, blues jr, my latest champ and even my jcm800 these past 2-3 years since ive found an amp that i can turn up and get sweet, spongey sounds at home. the other amps may have won the volume-war in that reguard but they just did not sound nearly as sweet at home levels (semi-loud home levels, i can get away with a little volume) - and i payed less than $200 for it (although i had to really tweak around with it) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members math2014 Posted April 2, 2006 Author Members Share Posted April 2, 2006 Originally posted by fishfartz . im thinking of picking up one of those little z vexx nano heads just for the crunchy at lowish volumes, im all set with cleans that breakup a little but would like a little crunchy at home. i sold off my C30, blues jr, my latest champ and even my jcm800 these past 2-3 years since ive found an amp that i can turn up and get sweet, spongey sounds at home. the other amps may have won the volume-war in that reguard but they just did not sound nearly as sweet at home levels (semi-loud home levels, i can get away with a little volume) - and i payed less than $200 for it (although i had to really tweak around with it) So you settled on a nanohead? bronson... 2204 is too much $$$ for a used good condition head man ... especially in the UK. I was to buy new. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members supercow3 Posted April 2, 2006 Members Share Posted April 2, 2006 Originally posted by math2014 So you settled on a nanohead?bronson...2204 is too much $$$ for a used good condition head man ... especially in the UK. I was to buy new. So whats the budget aywyays? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members math2014 Posted April 2, 2006 Author Members Share Posted April 2, 2006 1500eu give or take , but i am talking European prices strictly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fishfartz Posted April 2, 2006 Members Share Posted April 2, 2006 Originally posted by math2014 So you settled on a nanohead?bronson...2204 is too much $$$ for a used good condition head man ... especially in the UK. I was to buy new. nah, i havent gotten one yet i was meaning my little $200 class A combo replaced those other amps as far as loud (but home) cleans that just breakup when hit hard (after some mods and extension jack to run it through a 4x10) i loved the C30 cleans but i just didnt play it anymore, same as the champs but the blues jr i was never really happy with. its an epi galaxie 10 (true class A, not the same as the G-25 a/b), i know, i know - its epiphone but my ears decided for me. it was brittle-ish stock but lower gain preamp (jan5751) and good quality powertube sweetened it up alot, and the jack for cabs put the icing on the cake. its not much on crunch unless boosted - more of loud round cleans with a tad bit of bite, and very responseful, without the sparkle of other amps with good cleans - which makes it perfect for blues/jazz. i like the sound of it on 6 better than the sound of my old jcm800 on 1, its more of what works in my situation i would like to check out that nano, just for the .5 watt factor, i like crunch to come from hot tubes so i think it would be pretty cool Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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