Members elsupermanny14 Posted June 22, 2012 Members Share Posted June 22, 2012 How in the hell do you guys ever play your amps at home!? I play a 1-watt amp and when I crank that all the way up, it still LOUD AS HELL. I have been looking at a couple amps that I like, and I keep thinking, "how in the hell will I ever play that at a reasonable volume?" I have been mainly looking at the Peavey 6505 2x12 combo and Single Rectifiers, but there is no way in hell I could play one at home. Trying to use an attenuator on something with that many watts is going to suck the hell out of all the tone. Hell, I was playing a DRRI at the music store on Saturday and that was already loud enough to shake the walls of the store (they let me crank it up as loud as I wanted hehe). But there is no way in hell that amp could even be played at acceptable levels (though I still want one). So yeah, what do you guys with high wattage amps do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Skyforger Posted June 22, 2012 Members Share Posted June 22, 2012 Does a 100W 2x12 count as high wattage? At home, I usually just run headphones out of the POD/4040, or connect the effects to the PC and use headphones if I want to play along with a beat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ubernerd Posted June 22, 2012 Members Share Posted June 22, 2012 High wattage amp at band practice and shows. Modeler at home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members billybilly Posted June 22, 2012 Members Share Posted June 22, 2012 I play 22watt tube at home and used to play a 50watt tube. The 50, a Traynor YCS, had an attenuator for 15watts but I played it at 50, just because I thought it sounded better, even at moderate volumes. I don't like the way really small tube amps sound, kindy boxy if you will. But hey, that's me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Alan Roberts Posted June 22, 2012 Members Share Posted June 22, 2012 When I was giggin' stacks and/or half stacks, I always had a small amp I kept at home. And depending on the practice space, sometimes I used a smaller amp there, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Danhedonia Posted June 22, 2012 Members Share Posted June 22, 2012 I, um, turn up. For some time I lived in more densely populated areas and had to turn down and in fact it really did suck: I had to PLAN when and where I could 'use' my amps, and I'm just talking larger combos. What a bitch. Now I live in an area where the houses are far apart, and a significant part of the attraction is getting to do whatever you want (within reason). I even put in larger-voltage outlets outside in a walled-in patio area for a small semi-stage kind of set up, should visitors to the Casa feel the urge. So, I've managed to conquer the neighbor issue. More of concern are my ears. For a long time I worked around tours, and was exposed to just tons of volume, 6 nights a week. And of course, when I was younger, I just liked {censored} loud, too. Honestly, I still do; but now, at least I wear some ear plugs if we're talking LOUD. Once ear plugs are required, I feel the overall sound suffers anyhow, so I don't mind ... or I just get away from the PA stacks. But when I'm cranking the Peavey Classic 212 at home, just me, I can feel it hitting my ear drums and it bums me out. I wish I knew the answer, because I sure have lost some of my hearing over the years, and I'm terrified of how deaf I'll be when I'm old. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted June 22, 2012 Members Share Posted June 22, 2012 Your 1w amp is 1/4 as loud as a 100w amp, so the difference isn't as extreme as you're imagining. What I do with my 80w amp is turn the volume up or down depending on how loud I want to be. I know that's simplifying it, but... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Burgess Posted June 22, 2012 Members Share Posted June 22, 2012 I don't play my amps at home. I've a couple of all tube 100 watters, a hybrid 150W, all tube 45W, SS 100W and the only time I've played any of them at home recently was just to make sure they were functioning properly. Probably less then five times over the last ten years or so. I use modelers at home. I use amps only for rehearsals and gigs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fretmonster Posted June 22, 2012 Members Share Posted June 22, 2012 I play 22watt tube at home and used to play a 50watt tube. The 50, a Traynor YCS, had an attenuator for 15watts but I played it at 50, just because I thought it sounded better, even at moderate volumes. I don't like the way really small tube amps sound, kindy boxy if you will. But hey, that's me. I've got a few tube amps ranging from a 15W Pro Junior to a 24W Magnatone to a 100W Mesa Heartbreaker (my latest amp acquisition). I like the sound of all of them but think I understand what you mean by boxy with the Pro Junior. I've got the Mesa set to 60W and was really astounded at how good it sounds at low volumes. Not sure what to attribute that to but would assume it has something to do with speaker efficiency. Most of my playing around the house is done through a Solid State amp though as I'm a cheap Som a B and hate shelling out for tubes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bluesnapper Posted June 22, 2012 Members Share Posted June 22, 2012 I wish people would stop spreading this mistruth! Small tube amps aren't 'boxy'. Small, cheap, badly designed tube amps like the Fender ProJ or BJ can be though. A well-built low-watt tube amp that doesn't sound 'boxy' generally costs more than a DSL head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DaveGrima Posted June 22, 2012 Members Share Posted June 22, 2012 Its called a Master Volume. I have a 60 watt Marshall combo and it sounds pretty good at low volumes. Ofcoursew it has a lot of pre-amp gain. Some amps you have to crank to get good distortion. Like the THD Univalve Im picking up soon that has no master volume, but has a Hotplate, which is a great attenuator, built in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AxAxSxS Posted June 22, 2012 Members Share Posted June 22, 2012 I've gone a different route with my amps lately. Clean headroom to max volume is how I'm running it now. Al my distortion is from a gt 10. Yeah it sounds better louder but I have 8 12's and 4 10's all going at the same time and even at just above speaking levels it sounds pretty good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RockNote Posted June 22, 2012 Members Share Posted June 22, 2012 Your 1w amp is 1/4 as loud as a 100w amp, so the difference isn't as extreme as you're imagining.What I do with my 80w amp is turn the volume up or down depending on how loud I want to be. I know that's simplifying it, but... 1/4 - how did you arrive at this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members soundcreation Posted June 22, 2012 Members Share Posted June 22, 2012 my 15w tube amp has a master volume and it runs the power tubes at maximum at all times.....so, aside from not getting the sensation of the air around me moving powerfully, I still retain ALL the beautiful tone as if it were cranked. Many of the newer boutique tube amp companies are now offering power scaling as well. Where you turn a knob and dial down the voltage.....basically a watt dial. 65 amps has it as do many others. Great feature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AxAxSxS Posted June 22, 2012 Members Share Posted June 22, 2012 I'm not currently in a gigging band so I guess that makes this my bedroom rig? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sleewell Posted June 22, 2012 Members Share Posted June 22, 2012 I live with a drummer/dj and own my house. I love loud tube amps through lots of speakers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Wayne2 Posted June 22, 2012 Members Share Posted June 22, 2012 I'm curious to hear from more guys who use 50 or 100 watt amps as their at home, just screwing around or practice amp. I played a Deluxe Reverb at the store at a nice low volume and really liked it. The Super Sonic with its master volume was also good. I think the advantage of a big amp is producing low frequency sounds that require a lot of energy. Any amp can produce screeching high end that will deafen you (look how loud a whistle can get with a tiny little bit of breath behind it). Sometimes I wonder if someone plotted the energy that went into making guitar sounds, 90% of it would be in the below 150 Hz range. Anyway the other day I went and played a Super Reverb in someone's basement and while it was a really full sound, it was manageable. I dunno, I think amp science is a mess right now with a mix of old imperfect technology that often just worked and new technology that is better in theory but is also imperfect. I suspect that in the end high watt amps are going to win out, there's got to be an advantage to having the power there when you need it, as long as you can control it. Home theater and car stereos have already gone that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Valtyr Posted June 22, 2012 Members Share Posted June 22, 2012 My Mark III has a master volume and sounds fine at low volumes. I avoid amps that have to be cranked to sound good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GCDEF Posted June 22, 2012 Members Share Posted June 22, 2012 I almost never plug in at home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wagdog Posted June 22, 2012 Members Share Posted June 22, 2012 I HAVE A TWIN. IT'S IN MY BASEMENT. IT'S VERY LOUD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bluesnapper Posted June 22, 2012 Members Share Posted June 22, 2012 I almost never plug in at home. Me neither. When I do, I use a small SS Laney practice amp I bought used on the cheap. I'm not bothered about t0anz for home practice. I guess if you're a home-only player though then it becomes more of an issue. Obviously I do play at home for pleasure, but it's all a rehearsal really for gigs/band practice/studio recording. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bluesnapper Posted June 22, 2012 Members Share Posted June 22, 2012 I almost never plug in at home. Me neither. When I do, I use a small SS Laney practice amp I bought used on the cheap. I'm not bothered about t0anz for home practice. I guess if you're a home-only player though then it becomes more of an issue. Obviously I do play at home for pleasure, but it's all a rehearsal really for gigs/band practice/studio recording. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bluesnapper Posted June 22, 2012 Members Share Posted June 22, 2012 I HAVE A TWIN. IT'S IN MY BASEMENT. IT'S VERY LOUD. Shhh! No need to shout! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted June 22, 2012 Members Share Posted June 22, 2012 1/4 - how did you arrive at this?For every doubling in apparent loudness you have to multiply the watts by 10. So 10 watts is twice as loud as 1w, and 100w is twice as loud as 10w. Hence my reasoning that 1w is a quarter of the apparent volume. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 67mike Posted June 22, 2012 Members Share Posted June 22, 2012 Watts doesn't = volume in absolute terms. Also different manufacturers rate their output VERY differently.....For example my 50watt Hiwatt Head was MUCH, MUCH louder than any other 50 watt amp I have ever heard or played. I think the precieved loudness in Db is logrithmic......look on google (I forget the details) but I do seem to recall that a 50 watt amp should be approximately twice as loud as a 5 watt amp. Also there is the tube vs SS output thing where SS seems way less loud than the same wattage tube amp....BUT again this is probably due to the RMS calculation which would probably allow a hell of a lot more wattage into the tube than the SS counterpart simply as anature of the tube. So to sum it up....don't be a {censored}! Get a tube amp with some ballz! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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