Am I underpowereded?

[Southpaw5]

So I picked up a Goliath ii cab(4X8 500w @8ohm) and a SWR workingmans(1x15 200w @ 8ohm). I have an SWR550x amp(550W @ 4 ohm). Will that be enough power for these 2 cabs? I keep thinking that as soon as i hear this rig on stage I'll think I need more. Thoughts?

[bongomania]

You don't need a minimum amount of power for cabs. You can drive those cabs with 1W.

[Southpaw5]

Originally Posted by bongomania

You don't need a minimum amount of power for cabs. You can drive those cabs with 1W.

Thank you, but I didn’t mean in such a literal sense

[Tim C.]

Having your amplifier turned off "underpowers" your speaker cabinets.

"Underpowering" is a myth created by an industry to sell amplifiers.

[UncleFluffy]

What's the rest of the band using? Can your drummer play at less than 100%? How big's the room?

[Tim C.]

Originally Posted by UncleFluffy

What's the rest of the band using? Can your drummer play at less than 100%? How big's the room?

All of that is meaningless; the amplifier he described has enough juice to push the speakers in his cabinets to their limits.

[bongomania]

Originally Posted by Southpaw5

Will that be enough power for these 2 cabs? I keep thinking that as soon as i hear this rig on stage I'll think I need more.

Problem here is you're just using your imagination. The only way to know whether you'll want "more" is to try it for real.

Think about it this way: What if you were driving two 8 ohm 8x10 cabs? Would you want more wattage then? Why?

[Southpaw5]

My drummer plays pretty hard most of the time, both guitarists play with a LOT of overdrive. I tried playing with a TE 280 w amp and it was maybe enough, I had to crank the gain to about 6 or 7 to cut through with the volume on max and this was at practice. this didn't make my tone sound awesome to say the least. We played a gig at a small bar on Friday and my rig sounded silent compared to the rest of the and(thank god for PA support!)

I don't want a repeat of this, it is really embarrassing to set up my gear only to have it epically fail. I want enough boom boom with enough headroom in case i need it. So that is the sense of "underpower" i mean

[bongomania]

Ah OK. Did you use the same two cabs with that head?

[Tim C.]

Originally Posted by Southpaw5

I don't want a repeat of this, it is really embarrassing to set up my gear only to have it epically fail. I want enough boom boom with enough headroom in case i need it. So that is the sense of "underpower" i mean

A 550 watt mono amplifier should drive any two typical 8 ohm cabinets to about as loud as they can reasonably expect to go. Maybe the 4x8 + 115 isn't a good combo for you.

I'll bet if you had that 550 watts going into two 410's it'd be a different story.

That said, "cutting" through a mix is a matter of equalization and volume, not just volume alone. Maybe your guitards are just too damn loud.

[lo_freq_geek]

IMO if your rig wasn't loud enough in a small bar then the whole lot of you were too loud. How small? my band regularly plays in a 250 person pub. Last time I used 1 1x15 Bagend (instead of 2) with 225 watt head. 1 guitarist w. 50 watt tube combo, fairly loud drummer, vocals only through small pa. Loud enough without being painful. Just sayin' - maybe try all of you turning down.

[Southpaw5]

Originally Posted by bongomania

Ah OK. Did you use the same two cabs with that head?

Actually diff cab as well, 4X10 peavey tvx only(4ohm 700W) but only with the 280w head, for the record this is no longer in my possesion, it was traded for the goliath ii and part of the 550X head.

[Southpaw5]

Maybe your guitards are just too damn loud. [/quote]

YES, but they are convinced that it is "essential" in achieving their desired sound.

[mike_v_s]

Originally Posted by lo_freq_geek

IMO if your rig wasn't loud enough in a small bar then the whole lot of you were too loud. How small? my band regularly plays in a 250 person pub. Last time I used 1 1x15 Bagend (instead of 2) with 225 watt head. 1 guitarist w. 50 watt tube combo, fairly loud drummer, vocals only through small pa. Loud enough without being painful. Just sayin' - maybe try all of you turning down.

Wisdom. Sometimes I think people (my guitarists included) think people show up at a venue to be pinned against the back wall by the band. This just isn't the case.

Mike

[mike_v_s]

Originally Posted by Southpaw5

YES, but they are convinced that it is "essential" in achieving their desired sound.

I know the type. Unfortunately, that's usually to the detriment of the band's sound. everyone has to go up to compete and you end up sounding like ****.

Mike

[bongomania]

Originally Posted by Southpaw5

Actually diff cab as well, 4X10 peavey tvx only(4ohm 700W) but only with the 280w head...

So really there is pretty much no frame of reference for the new rig. Watts don't equal loudness, and there's no realistic way to compare the efficiency (loudness, essentially) of that 4x10 against the other-brands pair of cabs.

You have to try it out and then decide whether it's enough.

[Southpaw5]

Originally Posted by bongomania

So really there is pretty much no frame of reference for the new rig. Watts don't equal loudness, and there's no realistic way to compare the efficiency (loudness, essentially) of that 4x10 against the other-brands pair of cabs.

You have to try it out and then decide whether it's enough.

Well, not in my experience, I've tested out the 4X10 with the head,just by myself though, not fighting guitars , but not with the 1X15 as well yet. but if anyone has gigged with this equipment, maybe they could provide a reference point. ??

[B-string]

My only concern is the "power handling" of the 115. 200 watt rating my not like the amount of power you might need to compete with audience killers?

[lewislngvw]

we are ALWAYS underpowered.......lol.....its all about how much headroom you like to have.....i like to play at about 50%.....its all relative...

[ERIC31]

Guitards are notorious for trying to blow everyones ears out even in a shoebox sized gig space. Tell those idiots to turn down! The BAND will sound better.