Does more watts = more tone?

[FooHead]

Ok, silly question time...

I realize having more watts makes you louder, but does it also improve your tone?

My rig is a Tech 21 Landmark 300 head (300 watts) with Bag End S15-D / S15D-X stack. It sounds good to me, but, if I added say a 500 watt power amp, would it make my rig more punchy? Would the low end sound tighter and more controlled? Would there be crisper more sparkly highs? Or would it just blow up my cabs?

Any insights are greatly appreciated!

[bongomania]

IF your speakers are capable of handling the added wattage, then you can get more "oomph" and strength in the low end that way. But generally speaking, no--more watts do not = more tone.

[JimmyM]

more practice = more tone. the most toneful amp i ever heard is 25w.

[Mark Olson]

Well I'd suppose it'd depend on how many of those extra watts you actually use. Voicing, etc. aside, is a 500 watt amp going to sound any different than a 300 watt amp if you only run them both at 150 watts? You'll have more headroom, that's for sure, but personally I view headroom as what you're not using, and it's not valuable to my sound personally. This is how my 20 watt amp (tube) sounds:

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page...songID=9914272

and cranked up good:

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page...songID=9729337

You can be the judge, but if having few watts would make one sound weak and bad (the converse of more watts making you sound better) I'd figure I'd sound a lot worse. But that's me, I gig with the fewest watts of anyone I know.

[Mark Olson]

Originally Posted by Mark Olson

Voicing, etc. aside, is a 500 watt amp going to sound any different than a 300 watt amp if you only run them both at 150 watts?

That's not a rhetorical question by the way, so someone can feel free to answer it.

[Sartori]

In short:

No.

[Richard G]

when i biamp(go mono) my SWR SM-900 it seems like i got more ooomph. but once in a while sounds like i may have heard a little pop/very loud snap sometimes through an Ampeg 8x10.....but i still keep it biamped.

[LiquidMidnight]

Originally Posted by Sartori

In short:

No.

Agreed, but with that said, in any experience, you generally need a certain threshold of gain, which requires power, going through an audio system for it to sound "good."

[JtheJazzMan]

How does one exactly measure tone as a quantity?

[Sartori]

Originally Posted by LiquidMidnight

Agreed, but with that said, in any experience, you generally need a certain threshold of gain, which requires power, going through an audio system for it to sound "good."

Yes. However, just about any amp that's not a tiny practice combo with a crappy speaker has enough.

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by Mark Olson

You can be the judge, but if having few watts would make one sound weak and bad (the converse of more watts making you sound better) I'd figure I'd sound a lot worse. But that's me, I gig with the fewest watts of anyone I know.

dang it...you've got me beat by 5w...well you just wait till the epiphone bass valve jr comes out, pal! then we'll see who gigs with less!

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by Richard G

when i biamp(go mono) my SWR SM-900 it seems like i got more ooomph. but once in a while sounds like i may have heard a little pop/very loud snap sometimes through an Ampeg 8x10.....but i still keep it biamped.

that's your speakers bottoming out. may want to back off it a little to avoid damaging them.

[Mark Olson]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

dang it...you've got me beat by 5w...well you just wait till the epiphone bass valve jr comes out, pal! then we'll see who gigs with less!

Ha! I'll get one then have my tech put a half power switch on it!

[Plstrns]

Originally Posted by Mark Olson

That's not a rhetorical question by the way, so someone can feel free to answer it.

Well, If you play a signal generator you can set things to 150W.

If you play bass thru a hard knee limiter you can set a limit of 150W.

Your gear will see a wide dynamic range through playing style, and frequency. So, what is 150W? Thumb slapping the F#0, or picking the A1?

There is no substitute for displacement, and there is rarely such thing as too much power. Power is cheap nowdays, don't under do it. MHO

[Richard G]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

that's your speakers bottoming out. may want to back off it a little to avoid damaging them.

do you mean just take down the volume or roll off some bass...its the rehearsal places cabinet so im sure its been put through a lot worse, but when i run it in stereo i dont get that pop almost like a firecracker...im also switching out some knobs on the head thinking it may be a dirty knob that moves from the bass but i dont think thats it....maybe too much power running through that head at a impact/peak moment maybe...

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by Richard G

do you mean just take down the volume or roll off some bass...its the rehearsal places cabinet so im sure its been put through a lot worse, but when i run it in stereo i dont get that pop almost like a firecracker...im also switching out some knobs on the head thinking it may be a dirty knob that moves from the bass but i dont think thats it....maybe too much power running through that head at a impact/peak moment maybe...

it's not the knobs. it's either you're running too loud or you're running too much bass too loudly...can't tell without hearing you or at least knowing your settings. but that is definitely the speakers reaching their absolute limit before catastrophic failure.

[Munjibunga]

All's I know is that my AE212 likes a lot of power, and sounds better when it's louder.

[Plstrns]

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

All's I know is that my AE212 likes a lot of power, and sounds better when it's louder.

No, I haven't waited on this

Some (systems) like it hot. Then (others) they sweat when the heat is on.

[Mark Olson]

Originally Posted by Plstrns

Well, If you play a signal generator you can set things to 150W.

If you play bass thru a hard knee limiter you can set a limit of 150W.

Your gear will see a wide dynamic range through playing style, and frequency. So, what is 150W? Thumb slapping the F#0, or picking the A1?

There is no substitute for displacement, and there is rarely such thing as too much power. Power is cheap nowdays, don't under do it. MHO

Yes I understand that, but my point was that if you set both amps to put out a 150 watt spike with the same technique playing the same note on the same bass, voicing aside, is there going to be any difference? I'm inclined to believe not. So is available wattage above your largest peaks actually doing anything for you besides just being there in case you ever need it?

I know power is cheap, but good tone isn't. Don't tell me not to underdo it! I use my specific amp specifically so I can run it out of headroom, which would have been painfully obvious if you'd have taken the two seconds it takes to listen to the clips I posted.

[Richard G]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

it's not the knobs. it's either you're running too loud or you're running too much bass too loudly...can't tell without hearing you or at least knowing your settings. but that is definitely the speakers reaching their absolute limit before catastrophic failure.

yeah i think u kinda nailed it....too much power i guess is not a good thing...thanks man...u always got good advice much appreciation for that.......... i mostly use my markbass lm2 and never have a problem..but that markbass head through that ampeg is loud at low volume its still loud against 2 marshall half stacks i love that MB.