What wattage tube amp do you recommend ?

[clegg]

For a small venue?

I'm looking into purchasing an older tube amp and I'm not sure what wattage I should be looking for.

I know that with guitar, a 60 watt tube amp was plenty, even a little too loud to get a nice breakup. For bass, I'm uncertain .

I'm looking for a clean loud sound, but one that's able to break up nicely at higher levels.

Older tube Traynors are interesting because of their low price tag. I readily see 45 watt models of this amp readily available. If I'm not mistaken their loudest amp model is the YBA-3 which is a 130 watt.

In your opinion, to play a small venue, with a nice breakup (but not full out distortion), what wattage amp should I be looking for?

By the way we have a tendency of playing quite loud. Our guitarrist plays through a peavey delta blues 1X15 and he cranks it pretty high.

Thanks

[okabass]

Buy an SVT from 70's. Problem solved.

[B-string]

50 watts minimum, 100 watts max. The 45 watt is close enough anything more than 100 watts you will not get the "break up" you are looking for in a small venue unless you use a very small cab. A 50 watt with a good single 12", 115 or 210 might fit very well.

[staindbass]

the guitar is loud, so that steps up the requirements. what is important is what you have for speakers. tell us. i could play a loud gig with 60 watts, but i would need four vintage acoustic 301 18" folded bass cabs. with one 15"(like a competition car sub) i might be able to play the gig but i would need 3500w rms. if you get 300w, i think you would need 2x15" or an 8x10 and that might be enough. i am not familiar with breakup, but what b-string says makes sense.

[Randall]

Traynor yba-1 (50w) with a efficient cab may not be enough depending on the size of the room and guitar volume.
Ampeg V4B at 100 watts sounds great when cranked. Mesa Boogie D-180 (180 watts) seems not much louder than my V4B when using the clean channel.
SVT VR fills the room at 300 watts. I rarely go past noon on the volume.
I am using a Berg NV412 fyi.

[B-string]

What do you guys concider a SMALL VENUE? :O I have the Fusion 550 and NEO 412, I'm lucky if the master gets to 10:00 against two guitars, keyboard and dynamic drummer without using PA support. Still the first 20 feet in front of us stays clear of people (except dancers).
Small venues don't need a lot of power unless you don't want to gig there much (be invited back a lot)?

[Bass_Pounder]

Originally Posted by clegg

For a small venue?

By the way we have a tendency of playing quite loud. Our guitarrist plays through a peavey delta blues 1X15 and he cranks it pretty high.

Thanks

Originally Posted by B-string

What do you guys concider a SMALL VENUE?

Small venues don't need a lot of power unless you don't want to gig there much (be invited back a lot)?

+1

Small venue + playing quite loud + cranks it pretty high = recipe for not getting follow up gigs

[Turock]

An Ampeg V4B/V4BH sounds like it would be perfect for what you're asking.

[B-string]

Originally Posted by Turock

An Ampeg V4B/V4BH sounds like it would be perfect for what you're asking.

My V4B did small gigs nicely, but would have needed something smaller than the 215 to allow any break up.

[recreate.me]

The loudest Traynor was the YBA 3A Super Custom Special, built to drive 2 8x10s. I think it was 250watts.

I have owned a yba 3 and it can far over power a 60 watt fender blues deville 4x10 tube amp with the right cab.

It really depends on the cab, any of the traynors are great but it's always nice have a master vol knob incase you need to be quoted then you thought.

[rodl2005]

TRaynor are now making a 300w all tube amp YBA300. But the older YBA200 will do what you're asking, as will an Ampeg V4/B/BH @ 100w

[gbarchus]

I have a 300 watt (Eden VT300), a 200 watt (Sadowsky SA200) and a 100 watt (Marshall) amp. The reason is that they all break up at different volumes so I need to consider which one to use based on the room and how many guitars will be playing. If I'm not sure, I bring the 300 watt Eden with two 1X15 cabinets for the most clean volume. It will break up nicely at a lower volume with just one 1X15 cabinet. The Sadowsky breaks up much nicer with EL84 tubes. The Marshall, well... it's a Marshall. I need to get a Fender Showman.

Gale

[4Mal]

I would recommend .. A really good hybrid. IMO, tube amps have a pretty narrow window where they just sound like bottled dynamite. Outside that window they sound real average ... at best. Hence the post above mine... Just not practical for most of us gigging bums.

If I had to choose one, it would be an SVT peferrably from the 70's no question. It is one of the few tube amps that sounds great while not working it's butt off IMO. For me, it's window of acceptablility is much wider than most smaller tube amps.

YMMV and all that...

A good solid state head with good signal processing off to the side is a much better bet for most of us gig whores. A home, in my project space I use an old Fender Princeton Reverb. It totally rocks as a bass amp. Mine is housed in a Fender Deluxe 1x12 cab, open back with an old Altec 12 installed. I can drive a bare 1x15 or mic the 12 or take the amp through an Avalon U5 ... For me, this is where tubes live. Doubles as an awesome guitar amp too!

[kander]

Originally Posted by clegg

I'm looking for a clean loud sound, but one that's able to break up nicely at higher levels.

This seems like a no brainer to me: get a SVT, 300 Watts.

[Sartori]

Originally Posted by okabass

Buy an SVT from 70's. Problem solved.

For a "small venue"? Are you kidding?

For a small venue an SVT seems a little much, to me.

I'd recommend a 100-200 watt amp for a little bit of breakup while playing pretty loud in a small venue. Depends what cabs you're using, too.

[arthur31686]

My v4b gets LOUD in a small venue. I'm in a band that actually needs the volume (with fuzz and effects of course) and it can get plenty loud. There is some breakup, but i want that sound. Obviously an svt or an equivalent tube amp will work too....but youll be spending a lot more.

I use a 215 cab if you're wondering.

[TaylorO']

Originally Posted by kander

This seems like a no brainer to me: get a SVT, 300 Watts.

yeah, "everyone else is doin it".

Or find a Mesa 400.

[clegg]

Being on a budget I went with a Traynor YBA-3 / Traynor 2X15 cab. I'd liek an SVT but it's really off my budget.

Like everything else in music, live and learn. I've gone through so much gear through the years, if this doesn't work I'll try something else. lol .

[jackcheez]

Another vote for the V4B here. I use one with a 2 X 12. I can go almost anywhere with it.

[zachoff]

I'd say 100 would be a good bet, but I'd also say it depends on your band. We play small clubs, but we also play ridiculously loud and my Bassman 135 didn't cut it.