Does anybody really need more than 500 watts?

[Stewie]

There is a Mesa on my wish list, all of the Subways are 800 watts. They don't make a 500 watt model, so yes, you need 800




Edit: I'm fine with my 350 watt Ampeg, but I'm due for a change

 

[woodyng2]

Need? I don’t know, but I’d love to try the 1000 watt Stu Hamm model Markbass head out.

 

[Eli_Kyiv]

I still remember when 500 wt PA had been considered enough for 200-300 persons venue.

 

[mikecd1]

I've used my 800w Mesa Subway on large outdoor stages with no prob. Its 400w at 8 ohms and sometimes I'll run it with two 250 watt cabs which makes a 4 ohm load. It keeps up with an 9 piece horn band no problem. Running at 2 ohms I believe would curtail the output to 600 watts, but I'd have to check on that. Short answer, I think 500 watts is enough but I don't mind having just a little more anyway

 

[Mickeyb48]

Not sayin ya don't, but wondering.

I currently have a 700 watt Carvin that I love, but no longer trust. I'm considering replacing it with one of these 500 watters...

View attachment 4032359

...but wondering if I'll ever need more wattage.

In my experience all that's ever necessary in any band/gig situation is enough volume to get a comfortable mix on stage. Anything louder than that is going through the house anyhow.

SO... does anyone here feel they really need more than 500 watts, and if so, please convince me. I am open to dropping $150 more for the higher watt version. I just think right now its might very well just be a waste.

I just bought the 500. I wanted a little extra headroom and got the LX8500.

 

[Passinwind]

Certainly. Many outdoor gigs, especially for low end heavier music.

Yep, tuning below low B is a fairly common thing these days and power needs can go up pretty drastically at that point.

 

[4stringfarley]

But do any of you think you'd ever NEED it? Or can you think of an instance where one MIGHT even need it?

In my years of playing, due to various circumstances, I've found my self on multiple occasions wishing I had a little more. My current head is rated at 600 watts at 4 ohms. I rarely have it turned past the 10-11 o'clock position. I do think about where I'll be at during an out door gig with minimal PA support for anything other than a couple drums and vocals. I'm also playing against a 5150 and Marshall in the band. If they ever decide to go full stack I'm buying that second 810.

 

[Pings Bass]

It's hard for me to imagine a setting where more than that is needed. Unless you're talking about loud rock in a large hall with no FOH support, like a high school band in the 80s playing in a cafetorium.

I hope I never have to play in a situation that requires more than that, let's just say that.

 

[SmokinJoe992]

Keeping in mind that a lot of 500 watt heads are actually 350 watts or less at 8 ohms. it is my opinion that a 500 watt amp with a decent 210 cab would be sufficient for 90 percent of the gigs I have ever played. I could only see needing more if you played bass heavy metal, or were playing at an outdoor venue with no PA support.

 

[bordinco90]

Guitar center is having a sale on markbass heads. Just saying. The little mark III is $500.

 

[garp]

In my experience all that's ever necessary in any band/gig situation is enough volume to get a comfortable mix on stage. Anything louder than that is going through the house anyhow.

Your experience mirrors mine. For outdoor gigs, projecting bass out to 300 yards ain't my problem.

 

[nilorius]

Need? I don’t know, but I’d love to try the 1000 watt Stu Hamm model Markbass head out.

You could try out, the question in where You could use it at full streanth.

 

[groooooove]

"need" can be a valid word, but we need to have a working definition of it for our purposes.

if by "need" you mean require that much power in order to be heard in all of your working situations, many of us don't actually need that much. some might, but not many.

my markbass is an 800 watt head i've used since i got it, more than 10 years ago. it's done huge clubs, outdoor festivals, coffee houses, you name it. it's exceptionally rare to even put the volume up to noon. in all these years of professional, sometimes full time professional performing, i think it's hit 1:00 on the master volume once.

but, there is something tangible to the peace of mind i get knowing i always have more room to go up if i need to. I don't walk around thinking i need and use all 800 of those watts, but since it's not a big heavy thing to carry, the trade off of "I always know i've got a little more than I need" is absolutely worth it.

i'm not an amp tech but i have a feeling it's also healthier to use an 800 watt head rarely more 50% master volume than a lower wattage head almost at 100% volume?

 

[bassbrad]

I don't ever plan to do a tour or gig on big stages any more plus with my limited mobility a big rig isn't something I can still wrangle so my GK MB500 is all the motor I'm likely to need. All my heavy metal has either been sold, traded or is taking up space in my garage annoying my wife at this point and I ought to get rid of it.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

Not sayin ya don't, but wondering.

I currently have a 700 watt Carvin that I love, but no longer trust. I'm considering replacing it with one of these 500 watters...

View attachment 4032359

...but wondering if I'll ever need more wattage.

In my experience all that's ever necessary in any band/gig situation is enough volume to get a comfortable mix on stage. Anything louder than that is going through the house anyhow.

SO... does anyone here feel they really need more than 500 watts, and if so, please convince me. I am open to dropping $150 more for the higher watt version. I just think right now its might very well just be a waste.

Yup

 

[Robal]

When I play a 1960s B-15 1x15 or my Versatone 1x12, I think 30-40 watts is all I need. When I play through a pair of Fearless F112 cabs with a Trickfish Bullhead 1000 watt amp, I love all the clean headroom and punch I am getting from those not particularly efficient cabs. Same when I drive a Bergantino HT322 cab with a 1000+ watt Crest CA9 amp, a classic "lead sled" combination. It all depends on the application, particularly speaker efficiency and frequency range.

 

[BioWeapon]

I can get away with a single 12" speaker and 100 watts into it at most rehearsals and gigs. At rehearsals I tilt it upwards to hear it better, at gigs it works well with stage monitors.

That said, I used to play a 410 with 300 watts - no issue there either! It really depends on whether you want your rig to cover the room or the FOH to do the work.

 

[trevcda]

If you are thinking you might need more volume, you're better off with more speakers or an additional cab.

Totally agree with this. For the last decade I've been playing a five string bass d'jour through an Ampeg B5-R in a rack. That goes through either an Ampeg 2x10 or a BagEnd 4x10 or Mesa 6x10 if I need more volume, running around 4 ohms, I think. I've never needed more than what one of these combos can provide. I have other rigs of excess, but the cartage on those is almost always not worth the trouble.

Ampeg B5R
675 Watts @ 2 Ohms (500 Watts Continuous) 380 Watts @ 4 Ohms (310 Watts Continuous) 220 Watts @ 8 Ohms (180 Watts Continuous)

But anything newer is going to be lighter and have a smaller footprint. If the feature set (not just the wattage) is better on a larger amp... Why not?

 

[bassdude51]

I guess the answer to your question is, yes.

As for what you need, that is up to you.

Here's a few things to consider. As we double our amp's wattage, we only increase loudness by 3 db. So, if you go from a 500 watt amp to a 1,000 watt amp............you'll get 3 more decibels of loudness

Loudness is more determined by the efficiency of your speakers or speaker cab/cabs. Example, one cab might put out 93 db @ one watt, one meter. Another cab might put out 101 db @ one watt one meter. It will be significantly louder than the other one with using the same amount of amp power.

I have read that Schroder Bass Cabs are among some of the most efficient bass cabs on the marker. That would mean that they are louder. Now as to how they sound, I do not know.

I'm sure some other TalkBass people will chime in to help you with this matter of amps and wattage.
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Edit, most amp's power ratings are over rated (just like car's gas mileage). I read once that a 500 watt MarkBass amp was more like 440 watts or something less than 500.

 

[coyote1]

I have 350 watts going to one 4x10, and 540 going to another 4x10. It sounds great at all volume levels, which is exactly the point. There’s no thinness/wimpiness as you turn down, and it’s not overdriven (unless that’s what I want) when loud.