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How big an amp do you think you need?

How many watts? (Closest)

  • you need all 17 watts?

    Votes: 4 0.9%

  • 50 does it

    Votes: 8 1.7%

  • 100

    Votes: 19 4.1%

  • 150

    Votes: 16 3.4%

  • 220

    Votes: 76 16.3%

  • 500

    Votes: 231 49.7%

  • 800

    Votes: 45 9.7%

  • 1000

    Votes: 36 7.7%

  • Can't make it sing with no measly Kilowatt

    Votes: 30 6.5%
  • Total voters
    465
#203
I've been happiest with 500w into 4 ohms and running two 112s. I've had more power, a kilowatt, with two 112s, but I don't miss the other 450w since I down sized.

however I'm liking the idea of more speakers...I'm running THREE 112s now. my head can do 2 ohms if necessary.

I have PA support and stand about 10' from my cabs.
 
#204
Metal Matt said:
I'd agree with those bands. In my mind, if a band feels they need high volume, then they need it.
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I think they WANTED it, I do not believe they really needed it. At least in playing really small clubs or bars.

Agreed. After about 300 or 500 watts, and enough speakers everything is capable of being loud as hell. But the higher wattages really allow you to do more with the tone. I can get some sickkk extended low end while still maintaining the clarity of my signal.
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I believe this can be done more with good amp/cab design then anything else. I think it is more perceived that the tone gets better, but in reality the tone does not change, it just gets louder.
 
#207
wallybill said:
Actually they like Jazz a lot. Count Basie probably could have been as loud as a jet engine and they would have thought that was OK. Me practicing in the basement? Too Loud. Of course, same song over and over and over.....:)
But twangy country is what I grew up listening to.
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My point exactly. It sounded louder to them because they didn't like the music not necessarily because it actually was louder.
 
#209
Red Planet said:
There are definately venues and styles of music that a 100 watt Bass Amp will do just fine. Playing Bass behind Jimmy and Speedy with that style music 100 watts might be overkill (but they do have volume knobs).

Playing with Eddy Van Halen 100 watts would not even bring you close.

All I am saying is there is'nt one size fits all. If your in a very loud Rock N Roll Band with a Loud Drummer one way or another your going to need the power either from the PA or your Bass Rig. There is no avoiding. You can say there is but doing it and saying it are two different things.

While we are on the subject of the Olden Days for years Bass Players struggled to keep up with Guitar Players and Stadium Drum Kits. Now the Power is there if you need it.

I myself will be running an 830 watt amp into and 800 watt 4x10 Cab at all my Gigs. Thats not to say at all of them I'm going to need to use all my Horse Power but it will be there when I need it. I also greatly like the Sound/Feeling of a Rig that has spare Headroom on tap over a Rig that is taxed to it's Limits.

In the end there is no right and wrong there is only what works for you. However my needs and venue/situation/music style may greatly differ from yours. What works for you may not be imposed on another. There is no rule one can refer to and enforce.


If you look at the Pole so far a good number of folks think at least 500 watts.

Anyway I think I have said my peace on this one. Unsubscribing to this bad boy. Have a great day.

Bass From Mars.
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Sorry to see you go. Would have liked to have continued our discussion.

For those that are continuing my point isn't that one rig fits all just that I'm intrigued by the changing expectation. In the 60-70's a band (loud/medium/soft) learned to adapt. Van Halen would've still been a hard hitting rock band with the guitarist and bass player plugged into 100 watt Marshall stacks (see previously linked Cream video as evidence). The Beatles, Kinks, Rolling Stones, Motown, Beach Boys, Stax, all played 1000's of club gigs with 20-50 watt Vox/Ampeg/Fender amps. And yet, as evidenced by this poll, most club players feel that they need 500 watts for their gigs. I just find that very interesting. Not wrong or right but interesting.
 
#212
pedro said:
Sorry to see you go. Would have liked to have continued our discussion.

For those that are continuing my point isn't that one rig fits all just that I'm intrigued by the changing expectation. In the 60-70's a band (loud/medium/soft) learned to adapt. Van Halen would've still been a hard hitting rock band with the guitarist and bass player plugged into 100 watt Marshall stacks (see previously linked Cream video as evidence). The Beatles, Kinks, Rolling Stones, Motown, Beach Boys, Stax, all played 1000's of club gigs with 20-50 watt Vox/Ampeg/Fender amps. And yet, as evidenced by this poll, most club players feel that they need 500 watts for their gigs. I just find that very interesting. Not wrong or right but interesting.
Click to expand...

I see your point and also agree that it's very interesting that they were able to get by with such rudimentary equipment. ;)
 
#214
bassman251 said:
...



I believe this can be done more with good amp/cab design then anything else. I think it is more perceived that the tone gets better, but in reality the tone does not change, it just gets louder.
Click to expand...

With the emerging new technologies, you may be correct.
I think what they were talking about was not the tone of the sound, but the dynamics.

A well designed, high current amp with a good bit of dynamic headroom will spend more of its time operating within its designed parameters than a smaller (conventional) amp pushed close to its limits.
IME, this results in a more dynamic feel to the notes that are reproduced (given an adequate speaker system).

They may be closing the gap that used to exist using variations of the Class 'D' amps and various switch-mode power supplies -- i.e. producing amps that sound (or feel) more like traditional kilowatt amps that are actually half the power.
 
#216
lo-freq said:
With the emerging new technologies, you may be correct.
I think what they were talking about was not the tone of the sound, but the dynamics.

A well designed, high current amp with a good bit of dynamic headroom will spend more of its time operating within its designed parameters than a smaller amp pushed close to its limits.
IME, this results in a more dynamic feel to the notes that are reproduced (given an adequate speaker system).
Click to expand...

This summarizes it all.
 
#220
pedro said:
Sorry to see you go. Would have liked to have continued our discussion.
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Wasnt running to hide just had to get some stuff done.

Have had my studio torn apart and needed to get it put back together. I have rehersal Wednsday night and wanted to get things back together and cleaned/straightened up, plus all the yard work I needed to do.

I really dont know what more I have to say on the subject though.

I do like some High Octane Thunderous Horse Power behind me. That is part of the fun of it. If I had to play with a 30 watt rig and some kind of in ear monitor with no Thunder and no Feelling the Vibration I would loose my excitement for playing.

I definately enjoy playing but feeling it is a major part of it for me. I usually set my volume level where things are falling of the walls then turn it down some from there so I'm not over bearingly loud but I can feel what I'm doing when I run down a set of fast stacato notes.
 

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