How big should I go? 100w vs 500w

[Gonzalo Sanchez]

Hey guys,

I currently play a fender rumble 25w which gets plenty loud to play at home.

I recently got in a band and they have a rehearsal room with real drums and all. I know my 25w amp won't keep up.

Thinking of upgrading to an Ampeg Rocket bass to use in rehearsal and hopefully when we play live too in some random bars in the future.

We play punk and metal. My previous band where I played drums, the bass player had a rumble 100 and did pretty good in rehearsal and live with it.

Question: should I go for the 100w Ampeg RB or should I splurge for the 500w? It's not really about the money, but more the comfort of moving it around. I know a lot will say bigger is better, but figured someone might have good insight.
Appreciate your thoughts!!

 

[Jim C]

A 100 watt combo would not meet my volume and tone needs with a rock band.
I would recommend the 500 watt Ampeg as you will probably not grow out of it.

 

[Brain Fog]

Considering the style of music you play, I would go as big as you can afford.

 

[Gearhead17]

The Ampeg Rocket Bass RB-210 is only 500 watts with an 8ohm extension cab. So you are looking at 250 watts through a 210. This COULD be loud enough for your needs, but I have no idea. If you buy it new you can at least test it at practice and return if it doesn't work out.

You are on the right path with thinking about higher wattage! Keep in mind the speaker cab needs to be loud enough and is the more important piece of the puzzle. A 100 watt combo is unlikely to get you past the drums unless you are playing low-key Jazz or something similar.

 

[Marko 1]

It's not really about the money, but more the comfort of moving it around

Yeah, that huge 36.5-lb rig could be a real... comfort killer.

I know a lot will say bigger is better, but figured someone might have good insight.

In this situation, bigger is better.

imo

 

[bobomatic]

Better to have it and not need it… than need it and not have it.

Says the guy with a 1550w amp.

 

[buldog5151bass]

You are planning on gigging, playing punk and metal. I would get the 500.

 

[Riff Ranger]

100 watts through a whole lot of speaker would probably suffice, but 100 watts through a single 12” or even 15” speaker might struggle. 250 watts into 2x10 would be a safer bet; if it isn’t, you could look into the extension cab. I don’t know the math behind it off the top of my head, but the additional speaker area will provide a more significant boost to volume than the doubling of the wattage will. This is why a 300-watt SVT into an 8x10 (or two! ) will be plenty for any non-bonkers situation, while a 500-watt 2x10 combo still might struggle.

 

[Smith357]

Go big, better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.

 

[MCS4]

For live punk and metal, I'd definitely go with 500 watts with the understanding that your actual useable volume is highly dependent on your speakers as has already been noted. In addition to those styles of music typically being loud and often featuring hard-hitting drummers, in my experience the PA support for local bar gigs in the genre is sketchier than most, so the band's rigs often end up taking more of a brunt of the total live volume needs than in other playing situations.

 

[kobass]

This is what you want...

 

[Jim C]

BTW, I used the previous model Ampeg 2x10 / 500 watts without an extension cabinet and the tone and volume was very good. It was not a full on rock gig though. Agreed that you may need to add another 8 Ohm cabinet if you play very loud or want a clean high volume tone.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Get the 500W and get the extension cab

 

[Wesley R]

More watts seldom hurts
The volume controls work to turn up and down
I have never complained about having more watts then I needed.

 

[jw23mind]

100W will not be enough

 

[Wasnex]

If money is not a limiting factor, forget about combo amps and buy separates.

Get a compact amp that makes good power. Then figure out what sort of speaker configuration best meets your needs.

1st Option

Get a small cab that is easy to transport, but does not necessarily get loud enough for all situations. Get a bigger cab that is loud enough for gigging.​

2nd Option

Get a medium cab that is easy enough to transport and yet loud enough for most situations. Get a matching cab for when you need even more SPL.​

I think the most common power levels for solid state amps are 500W and 800W. With the right cabs, either should be plenty loud. The price difference between these two power levels is often about $200 or less. The bigger amp may have more features, and I like lot's of headroom...so I would probably opt for the bigger amp.

The cabs are an important consideration. The watts alone do not tell you have loud a rig can play. You also need to know how efficient the cab is. A cab with a high sensitivity rating will reach the required SPL with less power...of course this assumes the cab has adequate power handling to reach the goal.

Specs you need:
Amp power rating at specific impedances. For example:

RMS rated power = 400W at 8 ohms, 800W at 4 ohms, 800W at 2 ohms.
​

Speaker impedance, RMS power rating, and sensitivity rating at 1W/1m. For example:

RMS Power = 350W
Impedance = 8 ohms
Sensitivity = 97dB 1W/1m
​

The formula is

Calculated SPL = [Log(Usable Power) x 10] + (1W/1m Sensitivity Rating)​

Usable Power is the minimum between how much power the amp can make and how much power the speaker can handle. In this example, the amp can make more power than the speaker is rated for...so some degree of caution is required.

-When you add a matching cab in parallel:

Impedance is cut in half (8/2 = 4 ohms)
Sensitivity goes up approximately +3dB (97 + 3 = 100dB 1W/1m)
Power Handling Doubles (350 x 2 = 700W)​

Let's do some calculations using the specs posted above.

One cab:

[Log(350) x 10] + 97 = 122.4dB
​

Two cabs:

[Log(700) x 10] + 100 = 128.5dB
​

In my experience a rig capable of 122.4dB would do the job in a cover band, but it would not be very satisfying on some gigs. 128.5 dB is louder than I am generally willing to play. It's not always going to be loud enough, but sometimes it's best to smile and pretend everything is perfect, rather than turn up.

Same calculations with an amp rated for 250W at 8 ohms and 500W at 4 ohms

One cab:

[Log(250) x 10] + 97 = 121dB​

Two cabs:

[Log(500) x 10] + 100 = 127dB​

The rig makes slightly less volume with the smaller amp. The amp will be run closer to it's limit. The amp's rated power is less than the cabs' rated power handling. You can still blow the speakers if you really crank the lows or push the amp into heavy clipping.

 

[wboyd68]

Always get the biggest amp that you can afford and carry.

 

[thebassgrognard]

I had an earlier iteration of the Rocket Bass 100 combo and it was great for Americana music, I wouldn’t call its tone (regardless of wattage) good for the music you’re talking about. If you’re young with a good back grab a used Peavey rig with high wattage head and cab and pray that the contractor of the the house you’re practicing at built on a double thick foundation because if the weight of the rig doesn’t bring it down the thunder will.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

Hey guys,

I currently play a fender rumble 25w which gets plenty loud to play at home.

I recently got in a band and they have a rehearsal room with real drums and all. I know my 25w amp won't keep up.

Thinking of upgrading to an Ampeg Rocket bass to use in rehearsal and hopefully when we play live too in some random bars in the future.

We play punk and metal. My previous band where I played drums, the bass player had a rumble 100 and did pretty good in rehearsal and live with it.

Question: should I go for the 100w Ampeg RB or should I splurge for the 500w? It's not really about the money, but more the comfort of moving it around. I know a lot will say bigger is better, but figured someone might have good insight.
Appreciate your thoughts!!

Are you talking about a combo? The reason I ask is a 500 watt class d amp can be had the size of a box of tissues and weighing in at about the same. LOL. The deal with a combo is part of the issue is the size and weight of the cab and weight of the speaker (s).

The size /weigh differential between a 100 watt and 500 watt class D head is not much different because most of the weight is in the casing not the electrical components.

So, with cost not being a factor of course I’d opt for 500 watts spending your money. You alway want to plan for future needs.

That said, the object is how many dBs are able to create. In general, speakers, and more efficient speaker cabinets are a more important consideration than just wattage. JMO

 

[Killing Floor]

What amps do the guitar players use? That will shape the need. And how is the drummer? Not many punk drummers use brushes.