How High Do You Crank Your Volume?

[mrjim123]

Blown cones got me thinking about this (I've never actually blown one myself, IIRC).

On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being all the way, about how high do you turn it up (if you have gain and master volume then average the two)? Do you think your amp is underpowered? Do you have a tendency to blow cones?

I tend to play around 3 or 4.

 

[Gearhead17]

Interesting Poll Idea, but it really will have no value in the end. You can crank your Bass knob to 11 and crank your Master Volume to 3 and end up killing your speaker. You can also crank your Bass knob to 5 and crank the Master Volume to 8 and still blow your speaker.

Depending on the acoustics of a room and the tone you are trying to get, there is no set number that we all consistently crank up to.

 

[Thunderthumbs73]

Blown cones got me thinking about this (I've never actually blown one myself, IIRC).

On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being all the way, about how high do you turn it up (if you have gain and master volume then average the two)? Do you think your amp is underpowered? Do you have a tendency to blow cones?

I tend to play around 3 or 4.

Five.

No.

Never.

 

[ryan(MAIDEN)]

11

 

[jazzy grille]

Never had to turn it past 4 on my UL902c.

 

[ogrossman]

On one level I think I'm underpowered. My lead guitarist likes to play pretty loud and I sometimes have to run my GK700 up at 7 to hear myself clearly. I think I'd be more comfortable with a larger amp that I could run at 4 or 5.

On another level I think I have plenty of power and the guitar should turn down. Not only do I have to run on the high side to keep up but I feel I have to use earplugs to protect my hearing.

 

[Bassbasixx]

1-10 scale with my set up pre gain I have set to 4 (10 o clock) and master at 3-4 (10 or 11 o clock) and it is LOUD or Pre gain at 12 o clock master at 1 o clock screaming Loud, for me as a rule I don't usually turn up more then half way even gigging. My head has loads of headroom. All heads are not created equal stated power varies from head to head big time some over rated, some under rated. to be on the safe side IMO watch your eq levels and don't boost all your freq to the moon and don't push your amp till it distorts or your clip light if you have one is solid red and you should be fine. I have never blown a speaker knock on wood.

 

[four2oh]

i rarely turn my mesa m-2000 up more than 4 (10 o'clock) on the dial.. if i feel i need to be louder, i yell at the rest of the band to turn down (gots to save mah ears!)

 

[jefkebass]

about halfway, I don't dare to set it any higher.

 

[ThunderLizard]

Ampeg B2. Master Volume full open. Gain between 3 & 5.
I try to keep the amp volume set where I can keep my bass between 7 & 8. Most of them seem to 'open up' at that level...especally Fenders.

 

[Rick Auricchio]

"...about how high do you turn it up (if you have gain and master volume then average the two)"

Ooh. That sounds scientific, but it's totally useless. This only makes sense if we are using the same head, the same cabs, the same bass, and the same playing touch. In the same room with the same band. Playing the same song. (Some might even argue the temp/humidity is also an acoustic factor, but I don't want to be anal about it. )

It's like asking how hard I press the accelerator in my car. Since you don't know the performance of my car, or the road situation, the accelerator position is meaningless.


But, to answer the question, probably ALL of those numbers. Depending on what the situation requires.

 

[ogrossman]

Anything besides "none" and "floored" is meaningless...

Maybe another way to ask the question is "How much headroom does your amp have or how much do you think it should have."

 

[Guest043]

my LMII with my carvin bass will clip with the gain any higher than half way. average volume for me with that head is between 4-6. (noon, give or take..) is it bad for the amp to crank it up to say 8, 9 ? i remember playing a LMII into the ole ampeg 8x10 and everyone was cranked so loud my master was nearly all the way up. not sure if that was a good idea or not..but the amp is still fine..

 

[mrwink]

GK 1001RB II with GK NEO412 - usually run biamped with both the volume and woofer at 12 o'clock, tweeter at like 10ish. Never even heard a harsh sound come out. That said, I don't have a hard touch and rarely use a pick.

 

[scuz]

4 for me, but I'm limited by my cab. If I push it too much, it sounds like pbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbpbpbpbpbbbb, but that's an 18" for you.

 

[Rick Auricchio]

If I push it too much, it sounds like pbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbpbpbpbpbbbb, but that's an 18" for you.

Ah, finally some scientific terminology!

 

[pedro]

Ampeg V4b into 1x15 cab w. early 60's p bass.

Amp volume 5
Midrange/Bass controls slightly boosted
Treble flat (5)
Bass guitar volume at 60-75% depending

Music Man 130 into Music Man 212

Master vol full
Channel vol 4
Bass at 3
Treble at 1 or 0
Bass guitar volume at 60-75%

B15s

Vol at 5
Bass/treble flat
Bass guitar volume 65-80%

 

[pedro]

I think unless we know what gear you are using its not very informative.

 

[PaleMelanesian]

Once the gain is set just below the clipping point, up to 1/2 on the master, so I voted 5. Flat eq.

 

[bassman314]

what? no 11?

Anyway, on my Ampeg SVT-3Pro, I set the gain to about 75%, and then set the master volume to about 40-50%, depending on the stage situation.