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How loud is 25 tube watts?
- Thread starter alfaBAT9
- Start date
I've plugged my friend's 50 watt Marshall head into 8 10's and it was pretty darned loud. Loud enough to keep up with a loud rock band. It was kind of dirty cranked up like that, but it got the job done.
SPL, dB, Hp, torque . . . I can't keep up with all these mathematical equations. 
How about this as a rule of thumb for bass amp loudness: Just double whatever you think you will need.
For example: If you think a 50w tube head driving 4 x 10" will be loud enough, get a 100w head driving 8 x 10".
If you must have the "tube sound", but a high watt tube head is too expensive, get a ss head plus an effects box that adds the tube sound (like a SansAmp BDDI).
And if you can't afford a rig that's loud enough to keep up with your drummer and guitar player(s), just tell them to keep it down.
How about this as a rule of thumb for bass amp loudness: Just double whatever you think you will need.
For example: If you think a 50w tube head driving 4 x 10" will be loud enough, get a 100w head driving 8 x 10".
If you must have the "tube sound", but a high watt tube head is too expensive, get a ss head plus an effects box that adds the tube sound (like a SansAmp BDDI).
And if you can't afford a rig that's loud enough to keep up with your drummer and guitar player(s), just tell them to keep it down.
An Audi A3 with a turbo-charged/FI 2.0 liter engine has a computer imposed top speed of 147 mph.
yeah but its not 200 hp, my BMW is electronically limited to 155, and its a 2.5 litre.. doesn't mean its 200 hp
How would you describe your gig locations and your cabs?
My 1x15 is an Ampeg. My 215 is an old Acoustic CC. I usually bring my 1x15.
My punk band gigs are usually in bars and small clubs. I like getting some distortion when I play with them, and I never have a problem cutting through with a P-bass with rounds. Really gutsy ballsy tone.
I play in a wedding band that does a lot of R&B and Jazz, works great for that too. After a point with the B25B it doesn't get much louder, it just starts to distort more. There is a tiny bit of breakup when I play, but it gets lost in the mix. I play a P-bass with flats with these guys usually. I get a nice sound with a bit of percussive thump.
With both groups I use pretty much the same tone settings (same bass, same amp pretty much) I usually have the ultra-low switch on, the bass at one oclock, and the treble at about 330. The volume control is the big variable here.
Anything where this amp isn't loud enough, its mic'd. Outdoor shows I bring my SVTVR but I haven't played one in a long time.
If wattage is the only variable, a 25 watt amp is roughly half the volume of a 250 watt amp. Sure there's less headroom, but hi fi sounds with lots of headroom are for jazz weenies anyways.
This is why so many bass players think they need so many watts, look at where their volume knob on their amp is compared to the guitar player's Marshall. Most bass players probably carry around ten times the amp they actually use. There are exceptions, but out of the many, many bands I've played in/with/around/over there was only one that played that loud, and they were a bunch of crusty 80's cheesers anyways that couldn't play so volume was the only thing they had going for them.
At the end of the day, one can only plug a low wattage tube amp into a high sensitivity 4x12" (try loading it with Eminence Wizards), cranking the amp to ten, and see what happens. I haven't read this thread, but I'm guessing a lot of people are mouthing off without having done that. Well I have done it. And it's loud.
This is why so many bass players think they need so many watts, look at where their volume knob on their amp is compared to the guitar player's Marshall. Most bass players probably carry around ten times the amp they actually use. There are exceptions, but out of the many, many bands I've played in/with/around/over there was only one that played that loud, and they were a bunch of crusty 80's cheesers anyways that couldn't play so volume was the only thing they had going for them.
At the end of the day, one can only plug a low wattage tube amp into a high sensitivity 4x12" (try loading it with Eminence Wizards), cranking the amp to ten, and see what happens. I haven't read this thread, but I'm guessing a lot of people are mouthing off without having done that. Well I have done it. And it's loud.
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I have done it as well. Audible volume? Yes. Bass you could feel? No.
Jim Carr
Dr. Jim
- Jan 21, 2006
- 16,223
- 7,614
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- Disclosures
- fEARful Kool-Aid dispensing liberal academic card-carrying union member Musicians Local 72-147
yeah but its not 200 hp...
Actually, the A3 is (according to Edmonds).
Voila:Displacement (cc / cu-in)1,984cc (121 cu-in)
Block/Head MaterialCast iron/aluminum
Valvetrain Double overhead camshaft
Compression Ratio10.0
Redline (rpm)6,500
Horsepower (hp @ rpm)200 @ 5,100
Torque (lb-ft @ rpm)207 @ 1,800
Jim Carr
Dr. Jim
- Jan 21, 2006
- 16,223
- 7,614
- 76
- Disclosures
- fEARful Kool-Aid dispensing liberal academic card-carrying union member Musicians Local 72-147
But seriously, aren't we just all expressing our rig preferences, as usual?
It seems the OP wants something that can handle a trio with a loud drummer and a guitarist who cranks his AC30. I would hesitate to recommend 25 watts into 4x12 as a practical solution.
If he goes with a 200 watt Traynor, what would you recommend as a good cab to go with it. I think we are still seeking to maximize the wattage of the amp, no?
It seems the OP wants something that can handle a trio with a loud drummer and a guitarist who cranks his AC30. I would hesitate to recommend 25 watts into 4x12 as a practical solution.
If he goes with a 200 watt Traynor, what would you recommend as a good cab to go with it. I think we are still seeking to maximize the wattage of the amp, no?
Actually, the A3 is (according to Edmonds).
Displacement (cc / cu-in)1,984cc (121 cu-in)
Block/Head MaterialCast iron/aluminum
Valvetrain Double overhead camshaft
Compression Ratio10.0
Redline (rpm)6,500
Horsepower (hp @ rpm)200 @ 5,100
Torque (lb-ft @ rpm)207 @ 1,800
Actually my bmw is 182 hp, it was a trick! Its a 2005 5 speed std. 325xi. I had a gray one, but i got hit by a GIANT TRUCK that drove off :scowl: afterwards and totalled it a few weeks ago. Just got a black one
comes down to weight and drag coefficient with that.It's just another example of variables. My point was to not comment unless it contributes at least a little bit to the OP's question, but i wanted to be creative in doing so rather than ripping on the guy, i'd be funny about it.
