Is 25 Watts enough...?

[Doublesixes]

I'm becoming increasingly disillusioned with the idea that a good sounding band needs to be loud. By loud I mean when patrons can't talk to each other during the performance and have to yell or resort to sign language to get a message across to the person sitting next.

That's not the way things should have gone in this business of ours. We may have to thank the British Invasion of the 60s and the like for such obnoxious treatment of popular music. I understand that larger venues require appropriate amplification but come on, deploying thousands of Watts to make the event acceptable? Well, that's total BS. Typically, after going to a bar and listening to 2 or 3 sets of your typical band, I leave the premises with my ears ringing, a clear sign of discomfort, not to mention dangerous to the hearing organs.

I'm in the market for a small combo, I mean small....25-35 Watts and after doing some tests, I'm discovering that such small amps produce more than adequate volume to play with a drummer, guitards, et al.

If a drummer overpowers my small amp, I don't want his business. Am I the only weirdo thinking along those lines?

 

[msaone]

What kind of music do you play, what size venue?

 

[Doublesixes]

Right now I'm writing some music but eventually would like to play at small clubs (100 or so people, maybe less), auditoriums or whoever would have me. I prefer a more intimate atmosphere with the audience.

 

[B-string]

Well we are Bass, Drums, 2 Guitars and Keyboards. We try to keep our volume down to a point where drink and food orders can still be heard and filled. People still have to talk pretty loud but they can still be heard without screaming in someones ear.
For some reason the place makes better money, very few people leave and we always get asked back before we leave that night.

Not just you. Although I still have a powerful amp the master never gets past 9:00, usually 8:30 .

 

[georgestrings]

Am I the only weirdo thinking along those lines?

Yes...


- georgestrings

 

[JGbassman]

Maybe if the drummer plays with brushes or electric drums, otherwise you will probably lose yourself in the mix or play really hard to compensate. The smallest amp I have used for a show was a 50 Watt combo, and that was with a jazz drummer that had wonderful control of his dynamics....

 

[pocketgroove]

25 really doesn't seem like enough, even under those circumstances. Just because an amp has plenty of wattage doesn't mean that you need it all. Granted we're talking about solid state, I don't see the drawback to just playing quieter on whatever amp you already use.

 

[hover]

If a drummer overpowers my small amp, I don't want his business. Am I the only weirdo thinking along those lines?

That is just crazy talk, no offense, unless perhaps said drummer is using some electronic drums.

 

[B-string]

JimmyM seems to get a lot of gigs with a 25 watt rig

 

[Doublesixes]

Yes...


- georgestrings

LOL...Well, it's good to know that I'm...unique!

I suspect age has something to do with it too....

 

[Dave the Bass]

I don't always play guitar....but when I do, I use a 5-watt tube amp with an 8-inch speaker.....and people hear me just fine.

 

[Mehve]

Depends on what you're playing, and where. I have the many of the same gripes about excessive volume, but the 25W zone is a little too far in the opposite direction, methinks. If a gig can be done with it, great. But those situations would be limited and not the norm.

Under the vast majority of circumstances, I couldn't take a bassist seriously who got indignant about his sub-50W combo being drowned out.

 

[Doublesixes]

For the sake of argument, one can say that the Big Band era wasn't characterized by its loudness, however nobody can deny the remarkable quality of their top exponents.

Honestly I wasn't even born but my parents and uncles told me that going to one of those shows was a fantastic experience.

 

[jlepre]

Maybe if you have a couple 15's you will be heard. Volume isn't just about watts.

 

[Doublesixes]

I don't always play guitar....but when I do, I use a 5-watt tube amp with an 8-inch speaker.....and people hear me just fine.

+1

 

[Downunderwonder]

There's weird then there's wacky.

It all depends on what the gig requires but not many drummers can rock out with only 25w worth of bass.

 

[Doublesixes]

JimmyM seems to get a lot of gigs with a 25 watt rig

So I read. Very encouraging

 

[two fingers]

I don't always play guitar....but when I do, I use a 5-watt tube amp with an 8-inch speaker.....and people hear me just fine.

Not even in the same ballpark. It takes more wattage and different drivers (sure an 8" could do it..... with a few more tagging along) to produce bass frequencies at any usable volume.

OP, you have a right to your opinion. It will greatly narrow down the kinds of gigs you will be able to get. And it will DRASTICALLY reduce the number and kinds of drummers you can work with. And I would argue it's not even the drummer's fault if he can't work with you. I own a 25W combo and it's a neat practice amp. It wouldn't hold up in a rehearsal, much less a club date.

As for how loud bands "should" be at a live show, I disagree with you there as well. Sure, things can get out of hand. And they often do. But playing any kind of rock, pop, funk, soul, R&B, or blues at a volume that will allow people just to carry on conversations at normal speaking volumes kind of defeats the purpose of going to a live show. If you want those kinds of volumes, eat in an elevator.

But, again, you are allowed to think that way, and I don't even think you're "dumb" for doing it. However, you may as well stick to theater, coffee house, acoustic guitar dou/trio and small jazz combo gigs. Any popular music band playing at those kinds of volumes won't last IMO. It just isn't fun and/or exciting to see/hear a band like that. What's the point?

 

[bigchiefbc]

Yes. Well, let's put it this way. I gig at similar size bars and clubs in a hard rock/metal covers band with 1 guitarist playing a half-stack and a really heavy-handed drummer. I use a 100-watt tube amp. For our "clean" songs, I keep the volume around 4 or so. For the dirty tones (which is 60-70% of the songs), I turn up to 8 and then click my power-soak down 6 dBs. Going down 6 dBs is exactly the same thing as cutting your power in half twice, which in theory puts me at 25 watts. I have never ever had a volume issue in our band, and as a matter of fact usually have people in the crowd tell me that I was plenty loud enough (or even occasionally too loud)

 

[hsech]

Smallest amp I use is 250 watts. It does have a gain and volume control so it handles the small gigs perfectly. The combo amp only weighs 26 lbs and has a 10" speaker. I couldn't imagine even doing practice with a 25 watt amp unless it was all acoustic except for the bass. I handle the low end with my 500 watt head and 2x10 ported cab for most smaller gigs. Once again it has gain and volume controls. I don't think you are going get good sound quality with a very low powered amp.