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Maximum power

Seriously, 100watts wont cut it for a bass amplifier, doubtfull 500 will. If your playing in a rock & roll band.

So this thread is dedicated to insane loudness, excruiating in your face loudness. Every show does hearing damage to the crowd.

So lets get some realistic numbers on this. 100watt guitar tube heads running wide open etc. Is a thousand watt PA system enough? Will 900watts of bass do it? How many total watts is enough in say a 300-500 capacity bar?
 
If that is true, then the guitarists are running 50watts? I dont think so.
Based on what? Guitarists use every range of watts, and get insanely loud even with 15 W amps.
No freaking way Lemmy is running 200watts, thats crazy. Lets be honest, 200 watts isnt much.
Do your homework. I didn't make it up.
 
I play in a speed/tech metal band, and I cut through just dandy without distortion from my 300w combo with effects and whatnot. In terms of "real" watts, I would say it is about half that. A watt is just a measurement of power, not volume. My hairdryer is 1200 watts.
 
i used to play in deafeningly loud metal and hard rock bands in the 70's and 80's in 300-500 (and a few 1000-2000 capacity bars as well) with a 100w ampeg v4b and an 810. how could we do it? we were smart. we owned a pa that could deafen people.
 
you dont nee a lot of watts..just efficient cabinets. Period.

you can pour niagra falls of watts into a crappy cab an still be as loud as a efficient cab power by a mere 200w
A lot of people think that to get louder you need more watts..but that is just silly. A more efficient cab (or more) is cheaper (in most cases)


"knock the wind out of your chest" - this has to do with EQ
 
i used to play in deafeningly loud metal and hard rock bands in the 70's and 80's in 300-500 (and a few 1000-2000 capacity bars as well) with a 100w ampeg v4b and an 810. how could we do it? we were smart. we owned a pa that could deafen people.

+1!!!
I ran a G.K. 800 head, (300 watts at 4 ohms), into a 4 ohm Ampeg SVT 810 cab for years and years.
"NEVER" had a volume problem!
If you have enough speakers running it'll make those watts go along ways!
 
Nor do I with 160.
OP, sound levels aren't measured in watts, they're measured in decibels. There is no direct relationship between the electrical watts produced by an amp and the decibel levels produced by a speaker.

Don't mean to sidetrack this thread but, which one of your cabs do you use 160 watts in? Do you have a " go to " BFM cab you use more often?