• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Minimum Wattage to Play a Gig?

Vlad2075

Vlad2075

Guest
Mar 20, 2017
9
14
New Jersey
#1
Hello all!

I haven't posted here in a while but to give you some background. I'm a recycled newbie bass player who recently picked it back up a few months back. After much practice most of it has come back to me and i'm at a place where I want to be!

I'm ready to play some gigs! Mostly small venues (clubs, retaurants, bars...nothing fancy).
My Fender 15 watt won't cut it, so I'm in the market for a new amp I can use to play out.

What would you say would be the minimum wattage required to play in a small venue?

100w?

I was looking at a Bugera BXD12 combo amp to play out. It's $299 and claims to be 1000 watts (it certainly can't be 1000 watts). I'm on a budget and even $299 is a bit pricey for me so if anyone can recommend something less expensive then even better!

What does everyone think?
 
#2
Depends on the cabinet you chose to use if you go with separates. In my case I gig with 1000W to drive my cabinets to “sing.” With a combo get the most powerful you can afford. The only combo I have played through in the past few years was a Fender Rumble 350 2x10. I was pleasantly surprised by how well it handled my six string.

Typically we buy an amp that we can afford. As we progress and save the money this is traded in against the next better amplifier. This repeats until we have just what we want. :)
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: FlatwoundFunk, Old Garage-Bander and packhowitzer
#4
Vlad2075 said:
What would you say would be the minimum wattage required to play in a small venue?
100w?
Click to expand...

It all depends on the kind of music you're playing and the other instruments you're playing with.

I've done a ton of small bar/coffee house gigs using 100W into a 1x12 that was more than enough.
I've done loud rock gigs where 500W into a 4x10 was barely enough.

The general rule of thumb, though, is that 200W into a 2x10 or 1x15 is about the minimum that will keep up with the average un-mic'd drummer.
 
  • Like
Reactions: old spice, gsquare, FlatwoundFunk and 8 others
#6
I'm playing out side tomorrow and think I'll just use my Invalid Link Removed like I did last time. The BL loved it. I just drop a Shure 57 over it and run through the house. So there is more than one way to be heard! I also have a Hartke HD150 and a GK 400RB with a 6 x 10 cab. But many folks here speak very highly of Fender Rumbles. Take a look...YMMV
 
  • Like
Reactions: Old Garage-Bander, Lvjoebass and Vlad2075
#8
I use 1x15" 200W combo for small gigs with unmiced drummer (rarely) and monitoring on a big stage (mostly). For me, less than this wouldn't be enough.
My advice is to get more power/speaker area than you THINK you need. Your amp/cab need headroom and it is always good idea to have spare power.
IMO if you often need to push your amp to 3/4, than you bought wrong amp.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Atshen, Old Garage-Bander, SJan3 and 2 others
#12
Vlad2075 said:
I forgot to mention that I will most likely be running through the PA system. Would 100 be enough through a PA?
Click to expand...

It's still a matter of hearing yourself well, if you're standing next to a drummer and the PA is firing away from you. If your drummer has a light touch maybe. More info on your ensemble and the style of music would help.

My personal rule of thumb for rock is 300w, and 4 10s, 2 12s, or 2 15s. With quieter musical styles and drummers, you could probably get away with 200 watts and a 210, 112, or 115.

100w though... unless you're going through a pretty big cab, not sure I'd take the chance.
 
#14
Vlad2075 said:
I forgot to mention that I will most likely be running through the PA system. Would 100 be enough through a PA?
Click to expand...
Yes...but probably not. It all depends on a few things.

  1. How large of an area you are trying to fill so that the guy on the other side of the stage can hear you.?
  2. Does the PA have monitors to handle bass frequencies?
  3. How loud are the drummer and other players?
I would still say that 100 watts would be pushing your luck. Always best to have more headroom.
 
#15
lz4005 said:
Zero watts is enough through a PA if you have good monitors.
Plenty of people go direct only.
Click to expand...

Ah yes, the mythical "good monitors" ;)

As a fellow New Jerseyan, it seems like "good [house] monitors" are as rare as hen's teeth in these parts (that includes Philly and plenty of NY as well). I've been to places that have spectacular FOH systems, but still refuse to run anything but vocals and guitars through the monitors. Others will allow me to request some high-passed kick drum, but bass...

I've had to do it once out of necessity thanks to a gear malfunction. Not something I enjoyed, or would want to rely on on a regular basis unless I supplied my own monitors/ears. YMMV.
 
  • Like
Reactions: swafran, Gearhead17 and Vlad2075

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back