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second guessing my choice of amp

D

daveyo

Nov 6, 2013
118
358
#1
I just bought an acoustic 100 watts combo and wondering if it would be
Loud enough for small gigs like coffee houses and such,it has a 12 inch speaker
I have one week to take it back and get a
Replacement,they have another acoustic
With a 15 inch speaker
What say you all?
Thanks,Dave
 
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#2
daveyo said:
I just bought an acoustic 100 watts combo and wondering if it would be
Loud enough for small gigs like coffee houses and such,it has a 12 inch speaker
I have one week to take it back and get a
Replacement,they have another acoustic
With a 15 inch speaker
What say you all?
Thanks,Dave
Click to expand...
Probably depends whether you have a drummer or not, but 80w 1x12 Peavey TKOs could do the job back in the day. Going from 1x12 to 1x15 probably wouldn’t affect maximum useable volume much, but additional watts and/or an extension cab would.
 
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#4
daveyo said:
I just bought an acoustic 100 watts combo and wondering if it would be
Loud enough for small gigs like coffee houses and such,it has a 12 inch speaker
I have one week to take it back and get a
Replacement,they have another acoustic
With a 15 inch speaker
What say you all?
Thanks,Dave
Click to expand...

A 100W combo should be loud enough for coffee house gigs. Usually you're expected to keep the volume down really low for this type of gigs. I wouldn't expect the amp to work for a regular rock band gig. Honestly, I would consider this a practice amp.

According to Acoustic's website, the combos with 15s make 300W, so they should definitely be a step up. Looks like the B300C costs $100 more than the B100C. Doesn't look like there are any reviews of the B300C yet.
 
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#5
daveyo said:
I just bought an acoustic 100 watts combo and wondering if it would be
Loud enough for small gigs like coffee houses and such,it has a 12 inch speaker
I have one week to take it back and get a
Replacement,they have another acoustic
With a 15 inch speaker
What say you all?
Thanks,Dave
Click to expand...

You can always turn a powerful amp down.
You can't always turn a weaker amp up.

At a coffee house gig you you'd probably be fine. Not in a full band setting though.
 
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#7
Wasnex said:
I wouldn't expect the amp to work for a regular rock band gig. Honestly, I would consider this a practice amp.
Click to expand...
beaglesandbass said:
You can always turn a powerful amp down. You can't always turn a weaker amp up.
Click to expand...
00 images2b2.png


OP: sounds like for an additional $100 = you'd get a rig which is more versatile. good luck with your playing/gigging. :thumbsup:
 
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#8
beaglesandbass said:
You can always turn a powerful amp down.
You can't always turn a weaker amp up.

At a coffee house gig you you'd probably be fine. Not in a full band setting though.
Click to expand...
...and with this in mind, I'd encourage you to think about not only what would (barely) meet your needs right now, but what you might need 6 months from now. One good option might be to choose a combo that will support the addition of another matching cabinet if/when you need to expand in the future. (Take if from a guy who has a basement full of combos he no longer uses because he eventually outgrew all of them.)
 
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#11
Yep, @Lobster11 has got it. I love combos for their convenience, but I try to get the most "pro" or full-featured combo I can get. Here's my current rig, Ashdown ABM EVOII 2x10; 325W @ 8 ohms. When I need a little more, ABM 1x15; the amp is now at 4 ohms, putting out 575W, but more importantly, more speaker surface area!!

This rig can handle anything I throw at it, & I have less than $600.00 invested...

My gear Ashdown combo ABM EVOII.jpg


My gear Ashdown cab ABM 115.jpg


There are a myriad of companies, including Acoustic, you could look at to build a versatile rig like this.
 
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#13
I recently bought Acoustic's 25-watt 8-inch combo to use as a solo practice amp, which is what it's designed for. We initially were sceptical of its ability to work as a rehearsal amp with my acoustic group (banjo, acoustic guitars, a singer, but no drummer) but to our surprise, it worked quite well. Then we tried using it at a small restaurant gig, and it was more than adequate. To be sure, a larger amp would sound better, but we didn't have room for one on the floor.
 
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#15
daveyo said:
I just bought an acoustic 100 watts combo and wondering if it would be
Loud enough for small gigs like coffee houses and such,it has a 12 inch speaker
I have one week to take it back and get a
Replacement,they have another acoustic
With a 15 inch speaker
What say you all?
Thanks,Dave
Click to expand...
Without having played the specific amps in question (but having played various Fender, Hartke, Peavey, GK, and Ampeg combos in similar size/price ranges, as well as some of the bigger "Acoustic" stuff) I think that you'd be fine, in terms of volume, for coffee-house type stuff (or at least what comes to mind when I think of that). It might be that the bigger amp would have a more full sound (seems to be the case with a lot of budget combos), but I can't say for sure without playing them (some 12" cabs sound nice and full and some 15" cabs sound middy and boxy).

If you have another rig that you use for bigger stuff and are picking this up to have something small and convenient for intimate venues, I don't see a problem. If you're looking at this as a main/only amp or are planning on playing along with a drummer using anything other than brushes (maybe exaggerating a bit, but a heavy-handed drummer can overpower a lot), I would consider something more capable, just to have some margin for error/comfort.

The size/weight/schlepability might factor-in for you, particularly if this is to be a small, "grab-n-go" rig -- if so, check the weight and dimensions and figure if you're comfortable carrying that in your situation (like if you're walking several blocks with the rig).

Good luck!

EDIT: If you got the combo somewhere local where you can play the 12" and 15" combos next to each other, do that.
 
Last edited:
#16
I recently helped a friend who was looking for a giggable bass amp for his daughter. This one was surprisingly good, he ended up getting it. Loud, full even tone. The built-in tuner was crap tho.
(TC BG250 115)
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Low end did not fart out when played loud, and had nice clear top end too.
 
#17
daveyo said:
I just bought an acoustic 100 watts combo and wondering if it would be
Loud enough for small gigs like coffee houses and such,it has a 12 inch speaker
I have one week to take it back and get a
Replacement,they have another acoustic
With a 15 inch speaker
What say you all?
Thanks,Dave
Click to expand...
Since the 115 combo is only $100 more and has three times as many watts, I'd go with that. That 15" speaker will push significantly more air than the 12" speaker and 300-watts is more versatile than 100-watts. Plus, as has already been pointed out here, you can always turn a more powerful amp down for a smaller venue, but you can't turn a low wattage amp up that is not cutting it for a larger venue.

Yes, your 112 combo will be fine for a coffee-shop type venue, but that's about it...get the 115 combo.
 

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