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200w for a bedroom practice amp was hyperbole. I'm mocking a portion of the collective forum, but I've been combing old threads for specific amps lately and I see it over and over. I do think HAVING 200w available IS a good practical idea that won't break the bank and can cover you for the next level up past what you currently envision. But that's mostly because watts is cheap. I don't think that 400w into almost anything is going to be inadequate unless you're driving ACME's at a ManO'War concert, but they're efficiency outliers.
Sorry, your 200-watt amp isn't going to keep up with your guitarist's 50-watt Marshall stack.I have to admit, I'm kind of baffled, and feel really out of touch (and wonder if I'm missing a joke) when I frequently read things on TB, like "200 Watts is the minimum for a bedroom practice amp.", or "400 Watts is the minimum for playing with a drummer."????
25 Watts is crazy loud for a bedroom practice amp.
100 Watts valve / 200 Watts solid state is plenty powerful with a full band - especially if there is PA support.
I've done so many gigs with 100 Watt, and 350 Watt Ampegs, with 8X10's. 100 Watt Marshall's, and 250 Watt / 300 Watt Trace Elliot's, with 4X10's + 15's - and never an issue.
What's going on these days?
I gigged with one of these for several years with either one or two guitars with full stacks and a heavy handed drummer with no problems. Only 100 watts.I have to admit, I'm kind of baffled, and feel really out of touch (and wonder if I'm missing a joke) when I frequently read things on TB, like "200 Watts is the minimum for a bedroom practice amp.", or "400 Watts is the minimum for playing with a drummer."????
25 Watts is crazy loud for a bedroom practice amp.
100 Watts valve / 200 Watts solid state is plenty powerful with a full band - especially if there is PA support.
I've done so many gigs with 100 Watt, and 350 Watt Ampegs, with 8X10's. 100 Watt Marshall's, and 250 Watt / 300 Watt Trace Elliot's, with 4X10's + 15's - and never an issue.
What's going on these days?
My 200 watt amp keeps up just fine, thanks.
buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
Doesn't work that way with the Elf if you want to play at high gain levels.
It's 350 watts. Ran it through a 410 and a 115. It kept up just fine. In fact, never had to push it hard.
My post makes no mention of a 200 watt amp. The only one of my amps that I mentioned keeping up with a Marshall stack was my Hartke 3500 (350 watts @ 4ohms) in a full stack configuration at the time.
I did mention that I had a 100 watt amp that was stupid loud, but never mentioned gigging that amp on a stage with any guitarist.
Perhaps you have misread my comment. Or perhaps you have confused my post with the one immediately above it by Red Planet, or the one from Wood and Wire.
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All of that being said, I wouldn’t mind checking out one of these newer, more powerful amps. Not because of them packing 500-1000 watts, but because they are smaller, I don’t drag 410’s around with me anymore, and I don’t play large venues with loud prog rock bands anymore.
Same old same old. I hear that you can't possibly commute six miles in winter without 4WD, knobby, studded tires and several hundred HP and that you can't possibly play a 200-person bar gig without an 8x12 stack and 1200W plus PA support. Some years ago I was one of the latter. I played a lot of years in clubs that handled 400-600 people, through an 80-90W Traynor YBA-1A with a 2x15 and a 1x15 JBL cab. I was often asked/told to turn it down. But what do I know? I'm an old guy. FWIW I'll bet that Elf would have nicely handled most of the gigs I ever played.
I was thinking the same thing, a 200w SS amp into a 2x15 used to keep up with a Marshall 100w stack back in the day...or did I just dream that?
I used to power my 120VAC amps with 220VAC to quadruple the output power, but it became too expensive replacing fuses all the time. And the extra-long extension cords needed to get to a 220 outlet meant I ended up with only twice the power anyhow. Listen to me people, it just isn't worth it. Been there, done that.
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That's not true at all. It all depends on the cabinet, venue, EQ, etc... these generalizations are OLD, OLD school.
You forgot the guitarist.
If he cranks his amp you are going to need serious power and/or speaker area to keep up with him. If he is sensible then a small bass amp will be sufficient. Same as it's ever been.
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Then there is the Hartke 3500 with it’s dual preamps and mosfet poweramp section that again would have you believe there is a lot more juice that the rated 350watts @ 4 ohms.
Tried an SVT 400 once. What a dog that was. Not the Ampeg sound at all and no punch. Coudn’t cut through warm butter. Not even with it’s dual poweramps bridged into mono at full power.
I do think some amps are just louder than their power ratings might have you believe, and some not even close. I once had a Sunn Concert Bass head 150watts @ 8 ohms,200@ 4 ohms that sounded okay but never was very loud in a band setting. But my 100 watt V4-B was a punchy badass that shook walls and cut through nearly any mix through the same two cabs.I was thinking the same thing, a 200w SS amp into a 2x15 used to keep up with a Marshall 100w stack back in the day...or did I just dream that?
Then there is the Hartke 3500 with it’s dual preamps and mosfet poweramp section that again would have you believe there is a lot more juice that the rated 350watts @ 4 ohms.
Tried an SVT 400 once. What a dog that was. Not the Ampeg sound at all and no punch. Coudn’t cut through warm butter. Not even with it’s dual poweramps bridged into mono at full power.
