Watts? I don't know

[bassbrother666]

Hey guys, so basically im thinking of buying a bass head, the question is that i don't know how many watts should i buy, i mean could you give me some insight, like for example:
100 watts - enough for a small bar, restaurant
300 watts - good for a small sized restaurant..

The question is that i don't have that perception, i don't know what is good for w(h)att.
Thanks guys!

 

[Doner Designs]

One rule of thumb I remember from my old home audio hobby days is that it takes roughly 10 times the power to sound twice as loud.

Unless your gear is for home/studio practice only, I would suggest a 500 to 1000 watt lightweight head. Then you can add/subtract however many cabs you need to move enough air for the venue.

Somewhat overkill, but I use a 500 watt 1x12 for practice/home use.

 

[ArtechnikA]

As long as you have a Volume knob, there is no upper bound.
But every Watt will weigh something, and cost something...

I recently bought a GK MB500Fusion when arguably, a 200 would have been enough for the practice /acoustic / coffeeshop gigs for which it was intended.. At 500W, it's a legitimate backup for my kilowatt "big" rig, which 200W isn't. I didn't see the need for 800W when I already have a big rig.

IMO 100W is not enough, but it depends a lot on what drivers you've got fronting that power.
I like 350-500 as a lower bound.
Some - especially with reliable FOH support - can get by with far less.

The head is at most half the equation; driver configuration trumps head power...

 

[sharkbait130]

For practice and band rehearsals , I have a 100 w head. With a 1 15 cab , it is not nearly enough. With an 8 10 cab , it is more than enough.
For gigging , I use a 300 w head and an 8 10 cab. I have used this in some pretty big rooms (300 to 500 capacity) with no PA back up. If the rest of the band isn't mic-ed (just the bass drum) this had been more than adequate. One of my bands uses this configuration.
My other band mics everything so I could probably get by with a little less but the 300 w with the 8 10 sounds so good that I always use it anyway. I have two 8 10 cabs but no band I have ever been in will let me bring them both on stage.
As stated above (and I agree) it's more the cabs than the watts.

 

[tjh]

... depends completely on your situation ... I have played (no drum) shows in large rooms using a 65 watt Peavey 112 ... there are guys on here that are rehearsing in basements with 3-500 watt 410's+ and pushing it hard ...

... explaining your situation would help the replies be more relevant to your needs ...

 

[moody]

... depends completely on your situation ... I have played (no drum) shows in large rooms using a 65 watt Peavey 112 ... there are guys on here that are rehearsing in basements with 3-500 watt 410's+ and pushing it hard ...

... explaining your situation would help the replies be more relevant to your needs ...

Some of us manage with 50 watts or less for rehearsals and small gigs, but I wouldn't recommend it.

I have never really needed more than 200 at any gig.

 

[MrLenny1]

The old standard for bass amps is 300 watts minimum.
That amount can handle most rooms for a working
bassist.