Your amp is probably enough

[4stringfarley]

Even in the largest bands, a Rumble 500 can be heard in the mix with 2 AC30s.

what about a Marshall DSL100 and 5150? Even if they’re running half stacks I’m pushing that rumble harder than I want.

live show with no pa support, playing harder music, it’s better to be heard rather than people simply being able to hear you.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

With all due respect...

I'm not buying that.

It depends on venue size.

 

[ole Jason]

More watts = more fun

 

[Plain Old Barry]

Maybe he's thinking of "tube watts"?

 

[denton57]

I'm well aware of IEM gigs as I've used them at times for years. For this setup there wasn't any IEM.

I wasn’t questioning your experience. If one is happy with wedges for stage volume, then good for them. That said, I believe the OP was speaking of using a small combo with no FOH support. That really has nothing to do with your post as no doubt the bassist was running through FOH and it sounded great. Different than the OP’s scenario

 

[ItsmeSantiago]

My 250W combo will work for any bar gig I play, and when I play the loud venues, I just run DI. The in between would be the outdoor gig, and there's no way my combo is hanging without PA support. I played a show once out in the middle of a flat plain, and the bass was crazy loud on stage with zero presence 30 feet from the amp, and that's when I had a 400W head.

 

[primusfan1989]

View attachment 5027761

j/k

I also had that happen... once. Immediately geared up so it would never happen again.

I just kinda set a limit...was like if you guys need to be that loud you'll need another bassist. I have bigger guns for when situation calls for it but with most modern PA support I'm encountering the big rigs have become much more of a want than need, at least in my world

 

[Akiyama]

I think all recommendations have been valid for the recommenders themselves. We all have different needs to sound the way we want in a given space and depending on venue size. I play in a small studio. 50 watts is good enough and, really, probably ideal for my situation. I don't gig. If I did then I am sure I would want MOAR power! That said, I can't stand listening to bands that are too loud. Human hearing starts losing sensitivity to tone, texture, etc. at high SPLs.

High-volume portable music players may impair ability to clearly discriminate sounds
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Psychoacoustics: Where Sound Meets Your Brain | Universal Audio

 

[Pings Bass]

With reasonable PA and monitor support you don't need an amp at all.

Without PA support, it all depends on the band and the hall.

It's a spectrum, innit?

 

[Benji bassman]

I have been playing a silverface bassman 100 as my primary for a long time. So far, if I have played a bigger venue they have always had PA support. I just like my sound. I'm also in a band (where I play guitar) and the bass player uses a 100 watt Behringer, and believe it or not, most of the time he sounds great. A friend band's bassist plays a 40 watt tube traynor, and he always gets enough (and great tone). So I agree that mostly you can work it out. Most of my friends are a lot more likely to play basements than arenas though. And playing bar gigs you definitely don't want three bassists bringing their own 6x10's or something. YMMV.

 

[marchone]

Maybe he's thinking of "tube watts"?

The whole Fender Rumble line is solid state. A 50w tube amp will suffice for most bar gigs without PA support. (Ampeg PF-50T, e.g.) But with 800w D-class and hybrid amps available you’ll have a lot more headroom when you need to push it.

Combos are for practice.

 

[Mantis Tobaggan]

For a very long time, I played with a Ampeg B2 combo with a 15" speaker. I played gigs in all kinds of bars and clubs, nothing really crazy though. They could always mic it. Anyway, I really didn't need more until I played in a metal band where the guitar players used marshall half stacks and the drum kit was mic'ed and I could barely hear myself. In hindsight, I probably should have just looked for another band, but I always wanted a fridge anyway. I was eventually able to get one and yeah it's not necessary but it can always be turned down. And I reeeeeealllly like it.

 

[Kael]

A 12" 100 watt combo keeps up in a punk band without PA support. Yeah, that is inaccurate at best. I handle FOH routinely with a 12" cab (EA wizzy) and a lower wattage head (mesa boogie walkabout). That combo is LOUD for a 12" speaker but it has it's limits. No ehf'ing way it could handle a punk band without PA support.

That being said I concur with the sentiment in general. 90% of the recommendations for amps/cabinets/speaker surface area/etc are way way exaggerated.

 

[JimmyM]

I am so glad I was never into making people's heads come off with volume. I still have most of my hearing as a result. That said, I really don't care what anyone else uses. I just care about the results.

 

[Jogobass]

It's never enough. I want gigawatts and millions of speakers

 

[prom311]

But is the tone right? I'll need to buy 5 more amps to compare.

 

[RoadieP]

I was at a big forum lately sharing the stage with some very big Worship bands and the best that took the stage come with a Preamp pedal/DI Sansamp and it slayed. No amp or anything else just that and the PA for the Arena. We need far less than we think we do. Now if the gear makes you play and builds your confidence that alone is worth alot. But his tone was as good as any I've heard.

Well and good when you have good PA support but, IME, the kinds of dives booking local metal and punk shows (the kind of music being played in the post this one is referencing) don't have good PA's

 

[bigjames]

I play a lot of outdoor gigs. It’s a whole different ball game without PA support.

Agreed. If you have PA support, an 80W combo might work great; my GK MB150E served me really well in all sorts of environments for a decade...but, as soon as I started playing in a rock trio, my little GK quickly met it's match. It just could not "fill the space" like a larger, more powerful set up. I picked up a Markbass CMD 102P (2x10 combo @ 300 W) and the issue was solved. I am a fan of the 300-500W range, either combo or amp & cab, that has some room for expansion with another cab.

Unless of course you are playing a gig with no PA support...in which case, you may need 1000W to hit the back wall.

 

[Kevorargh]

I had the same set up that OP was talking about in my early days - a 100W Dean Markley Spectra combo and it sounded like crap, but it was first real amp so I thought it was great. I could be heard which was important, but there was NO low end, lots of high end clank. Moved up to an Ampeg solid state which was better as I learned what an EQ was.

Today, I'll take my 800W Mesa through my RevSound 210. I like having headroom.

 

[MDBass]

When it comes to keeping up with a drummer, talk bass is quick to recommend 500+ watts and 2 12 cabs.

I live in a college town with many alt rock and punk bands. In nearly every band here, the bassist is using some sort 100w 12in combo without pa support. Hearing the bass is rarely an issue. These bands are loud and the drummers play hard.

Even in the largest bands, a Rumble 500 can be heard in the mix with 2 AC30s.

A small combo isn't going to get you the best tone and heft in the mix. And it's not going to compete if you're guitarist are painfully loud. But in most situations, you'll be fine, especially with pa support.

I think the members here way overstate the actual power needed for a gig.

If you have a big rig, your going to sound better in a loud band. If you only have a small amp, go uses it, you'll get by

As with most things, it depends.

“Especially with PA support” is by far the most important part of this post.

I got by touring in Mexico with a Rumble 200 in a LOUD rock band: pushed to its absolute limits it was loud enough to be a decent stage monitor.

A decent amount of bass in the band mix out front without my pedalboard going to the PA though?

Not a chance.