How many watts do we need in a guitar amp?
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ม.ค. 2021
- Find out my top 5 low-watt guitar amps for 2021 on my website:
www.bluemorris.com/post/top-5...
Download my Boss Katana Patches:
www.bluemorris.com/katana
🎸 Join my Patreon group for loads more guitar lesson content, including practice tips, jam tracks and more!
/ guitarlessonsvancouver
My latest book is Guitar Soloing Like a Pro available on Amazon:
www.bluemorris.com/shop
Take guitar lessons in Vancouver with Blue Morris:
www.bluemorris.com/guitar-les... - เพลง
I once played for 2000 people with a 10 watt solid state VOX Pathfinder because my AC15 broke down. I got compliments about the sound. From pros. Of course a PA helps.
Haha cool. Doesn't surprise me. Good tone and volume aren't the same thing 😀
One thing to know wattage and loudness aren't linear for an amp to be twice as loud it needs 10 times the power or 10 times the speakers or a combination of the two. eg... say you have a ten watt one speaker combo amp and want something twice as loud you need A. to increase to a hundred watts with 1 speaker or B. keep it 10 watts and add 9 for a 10 speakers total or C. or some combination like about 25 watts and 4 speakers or 50 watts and two speakers etc.. If you want a just a noticeable gain just double the watts or speakers. Same in reverse eg.. if you want the 10 watt combo amp half as loud you want a 1 watt amp. It don't take much to get a decent volume at a reasonable distance. Speakers efficiency and distance comes into play also. With this you can see why concerts need massive PA's especially when you factor in distance, if you want a noticeable gain say with 100 speakers and 100,000 watts system you need to double either the speakers or the wattage or a combination of the two nevermind what's needed for doubling the loudness.
A full Marshall stack driven by a JCM 800 is suitable for most small venues and coffee shops; as it usually runs off all the hipsters, Nirvana fans, and Expresso slurpers..
Good point, though I do like Nirvana :)
Something important to note is that higher wattage amps is not really about volume, because a 100W amp is only 3db louder than a 50W, and a 50W is only a few db louder than a 20W etc. the real difference with high wattage amps is the low end thump and girth of the sound... you may not need that with the type of tone for the music you play, but if you play in certain kinds of metal and heavy rock bands, that "large" sound that you can only get from a large 50W or 100W, is important. Another thing to consider is that most modern high wattage amps have good master volumes, and tend to sound very good at lower volumes, and you can even get attenuators so you can crank the master and get that power tube distortion while keeping the amp relatively quiet. I find that in certain genres (jazz, blues etc.) some players tend to have a kind of snobbery against people who play large amps and look down on them, but what they fail to realize is some genres of music require those high wattage amps, even in small venues. That guy that spoiled your gig to to turning his stank up too high was probably an idiot for being too loud, but I wouldn't say someone is an idiot for using a full or half stack if their music requires that tone... the reality is, a small EL84 amp is never going to sound as big as a large EL34 amp regardless of how well the amp is designed, and that's not a knock on EL84 amps, they're just different. My 20W Friedman JJ Jr is voiced just like the 100W Friedman JJ, and my Jr sounds amazing, but it certainly doesn't sound as big as the 100W... Go to a club and try to play in a doom metal band with a 15W amp, even if you can get it loud enough, you're not going to get the sound and the girth necessary to pull off the gig. In my basement I have a small digital modeling amp, a 15W Orange Tiny Terror (that can be dropped to 7W), a 20W Friedman JJ Jr. and a 100W Orange Rockerverb. I play them all at the same volume (all with an attenuator except the modeler), and as expected, the higher the wattage, the "bigger" the amp sounds, and that matters depending on the kind of music.
Yes, carrying heavy stuff is a consideration you have to make, but I would say, when choosing an amp, regardless if it's for a gig or to play at home, get the amp that has the tone you really want, regardless of wattage, because that's going to help inspire you to play more, and you can use the volume
Some good food for thought there. Thanks for commenting!
Well put. People are obsessed with "how many watts" they got... Not just guitarists (though we are known for our need for power and volume).
Makes a lot of sense. Remember when we played in our garages, backyard? I remember, when we were young we believed louder was better. I was lucky, I was young learning about your experience. I haven't played a gig in over 40 years. The only gigging I do is with my kids at home. I have to thank my kids getting me back into music, it all began just over 1 years ago. Its fun. I showed them a few things i learned over the years. you mentioned the Katana amp., we have Katana-100/212 MkII Combo Amplifier 100 watt, and the 50 watt one also. Its still loud at what .5 watt. someone below made a very good point: "100W amp is only 3db louder than a 50W, and a 50W is only a few db louder than a 20W etc. the real difference with high wattage amps is the low end thump and girth of the sound... " Thanks .
I think that's true that you don't get the thump, for me that's probably all that I miss with smaller amps. And you're right, 100 watts is not twice as loud as 50. It doesn't work that way. Thanks for commenting Andrew!
This is incredibly helpful. Thanks so much.
Thanks for watching 😀
Thanks for this video!! That’s why I like to use my Small Fender Blues jr IV, 15watts, with SM57 microphone, and that’s enough for me in the church.
I agree that's all you really need. Thanks for the comment!
I love your explanation and story telling, I truly enjoyed it, as an new guitar player and wanted to create or join a band and do some gig this video is very eye opener.
Cool thanks for watching!
Thank and well said, now i got knowledge how to provide amp for my rental audio system
Thanks for watching!
So I play in a classic rock cover band doing mostly small bars and such. I’ve been all over the map with modeling. The latest was a Boss ME-80 direct to the PA. We had an expensive PA system and it was…well, not bad. I also have a Boss Katana 100. Again, it does….not bad. My problem is the other guitarist has always played through a Marshall JVM. Even using the emulated out his sound completely blows away anything I try to dial in. I also tend to play cheap guitars though so maybe that’s part of the problem. My most “expensive” guitar is a 1982 Electra Les Paul copy. 😂
All this being said, I am just about ready to try a small valve amp - maybe something in the 5 - 15 watt range. This video has helped a lot and I truly appreciate the real world experience presented here. Thanks!
That's interesting to know. Thanks for that feedback. If you are going to try a valve amp, I would suggest you will need 15watts if you are playing on stage. Smaller than that won't cut it if you are using only the amp itself to also hear yourself. I have some recommendations here: www.bluemorris.com/post/top-5-low-watt-guitar-amps-for-2021
I've been mainly using my 18W amp until I was looking for a high gain amp, for which I went up to 120W. Now I also have a small single-ended 5W amp and I feel like it's not enough headroom for the way I play. I used to own an AC30 and now I'm convinced that's the right kind of amp for me.
Thx for this good explanation :) I have a boss katana mk2 and a fender pro Jr for my shows :D small and powerful enough and the most important thing... They sound amazing :)
I love my Boss Katana
Thanks for uploading on this subject! I'm just a random dork who likes to play in my room but it would be great to know how amps work just in case I ever find myself in a setting to play with a cabinet or someone else's gear
Thanks for watching Jesse!
Great to hear this info. I don't live near a guitar or music shop so I can't just go out and visit a shop to test gear without a lengthy drive
Glad to help!
I've played a lot of gigs indoors and outdoor settings we never used microphones on our apps it was always a line out to the PA system... So my crate system on stage was basically just for the band and the PA captured that sound perfectly and projected a couple 1000's of Watts into the audience In case you are wondering we just didn't have the extra microphones
Very informative. Thank you. Side note, had a guitar teacher when I was a kid who said he was at Shea. He claimed he could barely hear the music! 😂
Wow! I can believe it for sure. Thanks for commenting 🙂
I was in 1970's garage bands and being loud was a cover for not being good. Us boomers finally learned how to play and now we realize a 4 speaker marshall cabinet with 100 watt head is moronic for a small club or bar. I use a small 50 watt Katana.
Haha, that's a good story. Thanks for adding your perspective on it.
The Katana is a great amp. I love tube amps, but the Katana has its place for SURE. (especially since I'm not a fan of lugging heavy gear around... My back isn't either)
That reminds me of - Back to the future when Marty tries Doc's amp. 🤣🤣
Ya totally! I forgot about that scene. Great movie!
G'day Bluezee, In my early days I wanted what the big boys bashed through, so I got what my favorites used, a 100 watt Marshall and a 1960A quad box paired with my Gibbo Les Paul!!! Ya can't get it past "1" in me lounge room but it spat out a friggen orsum tone!!! 4 power valves shoven those celestions, "sweet"!!! I'll be a tad bit deaf for a coupla days!!! I give it a bit of a crank every now and then, but I also have a DSL "1" Marshall head as a practice amp as to which it has an emulation output in it to route into my interface and play/record into the computer with out disturbing the peace!!! It's fairly loud when plugged into the 12" speaker that it sits upon. But I'm a purist, I love the sound of valves!!! There is something just warm about them!!!
Good point. Yeah it is fun to be loud. But not good for our ears either 😕
@@GuitarLessonsVancouver I've been groovin' through ya videos and purchased the book "Guitar Soloing Like a Pro", Bloody orsum young fella!!! 😉
@@MrCjaussie2 Cool! Thanks for buying the book. Let me know if you have any questions about it.
Great mini doc!! So I should NOT crank it to 11?!
Thanks. To answer your question, generally speaking no it's not a good idea :)
I was attending a live show in a pub in the mid-1980s standing a few metres from the stage. When I came out after an hour or so, I was deaf which lasted a few weeks if not months. Never again would I stand anywhere near a stage or any loudspeakers.
Yeah crazy that should never happen
While we're at it, quick note to the sound guys, if someone is playing a 100 watt Marshall through 2 4x12s, in a small pub that holds 50 people, you don't need to mic it through the pa 😅
Indeed, good advice!
Yep! The PA is where the vocalist lives. We don't need to be all up in their koolaid. How would you like them sing through your amp while you're playing?
Exclent vídeo. I play at small gigs. I run always my helix digital modeler direct to FOH...but sometimes the PA is crap or there's no PA. So I have my Poweramp pedal (100W/8 ohms) and I'm looking for a real cabinet...But I don't know whether to choose a 60W 1x12 or a 100 or 120W 2x12 .
What's your recommendation?
I happen to have a 120w half stack and got a 100w 2x12 combo to move to an apartment (only the combo on 0), I bring both to gigs, though I'm fine with turning down to 2-3 (its still 90+ db) if the sound system calls for it, but I do need to feel the air moving, its a tactile response to my playing and allows me to chill a bit on the in-ear volume feeling my rhythm instead of hearing it. also if you're louder than your drummer below 6 on more than a 1x12 you're drummer isnt loud enough lol.
The happy compromise for me is a vertical 212 with a head and use a stomp box for pedals.
Vertical makes sense to me. Closer to your ears :)
Most of the time you just want to hear your self mainly when there's another Guitarest, it's hard to find people without ego's. Guitar War!😮😂
That certainly happens in some bands, true
In the 90ties I had this marshall jcm900 head and cabinet. Idd because my hero’s played a similar thing. Too big and after some time sold it to buy a 1976 twin reverb. Too heavy but couldn’t wouldn’t sell it because of the time. Being too heavy bought a blues deluxe. Still too heavy so bought a vox Cambridge 15 solid state. Really nice amp but could not go over the drums. Sold it and regret it. In came the fender mustang III. Too digital so sold it and got the blues junior. Now I just recently bought the same katana. Because it’s light and I has all pedals in I already use but now I don’t need to bring my pedal board. 15 watt is more than enough for tubes, 50 will do for solid state. They will mic it when it’s needed.
That's quite a journey, thanks for posting. I have gone from a tiny Peavey practice amp as a kid, to a Fender Blues Jr., Vox AC 15 (still own), Fender Deluxe (still own) and now the Katana 50. I had the Blues Jr for many many years, and I managed to sell it a couple years ago for about the same price as I bought it in the nineties.
Considering a marshall sv20 20 watt plexi and a two 12 cab . Just wondering if a 20 watt rig like that can be gigged . Currently have a marshall jvm 205 50watt half stack its blistrring loud and even though it has master volumes it doesnt sound right unless the master is up . My 1960 a cab is a mutha effer to move so a smaller rig sounds way more practical to actually move and play . Hope the sv20 is loud enough it would be a perfect solution if it is .
I've been playing shows for I can't remember how many years and I've never used an amp over 22 Watts. I tend to use a Fender Deluxe Reverb which is 22 w or I used to use the Vox ac15. And sometimes I use my Katana 50 that's 50 Watts but solid state so it's about the same volume as a Deluxe Reverb. But I suppose it depends on how loud the rest of your band is. Make sure you don't Point your amp out your feet. Use an amp stand to lean it up towards your head. Sound Engineers much prefer to have quieter amps on stage. It makes their job much easier.
It’s all situational! Some gigs are in basements with no mics on the drums in which case 50W with a 4x12 might do. I love playing violently loud. 100+ w amp through a full stack!
Can think of it that way, though I still used a 22watt Deluxe Reverb at a festival with 10,000 people in the audience 😀
Sir how about no PA system support in front of 200 people.. can 60 watts guitar amp, 250w bass amp and drumset acoustic can keep it?
I almost always use both the Clean and Dirty channels of my amp.
So, I was wondering... Will 15-20 watt tube amp remain clean at band rehearsal volume? I.E. Marshall DSL20CR or Orange Rocker 15.
Hi Pedro, It's always been fine for me with a 20-watt deluxe reverb. I still get clean tones. Maybe not crystal clear clean, but clean. It may also depend on the volume of your band and the genre you play. Also, in my opinion, a guitar amp should never be louder than the drums. The type of speaker may make a difference too in when your particular amps might start to break up. But for my Deluxe Reverb, my Vox AC15, and even my Boss Katana 50 (solid state), all good for cleans in rock, pop, country, genres.
I think a lil' breakup will be fine and acceptable for me...
I just purchased recently a Solid State Orange Crush Pro CR60C, I just haven't had the opportunity to crank it up at band practice volume.
With the clean channel volume at 7, it remains clean with humbuckers, at 8 it starts to breakup, and at 10, it's all old school crunchy tones.
I'm mostly a 90s-00s modern rock guitarist and some 90s-00s Alt metal maybe.
Hopefully, soon I'll be able to see how loud the master volume can get with the channel volume below 7.
As far as I know, a 60 watt SS amp is comparable in loudness to a 15 watts tube amp, am I right?
Thanks for your reply! Your explanation was awesome.
I totally agree with you, when you are in the crowd, it's so annoying to have a high wattage amp blasting all the loudness on your face.
@@pedrogarciarobleto I don't know that amp in particular, but by Katana is 50 watts and it seems to manage. I do turn it up pretty loud, but it keeps up with with a country band just fine. 60 watts might just be perfect.
I play a Mesa Boogie Mark 2 B 100 watt tube Amp and it's loud as hell I am thinking about retiring it I am 61 and I can't lift it anymore I tried a Fender Tone Master and I did not like it then I bought a Boss Katana and it wasn't bad I kinda liked it it was plenty loud but I could only set up one channel at a time either clean are distortion then two weeks after I bought it they come out with a better updated model that was a bummer but I'm like you I think I'm going to buy another Boss katana but this time I might upgrade the speakers I liked the sound of the Boss Katana but I didn't care for the stock speakers I think the older a guy gets less is better😎🎸🤘
I'd be interested to hear what a different speaker would sound like a in a Katana. The only thing is that the Katana may have been designed specifically to work with that speaker. I wonder if a different speaker would have surprising results. Hard to say. Worth a test though.
If you get a speaker that matches the same Ohms just look on the speaker before you upgrade the new speaker I think for the 100 watt Katana a Celestion vintage 30 should work just fine I just bought me a brand new black Orange Super Crush 100 you should check out these Amps there the best Amp ever google it you will be Amazed I promise good luck on what ever choice you make but upgrading your speaker will always make your Amp sound better😎🎸🤘
My take is some of us guitarist needs more power so when you play low you get that full sound at a low level not weak sounding for me it works sorry.
Interesting, that's a different take on it that I haven't heard before. Thanks for the comment!
Switched to 15 watts. The sound people are happy. I prefer my Marshall 50 watt, but what the hell
i got Boss katana mkll 100w 212 for my bedroom, my thinking is its probabley the only amp ill ever need its stage capable so i can take it on a live stage if needed. i dont need to buy a practice amp and have 2 amps to sit in my room this one does all, if i just had a practice amp id need a gig amp some time why pay twice? have an amp that is versitile
Good point. For sure your 2x12 is plenty for gigs. I'm actually using the Boss Katana 50 for gigs -- including festival stages. They always slap a mic in front of the amp anyway, so the lower power works just fine as long as I prop it up behind me. Some info on that in this video if you haven't already seen it: th-cam.com/video/OJtNRcix-Mc/w-d-xo.html
Under the radar is the magnificent Monoprice Stage Right 15 watt Duet EL84 with 12" speaker and effect loop
Thanks for the post. I'll check out that Monoprice amp. I haven't seen it before.
I think it wholly depends on genre and venue size (also indoor vs outdoor)
Outdoors is an interesting thought ... I might want a larger amp to have more volume on stage, but every outdoor festival I've ever played at, and that includes big ones and small ones, they are all going to mic your amp just the same as they would in a venue. The larger the venue, doesn't really matter. They're still just going to put a mic on your amp. Definitely genre makes a difference though.
@@GuitarLessonsVancouver yeah that's true i think genre then becomes the main factor
It's all about headroom. You can forget getting any clean tones out of a 20 watt amp if the rhythm-section is loud. 50 watt is a more proper size.
That makes sense. I guess I've never really played in a band that is that loud and 15 to 22 watts has always been plenty. It's certainly plenty loud to match your average drum kit, which is what I try to mix volume for. And for stages, they always put a mic in front of the amp anyway. Thanks for watching and commenting 😁
50 watt tube amp is all you need
Ac15 is quite expensive..solid state is cheaper..how much watt a solid state needs to match that ac15 tube amp??im doing research about this topic too..
I think the Katana 50 is fine to match the volume of the AC15, approximately. I haven't had any problems with volume rehearsing with a band, with drums, with the Katana 50. But it would depend on genre too.
@@GuitarLessonsVancouver thank you very much..i really apreciate it..talking about katana..tube logic is a tube or just a phrase for its technology??
@@aisyguitar8435 I don't know too much about that sorry but I think it's a marketing term. There are no tubes in the Katana. Maybe it's a way of saying that it can sound like a tube amp. Tube amps react to how much input they receive, ie. volume from the guitar, or just picking harder/softer. I think they're trying to emulate that with these amps. There's something about it here: www.roland.com/ca/promos/tube_logic/
@@GuitarLessonsVancouver i think the same way..because i never found a replacement tube for katana..maybe its just like the transtube term in peavey rage..tq very much..im doing content about these stuff in malay..so need to do some research..tq very much…
If you're looking for volume comparisons between ss and tubes, I've found that tubes are 2-3 times louder than ss, so a 50 watt ss amp is about the same as a 15watt tube amp. The amount of watts isn't always an accurate indicator of vol. It's good to start, but some 20 watt amps are way louder than others.
I’m playing 3 100w amps in my bedroom. Wet dry wet. Anything less than 100 sounds muddy to me.
Wow if I not back up with a 300 tube amp and and the house don't feel satisfied
Yeah my neighbours are nice but not that nice.
Sometimes even being "even with the drums" is "too loud" for the club owners and sound guys around here. They want you to basically turn your amp almost completely off any more. I just bought a 5W Marshall tuber. This is my final offer in the "turn it down" fight. It gets tiresome, the lengths you have to go through to get a decent rock sound any more.
Crap sound systems are slowly becoming a thing of the past, but they still linger in some places, so I still feel the need to have at least one bigger amp. But I've otherwise jumped on the small amp train, just simply because I'm tired of being told I have to turn down. I currently have a 5W, a 30W and a 50W. Wanting to trade the 30 down to a 15 or 20.
Most places I play, they just put a mic in front of the amp so they can mix the sound throughout the venue. In my experience that's why they want us to use smaller amps. But it certainly does affect the sound on stage. I'm always careful to have the amp pointing at up at my ears and I find that works great.
Sound guys should use less input gain/trim and let the raw signal through. But the want to be in the sweet spot of their mixing board and disregard the sweet spot of the amp. Biggest thing is just realizing they’re not performing they’re mixing. So let the band do what they do and mix it to sound good
@@christophersmart8067 That's what I used to think, but try telling that to a sound guy or club owner around here, you WILL get in a fight. At least verbally. And you won't win, and the club will never have you back. It's part of why I gave up playing in rock bands. Too many people telling me what I'm not allowed to do. Along with sets getting cut short, sound guys who show up late, crazy people, etc.
The only time I had a sound guy willing to work with the band instead of telling the band how loud they can't play was when I was doing an opener in a big venue. The guy still remarked about how loud I was. I was using a 50W tube amp through a full stack in a place that regularly has national acts with multiple stacks. I don't do enough shows like that to justify that size amp any more, my stack is long gone.
clean headroom
I have inconsiderate neighbors who blast rap outside my window, coming through my walls. Calling the cops does little to help. So the answer to your question is a resounding YES! We absolutely do need 100 watts.
haha, that's a specific example in which I might agree 100 watts may be required :)
You can turn your 100 watt amp down as low as you want. I also enjoy owning muscle cars that will go faster than I'm comfortable, or even allowed to legally drive.
If you turn a 100 watt amp down low then the tubes aren't being used to the same degree and won't necessarily sound the same. At least that's what people say.
I’ve played to 2500 people with a 50 watt bass amp.
Nice!
I wish more bands would use "science".......... like how to achieve a good mix and a total volume
or sound pressure of maybe 60 to 80 db depending on listening music vs dance music.
Thank you! I agree not enough guitar players think about their sound from this perspective
Well, stompboxes ain't got no speakers inside them to make any sound at all...So, technically they will never sound like amps!
Apart from that, players who have not used many different amps, have not understood the fact that they (especially older/vintage style ones) were created as PA systems only for the guitars, so that people could hear them all across venues, clubs, and stadiums.
So, whenever a PA system for the whole band is available, a guitar amplifier is irrelevant, volume-wise.
What they can be used for, though, is monitoring for the player. And for that purpose even a 15watt / 1x12" speaker tube amp combo can be more than enough, if there are not really loud acoustic instruments (drums, horn section).
The point these days is what tonality bigger wattage amps can give you. And if overdriven amp tones are your thing, in my opinion, bigger amps can give you more harmonically rich tones than smaller ones.
Some good points there, thanks for the comment!
I need 10000watts, I don't know what you need. It's like asking someone how many surround sound and au wooders they need in their 300sq. ft. basement theater. That's what they want. 🤷♂️
100w
Soooo I guess a wall of Marshall stacks is not ideal??😉
Not advised for a small venue, but you will look cool :)
I'd use that in my living room if the wife would let me.
When you see band playing in front of those today, they're simply cosmetic, and nothing but an attractive backdrop.
If you're mic'ing the amp then you can get away with a small amp that's 5 or so watts.
15 to 22 watts or so works fine for me in luve situations
@@GuitarLessonsVancouver that's probably about perfect. Lots of clean headroom but still able to get plenty dirty when you need it, and without the excess volume.
15watt in most cases....5watt even in many....30watt on a big stage, maybe 50....more is not more.
👍thanks for the comment
Yes, an AC 30 is terribly loud.
Sure is!