Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

Sign In with Google

Become a Subscriber!

Subscribe to our Patreon, and get image uploads with no ads on the site!

Read more...

Who really needs 100w amps ?

What's Hot
siraxemansiraxeman Frets: 1935

I mean really really needs 'em ? I think only those very few folks that want a HUGE crystal clean sound could have any need for one...or have I got it wrong ?

My amps - AC30HW2x = 33w RMS = DEAD LOUD, DSL50 2x12 combo (1923C LTD edition) = DEAD LOUD and Mesa Express 5:50 2x12 = DEAD LOUD. There is no venue I will ever likely encounter where any of my amps will be remotely underpowered. Yes, I can crunch up the clean channel a bit at a nice gig volume ( only with humbuckers though) which is nice. 50w on the drive channels of the Marshall and Mesa combos is so damn loud its untrue. I use those channels on 50% volume and that's for solos, so I can cut right over the top of the band easily. To use the amps at 50% max volume on the drive channels is really too loud for rhythm playing with the guitar volume fully open...so I have to roll back a bit and just open it up for solos. Who or when will any bugger actually really need 100w ?? I say this believing my opening sentence is the answer, but even then on a bigger gig at least a pro gig you won't run a stage volume at deafening volumes anyway ie you will have PA and monitoring assistance.


100w seems very common despite being unnecessary. IMO. Discuss..tell me I'm wrong n all that.....

0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
«13

Comments

  • It's not just about clean headroom, 100 Watt amps with big transformers just sound bigger and beefier than anything else. And they're so much cooler, don't forget that. 
    1reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 9reaction image Wisdom
  • siraxemansiraxeman Frets: 1935
    edited November 2016
    cooler ? As in physically cooler ? Sound bigger ? So therefore be more desirable and 50w would be for those who wish to sound smaller ? with 30-50w you can get more opportunity to push those power valves into natural overdrive...and that's still damn loud. 100w = a bit more harder to do the same thing.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • I only really ever use 100 watt heads, not about how loud it goes but the feel of the amp and most amps have superb master volumes these days.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71963
    Because I want a huge crystal clean sound.

    50W is actually enough for that, but 100W still sounds better.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

    0reaction image LOL 1reaction image Wow! 7reaction image Wisdom
  • monquixotemonquixote Frets: 17485
    tFB Trader
    It's the same reason you don't drive a car with a top speed of 70mph.
    0reaction image LOL 1reaction image Wow! 11reaction image Wisdom
  • siraxemansiraxeman Frets: 1935
    ...that's headroom then right ? We like our valves to be pushed hard - that's the magic sound many of us go for...its harder to get that effect with 100w amps, plus you have to pay twice as much for a revalve!
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • monquixotemonquixote Frets: 17485
    tFB Trader
    Not everyone likes valves pushed really hard.

    I don't especially.

    Also the valves last longer in a more powerful amp.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
  • siraxemansiraxeman Frets: 1935
    but surely the fabled distortion that guitarists usually seek ie the holy grail of guitar tone is power amp overdrive - not preamp dirt/fuzz.
    3reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
  • bbill335bbill335 Frets: 1368
    After seeing Wolf People this week, I'm thinking I need a 100watt amp. That marshall sounded absolutely fantastic.  
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
  • monquixotemonquixote Frets: 17485
    tFB Trader
    siraxeman said:
    but surely the fabled distortion that guitarists usually seek ie the holy grail of guitar tone is power amp overdrive - not preamp dirt/fuzz.
    Some people do but a lot of amps sound quite shit if you absolutely rag them.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 2reaction image Wisdom
  • siraxemansiraxeman Frets: 1935
    siraxeman said:
    but surely the fabled distortion that guitarists usually seek ie the holy grail of guitar tone is power amp overdrive - not preamp dirt/fuzz.
    Some people do but a lot of amps sound quite shit if you absolutely rag them.

    There's a sweet spot in all amps...some like AC30s its cranked to the max...often on other amps like older Marshalls its somewhere between 1/2 to 3/4's max volume. But anyway..
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
  • ESchapESchap Frets: 1428
    Power tube distortion isn't that desireable or pleasing to the ear.  It's largely phase inverter distortion that provides the classic power section drive people think of.    

    100 watt amps have bigger output transformers which generally equals more bottom end at low volume and tighter bottom end at high volume.  So the amp just sounds bigger than say a 50 watter, even though it's only 3db louder.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
  • GassageGassage Frets: 30826
    Anyone who believes 100w is overkill hasn't heard a DR103.

    *An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 2reaction image Wisdom
  • Danny1969Danny1969 Frets: 10357
    Well my Marshall is 200 watts of valve goodness and that gets used in pubs . For other gigs though its the Ht5 and sometimes a solid state Fender Champ 110. It's all good but my preference is smaller amp driven harder 

    I have used the 200 watt Marshall cranked at a huge gig into a massive line array PA .... Sounded like the voice of God! 
    www.2020studios.co.uk 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • Danny1969 said:Sounded like the voice of God! 
    You bought a Wampler?!
    Give a man a fire and he's warm for the day. But set fire to him and he's warm for the rest of his life
    4reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • p90foolp90fool Frets: 31370
    I play clean country/pop music and have been gigging a 100w half-stack in a quiet band for three years. It just sounds good, and I can regulate my master volume using the loop in a very predictable way, simply because of the headroom I have.

    I absolutely nail amps if I have to in the studio, but on stage power valve distortion is my enemy, I just don't want it to compress too much.

    I know a lot of metal players feel the same, from the opposite end of the musical spectrum.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71963
    edited November 2016
    siraxeman said:
    ...that's headroom then right ? We like our valves to be pushed hard - that's the magic sound many of us go for...its harder to get that effect with 100w amps, plus you have to pay twice as much for a revalve!
    No we don't. We like them to not be pushed hard, so when we want a *clean* sound - which means absolutely not clipping at all - with lots of power- and bandwidth-hungry effects on it, it stays clean. We also like clipped-clean sounds, which can easily be done with preamp distortion while the power amp stays properly clean. And we like heavily-distorted sounds, which again can be done with the preamp and a clean power amp.

    The difference is that you can get all of those sounds from an amp which is powerful enough that the power stage never distorts, whereas you can't from one which isn't.

    It's the same reason you don't drive a car with a top speed of 70mph.
    This is what puzzles me. It's pretty much *only* rock guitarists who don't seem to be able to understand that.


    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 3reaction image Wisdom
  • For me it has to be 100w, even at home. At low volume there is still a more open full sound than what a low watt amp can offer.
    I also think power valve distortion and pre is a beautiful sound when it's balanced right. The sound from that 100 watt plexi on Van Halen's first album was pure power section drive (no master volume mods) coupled with a variac to ad compression and 'hair' to the distortion, and this was all done with just three pre amp valves! not like modern high gain 4 pre circuits. I think amps now, although easy to dial in and play can sometimes sound too sterile and players will use too much distortion for me.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • cj73cj73 Frets: 1003
    you need more than 90 watts to get to the moon...it's a fact
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71963
    cosmiccarrot said:

    The sound from that 100 watt plexi on Van Halen's first album was pure power section drive (no master volume mods) coupled with a variac to ad compression and 'hair' to the distortion, and this was all done with just three pre amp valves!
    Well… and being boosted by an MXR graphic EQ, and having an extremely dangerous - not to mention power-valve-destroying - internal 'cross line' load fitted to it. The Variac was actually first introduced to stop it going through power valves at quite the same rate, according to his tech - and contrary to what he claimed, was turned *down*, not up.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
Sign In or Register to comment.