Can you gig with 20 watts?

HAL9000

Friend of mine regularly gigs an unmic’d AC10 for small pubs. Sounds great, and doesn’t sound like it’s flat out. Fairly tame drummer though. In the past I’ve used a Blackstar Studio 10 in a small venue and it was up to the job but really I’d have preferred a bit more clean(ish) headroom. Certainly wouldn’t cope if your drummer’s a Neanderthal tub thumper.

merlin

HAL9000 said:

Neanderthal tub thumper.

Shed builder. 

We rehearsed just fine in a practice room with my TweedyLuxe (which I no longer have) and the drummer using a vintage style kit. Then the stupid c**t gets a wee-wee in his woo-wah at the last gig I did with them (no longer with them fyi) and brought a really loud kit and smashed the living shit out of them, so my Tweedy was fucking almost inaudible. 

Tweed Deluxe is really not loud enough for that kind of situation and I probably (possibly) would have got away with 20w. 

PAL

Depends on what you play. I have gigged with a 12 watt Fender 68 Custom Princeton Reverb. As mentioned it depends on the amp so you need to let your ears guide you. You could also use a more efficient speaker.

hollywoodrox

I’m sure someone on here gigged an HT5  

ecc83

Jetfire said:

So is a better question/s be:

Would this specific head and these speakers/cab be loud enough to gig with?

hollywoodrox said:

I’m sure someone on here gigged an HT5  

They have but the HT-5 is not your bogo standard EL84 SE amplifier. It delivers just about 5W clean but can be pushed to nearly 10 watts of dirt and so sounds much more 'dynamic' than most other 5 watters.

Dave.

kennedydream1980

ecc83 said:

Jetfire said:

So is a better question/s be:

Would this specific head and these speakers/cab be loud enough to gig with?

hollywoodrox said:

I’m sure someone on here gigged an HT5  

They have but the HT-5 is not your bogo standard EL84 SE amplifier. It delivers just about 5W clean but can be pushed to nearly 10 watts of dirt and so sounds much more 'dynamic' than most other 5 watters.

Dave.

I gigged with a HT5 through a Victory 1x12 cab (vintage 30) for about 2 years. In bigger rooms I mic’d it up, but on your average pub gig I just cranked it up, sounded clean enough for me on the clean channel, in fact I could get it turned up right to the sweet spot where the clean started to compress. Sounded great and I could always hear myself just fine.

Onpar

The answer is 'not really'.

I wouldn't recommend a 20 Watt amp if you are a gigging musician that favours backline only for your guitar sound. But this all depends on the genre of music you play, the size of venues, and the sonic space available in your particular band.

I have gigged several amps in the 20 watt range. Friedman Runt, Friedman Dirty Shirley Mini, Rift PR18 etc. They all held up quite well at smaller venues although it was on the edge of being able to handle a lead boost. The issue is that as soon as the venue increases in size, with people and background noise, then it just won't cut it. If there are two guitarists then it would be even worse with a 20 watt amp. Going from a 20 Watt head to a Marshall 50 watt was night and day in how well it was able to handle larger venues.

The only exception I have experienced is the Hamstead 20 Watt amps but there a big amps with big bottle EL34's, big transformers etc. As already pointed out in this thread, not all 20 watters are the same. My Dr Z Maz 35 is a relatively small head and is plenty loud enough for gigs.

If you are doing function gigs then you probably won't know the venue space until you arrive. It's not fun turning up to a large hall with an 18-20 watt amp. You will soon regret it. That's why the hot rod deluxe is such a popular gigging amp, it just works for most occasions.

merlin

For most gigs, I'd be happy with a Marshall ST20C, using the line out. Also an extra cab makes a big difference. On the edge, possibly but totally fixable and usable with friendly sound people. 

RickLucas

I gig most of the time with a Fender Champ II, 1x10, 18 watts. My back, my ears, the drummer, bass player and most of the audience appreciate it.

rockmonster

borntohang said:

With PA support? Yes, without breaking a sweat. Here's me on the right hand side playing a 20w 112 combo:

 
Without PA support I would probably prefer something over 30. I still use a 20 watter with a 112 cab live and have been told to turn down far more than I've ever been asked to turn up - mostly compressed cleans rather than fully balls out but I also take an overdrive for when the FoH inevitably asks me to turn down. 

 

Wow! Love the suit!

57Deluxe

...are we talking amps or EVs here?

stonevibe

My 4x12 and 20H sounds pretty loud.

rsvmark

There is also something in the inherent frequencies. I gig with a TR 100w and a 2x12 cab with a Matchless Lightning 15

On stage at times I can ‘lose’ the TR even though it’s 100w and a 2x12. I can always hear the matchless. 

DiscoStu

This has been a good thread for me, thanks everyone.
So obviously not all 20 watters are equal but yes some can be giggable. I really wasn't sure to begin with.
It sounds like I may not get the clean headroom I'd need, nor the 3 channel setup without an OD pedal so I reckon I'm gonna have to think again about this lightweight thing.

Expect another thread!! 

shaunm

Chris didn’t have much of a problem using 12w at this little gig

https://youtu.be/WFKXJ091Ed4?si=kiDv47-RIC_BMkQE

gpw5150

I don’t think I have owned an amp over 20 watts in the last 15 year.  Speaker spl (efficiency) is more important than wattage and the spread from the cabinet.
Tbh, I don’t think I have gone over 3-4 on the volume on amps to get over the drummer either or use the amp as backline.  

But it does depend on what you play.  Eric Clapton’s bandmaster is probably 20 odd watts - admittedly he is mic’d up and on monitors, but still….