Sonic_Groove Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 If you could convert the SPL of an average acoustic guitar into watts how may approx would it be. More specifically if you want to duet with an acoustic with bass what is the fewest watts you can get away with? Brendan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 I can`t see any need for more than a 15 watt preactice amp to keep up with acoustics. I did a session with an acoustic bass, so needed to amplify that to keep up with acoustic guitars - into my 25 watt Ampeg I didn`t need to go anywhere near halfway on volume. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Fitzmaurice Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 [quote name='Sonic_Groove' timestamp='1410437959' post='2549412'] If you could convert the SPL of an average acoustic guitar into watts how may approx would it be.[/quote]Assuming a level of 90dB at 1 meter that would be 0.001 acoustical watts per square meter. [quote]More specifically if you want to duet with an acoustic with bass what is the fewest watts you can get away with? [/quote]Impossible to say. First, watts are not a measurement of sound levels, they're a measurement of power consumption. To convert to what sound levels are measured in, decibels, you must consider a number of factors, not the least of which is that loudspeakers have very poor electrical to acoustical power conversion efficiency. From a practical standpoint the watts don't matter, the speaker size does. A typical ten inch driver loaded twenty watt combo will have no problems matching an acoustic guitar in output. For that matter an eight inch driver loaded combo will have adequate output, but those tend not to have very good low frequency response. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magic Matt Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 (edited) That's a bit high for an acoustic guitar - when you're playing finger style it's about 80dB from 30cm away. As for the lowest watts you can get away with, I've happily used a 15 watt amp with an acoustic guitar at a blues session and it was fine. It's all about tone though - there's no harm in using a larger amp and just keeping the volume down low, hence I still often use my 115 watt amp regardless, and just turn it down low. Edited September 11, 2014 by Magic Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest monsterthompson Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 you could have all the watts and no speaker and it wouldn't get you any sound. zvex makes a 1/2 watt guitar amp ([url="http://www.zvexamps.com/amp_view.html"]http://www.zvexamps.com/amp_view.html[/url]) which can get various degrees of loud depending on the speaker cabs it is attached to. i think the OP needs more factors in his question than just watts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebass84 Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 A 1k rig with full pa support should just about be enough Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 Everyone knows that regardless of the gig, you need 2 Ampeg 8x10 stacks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonic_Groove Posted September 11, 2014 Author Share Posted September 11, 2014 (edited) [quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1410457585' post='2549700'] Everyone knows that regardless of the gig, you need 2 Ampeg 8x10 stacks. [/quote] LOL I agree but the Ampeg colour scheme clashes with my flairs!! I have a Hotone thunder bass (5w) micro amp & an Eden 12inch at home it seems loud (as loud as the so called 500w class D I recently tried!!). Anyone used a 1 to 10 watt amp through a bass cab in an acoustic setting? B Edited September 11, 2014 by Sonic_Groove Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magic Matt Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 [quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1410457585' post='2549700'] Everyone knows that regardless of the gig, you need 2 Ampeg 8x10 stacks. [/quote] ...or one BFM Jack 12 .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Starr Posted September 12, 2014 Share Posted September 12, 2014 Bills figure of 90dB seems reasonable as you'd want to match the loudest guitar sound with your bass not the quietest. In fact you'd want the bass to be able to go louder because we hear lower frequencies less well than the mids that guitars put out. I'd be looking at producing 100dB peaks so you could work at 80dB with a 20dB peak in reserve, or a dynamic range of 40dB if you prefer that way of looking at it. An average bass speaker will give about 96dB for 1W@1m, little 10's in low powered combos probably 92dB/W, an 8 in a practice amp 90dB, taking the lower figure you'd need 10W for 100dB. If you did take your Ampeg fridge 1W would be more than enough. If you are playing outdoors then you'd need four times the power as the bass would be radiated 360 degrees. This is all to be taken with a pinch of salt because we've no idea of spaces you'll be performing in or the type of music Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted September 12, 2014 Share Posted September 12, 2014 [quote name='Phil Starr' timestamp='1410505339' post='2550051'] This is all to be taken with a pinch of salt because we've no idea of spaces you'll be performing in or the type of music [/quote] Dubstep. It's surely gotta be dubstep? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magic Matt Posted September 12, 2014 Share Posted September 12, 2014 The best kind of speaker for Dubstep is a broken one... preferably without an amp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted September 12, 2014 Share Posted September 12, 2014 [quote name='Magic Matt' timestamp='1410523174' post='2550328'] The best kind of speaker for Dubstep is a broken one... preferably without an amp. [/quote] Some of the best bass sounds can be had in that genre. There's a facebook page dedicated to making the bass wobble... [url="https://www.facebook.com/groups/organicbasswobble/"]https://www.facebook.com/groups/organicbasswobble/[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magic Matt Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 If it's dubstep, just make the bassist wobble... until he falls over... then make him learn to play actual notes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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