Jump to content
Why become a member? ×

Practice Amp Query(s)


SPHDS
 Share

Recommended Posts

Hi,
I was just wondering what sort of wattage I would need in an amp for band practice - we are a fairly loud rock covers band, with a rather enthusiastic drummer.....
I have a giggable amp in my Ashdown 210, but due to storage issues, having to manhandle that up two flights of stairs to my flat is getting tiring....so only want to do when I need to.....so smaller amp is needed for practices......
So,
- What number of Watts would work?
- Any ideas on what to get?

Cheers

Sam

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey FuNkShUi,
Budget, well, cheapish - scour Ebay for a deal on something reliable rather than buy boutique and ultra-light.....
Was more wondering about what sort of power to look for (obvs 10W is too Puny.......but would 50W cut it for example.....)
It is a MAG Combo, 250W, 2x102 (with additional 1x15" cab for gigs)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I hope that this might be of some help: I play in a loud rock/metal band with two noisy guitar players (one using a Marshal JCM-2000 & 410 cab, the other a HiWatt valve head into a HiWatt 410). Add to that a noisy drummer. Yet in a small practice space I find that my MiBass 2.0 head with a 112 MiBass cab is able to cut through fine. I need to push the mids and I tend to pull back on the bass quite a bit and I can hear without issue.

For reference, the Mi-Bass 2.0 is running at around 270-watts into 8ohms. I've also tried using an Ampeg Porta-Flex and that seemed fine too again going into a 112. I have to crank things a bit more than I would into the 410/810 ampeg cabs that they offer in most of the rooms but it certainly works ok and makes for a very portable bit of kit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Get the drummer to carry the amp for you :)

Seriously, if he is going to go at gig levels then you are pretty much forced to play at gig levels. I rehearse with a 1x10 Hartke kickback with the bass rolled off and the mids forward, but unless you are going to go for something a lot higher in price than the Ashdown anything much smaller is going to struggle, unless you can get them to ease off on the volume. Which you should for all sorts of other reasons of course.

Edited by Phil Starr
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Now...there's an idea.....! ;-)

Cheers for all the advice!
To be fair, we are making a point to try and play at as low a volume as possible in practice - small room, so trying to be able to 'hear' ourselves (Vocals and Axes) trying to minimise feedback through the PA etc....one of our guitarist's amp is being run at about 25W (Vox Valvetronix with some weird variable power jobbie on it......) so the Ashdown is hardly conscious, let alone breaking a sweat.....even when the drummer is 'on one......' (you try telling an Italian to calm down......)

So would something about 50W cope in the mix?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='SPHDS' timestamp='1448478778' post='2915801']
Now...there's an idea.....! ;-)

Cheers for all the advice!
To be fair, we are making a point to try and play at as low a volume as possible in practice - small room, so trying to be able to 'hear' ourselves (Vocals and Axes) trying to minimise feedback through the PA etc....one of our guitarist's amp is being run at about 25W (Vox Valvetronix with some weird variable power jobbie on it......) so the Ashdown is hardly conscious, let alone breaking a sweat.....even when the drummer is 'on one......' (you try telling an Italian to calm down......)

So would something about 50W cope in the mix?
[/quote]
Well it depends upon just how low they turn down. You are going to lose 3dB, which is the equivalent of turning it down a notch. If you had super efficient speakers you'd get away with it but smaller speakers tend to be less efficient at bass. If you then went for a 1x10 you'd lose at least another 3dB. If you go that low what you gain in amplifier weight you'd lose in needing bigger speakers probably.

Coincidentally I'm looking for a lightweight, compact solution for the odd practice and open mic and semi acoustic gigs. It's the combination of wattage, speaker efficiency and tone that determine whether something cuts through or not. My single 12" cabs I use for gigs would go loud enough with 50W but you don't get speakers like that in most combo's. Another solution is to look for a lightweight cab and a lightweight amp. I'm looking at a Little Mark 111.

If you can spare £1000 then there's always the AER Amp One :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...