Valve amp output

[thunderider]

I was just wondering if a valve amp is 100 watt what would that equate to in solid state???

[obbm]

100 watts.

[Mr. Foxen]

100w with bunch of compression and distortion and bandpass filtering.

[Beer of the Bass]

This is quite well covered in the stickies at the top of the page. It would be wrong to state "[i]x[/i] valve watts = [i]y[/i] solid state watts" as watts are a measured unit with no room for subjective judgements. But, depending on your tonal preferences, a typical 100 watt rated valve amp will usually sound louder than a typical 100 watt rated solid state amp when both are set to their maximum usable output into the same cabs, due to the factors listed by Mr F above.

[51m0n]

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1339753807' post='1693686']
100w with bunch of compression and distortion and bandpass filtering.
[/quote]
+1 excellent response

Similar to the 500w of the TC Electronic amps is actually 300 (200??) and something watts with a load of DSP processing to make it seem louder. Tubes just do that processing for you in an analogue way.

[Mr. Foxen]

Main thing is that watts isn't a useful figure to use anyway, for massive amounts of reasons, mainly with SS amps that it depends on external factors (load impedance) and the total lack of a relationship to SPL (which is the point of amplification).

[Roland Rock]

In terms of perceived volume, my 100w valve amp is easily as loud as my previous 350w ss amp. Both played through 2 x 10" speakers. Hope this helps.

[Pow_22]

just to sling a great big grenade into the can of worms - what about hybrid amps?

[subsong]

It's the power section that makes all the difference if we're talking about perceived volume. I don't think a hybrid would be any different to a solid state amp in this regard. I used to have an amp with blendable valve and solid state pre-amps, neither had any impact in terms of volume, just gave a different tone. In this case, both were sh*t. It was a Hartke.

[51m0n]

Its pre and power section, both can be overloaded with resulting compression/limiting and pleasant distortion allowing the player to get more output into the next part of the chain. Net result more perceived output at the expense of accurately recreating the input.

Edited June 15, 2012 by 51m0n

[Beer of the Bass]

In terms of the OPs amp situation, I doubt you'd notice that a healthy 100 watt valve amp was less powerful than either of the 150 watt amps in your sig (the difference in SPL would be practically imperceptible), and with the valvey perceived loudness stuff going on it may even seem louder, especially if you enjoy a bit of grit in your sound.

Edited June 15, 2012 by Beer of the Bass

[Mr. Foxen]

[quote name='Roland Rock' timestamp='1339765191' post='1693973']
In terms of perceived volume, my 100w valve amp is easily as loud as my previous 350w ss amp. Both played through 2 x 10" speakers. Hope this helps.
[/quote]

Bunch of that would be down to the 2x10 not actually being able to convert much more than 100w into spl.

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

[quote name='51m0n' timestamp='1339760667' post='1693844']
+1 excellent response

Similar to the 500w of the TC Electronic amps is actually 300 (200??) and something watts with a load of DSP processing to make it seem louder. Tubes just do that processing for you in an analogue way.
[/quote]+1, and by that same token you may use processing to get that same result with any SS amp.
[quote]
Bunch of that would be down to the 2x10 not actually being able to convert much more than 100w into spl. [/quote]+1. Few 210s can actually make use of even 150w, so anything more than that put in won't get any additional out.

[Mr. Foxen]

[quote name='Bill Fitzmaurice' timestamp='1339788753' post='1694521']
+1, and by that same token you may use processing to get that same result with any SS amp.
+1. Few 210s can actually make use of even 150w, so anything more than that put in won't get any additional out.
[/quote]

Get a bunch of distortion and compression if you put more in, so might be a win if you like that. Until they break.

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1339788888' post='1694523']
Get a bunch of distortion and compression if you put more in, so might be a win if you like that. Until they break.
[/quote]True, and break they will. Guitar drivers are far more tolerant, as with their short xmax they distort around 10% of their power rating, leaving a lot more room between when they start to get nasty and give up the ghost.

[thunderider]

Cheers im just trying to convince myselfabout the superbass 100w im gonna order compaired to my 150 laney wich apparently is loud?!!

[Mr. Foxen]

Its tone that matters more than watts, bigger deal. The Marshall will get louder but be dirtier, and maybe less bassy when it gets there. Depends if that tone is what you want. If it is the tone you want, but too quiet, get more cab. Does sound from sig that cabs might be weak point.

[Anders]

I agree with Mr.Foxen.You will probarbly like the sound better in the Superbass.
Thunderider,I don't know what your Laney amp sounds like,and I haven't tried the superbass too many times either,but I would guess the powersections would give you a big difference in sound.
I had a Laney amp 150watts a long time ago and it didn't seem all that powerfull in the lows.(Could be different offcourse with your current amp).
Almost all (all)tubeamps I have tried has much more meat in the sound making them sound big.On the other hand ,many solidstate/hybrid amps I've tried doesn't have that meat.(Silly word I know but I can't come up with much better,sorry)
I mean,solid state could sound loud ofcourse,but that's often just parts of the sound and not where the bassguitar is the loudest IMHO.

[subsong]

I have a Marshall JCM 800 bass series amp from the early 80s, which is the next generation of Superbass. When I got it, I thought it would give me some Lemmy-esque overdrive. It doesn't though. It actually stays pretty clean most of the way up, and gets very loud. It's a fantastic amp but it doesn't sound like I originally imagined it would. Lemmy's Superbass is quite well modified as I understand it, plus I know he uses an MXR booster pedal to drive it more.

Our guitarist has got a late 70s superbass, which I have used on occasion, with my cab. It's pretty similar to mine.