My new live setup... thoughts?

  • Thread starter Thread starter philbagg
  • Start date Start date
Lt. Bob said:
Well ..... you'll have to do what your finances will allow and I've already said, and I'll say it again, you ought to be able to get a good sound out of that rig.
I just do think a good tube amp would do better.

First thing I'd want to know before suggesting amps is what kind of music will you be playing and what size venues and what size band?

Most good 50 watt tube amps would easily keep up with that 150 watt SS amp. There's lots of reasons, and opinions, on why that is; but the important fact here is that they do. Tubed amps just have a much higher perceived volume than SS amps.
But really, without knowing more about what you're gonna be doing I wouldn't want to suggest anything. I could easily steer you wrong.
And if finances are tough right now, well really ...... most of the good stuff costs. It might be something you'll just have to make a future goal and go with what you have. That ME50 is a decent multifx ...... I've heard guys get a decent sound out of that alone.
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Music style is somewhat like this: https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=289225

Singer, bassist, drummer, 2 rhythm/lead guitarists

And the venues are usually medium sized pubs (if that gives you any kind
of rough idea)

Cheers,
Phil
 
A 50 watt tube amp is more that adequate to gig and rehearse with. Everyone does it with 100 watts right? When you double the power of your amplifier, you only reap a 3 decibel increase in output. In order to double your perceived volume (6 dB) you would have to multiply your power by 10...so, to double what you've got in a 50 watt amp, you would need a 5000 watt amp! But from 50 to 100 you only get 3 dB which is barely perceptible. I don't know about your financial situation, but you should try that POD out with a Marshall 1987! (edited because I forgot which thread I was replying to)
 
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philbagg said:
I saw that are about 40/50 watt. How would that translate in rehearsals
(competing with drums) and live? Will I have enough power or will I be drowned
out?
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A 50 watt tube amp will just about make your ears bleed. Well, not really, but it will be plenty loud. There are some care and feeding things when you get a real tube amp, but the real trick to them is that you NEED to play them loud to make them sound good. (True of the few SS amps which sound good too, come to think of it.)

If you are not pushing your power tubes, you aren't loud enough. It's not going to damage your amp, though it will burn through your tubes in time. (If you don't drive them hard, even your power tubes won't wear out, but it also won't sound all that good.) But tubes are fairly easy to replace, and are not all that expensive unless you are foolish enough to chase after NOS tubes. Loud is good - loud is what makes amps sound good. Quiet amps are boring amps.

For what you are playing, I would suggest a Mesa of some sort. Preferably a bigger one (tripple rectifier, Mark IV or V, etc.), but I have to imagine they have some cheaper amps that sound similar. (Personally, I despise Mesa's, but for the sound you have on that track they seem the right direction for you. I'm not saying anything about your music here, just that my taste in guitar amps differs.) Whatever you do, just remember that LOUD is GOOD!


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
I think this is a terrible idea.

Referring to Sound Guys as "Mr. Engineer" is a bit of a stretch. They're totally unreliable unless they actually really like your band and put some effort in. They're going to look at your mono output from an mbox and scratch their heads.

But, beyond that, you're also putting WAY too much faith in the monitors at the clubs you're playing. There's not a club in Boston I trust to actually give me enough bass and guitar through my monitor to really satisfy my ears... you're painting yourself into a corner where you're going to find that one of these days you're not going to be able to hear SHIT on stage. With an amp you can always park yourself in front of it.

IMHO. YMMV, etc.
 
ReInventor said:
When you double the power of your amplifier, you only reap a 3 decibel increase in output. In order to double your perceived volume (6 dB) you would have to multiply your power by 10...so, to double what you've got in a 50 watt amp, you would need a 5000 watt amp!
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just wanted to point out your math is wrong. Yes .... to double volume you need ten times as much power but ten times 50 isn't 5000 ...... it's 500.
So to get double the volume of a 50 watt amp you'd need 500 watts.
 
Just wanted to let everyone know that I think I'll be going for the amp instead.

Now I'm confused about what to get :confused::confused::confused:

I'll have to go to the shop and check em out. Been looking at a few fenders, but
seriously considering a line6 spider valve amp. I need to learn about different
types of valves though. Anyone have a link to a "valves for dummies"? :D
 
philbagg said:
Just wanted to let everyone know that I think I'll be going for the amp instead.

Now I'm confused about what to get :confused::confused::confused:

I'll have to go to the shop and check em out. Been looking at a few fenders, but
seriously considering a line6 spider valve amp. I need to learn about different
types of valves though. Anyone have a link to a "valves for dummies"? :D
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Real amp: good choice.


Line6: bad choice.


If you really want to sound great, don't try to make your amp do too much. The more bells and whistles, the worse it will sound. I say, go with a nice simple Fender, if they suit you. But, much though I'm not wild of them (I'm a lower gain Marshall guy, for the most part), from that clip you posted I still say you should look into Mesas - I think you are likely to like them.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
Yeah, from the clip you posted I'm not sold on Fender being the best although if you're gonna use that ME50, then a Fender might do fine since it'll be used as mainly a clean amp and the pedal would be providing most of your sound distortionwise.
I have a friend that uses a ME50 into a Fender Hot Rod deVille and it sounds pretty decent.
But I agree with Light ...... don't go for the Line6. That's really essentially what you would be doing with the laptop .... a modeler.
If you're gonna get an amp for the sake of getting real power tubes and the distortion you get from pushing them ..... you need a tube amp. The Line6 stuff may have tubes in it but it's a modeler and doesn't have that much advantage over what you were gonna do.

Bogner has a new head out I saw at Musicians Friend ...... it's not too expensive.
And Mesa would be an awesome choice.
 
I agree with you both about a mesa but they're a little pricey :( They're more
like my "dream amp" for now..

Guess my best bet is to just try em out in the shop :)
 
philbagg said:
I agree with you both about a mesa but they're a little pricey :( They're more
like my "dream amp" for now..

Guess my best bet is to just try em out in the shop :)
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If you haunt ebay you run into them for a lot less than new.
Another amp that does the hi-gain thing well is a Carvin V3. I heard castlerock's at Jamfest and it kicked.
Ummm ..... the Egnator stuff they have at MF is pretty nice.
I'm not sure how much money you're able to spend. Lots of stuff on ebay for say, $800 and up.
If you want something new you're looking at a grand to $1200 and up. I'm selling gear to buy the new Mark V right now and it's $2200 in combo form.

A cheaper way ( I really hate to suggest this but I've seen some decent reviews on them ) is the Bugera stuff and it's all tube and cheap. Being Behringer I'm skeptical of its' durability though.
 
DUDE!

I didn't even think of Carvin, for some reason. They have a legacy head for about $800. I would say that would be an excellent choice for you.

Another one to look at, though like Carvin it has the problem of only being available mail order, is Ceria Tone - they make a JCM 800 clone you might like.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
I just got back from Westfest, where we were playing out in the open in the middle of the Arizona desert.

I lugged my AC30 out there, and I had the only guitar amp on stage without the benefit of being mic'd through the PA. Even with two drum kits going, a bass rig, keys, and another guitar or two to compete with, that AC30 was able to project enough volume to keep up with everything coming off the PA. And that was at about 2:00 on the master volume.

So even 30 watts of tube can be very, very loud. 50 should be more than adequate for anything. 100-watt amps just aren't necessary anymore, generally speaking.
 
philbagg said:
I agree with you both about a mesa but they're a little pricey :( They're more
like my "dream amp" for now..

Guess my best bet is to just try em out in the shop :)
Click to expand...

On the sort-of-cheap, see if you can snag a Mesa F-30, DC-3, or Nomad-45. They're discontinued, but really great amps. I owned a Nomad for years, and honestly my only complaints were that the clean channel wasn't AS good as some other Mesas I've played, and that the two sounds I really loved from that amp were both on the same channel - I'd use Channel 3 Vintage for leads and 3 Modern for rhythms, and I couldn't footswitch between them so I had to compromise.

I just traded up from a Rectoverb to a Roadster (4 channel Dual Rec with channel-assignable wattage and rectification) and it's actually remarkable how much it reminds me of my old Nomad, with the caveat that the lead sound I prefer (Channel 3 Modern, as it turns out) and the rhythm sound I prefer (Channel 4 Modern) are no longer on the same channel. They're not super-cheap, but you should be able to find a Nomad-45 1x12 for $600USD or so, maybe a bit less.
 
recently bought the 100 watt v3 carvin.After listening to your tune I would think it suits your needs just fine.Got mine for under $900.Not bad for 3 chans.I have owned some really nice amps over the years,but this was the first I ever bought with out hearing it in person.Wasnt unhappy at all when I got it and used it.
I have tried various sims built into amps,outboard,built into recording gear.None have moved me, and I think that is due to the fact that I have actually owned or had a chance to play the original amp in most cases.You wont be happy with a line 6.If you can afford one, then you can afford to wait and save a bit longer.
I've seen splawns going on ebay for as low as 1200.Be patient and dont let G.A.S. get the better of you.Do some research and listen to as many amp clips as you can find.
At the end of the day you will end up with what you think works best,as you well should having been the one to pay for it.Ju$t know that there i$ no turning back once you go tube.
Good luck man.
Sheppard
 
SHEPPARDB. said:
recently bought the 100 watt v3 carvin.After listening to your tune I would think it suits your needs just fine.Got mine for under $900.Not bad for 3 chans.I have owned some really nice amps over the years,but this was the first I ever bought with out hearing it in person.Wasnt unhappy at all when I got it and used it.
I have tried various sims built into amps,outboard,built into recording gear.None have moved me, and I think that is due to the fact that I have actually owned or had a chance to play the original amp in most cases.You wont be happy with a line 6.If you can afford one, then you can afford to wait and save a bit longer.
I've seen splawns going on ebay for as low as 1200.Be patient and dont let G.A.S. get the better of you.Do some research and listen to as many amp clips as you can find.
At the end of the day you will end up with what you think works best,as you well should having been the one to pay for it.Ju$t know that there i$ no turning back once you go tube.
Good luck man.
Sheppard
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yep ......there's another recommendation for the Carvin. Bet you can find one on ebay for not too much.

Sheppard is right though ..... figure out what you want and then take the extra time to save for it. Keep using the Valvestate 'till then.
There's a reason people pay a grand or two for those good amps. Once you try one you'll realize that everything you've spent till now was wasted money. So don't waste more ..... try a bunch of amps .... find the magic one for you and set your sights on making it happen.
 
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