Mattocaster wrote: Hey guys,

Mainly for interest, how do loud (50w upwards) tube amps compare to smaller (5-15w) amps at lower volume levels?

For example, 95% of most playing is practicing at lower volumes, so would a 10w sound better then a 50w at that volume?

You can obviously get some great tube distortion at far more manageable volumes with a little amp, but since the big ones all have Master Volume switches, is it not the same?

Would be great to hear some thoughts!

There is some debate, but essentially:

Playing a 50W amp with the master volume turned down is not quite the same as a 5W tube amp cranked.

Tube distortion comes into play at both the pre-amp and power amp sections.

When you crank the gain on a 50W amp but lower the master volume, you'll be driving the pre-amp tubes but the power amp tubes won't be lighting up much. In other words, you'll get some tube character, but not all the tube character you've read and heard about and might be looking for.

When you crank the gain AND the volume on a 5W amp, you'll be driving both the pre-amp and the power-amp tubes nice and hard, and it's the power-amp tubes especially (or arguably, depending on what your personal take is) which add to the dynamics and harmonic "richness" of the tone you're hearing.

Tube amps generally sound better cranked as loud as they can go, so a 5W amp is often preferable for a small setting like a bedroom or small practice room.

Mattocaster wrote: Hey guys,

Mainly for interest, how do loud (50w upwards) tube amps compare to smaller (5-15w) amps at lower volume levels?

For example, 95% of most playing is practicing at lower volumes, so would a 10w sound better then a 50w at that volume?

You can obviously get some great tube distortion at far more manageable volumes with a little amp, but since the big ones all have Master Volume switches, is it not the same?

Would be great to hear some thoughts!

Check this From Andy at proguitarshop.com. He gives good insight into what is appropriate wattage in this day and age:
http://proguitarshop.com/andyscorner/andys-corner/appropriate-wattage/ ?

Max wrote:
Check this From Andy at proguitarshop.com. He gives good insight into what is appropriate wattage in this day and age:
http://proguitarshop.com/andyscorner/andys-corner/appropriate-wattage/ ?

Good read - thanks. So, if I read it right, the moral of the story is - in 99% of cases, get a 15w or smaller amp if you want saturation, bigger (to about 30 or so) if you want some headroom.

great question, solid answer, fantastic article. all of it boils down to the fact that i'm still lusting after that 35w albion. woohoo!

Hmmm ok, that article is a good read.
But it just really says that a 15w amp is all you really need, not whether it sounds better at lower volumes.

In general, there are usually very nice deals on 40-50w amps on Gumtree, GFSA etc.
Although I doubt I'd use it for anything for practice use in the near future, it is still very tempting to take a larger amp.

Especially because the larger ones are equipped with more channels, better tubes, reverb etc.

i don't think it really matters, technology in amplifiers has come very far. Amps now days have loads of gain so it is not really necessary
to crank them to get a saturated sound out of them, i have a 100 watt that i practice with and its cool for me, i think the only issue would be that the volume is very sensitive because of the higher wattage, and the DB jump from 0 to 1 is quite dramatic. But it can still play at bedroom volume and it can saturate enough without having to crank it. I also find that it still sound greta at lower volumes, i baught 100 watts for the headroom, Remember you can always add saturation on your amp but you can't add headroom later..... i think that is something you got to keep in mind when buying an amp.

Even 5 watt amps to get the best out of them are moerofa loud ...

RuanR wrote: the moral of the story is - in 99% of cases, get a 15w or smaller amp if you want saturation, bigger (to about 30 or so) if you want some headroom.

+1. That's it in a nutshell. Although to clarify, that's if you want amp saturation.

Larger amps are viable as long as you don't rely on them being cranked to get the tone you want. That means getting all your grit from pedals, which in turn means being able to get the same sound at a wide range of levels. Fortunately we have recently been flooded with a variety of pedals designed to make a clean amp sound more like a cranked amp (which is how I can get away with using a Twin).

Ill never ever again buy a 50watt or 100Watt Vavle amp , Drummer : "umm ..... Im drowning here WTF WTF !!!!" .
On the Flip side , 50Watt has some Good Headroom for Cleans . But still ! 25Watt Can get you there easy !

I walked into Music Connection one day and tested a 20Watt Valve amp and thought ...... This is all I need .

If only I knew back then I wouldv'e saved alot of money and have great Tone at a non-Ear Melting Volume level .

Now i am looking to aquire an Attenuator for my Amps , Guess what ...... more Money ?


Just my 2c.

RJN wrote: Ill never ever again buy a 50watt or 100Watt Vavle amp , Drummer : "umm ..... Im drowning here WTF WTF !!!!" .
On the Flip side , 50Watt has some Good Headroom for Cleans . But still ! 25Watt Can get you there easy !

I walked into Music Connection one day and tested a 20Watt Valve amp and thought ...... This is all I need .

If only I knew back then I wouldv'e saved alot of money and have great Tone at a non-Ear Melting Volume level .

Now i am looking to aquire an Attenuator for my Amps , Guess what ...... more Money ?


Just my 2c.

So true. When I was a youngster I got myself a very big 100w solidstate amp, I dont ever go past volume 3, and with gigging, they mic you up in any case. If only I was smarter back in the day, and got a 20w valve.

Alan Ratcliffe wrote:

RuanR wrote: the moral of the story is - in 99% of cases, get a 15w or smaller amp if you want saturation, bigger (to about 30 or so) if you want some headroom.

+1. That's it in a nutshell. Although to clarify, that's if you want amp saturation.

Larger amps are viable as long as you don't rely on them being cranked to get the tone you want. That means getting all your grit from pedals, which in turn means being able to get the same sound at a wide range of levels. Fortunately we have recently been flooded with a variety of pedals designed to make a clean amp sound more like a cranked amp (which is how I can get away with using a Twin).

Spot on, I have 50w and 100w Marshalls and play at home without annoying the neighbours, I just use pedals to get dirt which is fine with me as it means I get clean headroom when I need it.