Why 100 Watts?

[UR12]

Hey Dana, you're old

Here's me in '74 - I only had a Dual Showman Reverb with 2-15s - I don't know how the audience even heard me

Yea we're both old judging by your pic I can see your point though. The audience 100 yds back may have had a little trouble picking you out of the mix playing through that Showman

[bigbean]

As a player who's been paid to play '68 through the present I've owned a bunch of amps. The amp that I gigged with that had the the biggest power was a silver face twin with JBLs (80lbs). I had to take it once to a gig in a taxi cab and decided I needed a better plan.

At this point I've got three rigs: a 22 watt Mesa, 40 watt Fender and 60 watt Tech 21.

My experience has taught me:

Simpler (smaller wattage) circuits (generally) have better sound
More paper more than more power gives you more sound ('nuff "mores" for ya)
If you can't put the amp in one hand the guitar in the other and walk a block with it - it's an amp that should belong to someone else!

Oh yeah, also, keyboard guys who insist on having a B3 with a couple of 122s instead of a Nord Electro or something, are to be avoided like an ex wife with a loaded pistol or a drummer with roto toms.

[Structo]

Hahahaha,

The B3 comment was right on the mark.

A garage band I was in in my mid twenties had a keyboardist.

This was before the fancy portable organs became affordable.

Several times we had to man handle that beast up a flight of stairs.
Of course he is coaching us all the way up to not bump the walls or doorway, something about the tuning.
It was a nice organ, looked brand new.

He was the singer so......

You had to have a van to move it, or a pickup but since it rains here a lot, the van was important.
I was kind of glad when we broke up.

[vibratoking]

We have a keyboardist who brings a B3 and Leslie to gigs. I love it. It sounds so much better than his Nord that we have requested him to leave the Nord at home. He has the B3 outfitted with an integrated dolly on wheels and a padding system. He also has his stuff in a trailor with a hydraulic lift. Moving his stuff is not difficult and we're all in our 50s BTW I think you just have to find a B3 player with his head on straight as far as this goes.

[Structo]

Cool!

Yeah it's hard to beat the warm tones from a B3 and Leslie.
Especially with R&B or blues.
I loved the B3 in the Allman Bros., Procol Harum, Jimmy Smith or Mr. B3.

I have seen some dollies that they affix to grand pianos that jack up the instrument on little wheels then lower down when your ready to park it.

Probably ain't gonna help going up the stairs though.

[Reeltarded]

I recently did a session with Gregg Allman, and there is no doubt that some people just know where and when to drop their right hand.

Quite a talent in those three fingers.

[David Root]

Was that on his new album Low Country Blues?

[212Mavguy]

Awwww,

Nice page on this thread right here!

YAY!

[rdjones]

I've always felt like more than 50 watts goes to waste for guitar, based on the volume levels that I'm comfortable playing at.
I do agree though that there's something to the 2 vs 4 output device discussion.
I may have to try something with 4 6V6s.

rd

[tictac]

Pardon me if I'm repaeting what someone else said but I don't recall anyone mentioning the power supply.

The big difference between the 50W and the 100W is the Iron, the larger amps have a stiffer power supply which is why they are punchier and crisper sounding. The 50W amp sag more when pushed than the 100's do.

One of Kevin OConnors designs uses 100W iron to build a 50W amp so you get the tonal qualities of a 100W power supply with a 50W output.
(seems like a waste of iron to me)

My personal favorite clean amp is a Fender Twin Reverb. I've heard a small amp sound like a Twin on RECORDINGS, (a Blackface Princton Reverb) but have never heard a 20-50W Fender Reverb sounded exactly like a Twin Reverb in a live setting.

TT