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50 watt or 30 watt Marshall?

KilmanKilman Posts: 18
edited June 2004 in Musicians and Gearheads
http://www.marshallamps.com/images/products/vintage/1987x.html

or

http://www.marshallamps.com/images/products/vintage/2245.html

I'm guessing with the 30 watt cranked my tone will be much dirtier, but i really dont know if it will be loud enough to hear in my band. I currently play a Fender Delux 180 watt monster that i use as a head into a Marshall 60's cab. Needless to say i cant really turn it to 11 without blowing my walls down. Any opinions would help me out.
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Comments

  • solsurfrsolsurfr Posts: 207
    Originally posted by Kilman
    http://www.marshallamps.com/images/products/vintage/1987x.html

    or

    http://www.marshallamps.com/images/products/vintage/2245.html

    I'm guessing with the 30 watt cranked my tone will be much dirtier, but i really dont know if it will be loud enough to hear in my band. I currently play a Fender Delux 180 watt monster that i use as a head into a Marshall 60's cab. Needless to say i cant really turn it to 11 without blowing my walls down. Any opinions would help me out.

    A lot of people will tell you to get the more powerful amp. Unless you are playing in big venues, you should be okay with the 30watt valve amp. If you are playing those big arenas, you could probably be mic'd-up to the house PA or something and you would be okay that way too. One of my old bandmates use to play with one of those 4x10 Fender Deville's. I think it was a 60watt tube amp and he never had it above 3 during gigs. It was so frickin' loud. It's that 2 to 1 theory. A 30watt tube amp is equal to a 60watt solid state.
  • pariahpariah Posts: 596
    Depends on how much headroom you want. From my experience the 30 watt's of the JTM are not "loud" (like for example a hotrod deluxe), and it breaks up really soon, e.g. on practice volume. Want amp overdrive? Take the JTM. Want clean tones at higher volumes? Go 1987x.
    "Until you realize the importance of the banana king, you will know absolutely nothing about the human-interest things of the world."
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    Originally posted by pariah
    Depends on how much headroom you want. From my experience the 30 watt's of the JTM are not "loud" (like for example a hotrod deluxe), and it breaks up really soon, e.g. on practice volume. Want amp overdrive? Take the JTM. Want clean tones at higher volumes? Go 1987x.


    exactly. It depends on how much headroom you want or need.

    You'll be heard with 30 watts thats not really an issue plus you can always drop a mic infront to go to the PA which honestly is a better way of doing things because the PA spreads the sound better than your amp.

    The 50 watt head will give you more useable clean volume than the JTM 45 because it starts to distort later. You'll need to play both at full concert volume to decide which amps character you like better. Neither should be too loud for most clubs and you can always add a quality attenuator like the THD Hotplate for earlier in the evenings before the venue fills up.
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • pariahpariah Posts: 596
    Originally posted by pariah
    and it breaks up really soon, e.g. on practice volume.

    I meant band practice, of course ;)
    "Until you realize the importance of the banana king, you will know absolutely nothing about the human-interest things of the world."
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