• From: Nottingham, UK
  • Registered: 2006-08-08
  • Posts: 690

Topic: Amps: Watts vs. Decibels

Why are amp wattages so deceptive? Surely they should simply measure the decibels produced clean and overdriven for a test chord?

Reason I ask is I've been looking at the Peavey Valve King 112 and the Kuston Defender, both 50W 12inch speaker combos, Guitar magazine reckons the Fender Blues Junior is a close contender to the despite being only 15W it's plenty loud enough. Must be something to it as the Blues Junior is driving another 12inch horn.

'The sound of the city seems to disappear'

2 Reply by Detman101 (edited by Detman101 2007-10-29 20:52:02)

  • From: Frederick, MD
  • Registered: 2006-12-28
  • Posts: 851

Re: Amps: Watts vs. Decibels

At this point, I don't even know what to do about an amp. I think I'm going to buy one from a  pawn shop that is 30w+ and see how I like it. Preferably one with some effects.

I'm going to cut my teeth on a line6 spider-3 if I can find one. If not I'll just get a regular amp without effects that is louder than the 14w garbage kiddie amp that I have.


I would like to know just how the fender blues junior is as loud as a more powerful amp when it is only 14 watts...

(confused)

=\
Dm

"Talent instantly recognizes genius,
but mediocrity knows nothing more than itself."

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Detman101's Website

  • From: Bellevue, WA
  • Registered: 2006-06-15
  • Posts: 3,336

Re: Amps: Watts vs. Decibels

Tube amps are more efficient, and will give you more decibles per watt than a solid state device.  They sound better, too.

Someday we'll win this thing...

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jerome.oneil's Website

  • From: Nottingham, UK
  • Registered: 2006-08-08
  • Posts: 690

Re: Amps: Watts vs. Decibels

Here's two pages with some decent and scientific discussion.

http://users.chariot.net.au/~gmarts/amppower.htm

http://www.gibson.com/products/epiphone … tid=171151

What I'm taking away is that watts are very poor guide. I would say go to the shop and try out but blasting away at max volume on various amps might raise a few eyebrows! I certainly think speaker size and number are more of a guide since most combos match the powerstage to them. Playing loud clean is clearly the everest, with distortion the test is how nicely and controlled thinks break up.

I have gleaned the following EL84 tubes = Marshall type sound, 6L6 tubes = Fender type sound and 12AX7 are pretty common as preamp stages in both.

Was planning to keep my current amp, run a splitter box to it and kick it in as a cheap alternative fuzzbox, it's sleaze incarnate.

'The sound of the city seems to disappear'
  • From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Re: Amps: Watts vs. Decibels

Hello everybody
Amp and Watts: is a VOX 30, a 30W amp? And if, it is one of the best amps.
I can add NOTHING, cytania, jerome, and Detman. except for the amp topic. I tried to find an amp versus price.
I did found a lot of amps for a low budget, and while looking around, the comments were a catastrophe. You need, if you want to be heard, or playing a gig, you need amps starting from 50W.
If you live in a place where you have a dozen neighbours it cab become difficult.
Cytania: I adore effects and modeling amps, so I have 2 floorboards like Zoom 8080 and the line6 pod xt. I love to use them on my Marshall Valvestate, or on my acoustic amp
a Marshall too, 100W AS100D, a 100% tube amp, "for acoustic guitars" I played a few times electro-acoustic, and using it more for my electric guitars: warm, crystal clear sound (if used without effects) The best alo I ever saw, and heard is my "Fender Cybertwin" having tubes and digital elements. It is also a modeling amp (almost every Fender Amp and 200 effects are in that amp). What is your opinion Cytania about this "hybrid" amp? It's a 2x65W and on volume 4 it blows everything away. People having other Fender amps can't believe what they hear, plugging in an electric guitar.

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

gitaardocphil's Website

  • From: Nottingham, UK
  • Registered: 2006-08-08
  • Posts: 690

Re: Amps: Watts vs. Decibels

Got to try out two amps this lunchtime. First a Fender Pro Junior, nice size but I found the clean tone flabby and the tube warmth lacking. Next up a Peavey ValveKing 212, much more like it. Clean smooth tone, that needed no compression, but sizewise - huge. Now the horns of my dilemma is size versus sound.

'The sound of the city seems to disappear'