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Post subject: gigging with a 5W tube amp?
Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2015 12:58 am
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Hello

I was thinking if it would be possible to use a 5W tube amp for small gigs without distorting it and without a mic before it. I'm sure 15W would be plenty, but is 5W enough?

grtz

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Post subject: Re: gigging with a 5W tube amp?
Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2015 1:29 am
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Hello Fennycaster. I can't answer your question from experience, there are members here that can. Good luck.

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Post subject: Re: gigging with a 5W tube amp?
Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2015 1:36 am
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That depends - are you going to play with a really loud drummer/bassplayer ? I've done that several times with my (now sold) Blackheart Little Giant (I think that's the name) 5W into a 12" speaker (Eminence?)
It worked surprisingly well

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Post subject: Re: gigging with a 5W tube amp?
Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2015 1:54 am
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asgeirman wrote:
That depends - are you going to play with a really loud drummer/bassplayer ? I've done that several times with my (now sold) Blackheart Little Giant (I think that's the name) 5W into a 12" speaker (Eminence?)
It worked surprisingly well


I play mainly jazz with a double bass player and a drummer who drums on a jazz drum kit.

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Post subject: Re: gigging with a 5W tube amp?
Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2015 2:02 am
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Short answer no ,

But if your drummer and bassman play at very very low volume , yes


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Post subject: Re: gigging with a 5W tube amp?
Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2015 2:11 am
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Doubtful without a mic to run through a PA.

I have gigged successfully in small indoor venues (roughly 2400 square feet) with a 12-watt Princeton driving a 2 x 12 cab.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: gigging with a 5W tube amp?
Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2015 3:51 am
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Five watts is plenty on a solo gig in a small bar, with a pickup-equipped archtop and neverminding if the amp distorts. A dimed 5watter is loud enough to overpower everyone, except maybe Finns and Irish when they're drunk.

Might get a little skimpy with the bass/drums section and a need for nice, mellow, clean jazz sounds.

You just gotta try once, see how it goes. Put some foam plastic in the bass soundholes, give the drummer only brushsticks and leave the bass drum home...
:wink:


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Post subject: Re: gigging with a 5W tube amp?
Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2015 5:00 am
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I have a vintage (7w.) Hacker amp and have heard of people using them for bar gigs. The tubes are 2 x ECL86 and 1 x EZ81. Its clean and warm.

same model shown here.
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Post subject: Re: gigging with a 5W tube amp?
Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2015 5:24 am
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DonX14 wrote:
I have a vintage (7w.) Hacker amp and have heard of people using them for bar gigs. The tubes are 2 x ECL86 and 1 x EZ81. Its clean and warm.

same model shown here.
Image



I can't see / open the picture , is it my computer ?


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Post subject: Re: gigging with a 5W tube amp?
Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2015 6:38 pm
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I'm thinking 5 watts won't have enough headroom to compete with the bass and the drums without distorting. I have a 7watt/15watt Blackheart and pretty sure I would need the 15 watt setting to get enough volume clean.


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Post subject: Re: gigging with a 5W tube amp?
Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2015 11:32 pm
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It depends on the venue. How loud the other musicians you are playing with also will have effect.


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Post subject: Re: gigging with a 5W tube amp?
Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2015 7:50 am
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I would think its not enough. If it's not mic'd, I'd want a little more wattage than that. Especially if you're wanting it to stay clean. Don't most of those little buggers start to break up around 4-5 on the volume dial?

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Post subject: Re: gigging with a 5W tube amp?
Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2015 8:16 pm
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shred6 wrote:
I would think its not enough. If it's not mic'd, I'd want a little more wattage than that. Especially if you're wanting it to stay clean. Don't most of those little buggers start to break up around 4-5 on the volume dial?

That's what they were made for - to break up at low volumes. That way you can get decent tone without it being loud enough to bother the neighbors. Gotta use the right tool for the job.


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Post subject: Re: gigging with a 5W tube amp?
Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2015 8:52 pm
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It depends a lot on the speakers. Check the specs.

The sensitivity number is how loud the speaker will sound given a 1W 1kHz source at distance of 1m. Every time you double the wattage, you get a 3 dB increase in perceived loudness (SPL).
And a 10 dB change equates to "twice as loud".

A 95 dB sensitivity speaker in a 5W amp would give you 102 dB at 1 kHz/1m, which is the same as a 10W amp with a 91 dB sensitivity speaker. A 98 db sensitivity speaker would bump you to 30% louder than the 10W amp.

So yeah, given the right speaker, 5W can be enough for a small setting. But you may have to push it to near distortion, unless those you play with are fairly quiet.


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Post subject: Re: gigging with a 5W tube amp?
Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2015 4:35 am
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An emmy 12" wizard is rated at 102.8 db sensitivity (8 ohm), and the 16 ohm is 103.5 db.


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