Amp setup

I use anything and everything when it comes to speaker combinations. depending on which setup I need for the intended purpose and what sound and tone I want to create. I even run amps at different ohm setting than the speakers, again I try and experiment anyway I can searching for that sound and tone. You'd be surprised just how much sound you can get from just one 12" celestion being pushed with an overdriven tube amp, equalizer and attenuator.

Experiment you'll find a combination that will work for you.

joe

Usually a seperate head+small cab is a bit more expensive, but you can versatility with it. You can, as you said, use two 2x12"cabs if need be, without having to drag a full 4x12 cab along if it isn't needed. And you can more easily experiment using different cabs/speaker types. Most rehearsel spaces have backline, so in those situations you only need to drag your head along.

Like Joe and Arjen said, there is so much versatility with buying a seperate head and cabinet. And another terrific advantage is that it is usually much easier to transport.

And a 1 X 12 can knock your socks off. I own a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe and let me tell ya, they are SCARY loud.

Yeah, I've heard that about the HRD from several places. 40 watts of tube power seems as though it will do the job fine for me, but most heads are 50w bar minimum. Plus there's something about 100w that just is what rocknroll is about, but I'm getting off topic.... :D

In terms oof matching up the head with a cab, how do I know what heads are compatible with what cab. The head I'm looking at, for example, can take several different power tubes but you have to have the internal hardware biased to a certain tube design outside the stock 5881s that it comes with. (its takes el34s and 6l6s as well) Do you have to do a simliar thing in terms of cabs? I know you don't have to bias those as well, obviously, but now do you know if a cab will work with a certain head. Are there criteria?

A cab has a certain wattage@certain ohm rating. Overloading it can destroy both or either the cab and amp, so make sure you know what you're doing.

gotcha thanks

Given speakers of equal efficiency, 100W will sound only 3dB louder than 50W. That's less than 1 number on your volume knob. A 100W amp is more expensive to buy and maintain, way heavier, and will sound weaker when turned down to an appropriate volume level.

50W is too much power for most situations.

A small amp can always be miked for a larger venue.

Yep. Ricochet is right. 100 watts is overkill unless you have an attenuator. You will never be able to crank it up (anywhere).

I went to see a good Blues guitarist last night. He was playing a nice Telecaster through a Hot Rod Deluxe that looked just like mine. I couldn't help but talk to him about his amp at break. This was a medium sized club with a normal crowd. His band did not play loud. They were great, it was nice to see a band that uses dynamics instead of just blasting you with volume. Anyway, when I got talking to him he said the Hot Rod was too much amp. He was seriously considering a Blues Junior. That is only 15 watts. I asked him if he was gonna mic it. He said no, it would be plenty all by itself. This guy's name is Eran Troy Danner. He plays about 150-200 gigs a year. This guy is a pro.

Now, if you play heavy music, and you know you are gonna play large clubs with big crowds, then yeah, go with the 100W. And you CAN use a 100W amp at a small club. I have seen it done hundreds of times. But you will really need an attenuator to get the best sound out of your amp. It is like owning a race car just to drive to work. It'll get you there same as any other car, you'll just never get a chance to really drive the car the way it was intended.

Hey, I just ordered an attenuator. Why? Because I am never able to crank my 40W amp up at clubs. I have cranked it up, and it screams. But it is deafening loud. Now I should be able to get the great tone at a safe volume level.

Amps have just gotten more powerful and louder over the years. I guess each new generation wants to play with more power and volume than the generation before. And they can make amps do this. The problem is that the human ear has not changed and never will. The ear can only take so much volume before you suffer hearing loss. Words to the wise.

A personal favorite blues player, Billy Crawford (he formerly toured with Deborah Coleman, now plays locally with his own band) plays with two Blues Juniors, unmiked. His rig's plenty loud in the small-to-medium clubs where I listen to him, and he never gets their volume above 3! No problem being heard over the drummer, either. If you need 50-100 watts to get over the drummer, there's something wrong with him. You don't have to beat on your guitar strings as hard as you can all the time, and he doesn't have to on his drums, either. It's unprofessional to try to overwhelm other band members with volume. Everyone should remember that band music is a cooperative venture, not a battle. Play what the music needs, don't try to make yourself stand out all the time.