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Small amps into larger cabs


strat0124

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I've been messing around at home running a Pro Jr into my Marshall 1936 cab. All I can say is it will amaze you. Running about 1/3 volume it sounds bassman bigtime, running 1/2 volume its JTM45 (although to get that kind of grind with a JTM45 you gotta have it cranked). And its plenty loud for clubs, in a big hall or concert stage it might not have the stage volume you prefer. Its pretty darn cool for 15 watts. Plenty of bass response as well...thumps off your chest.
Down like a dollar comin up against a yen, doin pretty good for the shape I'm in
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Yeah, I jammed with a guy that brought his Pro Jr. It sounded great and could easily get louder than the drum kit. Why would you ever need more power than that?

 

Four speakers are twice as efficent as one speaker so yeah, a small tube amp through a big cab will definately rock.

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People forget (or don't know) that to double the volume of a guitar amp, you have to effectively up the wattage 10x. So a 100 watt amp is only twice as loud as a 10 watt amp. This also means that a 30watt amp is almost as loud as a 100 watt amp.

 

The most important factor to the volume output of an amp is the number of speakers and their efficiency.

 

So a Pro Jr. or the like will BLAST through a 4x12 - loud as hell. A 100 watt Marshall will be much quieter through a 1x12.

"You never can vouch for your own consciousness." - Norman Mailer
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this is cool, can you get a decent clean at a respectable volume? i recently tried one at a local store. they sent me down stairs(an empty hall they rent out) to play "as loud as i wanted" . well 5 mins later i was nicely asked to turn down "we can't hear anyone on the phone!". it sounded so sweeet , and i wondered how it would sound in a larger cab. so do you have any luck plating clean above drums in the 4/12?

Boyd

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Originally posted by guitarzan:

this is cool, can you get a decent clean at a respectable volume? i recently tried one at a local store. they sent me down stairs(an empty hall they rent out) to play "as loud as i wanted" . well 5 mins later i was nicely asked to turn down "we can't hear anyone on the phone!". it sounded so sweeet , and i wondered how it would sound in a larger cab. so do you have any luck plating clean above drums in the 4/12?

Boyd

Actually my cab is a 2X12, and spanky clean and loud don't jive with this little amp. It stays relatively clean with a hint of overdrive when you pick hard at 1/3 volume, which is loud enough to me. Beyond that its a nice early single channel cranked Marshall-like tone, and yes loud enough to cause ear bleed. The Pro Jr. is most definitely a wolf in sheeps clothing.
Down like a dollar comin up against a yen, doin pretty good for the shape I'm in
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If you really want a good example of the "order of magnitude/double the volume" rule, plug one of those little battery powered cigarette pack amps into a 412....

 

The low end resonance of a 412 cabinet helps the little amps out a good bit. A great metal sound is with a little Fender solid state Bullet Reverb into a 412; sounds surprisingly like a JCM800 at a lower volume... Little SS Vox amps work well with the right 412, too...

Guitar Lessons in Augusta Georgia: www.chipmcdonald.com

Eccentric blog: https://chipmcdonaldblog.blogspot.com/

 

/ "big ass windbag" - Bruce Swedien

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Originally posted by guitarzan:

sounds too cool. i may have to check it out again but this time through a bigger cab! i like the simplicity of it, did you try it with any od or dist pedals? :wave:

Yeah, I only use one pedal...a Boss SD-1 for boosts for lead or an exaggerated phrase, and it responds really well. I'm not a fan of processed guitar, and try to keep it simple.
Down like a dollar comin up against a yen, doin pretty good for the shape I'm in
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Originally posted by Chip McDonald:

[qb]If you really want a good example of the "order of magnitude/double the volume" rule, plug one of those little battery powered cigarette pack amps into a 412....

Little smokies? Yeah pretty neat. I read about a band using one of those headphone practice jobbies and they taped the headphone elements to a SM58 to record, and supposedly sounded huge. I know Frank Zappa recorded once using a pignose.....and noone was the wiser! :)
Down like a dollar comin up against a yen, doin pretty good for the shape I'm in
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I used to run my 15w '68 Fender Princeton through my Mesa 4x12 all the time. It sounded awesome. James Peters builds 11w heads that just rip through a 4x12. The only amps I've ever heard that didn't get much better through a good cab are a Matchless DC/30 and Vox AC30.
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I'm waiting for the Reverend Goblin....it comes in a head version, and switchable between 5 watts and 15 watts I think. Which might make it the perfect club amp if it delivers the tone.
Down like a dollar comin up against a yen, doin pretty good for the shape I'm in
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