Minimum power needed?

[FinnDave]

[quote name='Greggo' timestamp='1385834118' post='2292702']

As far as cheapness, well I've been looking at ashdown electric blue 180's - seem to be had for around 100 and seem a nice size too. Anyone got any thoughts on them?
[/quote]

Yes, I have one. It lives at our rehearsal room (a bandmember's house) and is fine with our 5-piece band. It gets occasional use at gigs in small pubs and has never let me down. Mine is the 12" speaker version, I think I paid £90 for it. You can add a second 8 ohm cab if you need more volume as well.

[mikhay77]

[quote name='JohnFitzgerald' timestamp='1385896529' post='2293205']
Back to the question, if I may.

My old Trace stack was 130 watts. It was a 1x15 and 2x10.
My current TC BG250 is, rather unsurprisingly, 250 watts, that's into a 15" speaker.

Which one had the capacity for being loudest ?

The one with the Big stack of speakers. 130 watts was more than sufficient to make the speakers do what they had to do. No question about it.
The Trace would have blown the TC clean off the stage. The watts were no more than part of the equation.

Now, having said that.

Is the BG250 loud enough for me on stage ?

Without a doubt.

If I buy a TC 250 watt head and a 2x10 and 2x12 stack, will it be louder than my 1x15 combo.

Yep, it certainly will.

Buy speaker capability, not watts.
+1. I had the same trace set up for years,never had a problem ever. Only reason why I changed to 2 MB 4x10s was I got em cheap enough and we have a van so size doesnt matter,obviously they sound better than the trace cabs and look cool if you like that sort of thing plus move a lot of air! but still have only a 200watt valve head and nowhere near break up! Yes you need to be in the mix with the drummer bit if you do need more volume,stick it through the PA and foldback if you can save having ear splitting levels on stage.
[/quote]

[chris_b]

[quote name='Phil Starr' timestamp='1385834254' post='2292707']
....Too harsh on drummers guys....
[/quote]

Not so.

Too many players here seem to believe that a drummer can't vary his volume. If the drummers they play with can't do this they should be encouraging them to.

If the OP has played with a 350 watt (about 200w without extension?) combo then that is the least he should be aiming for now. A 180 watt combo (about 100w without the extension) won't be a good replacement in my book.

[Marvin]

The Ashdown will only be ok as long as the band is fairly quiet. I've seen them used in two instances...one a folky pop band where it held it's own. In the other it was in a rock/punk band with 2 guitarists...it was useless and you couldn't hear it at all. In part it was due to the bass player had set his tone in competition with the guitarists but still. At that same event I used a Markbass 210 which I think could chuck out about 400w max, master was at 2 and kicked butt

A 350w 210 combo is the min I'd go for.

Edited December 1, 2013 by Marvin

[JohnFitzgerald]

I should add that in my opinion personal tone makes a huge difference.
At our gig last night the bloke in the other band had a R*ck*nb*ck*r played with a pick into an SVT 8x10 stack.
It was all top and bottom and he was at knee buckling volume on stage.
His level through the PA was pretty immense too.
Certainly, it was all louder than I'd ever want to be.

Nobody could hear him, he couldn't hear himself, but everyone complained that the bass was too loud.
No mid, all top and bottom. On its own, sounded immense. In a band, too loud, but inaudible. Thundering through you, but you couldn't hear any notes.

I was quieter through my backline, I was quieter through FOH too by a considerable margin.
I could hear myself fine, people in the venue could hear me too.

Tone has a huge influence on audibility.

Ashdowns have never delivered for me in this regard.
Too much bottom, not enough mid.

YMMV.

[Mikey R]

I played at todays practice with my Hartke HA2500 head (liberated from the combo) into the Barefaced Compact, thats 175 watts at 8 ohms

Towards the end, our drummer was digging in, but my rig was having no problems keeping up, perfectly clean, and I had absolutely tonnes of volume left if I needed to crank it any further. I suspect alot of what was working was a mid heavy tone from the instrument into a very sensitive speaker.

Ive played through two ashdowns on separate occasions, and I had to push them both very hard to get anywhere near audible, and they were wooley and undefined at those volumes.

So I guess its a combination of tone and efficient speakers.

[FinnDave]

I play in a five piece band and always use Ashdown amps, mostly my ABM500 into a Barefaced Super Twin. Never had to turn up beyond about 1/3 volume no mater where we play. Last couple of gigs I have used a MAG 300 (that our guitarist found in a skip!) with the same cab and still need only 1/3 volume. The bass is definitely clear to the rest of the band and the audience.

[PaulWarning]

I've a 75 watt 1 x 15 Laney combo that I leave at our practice place, sometimes I get asked to turn down, the drummers no animal though

[chris_b]

[quote name='FinnDave' timestamp='1385985762' post='2294275']
....I play in a five piece band and always use Ashdown amps, mostly my ABM500 into a Barefaced Super Twin.Never had to turn up beyond about 1/3 volume no mater where we play....
[/quote]

That's what a great cab will do for you.

Edited December 2, 2013 by chris_b

[FinnDave]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1385995434' post='2294396']
That's what a great cab will do for you.
[/quote]

Yup, I was using the ABM through an Ashdown 410 and the sound was never half as good as that from the Barefaced.

[barkin]

[quote name='Mikey R' timestamp='1385922944' post='2293695']
I played at todays practice with my Hartke HA2500 head (liberated from the combo) into the Barefaced Compact, thats 175 watts at 8 ohms
[/quote]

HA2500 into a single Compact is a combination that I use frequently. Surprisingly loud, and good, isn't it?

[Mikey R]

[quote name='barkin' timestamp='1385996339' post='2294417']
HA2500 into a single Compact is a combination that I use frequently. Surprisingly loud, and good, isn't it?
[/quote]

It doesnt kick like a valve amp, but its way cheaper and way less heavy. Im actually surprisingly GAS free at the moment!