Dad3353 Posted September 2, 2021 Share Posted September 2, 2021 (edited) This is our all-valve head, on its flight case. It takes two strong-uns to lift it. Are you prepared for that..? (The handle on the head itself is, frankly, symbolic...). It may be noted that the i/p and Main volumes are at about half or thereabouts, and that this is an open-air (biker...) concert stage; driving a 2x15 Fender Bassman cab. The bass can be heard, and felt. Edited September 2, 2021 by Dad3353 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taunton-hobbit Posted September 2, 2021 Share Posted September 2, 2021 (edited) Umm I've got 300 watts of Matamp bass in my living room ............... and moving swiftly on, I've had quite a few amps over the years - two of the early Vortexion 100watt monobloc transistor amps both failed on their first outing - repaired foc and still in occasional use 30+ years later (left behind on divorce) - a massive Soundcraft install amp went down with a dry joint (my fault, using it mobile) Soundcraft repaired it for a lot of money (I gather it was a Swedish model which UK Soundcraft had never seen) & I've had one 200 Ormat melt through dead shorts on the output jacks (not my doing) & another one died trying to power up a pair of Celestion SR1 speakers (Vortexion amps to the rescue). Considering the years I worked, the way the stuff was transported & stored (badly), I've never really had cause to complain about amp failure - I think you've been a bit unlucky............ 😎 Edited September 2, 2021 by taunton-hobbit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy67 Posted September 2, 2021 Share Posted September 2, 2021 Buy a Bugera BV1001t 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveXFR Posted September 2, 2021 Author Share Posted September 2, 2021 2 hours ago, Happy Jack said: What on Earth would you do with a 300W valve amp? 😂 200W would be overkill for almost any venue, 100W is more than adequate. Anything over 100W is just willy-waving, frankly. I find I'm pushing the Trace pretty hard to get to a suitable volume with a loud drummer and that's 280w. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4000 Posted September 2, 2021 Share Posted September 2, 2021 The only amps that have failed on me were: A very early Trace AH150 (GP11) I had many, many years ago (actually my favourite amp that I’ve owned) which didn’t like being connected to 2 cabs regardless of denomination or impedance. Had it on the bench for ages, couldn’t replicate the issue, in the end just used it with one; it was plenty loud anyway. Loved that amp. A Marshall Dynamic Bass 200w which crapped out on me in the process of getting rid, not long after buying (it was rubbish!). It turned out to have a dodgy component - I forget what - that failed as soon as someone played with some welly. As I literally brush the strings it never happened to me. 😂 Thankfully fixed under warranty and moved on immediately. A Marshall 2001 375watt all-valve head. Very rare, probably with good reason. 😉 That was useless and used to blow up almost every time I plugged it in. Got rid of that fast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4000 Posted September 2, 2021 Share Posted September 2, 2021 Just now, SteveXFR said: I find I'm pushing the Trace pretty hard to get to a suitable volume with a loud drummer and that's 280w. Valve volume is different. 😉 I play extremely lightly but was quite happy competing with a very loud drummer and 2 modded Marshall full stacks using either a 100w Marshall Superbass or a Fender Bassman 135 back in the day, plugged into either a 2x15 or 2 single 15s. I guess it depends on the sound you’re after and how loud you like to hear yourself (I’ve always preferred to be “in the mix” onstage). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted September 2, 2021 Share Posted September 2, 2021 43 minutes ago, SteveXFR said: I find I'm pushing the Trace pretty hard to get to a suitable volume with a loud drummer and that's 280w. No, I don't play loud, now, but for outside, street-corner gigs I never had volume issues with my Fender Bassman Export (50w valves, into that same Fender 2x15 cab...). Here's an old photo... OK, for a really loud band, 100w (or that superb 135 Fender/Musicman amp...) would be more than adequate. Just for fun, here's a photo of the Hiwatt stack our 200w head used to drive, as a PA, one stack each side of the stage (so four cabs...). 200w; we never ever lacked volume (and, for me more importantly: headroom...). Clean to the sky, and darned loud... Yes, this lot filled the van, and weighed it down, too..! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nekomatic Posted September 2, 2021 Share Posted September 2, 2021 6 hours ago, SteveXFR said: Is it just me or are amplifiers less reliable than a badly maintained Alfa Romeo? Ignore me if I’m talking rubbish, because any expertise I have here owes much more to the textbook than the battlefield, but have you ruled out an intermittent short in a speaker cab or cable, or a dodgy mains supply? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taunton-hobbit Posted September 2, 2021 Share Posted September 2, 2021 31 minutes ago, Dad3353 said: Yes, this lot filled the van, and weighed it down, too..! Vortexion horns ? 😎 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveXFR Posted September 2, 2021 Author Share Posted September 2, 2021 21 minutes ago, nekomatic said: Ignore me if I’m talking rubbish, because any expertise I have here owes much more to the textbook than the battlefield, but have you ruled out an intermittent short in a speaker cab or cable, or a dodgy mains supply? Each failure occurred in a different building so that rules out the mains supply. I'll check the speaker wiring, it's 30 years old so could be dodgy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted September 2, 2021 Share Posted September 2, 2021 30 minutes ago, taunton-hobbit said: Vortexion horns ? 😎 Possibly, or Vitavox. I'd really like to get 'em back, either way..! I foolishly swapped the set for a pair of 'Power' columns, much more portable, which clapped out after less than a year..! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Downunderwonder Posted September 2, 2021 Share Posted September 2, 2021 4 hours ago, Dad3353 said: symbolic... Could be replaced by a stenciled THIS SIDE UP to save weight. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellzero Posted September 3, 2021 Share Posted September 3, 2021 12 hours ago, Dad3353 said: Yes, this lot filled the 4 lorries, and weighed them down to the mudguards, too..! And don't forget the Poclain we had to buy too..! Fixed for you. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellzero Posted September 3, 2021 Share Posted September 3, 2021 (edited) 20 hours ago, SteveXFR said: The Trace was running at about 80%on output volume Here is your answer : 80% on the volume on an old Trace Elliot (often with no fans or underrated ones) means it's been so hot you could have cooked on the amp and then it simply started to burn. Edited September 3, 2021 by Cat Burrito Moderated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveXFR Posted September 3, 2021 Author Share Posted September 3, 2021 I've been looking at all valve amps and noticed that the Orange AD200B head is only 200W. The last gig I went to before the world ended was PigsX7 and I remember their bassist had one of them and it was fooking loud. They're also very expensive but maybe 200W is all I need. That gig was at a pretty big venue and the band were so loud that up front I could only hear the guitarist who was right in front of me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveXFR Posted September 3, 2021 Author Share Posted September 3, 2021 6 minutes ago, Hellzero said: Here is your answer : 80% on the volume on an old Trace Elliot (often with no fans or underrated ones) means it's been so hot you could have cooked on the amp and then it simply started to burn It has now got a more powerful thermostatic fan and a load of extra heat sinks but the vent is right next to the fan so it could just recirculate its own hot air. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Burrito Posted September 3, 2021 Share Posted September 3, 2021 MODERATORS UPDATE - This thread got flagged to us. I have edited a comment and reference to it. I don't think it requires explanation but let's just think before we post. If you are not sure, re-read the rules. No warnings at this stage. What might be fine amongst known friends down the pub might not work so well on a public forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taunton-hobbit Posted September 3, 2021 Share Posted September 3, 2021 13 hours ago, Dad3353 said: Possibly, or Vitavox. On reflection they look like 3cell Vitavox - wish I'd never got rid of my pair, either ! 😎 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bagsieblue Posted September 3, 2021 Share Posted September 3, 2021 1 hour ago, SteveXFR said: I've been looking at all valve amps and noticed that the Orange AD200B head is only 200W. The last gig I went to before the world ended was PigsX7 and I remember their bassist had one of them and it was fooking loud. They're also very expensive but maybe 200W is all I need. That gig was at a pretty big venue and the band were so loud that up front I could only hear the guitarist who was right in front of me If the gig was at a pretty big venue wasn't there a PA that would have been doing all the heavy lifting to get the band that loud? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4000 Posted September 3, 2021 Share Posted September 3, 2021 Lemmy got by with 100w Marshalls. In Motorhead! And Glenn Hughes used 200w Hiwatts……..in Deep Purple! In the ‘70s! Do you need to be louder than them? Or just much cleaner? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted September 3, 2021 Share Posted September 3, 2021 (edited) Your volume will be dependent on the cabs, not necessarily the amplifier. You can get very loud by adding cabs. I had a Trace Elliot that had a dry joint on a resistor, apart from that touchwood, I've only blown a fuse in a lead from using a 3amp fused (lghting) lead instead of a 10A one. The other thing I found with amps is you need to clear out dust and spiderwebs from inside the amp and cooling fans if it's not kept in a sealed box, flight case. If you can't hear yourself over the drummer then you need to look at your EQ, something that sounds nice solo'd, probably won't fit in a band mix. Check you are using speaker leads and not instrument leads between the amp and speaker. If you are hearing distortion, check what's causing it, is it the power amp (generally bad), the speaker (bad, the coil will eventually melt), or the pre amp(should be ok) Edited September 3, 2021 by TimR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mykesbass Posted September 3, 2021 Share Posted September 3, 2021 Had two fail on me. Early Class D Yamaha and a Hartke 2500 (which must have known how much I hated it)! On the other hand, my Carvin, which has a very bad reputation, is still going strong after many years, and a decent amount of gigs 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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