How Many GuitarAmp Watts Do You REALLY Need? This is how I help customers decide onhow much power they really need. Bascially, we determine together how muchclean headroom is required and select the amp on that basis. Headroom is defined as being the volumeat which the amp starts to overdrive or distort the incoming signal from yourguitar. Fender Twins are known for producing LOUD clean tones – it’s extremelydifficult to get that amp to overdrive. Therefore, it has LOTS of clean headroom. A 1 watt amp designed to produceoverdriven and distorted tones (basically more of a distortion pedal than anamp!) will overdrive at very low volume. This type of amp has very low cleanheadroom. So, how do we figure out how much cleanheadroom and output power is required? 1.
Determine thesyle of music. There are two extremes that relate power to music style to cleanheadroom. AC/DC cover band? Crunch all night with extra distortion for solos.Country band? Predominantly clean all night. The cleans have to be loud enoughto keep up with your band’s stage volume. 2.
Determine how toget distortion for solos. Are you going to rely on your amp for distortion or areyou going to set up your amp for cleans and use pedals? 3.
Determine thevenues where the amp will be played. Do you only play at home? Do youoccasionally jam with another guitarist or two? In a garage/basement band? Gigin small venues only? Large rooms? Stadiums? The jump from playing by yourselfor with another guitarist to playing in a band is step that may require moreclean headroom regardless of music style and method of generating distortion.The jump from a band setting in a small venue (basement, small bar) to a largervenue (bigger bar, halls, etc.) may require another increase in clean headroom.The key is to determine when/if your amp will be mid’ed and your band’s stagevolume. The louder you need clean tones the moreheadroom you need and the more power you require. Playing music that requires lots ofclean tones and you have to be loud enough to keep up with the band on stage?You need more headroom. Do you rely on pedals for overdrive anddistortion and your amp to be clean all the time? You need more headroom. Do you want your amp to produceoverdrive and distortion and loud cleans are not as important? You don’t needas much headroom – you want the amp to overdrive at lower volumes. You need todrive the amp into its sweet spot at a volume level that won’t make the first 5rows of the audience look like those guys riding rocket sleds. Now, not all amps are designed the same.Some amps of equal power are specifically designed with more or less headroom.It’s rare to get the opportunity to play an amp in your chosen venue beforebuying – whether you buy online or from a local store (ever tried to determinean amp’s clean headroom when the kid next to you is practicing tapping usingthat 100 watt Marshall?) – so you need to rely on knowledgeable players and themanufacturer to guide you. It also helps to have an unconditional, money-backguarantee so that you can get ALL your money back if for whatever reason itturns out that the amp you bought is not suitable. How Much GuitarAmp Power Is Enough? Getting back to where we started, why doI think that 50 watts is all that would ever be required? Because regardless of the clean headroom required, youshould never be in a position where stage volume demands more power than 50watts. A 50 watt amp turned up enough to get it into its sweet spot isPUNISHINGLY loud. So, before you assume you need 100 wattsbecause that’s what ___ uses, think about the music you play, how you get youroverdriven/distorted tones and where you play. Then carefully consider how muchpower you REALLY need! |