Amp advice

[Slartibartfarst42]

I'm looking at buying a Marshall JVM410H to go with my Marshall 1960A 4X12 but events tonight have got me thinking. I went to see a band in a pub, which is the kind of venue my band will soon be playing and a few of things struck me:

1) I doubt I'd fit my 4X12 in the space they had!
2) They weren't that loud due to the limited space and valve amps usually sound worse quieter so why the hell am I looking at 100w?
3) The guitarist was using what looked like a new Spider Valve and was getting some decent saturated lead tones and I doubt I could do that on a 100w valve amp without earsplitting volume.

For a largely pub band, is a JVM 410H really the best choice for me and if not, what is a really good option to give me a wide range of quality tones and saturated leads for a covers band?

[Twinfan]

It depends on which pubs you're going to be playing, and how loud they let you play.

I gigged with my 100w Martamp and 4x12 on Friday night, and the master volume was just under half.  It was fairly loud, but then the venue had a small stage and it's a rock pub.

In my rock covers band I use my 100w Bogner XTC and a 2x12, with the volumes around 1/4.  A quieter overall sound, and we play more "normal" pubs.

I like a less pushed tone with the preamp doing most of the distortion, leaving the power section clean and tight.  For me, 100w heads are where it's at and I wouldn't gig with anything else.

If you're going to be struggling for space, you may to need re-think your whole rig.  A vertical 2x12 cab or stacked 1x12s may work better?  You can still use the 100w head if you use Vintage 30 speakers, or something else with large power handling...

[Spitfire]

if room is going to be a struggle.. no head will make the 4x12 any smaller...

but there are a lot of 30-50w heads out there that would suit your needs, both being easily loud enough for a pub venue.

i'd be tempted by one of the orange th30 heads.

[Frank]

A vertical 2x12 cab or stacked 1x12s may work better?

I've gigged with two 1x12s for a long time. Easy to carry, easy to find somewhere on a small stage, easy to transport BUT if you're throwing 100 Watts into just one or two speakers then you need high power handling ... which means you end up with speakers that are less efficient. A single 100 Watt speaker sounds very different from four 25 Watt speakers.

[Slartibartfarst42]

A lot of people seem to be telling me that the JVM is pretty good at lower volumes and a 100w amp isn't actually that much louder than 50w anyway. It seems like I can get a saturated sound at low volumes with it as long as the preamp volume is driven hard and master volume is right down. I'm watching a few at the moment and if I can get a combo I'll use that with a 2X12 as backup for those times when I want to move more air. If a combo isn't available, I'll just use a head with my existing 4X12 and cross the bridge of where to put it when I get to the gig.

[Transcend]

theres also the 50w JVM

plus you could go down the attenuator route the weber ones look interesting actually having speaker coils so it reacts more like an amp.

Also the eminence man o war is a great speaker if you're doing rock or metal

120w @ 102db

theres also the wizard which i arent sure on the wattage but they have an effieciency of 103db

[HTH AMPS]

I gig with a 1x12 combo, 30w, cathode biased EL34s - cranked about two thirds of the way up.  That is PLENTY loud for 90% of pubs, and I am LOUD.

[BigK]

I had a JVM410h and it was a great amp. It needed to be turned up a little more than my engl but it sounded great at louder bedroom volumes. So for a pub gig it would be fine.

[sgmypod]

I had a matamp 4x12 with 100w amp.........now run a 30w orange rocker into either a 2x12 or for most a 2x10..plenty loud enough

[HTH AMPS]

also, it's worth bearing in mind that there are loads of pubs I've played recently where we've barely been able to fit our gear on stage (or the corner they assign you to play in), and thats using a 1x12 combo (never mind a 4x12).

[Telerocker]

50 watt tubeamp and 2x12 cab is enough for pubs. I can never really open up my Orange Rockerverb 50 head, cause I'm blowing everybody away.  :)

[Pete24v]

an EVM12L is a very efficient speaker, i use it with my 120w MJW  all the time. Very full sounding speaker that can handle 200w.

[horsehead]

I had a matamp 4x12 with 100w amp.........now run a 30w orange rocker into either a 2x12 or for most a 2x10..plenty loud enough

MORE than loud enough :)

[Slartibartfarst42]

I'm really in two minds about this now. On the one hand, if I get a 2X12 combo it will be easier to transport and set up but I don't immediately see how a 100w head and 4X12 is any worse for space. It's still the width and depth of a 2X12, it's just taller.

Anyway, I'm going to have a rethink about this so any suggestions and comments would be welcome. I have about £600 available and it doesn't have to be new. This figure is flexible as if I go the 2X12 combo route I'll sell the 4X12, which will give me more funds. The amp will need to be able to do clean, 80s Metal and Metallica/Disturbed with all three being able to take a good boost for solos. At the moment I'm thinking  of these:

1) Marshall JVM410h with my 4X12
2) Marshall JVM410C 2X12
3) Blackstar HT Stage 60 2X12
4) Bugera 333XL INFINIUM 2X12 (This will need a speaker upgrade)
5) Wait to take a look at the new Laney Ironheart amps
6) Get a Digitech RP1000 and shove thjat through virtually any valve combo and sell all my pedals as well as the 4X12

[Dmoney]

if you get a 2x12 or maybe better still, a nice 2x10 with diagonally mounted speakers, then it would be shorter and narrower than a 4x12