Does the 100 watt amp still have a place in modern venues and where?

[neikeel]

I love the half stack, but nowadays it is a JTM45 and basketweave cab with beam blockers and an attenuator. I still have some 100watters that I can wind up at home but can't gig them anymore. In fact most places the 18w 2x12 combo or BFDR/Princeton 1x12 suffices.

 

[slade]

A little bit off topic but kinda on topic. I don’t get to play my tsl 100 when my wife is home so I’m always using my vht because I can go from near bedroom level to full stage volume. One day her and my daughter left to go shopping so empty house equals Marshall. About eight minutes after they left, the lights in my basement living room started flickering on and off. I stopped playing to hear my wife screaming down the steps “ do you have to play that thing so f…ing loud?” Well I yelled back “it’s a Marshall “.

 

[TheLoudness!!]

I have 2 100 watt amps they are SS
3210’s and they get played one for each rig
Dsl40c’s
Origin 50H
And both rigs are 4 MG cabs each.
And I don’t lose any tone playing quietly.
I have casters on the B cabs = 2 for the rig I set up as a full stack Origin 50H
And casters on 2 of the A cabs for the
Dsl40c’s rig.
Sad thing is I can’t find any like minded people in my area to even jam with.
But I still want to get out an play again..

Cheers
Mitch

I'm in the same boat. If you were on this end of the USA, I'd say bring a guitar and let's rock out. Or play one of mine, I got plenty lol

I find that people are mostly talk when it comes to forming bands. It's like they are too lazy. Almost every drummer I've dealt with has gotten on drugs. It's frustrating....

 

[Mitchell Pearrow]

I'm in the same boat. If you were on this end of the USA, I'd say bring a guitar and let's rock out. Or play one of mine, I got plenty lol

I find that people are mostly talk when it comes to forming bands. It's like they are too lazy. Almost every drummer I've dealt with has gotten on drugs. It's frustrating....

I hear you loud and clear

 

[David William Reid]

I can see that side of it also, but modern master volume amps aren't designed to be cranked to sound good, unlike in the old days. Most of them, in my experience, actually sound best between about 3 and 6 on the master.

I can also see your point about getting the best from the amp, but a 50-watt version of an amp is about 85-90% as loud as its 100-watt counterpart. Likewise, a 15-watt version is probably about 50% as loud as a 100-watt, and a 5-watt version, I'm willing to bet, is at least about 25-30% as loud. I'm estimating these numbers, but they're probably in the ballpark. So even a 5-watt amp is too much for bedroom playing unless it's attenuated.

With the 4-cable method, I can boost/tame the power section with one overdrive and hit the front with another one. It's a really "hot" sound, but with great clarity. And believe me when I say that the Marshall's "personality" still comes through in truckloads.

I like it for both, and I find that happy medium between the two.

 

[Sg-ocaster]

I too have moved to 1x12 combos from 100W half stacks. But there is nothing like the lowend of a 100W Marshall its a bouncey feel when playing rythm. If you really like that then nothing will sufice. There are ways to tame the beast PPIMV and attenuators. Not to mention NOTHING looks like a Marshall stack.

 

[Deftone]

Saw a half dozen shows last summer, some had 3-4 bands each and only one I can think of (an acoustic duet) had a couple of small combos. And that was in a bar/restaurant. All the others had at least a half stack, mostly Marshalls.

Twice I've been offered a Kemper in trade for a guitar though. I guess people are over the modeling thing?

 

[TonalEuphoria]

Twice I've been offered a Kemper in trade for a guitar though. I guess people are over the modeling thing?

I certainly am. I'm trying to get rid of my FM3 right now.

 

[mAx___]

With the current availability of all types of attenuators there really is no reason NOT to play 100W amps, anywhere and at any time. Best of all worlds.

 

[TonalEuphoria]

With the current availability of all types of attenuators there really is no reason NOT to play 100W amps, anywhere and at any time. Best of all worlds.

If you don't mind the cost to of the tube wear and replacement. And your electric bill.

 

[Deftone]

I certainly am. I'm trying to get rid of my FM3 right now.

Curious.... why you are trying to get rid of it?

I have a Spark amp I am trying to get rid of myself. I just never bonded with it. Been on CL for months and I haven't had one inquiry.

 

[TonalEuphoria]

Curious.... why you are trying to get rid of it?

I have a Spark amp I am trying to get rid of myself. I just never bonded with it. Been on CL for months and I haven't had one inquiry.

I don't find or like it better than quality high gain tube amps for my needs. I write, record and play original music only these days and like to use very particular tones. Basically Mesa and Marshall, with there cleans and dirtys, using overdrive pedals as a boost for solos. I don't need hundreds of mediocre tones that I never use, copying the real thing, when I can just use the real thing instead. And that sounds and feels better to play and reacts like a tube amp does to my touch and picking, instead of a digital copy of it.

I haven't gone complete purist though. I am very happy using a hybrid rig, weighing the pros and cons. Real tube amps, with effects modeling. Which I use a Line 6 HX Effects with my amps these days. Sometimes with other pedals thrown in, but for the most part the Line 6 HX Effects does everything I need and a good job of it. Enough to not want to use individual analog and digital pedals instead. Not when I can use the taylor made presets I write with different settings and effects, that I can change all at once with one step of a single switch. I don't even switch channels most of the time and just manipulate my volume knob on my guitars to clean up for parts.

 

[Crikey]

My band is running 100/50/30 watt amps half stacks. For me the 4x12 cabs are more maneuverable.
Btw My two twelve cabs are nearly the size of a 4x12.
I going to play what i have 100/50 watters as much as possible.
Big iron isn’t going away.

 

[Gutch220]

Hall of Flame

 

[TheLoudness!!]

Gig my 100w JMD all the time. Has a great MV so I can get great tone at flea fart levels. NEVER had a sound guy or anyone complain. My fellow guitarist uses a 100w 2210. No problem there either.

And I bet it sounds huge as well...

 

[TheLoudness!!]

I don't find or like it better than quality high gain tube amps for my needs. I write, record and play original music only these days and like to use very particular tones. Basically Mesa and Marshall, with there cleans and dirtys, using overdrive pedals as a boost for solos. I don't need hundreds of mediocre tones that I never use, copying the real thing, when I can just use the real thing instead. And that sounds and feels better to play and reacts like a tube amp does to my touch and picking, instead of a digital copy of it.

I haven't gone complete purist though. I am very happy using a hybrid rig, weighing the pros and cons. Real tube amps, with effects modeling. Which I use a Line 6 HX Effects with my amps these days. Sometimes with other pedals thrown in, but for the most part the Line 6 HX Effects does everything I need and a good job of it. Enough to not want to use individual analog and digital pedals instead. Not when I can use the taylor made presets I write with different settings and effects, that I can change all at once with one step of a single switch. I don't even switch channels most of the time and just manipulate my volume knob on my guitars to clean up for parts.

This is pretty much the way I think of things.

I can't think of any reason I'd want a rig that emulates the real thing when I can be playing the real thing. Literally the only down side I can think of is tube upkeep and maintenance. My amplifiers never need an update nor do I need to worry about "upgrading to the latest" version.
If my amp breaks down, it can be fixed by someone. Who fixes an Ax fx or a profiler? You don't. It's like an IPhone. You just shell out money for the latest one and toss it out.

Those old "dinosaur" amps will still continue to gain in value. I actually seen a YouTube comment saying "who plays amps anymore"? People that want tone LOL. I've literally never heard anybody say that Angus Young would sound better if he went digital. He'd sound great on most anything truthfully. He is most comfy with his wall of Marshall's.

It's even more comical that when the local GC gets a good amp in, it does not last maybe...three days. The last 800 they put out on the floor sold in hours.

My other scenario is similar to yours. Why on earth would I need 100 mediocre sounds when I can have one or two that totally kick ass??

Now that I think of it, almost none of the bands I listen to use a digital rig. The ones that do tend to have the same stale sound. I'm not knocking anybody that uses or enjoys a digital rig, however it's just not my thing. Play whatever inspires you to play.

As noted in previous posts of mine, I get into a lot of doom metal. Tube amps with volume on the verge of meltdown are part of that "sound". The blooming glorious harmonic feedback and speakers pushing that air to your back. Addicting. Amazing.

The best analog rig there is will NOT turn you into a Rhoades, Iommi, Young, Beck, Page, Gilmour, etc..etc...But can't we just pretend we are rock stars with earthquake inducing kt88 powered beasts?

Digital rigs won't turn you into a guitar God either. Gotta practice regardless.

As cheesy as some '80's stuff was, they got the f*** you amps and cabs stacked to the ceiling right. It's part of the stage show which people pay for. Just know how to use it.

In my opinion...
Digital rig = non alcoholic beer
Analog= Awesome whiskey
Neutral thought. Maybe some people prefer the non alcoholic beer??

Peace out.

 

[TonalEuphoria]

I've literally never heard anybody say that Angus Young would sound better if he went digital.

Lol. And anyone who does, if they ever do, needs their head examined.

 

[mickeydg5]

A good attenuator or effects loop does wonders for any power output level.

 

[Calebz]

Actually this is why I went back to amps. People want to see a half stack onstage.

In my experience, it's only the other guitar players in the crowd that care.

They're also the same guys that rush the stage to tell me how much more awesome their amp, guitar or random fx pedal is compared to what I'm using (also the reason my stage gear is all de-badged. I love the confusion on their faces when they arrive for their post-gig gear judging contest).

Honestly? Fuck those guys. In 30+ years of gigging, not a single chick has given half a shit about the gear on stage. And they're the ones that matter.

 

[tallcoolone]

In my experience, it's only the other guitar players in the crowd that care.

They're also the same guys that rush the stage to tell me how much more awesome their amp, guitar or random fx pedal is compared to what I'm using (also the reason my stage gear is all de-badged. I love the confusion on their faces when they arrive for their post-gig gear judging contest).

Honestly? Fuck those guys. In 30+ years of gigging, not a single chick has given half a shit about the gear on stage. And they're the ones that matter.

Oh yeah, always have a couple “guitar player guys” lol. Usually standing at the bar alone with their arms crossed staring at your fingers while the rest of the place is rocking out having fun. “Post gig gear judging contest“ haha!

We do a tribute/cover band thing and believe it or not people did care when I went ampless and used modeling straight to FOH. Sound was killer but a couple clubs (and my wife lol) said they missed the 4x12 on stage. I love amps as well so I just went back to lugging them