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The Hughes & Kettner User Forum

The Unofficial guitar amp and cabinets forum for users of Hughes and Kettner products. We are not affiliated with Hughes and Kettner!!


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streuth
terrencerox
6 posters

    Is 18 Watts Loud enough to gig with Does it bloom better on distortion?

    terrencerox
    terrencerox


    Posts : 5
    Join date : 2014-10-12

    Is 18 Watts Loud enough to gig with Does it bloom better on distortion? Empty Is 18 Watts Loud enough to gig with Does it bloom better on distortion?

    Post by terrencerox Sun Dec 14, 2014 4:03 pm

    I know if you push tubes, the bloom and the distortion is better, but is 18 watts loud enough without running it through a board or power amp?
    Do you notice tonal differences in the patches that are 18 and 36 watts?
    I am trying to get a better blooming resonant distortion say like the new Orange Rockerverb, which is the sound Marshall forgot!
    streuth
    streuth


    Posts : 52
    Join date : 2014-09-27
    Location : Santa Cruz

    Is 18 Watts Loud enough to gig with Does it bloom better on distortion? Empty Re: Is 18 Watts Loud enough to gig with Does it bloom better on distortion?

    Post by streuth Mon Dec 15, 2014 6:34 pm

    18 is loud, I have been gigging with all my crunch/leads set to 18 (one clean at 36 for headroom) and my master was between 6 and 7 (all small bars). I did several large venues with my tubemeister 18 (before I got the grandmeister) and used the redbox into the mains and that worked surprisingly well too. However I think I could do that with the GM without going through the PA.
    gravydb
    gravydb


    Posts : 193
    Join date : 2014-06-22
    Location : PA

    Is 18 Watts Loud enough to gig with Does it bloom better on distortion? Empty Re: Is 18 Watts Loud enough to gig with Does it bloom better on distortion?

    Post by gravydb Tue Dec 16, 2014 11:09 am

    I agree, I think a lot of folks under-estimate how loud 18 watts can be. I have a GM36 which I haven't gigged yet but my prior amp was a TM18 which I gigged extensively, in a wide variety of venues, and I never had the volume higher than about 10 o'clock. Hard to believe, I know. I make good use of the Red Box to send a signal to PA and monitors, therefore I have no need to crank the amp. I am big on stage-volume-control. My opinion is that if I have to turn my amp up any more than that, there is something else wrong with the scenario (IE something else is too loud, etc).
    Kaipirinha
    Kaipirinha


    Posts : 32
    Join date : 2014-06-01
    Location : Cologne, Germany

    Is 18 Watts Loud enough to gig with Does it bloom better on distortion? Empty Re: Is 18 Watts Loud enough to gig with Does it bloom better on distortion?

    Post by Kaipirinha Tue Dec 16, 2014 5:52 pm

    Same here! I have a GM36 and my last open air gig was played at 18W with volume at 13 o clock.
    Egads
    Egads


    Posts : 88
    Join date : 2014-05-26

    Is 18 Watts Loud enough to gig with Does it bloom better on distortion? Empty Re: Is 18 Watts Loud enough to gig with Does it bloom better on distortion?

    Post by Egads Wed Jan 07, 2015 10:44 pm

    Yep, I'm the same. Even with a loud drummer, 18 watts is enough for small-medium bars/clubs. We had an outdoor gig this last summer and I set up 36 watt versions of all my presets. I didn't need them! I even have plenty of clean headroom at 18 watts. When we're playing a louder venue, I mic the cab or use the redbox.
    birkenhall
    birkenhall


    Posts : 11
    Join date : 2014-10-19

    Is 18 Watts Loud enough to gig with Does it bloom better on distortion? Empty Re: Is 18 Watts Loud enough to gig with Does it bloom better on distortion?

    Post by birkenhall Thu Jan 08, 2015 12:33 pm

    I have found a slight difference in tone between 18 and 36. From my playing around I found 18w works best for my small local gigs (also with a loud drummer) still with head room.
    For the same gigs if I use 36 watts I can drive the valves as hard and feel that the tone is maybe not quite what I am looking for.
    I wish I could give a little more on the 36 watt but the only time i have taken it that loud was going through a foreign cab I haven't used before so tonallity was different anyway.
    When i play at 36 full blast I will update.

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