Is there any point? (amp question)

[lppier]

Hi,

This is a question I've been wanting to ask since I got into electric.. newbie to electric here..
To start off, I'm living in a HDB estate and I can't turn my practice amp past 4. Is there any point in getting a real good amp when you know you can't turn it up?

Pier.

 

[subversion]

a number of us here are HDB residents, we do own stacks even... 8)

small amps are fine in general, especially when there are other authorities dictating your amp volume level. however, small practice amps cannot manifest the bigger counterparts' dynamics & drive settings. if you invest in a good tone, you'll be more inspired to play because it's what you like to hear. you'd get better, the more you play.

 

[lppier]

So are you saying that larger amps have better tone than small practice amps when turned down to the same volume?

Pier.

 

[lppier]

By the way, cool looking rig! 8)

Pier.

 

[vernplum]

Is there any point in getting a real good amp when you know you can't turn it up?

Get some kind of attenuator. I can't 'sell' the idea of these enough as to how useful they are in allowing you to fully drive the amp but at acceptable volume.

THD Hotplate is fabulous.

 

[JMguitars]

So are you saying that larger amps have better tone than small practice amps when turned down to the same volume?

Pier,

Thats a good question, which can be answered both yes and no.

The answer is really subjective to the exact amp model in question.

Stand-alone power attenuators, amps with in-built attentuators, coffin-styled cabinets do facilitate cooking the power tubes on the higher wattage tube amps whilst maintaining reasonble HDB volumes.

In addition, the higher wattage models of a manufacturer (both tube & solid-state) do include additional functionalities.

Many of these functionalities play a role in massging/augmenting the basic tone of the amp, across a fair range of the amp's useable volume.

 

[subversion]

So are you saying that larger amps have better tone than small practice amps when turned down to the same volume?

it's not how big the amp is physically, more of wattage & speaker size. i'd say go for 40W & at least a 12" speaker. with this in mind, it's not going to be 'small' naturally.

 

[lppier]

Which amps under 300 have attenuators then?
What is the knob that I should look out for? Attenuation?

pier.

 

[p00n]

the only low end amp with a built in attenuator i know of is the vox ad30.. not a full tube amp though

 

[mikemann]

Hi lipper,

Currently, power attenuators are normally reserved for tube amps at the value of $1500 and above only. More for tone buffs.

I think the concept is quite foreign to you, thus I think the info you are getting so far does not really apply to you.

My estimate is that you just want an amp upgrade instead. As subversion said, your next target is an 40watt amp with a 12" speaker.

But for your budget, you will have to settle lower range kind of amp, like laney hcm65.