# Is 40w amp enough for small shows?



## TakeNoPrisoners (Nov 16, 2022)

I have a band that plays metal covers that will start doing shows in few months and I’m having trouble deciding what gear to get to use.

I’d like to have both a direct in FOH and speaker option. FOH will be more convenient but not everywhere we play may have good PA to have that as option so it’d be good to have a live amp option.

I have 40w combo amp and some pedals that sound awesome so cheapest option would be to just use that and get a pedal like ampli firebox to go direct in with pedals.

But is a 40w going to be loud enough?

I thought about getting a modeler and neutral amp as that’d prob be easiest setup but I don’t think I like feel of modelers and hesitant about spending bunch of money on something I’m not gonna like.

I’d be cool to get a big 100w mesa rec. But it’s expensive and having a huge stack seems like overkill esp since I live on 3rd floor apt and we practice in place w amps (where I’ve been using rec) so I would never use except shows and even then might be using direct into pa when available… so doesn’t seem worth paying 3K for something that I’ll hardly use and be a pain to get around.

If I get mesa I figure I could also get load box to use direct, I could just bring head if place as speakers and I wouldn’t need pedals w it since I don’t use fx. But even so I don’t know if it’s worth money and can hold off if 40 w is loud enough.

If you can let me know if 40 combo would be loud enough for small venues that could help in decision and I appreciate any other insights you can provide.Thanks!


----------



## sleewell (Nov 16, 2022)

yes


----------



## CanserDYI (Nov 16, 2022)

FWIW, At full volume the difference between a 50 watt amp and 100watt amp in terms of volume is only 3db.


----------



## thebeesknees22 (Nov 16, 2022)

CanserDYI said:


> FWIW, At full volume the difference between a 50 watt amp and 100watt amp in terms of volume is only 3db.


Well that's one bit of info I never knew! .... for some reason that saddens me. All that power for just a little spurt of more juice. lol


----------



## bostjan (Nov 16, 2022)

thebeesknees22 said:


> Well that's one bit of info I never knew! .... for some reason that saddens me. All that power for just a little spurt of more juice. lol


Well, it's the way dB are defined. 3 dB = 2x as much sound pressure.

In reality, it's a big more complicated and depends on speaker arrays and efficiencies and whatnot, but, in general theory, 100 W is +3dB > 50 W.


----------



## budda (Nov 16, 2022)

Dont forget about headroom. 

Imo buy a used modeller and try it. If you dont like it after a week or two, sell for what you paid maybe a little less. 

Or line6 hx stomp into a fender tonemaster twin.


----------



## AMOS (Nov 16, 2022)

Some artists use 20-30 watt in large shows. Granted they use IEM and wedges, but with modern monitor technology you don't need a lot.


----------



## TedEH (Nov 16, 2022)

I've used a 25w amp live - and it worked fine in all but the worst sounding rooms, where I ran out of headroom and couldn't hear myself on stage. This was a "loud for it's size" kind of amp (Mark 25), but also an exceptionally bad room. Intuitively, I'd say 40w is more than plenty for most situations, but the reality is that it depends on too many things to give a strait answer. Watts don't equal loudness.

Consider that I play bass through an "1100 watt" amp, and I can still get buried sometimes behind the two giant recto cabs in the room. Your cab will matter, the way you dial your tone will matter, what the other gear you're "competing" with is, etc etc.

IMO if you feel confident during your normal jams to rely on just the combo and you're nowhere near running out of headroom - then you're good to go.


----------



## Drew (Nov 16, 2022)

Depends on the amp. I've played VERY loud shows with 40w Mesa and Marshall tube amps (as well as much quieter shows with 100w Mesa and Marshall tube amps), but then again I wasn't playing metal where low end clarity and headroom were incredibly important, and a bit of power amp sag was IMO a good thing for what I was playing. 

Solid state 40w, I wouldn't want to chance it without a good PA and a mic.


----------



## wheresthefbomb (Nov 16, 2022)

thebeesknees22 said:


> Well that's one bit of info I never knew! .... for some reason that saddens me. All that power for just a little spurt of more juice. lol



IME 100w is negligibly more volume but noticeably more headroom than 50w. 

The answer is to buy a crusty old SS peavey amp and 412 and use the other $3,500 on rent, bills, big bags of drugs etc


----------



## thebeesknees22 (Nov 16, 2022)

wheresthefbomb said:


> IME 100w is negligibly more volume but noticeably more headroom than 50w.
> 
> The answer is to buy a crusty old SS peavey amp and 412 and use the other $3,500 on rent, bills, big bags of drugs etc


who needs headroom when you're gonna turn it to 11 anyway! jk


----------



## wheresthefbomb (Nov 16, 2022)

thebeesknees22 said:


> who needs headroom when you're gonna turn it to 11 anyway! jk



bc the power amp grinds moar harder


----------



## Screamingdaisy (Nov 16, 2022)

My current band is a 25w Mesa on a 2x12 and 100w Marshall on a 4x12. Both have no problem being heard, and it’s usually the 25w guy that’s too loud, probably because the 2x12 is blasting his ankles and not his ears. Point is, there’s a wide range of amps that work at a wide variety of volume levels,

Honestly OP, I think you’re overthinking this. Just get a good amp/cab that’ll get the job done and let the soundman mic it. Going old school will have you covered from shithole to stadium. Alternatively, fully commit to the modeller and buy a personal monitor for it so you/the rest of your band doesn’t need to count on the venue to provide your sound to you.

IMO, once you start gigging consistency is important, and if your constantly swapping back and forth it’ll be a headache for everyone.


----------



## owlexifry (Nov 16, 2022)

TakeNoPrisoners said:


> let me know if 40 combo would be loud enough for small venues


yes 40W is plenty..
but you'll probably wanna plug it into a 4x12. with good speakers.

2x12 at a minimum.


----------



## gabito (Nov 16, 2022)

40w tube amp: yes. 

40w solid state / digital / hybrid amp: probably yes, too. 

I’ve played live with 40w (or less) tube amps many times.


----------



## pahulkster (Nov 16, 2022)

I'd definitely run it with a cabinet. Something like a DSL40 is loud but not what you want for a metal show if you're playing straight.


----------



## TakeNoPrisoners (Nov 17, 2022)

Screamingdaisy said:


> Just get a good amp/cab that’ll get the job done and let the soundman mic it.



That costs money.. that’s why I’m asking.. tying to figure out how much I should spend or if I even need to spend money or not. I’d like to get a mesa rec but those aren’t cheap.. tho maybe I can find one used that’s not too bad. I’ve always been a bit hesitant about used amps as might have bad wiring and tubes at end of life damage speakers etc . I have money to spend so budget isn’t that much of issue.. but Im hesitant about spending 3K on something that’s overkill and not going to get much use.

.. I’m leaning towards getting a used one. Hope everything works good and call it a day.


----------



## budda (Nov 17, 2022)

TakeNoPrisoners said:


> That costs money.. that’s why I’m asking.. tying to figure out how much I should spend or if I even need to spend money or not. I’d like to get a mesa rec but those aren’t cheap.. tho maybe I can find one used that’s not too bad. I’ve always been a bit hesitant about used amps as might have bad wiring and tubes at end of life damage speakers etc . I have money to spend so budget isn’t that much of issue.. but Im hesitant about spending 3K on something that’s overkill and not going to get much use.
> 
> .. I’m leaning towards getting a used one. Hope everything works good and call it a day.


Post budget, use case and band style and then we can help properly.


----------



## TedEH (Nov 17, 2022)

If your only concern is to be LOUD, and you want to throw money at the problem, you can find something LOUD for under 3k easily. Look for basically any recognized brand of 50-100w tube amp and it'll get plenty loud.

Did you ever post what the 40 watt combo is? We could give better advice if we knew what you're working with.


----------



## BurningRome (Nov 17, 2022)

TakeNoPrisoners said:


> I have a band that plays metal covers that will start doing shows in few months and I’m having trouble deciding what gear to get to use.
> 
> I’d like to have both a direct in FOH and speaker option. FOH will be more convenient but not everywhere we play may have good PA to have that as option so it’d be good to have a live amp option.
> 
> ...


A 40W 1 speaker combo amp not being ran through a PA will not be loud enough. You'll hate the results, gauranteed. 

1. What amp are you using?
2. What amp is your other guitarist using?
3. Does your amp have a speaker out to connect it to a 4x12?


----------



## budda (Nov 17, 2022)

Dont even need the 412 - ever heard a fender combo on kickback legs?


----------



## Choop (Nov 18, 2022)

Which amp are you using? Generally I'd say yes for 40w tube, but if it's ss then I'd be hesitant. Also it varies from amp to amp.


----------



## BabUShka (Nov 18, 2022)

I could not think of any situation where my 50W JVM and 212 V30 Cab wouldnt be loud enough. 

Ive played live with a Silver jubelee 100W and that was a real hell at a medium to small stage. The sound man was not impressed because that thing went from zero volume, to window blasting in no time. 

One thing to consider is how the amp cuts through the sound. A typical Marshall JVM or JCM800 is mid heavy and cuts really good in a sound mix. I even used a Boss Katana 50 once. Its not loud enough for a show, but when run through mic and PA it cut really nicely. 

For comparison I used to play an ENGL Fireball 60 live. That beat sounds angry and loud as hell. But unfortunately I really struggled to get a good sound in a band and live situation, even with a 4x12 V30 cab. 

My point is that amp characteristics is just as important as volume.


----------



## Kosthrash (Nov 18, 2022)

TakeNoPrisoners said:


> I have a band that plays metal covers that will start doing shows in few months and I’m having trouble deciding what gear to get to use.
> 
> I’d like to have both a direct in FOH and speaker option. FOH will be more convenient but not everywhere we play may have good PA to have that as option so it’d be good to have a live amp option.
> 
> ...


Which amp do you currently use?
You may increase your amp's loudness by +xdB spl by just replacing the internal speaker with a more efficient (with bigger sensitivity, for example the v30 celestion has 100dB spl sensitivity, while the Eminence Wizard has 102.8 dB spl, so it's almost like going from 40->80 watts of power amp ...)





Loudness volume doubling sound level change factor of perceived loudness decibel scale log compare intensities formula calculate power level noise levels volume logarithm dependence three four fold loudness sound - by what factor does level decrease


Dependance sound levels change factor perceived loudness decibel scale log compare intensities calculate power level formula noise volume doubling loudness volume - logarithm decibel 3 dBSPL 6 dB 10 dB double voltage sound pressure acoustic power loudness sound audio formula relationship...




www.sengpielaudio.com


----------



## broj15 (Nov 19, 2022)

Kosthrash said:


> Which amp do you currently use?
> You may increase your amp's loudness by +xdB spl by just replacing the internal speaker with a more efficient (with bigger sensitivity, for example the v30 celestion has 100dB spl sensitivity, while the Eminence Wizard has 102.8 dB spl, so it's almost like going from 40->80 watts of power amp ...)



Really this response and the others in the same vein is the best advice in this thread- especially considering we still don't know what amp the OP is actually using. To my knowledge- and from my own experience- high efficiency speakers will do more for you in terms of volume than how many watts your amp is rated at. For example: a 100w amp played through a speaker with an spl rating of 98db will actually be quieter than a 50w head played through a speaker with an spl rated at 102db. Watts =/ volume but instead clean headroom (how high you can set the volume knob before you hear natural distortion). The SPL or speaker efficiency will actually determine how loud your amp can actually get.

If I was in OP's shoes (depending on what amp you have) I'd do one of three things.
1. Replace the stock speaker in the combo with something high efficiency... Might as well ball out and get an electro-voice EVM12L since I believe they're one of the most efficient, but also expensive replacement speakers on the market. If I'm being more conservative I'd go for an emi swamp thing since they're also very efficient (~102db SPL) and good for heavy down tuned guitar while also being ~$100 cheaper than an EV speaker. 
2. If your combo has an extension speaker output then I'd look for a cheap 2x12 with some high efficiency speakers and just run that.
3. (What I'd personally do in this situation since I'm not a smart person and a total sucker for big rigs and high volume ) run the preamp out of the combo to a giant crusty class AB solid state power amp (like a peavey CS series/Sunn SPL or SGA series/even an old Carvin) and then use that to power the cheapest 4x12 with high efficiency speakers I can find on my local FB marketplace/Craigslist.

I'd say all of those options could be had for less than ~$500 if you're smart and scour your local used market for the right deal.


----------



## Kosthrash (Nov 20, 2022)

You may calculate your required amplifier power depending of the venue size & type (open air/ closed) here:






Crown Audio - Professional Power Amplifiers







www.crownaudio.com


----------



## MaxOfMetal (Nov 20, 2022)

Folks throwing wattage numbers around in here like they're not almost completely made up.


----------



## budda (Nov 20, 2022)

MaxOfMetal said:


> Folks throwing wattage numbers around in here like they're not almost completely made up.


You spelled “calculated differently” funny .


----------



## BurningRome (Nov 20, 2022)

Combo amp, even if tube may leave him, his band and the audience very underwhelmed if there is no sound guy / PA. This is a very real situation I grew up playing in.

2x12 will def cut it, 4x12 satisfies everyone. Combo amp is fine, I just believe it needs mic'd to sound good for the audience.

There's a lot of things that really go a long way here to help understand. What's the amp in question, how loud is the drummer, is there another guitarist, what is that other guitarist using, etc. 

Poster needs to help us all know more about the band and gear situation.

My opinion was just based on my experiences being in a no PA situation many times, and being both a player and listener in a no PA environment.


----------



## Screamingdaisy (Nov 20, 2022)

My only real complaints about combos is that they typically have an open back cab, and open back cabs are kinda lame when palm muting.


----------



## MaxOfMetal (Nov 20, 2022)

budda said:


> You spelled “calculated differently” funny .



If you know, you know.


----------



## budda (Nov 20, 2022)

All “112 wont do” folks havent heard a cranked jcm800 112 combo and it shows.


----------



## ShredmasterD (Nov 20, 2022)

my 20 watt says yes.


----------



## EmaDaCuz (Nov 21, 2022)

My take on this. Unless you are in a pro band, people won't care how you sound and are there only to have fun. As long as you can hear yourself and be heard in the band, it's all fine.
Also no need to gig with expensive gear, it may get stolen or damaged, and again if the sound guy is bad at what he does, a $2000 Mesa would sound like a $200 Crate.

Now, to address the question. 40W is loud enough for pubs and small clubs. A 40W combo may not be the best choice if you play tight metal stuff, but more than good for heavy rock or classic metal. An extra cabinet would help for sure, better sound projection and you would find it easier to hear yourself.

What would I do? Buy a HX Stomp or similar, a pedal-sized poweramp, (I gigged with an EHX 44 Magnum for years) and a cheap closed back 2x12 that you can keep in your car/van in case the venue has no PA. Going to a gig with just your guitar case and having a plug an play setup is priceless, gives you a sound that is consistent show after show, and it is definitely more versatile.


----------



## TedEH (Nov 21, 2022)

Any and all recommendations here are useless until OP comes back with whatever 40w amp we're talking about. Leave it to ss.org to answer everything with "go buy a modeller".


----------



## CanserDYI (Nov 21, 2022)

TedEH said:


> Any and all recommendations here are useless until OP comes back with whatever 40w amp we're talking about. Leave it to ss.org to answer everything with "go buy a modeller".


Well, can you even have fun with it without an AxeFx?


----------



## ctgblue (Nov 21, 2022)

The information that is lacking:
How big are the venues?
How big is the band?
What TYPE of covers are you playing (tonewise)? big difference between mid heavy pop tunes and low end 7 string metal

I've played numerous outdoor shows with a 60w Peavey Ultra 410 and never even need 50% volume. So indoors 30 - 40 W is usually more than enough

Remember, if it's covers, and a mid size club, don't kill the audience wit too much volume, they won't want to come back


----------



## JimboLodisC (Nov 21, 2022)

you can get by with zero watts if you use in-ears and the FOH guy gets a line out via XLR to run it into the venue's PA system

if you're asking if 40W of tube power is enough to hear yourself onstage with everything else going on, then yeah most likely

but 40W of solid state wouldn't work, I know some people have said their 40W Spark has been fine but they're playing in quiet dad bands with clean tones playing backup rhythm parts in a small bar where nobody even hears them anyway so it doesn't matter


----------



## Voodoo Marshall (Nov 21, 2022)

Always have something you like on stage. Never trust front of the house unless you know the venues you're playing have high quality sound systems AND a high quality sound person. 

I use my Bogner mini at some gig through a 2x12 w/ V30's. Plenty loud enough and we're loud as fuck. However, for any venue and particularly bigger venues, 50w Marshall JCM800. More headroom.


----------



## Blackshirt (Nov 21, 2022)

TakeNoPrisoners said:


> I have a band that plays metal covers that will start doing shows in few months and I’m having trouble deciding what gear to get to use.
> 
> I’d like to have both a direct in FOH and speaker option. FOH will be more convenient but not everywhere we play may have good PA to have that as option so it’d be good to have a live amp option.
> 
> ...


I currently use a Mesa mini rectifier 25 watt head through a Mesa 1x12 rectifier cab and have to keep the master volume below 4 out of 10 at pub gigs. So, I think your 40w combo will be loud enough.


----------



## BillK (Nov 21, 2022)

TakeNoPrisoners said:


> I have a band that plays metal covers that will start doing shows in few months and I’m having trouble deciding what gear to get to use.
> 
> I’d like to have both a direct in FOH and speaker option. FOH will be more convenient but not everywhere we play may have good PA to have that as option so it’d be good to have a live amp option.
> 
> ...


In my old band, the other guitarist had a triple rec 150 watt monster. At the rehearsals or some drunk jam sessions to blow some steam off, it was i.m.p.o.s.s.i.b.l.e to play it on more than 2-2.5 volume (through a 4x12 oversize mesa cab)... On live shows small to medium stages he just turned the volume on 0.5-0.8 on soundcheck and the sound guys were screaming ''turn that shit down''. Stages always with micked cabs (except for a couple of shows) and rehearsal room just straight up cab. Long story short, on today's micked stages anything more than 20-40 watts it's pure overkill. And some more examples Brian May 30 watts Voxes, Tom Morello 50 watts Marshall, Carlos Santana 20 or 30 watt mesa boogie and so on... and those guys played on the biggest venues around the world.


----------



## Bogner14 (Nov 21, 2022)

10 watts can be enough even for a large show, depending on how you are set up. That said, nothing captures the muscular nature of a 100 watt plus head for rock and metal. Unless you go the modeling or profiling route. For tube amps, I have to have a 100 watt head. None of this is about volume, it's about character and vibe of the amp that gives what you need. For me, my 100 watt heads sound so much better than smaller wattage amps for my music. They all have great master volume circuits so when I look at thr amp's wattage, I'm not thinking about volume, I thinking of the overall character I want from the amp.


----------



## Sleazy_D (Nov 21, 2022)

I find 50 to be more than sufficient so I’m guessing 40 will do the trick


----------



## Guy_C (Nov 21, 2022)

IMHO, there's a far easier way to solve the problem... I am assuming you will be playing with a 'Live' Drummer ? If you have a practice space, set up your gear and try to get a good-sounding mix between the 'natural' volume of the drums (unless that will be mic-ed up through the venue's P.A.?), the volume of the Vocals (through a P.A.), and the volume of your Guitar and Bass amps. I've done a fair amount of Live Mixing, and it's quite usual for guitarists to want to play louder than everyone else, so with a friend or two along as referees and a bit of common sense, you should be able to get there... unless everyone is drowned-out by the drums... in which case, yes, you may need to get a louder Guitar amp... In my experience, 30-40-50 watts for Guitar works fine with 100 watts for Bass or Keyboards, but mainly to provide the extra headroom & clarity. Wish you luck !


----------



## ParanoiaEngine (Nov 21, 2022)

I went for 120 wattt. I'm no engineer but I think the bigger tubes and higher amount of them helps create different harmonic frequencies in the feedback I mean sometimes it sounds like a chorus of angels. not sure why that is but its my theory. Cheers mate a 40 watt should be fine for practice even small shows if you mic it into the PA definitely


----------



## kerryymm (Nov 21, 2022)

I used to gig with a 15 watt Orange Dark Terror. Sometimes mic’d up, sometimes just backline, but I never had the volume past about 6 and I was always loud enough, sometimes too loud.


----------



## yan12 (Nov 21, 2022)

YES. 40 watts of tube power is more than enough.


----------



## Emperoff (Nov 21, 2022)

I've done a truckload of open air shows with a 20W 112 combo. A buddy even uses a Joyo Bantamp (20W solid state) live. Watts don't matter as long as you have a microphone on your amp and a stage/IEM monitor.


----------



## wheresthefbomb (Nov 21, 2022)

TedEH said:


> Any and all recommendations here are useless until OP comes back with whatever 40w amp we're talking about. Leave it to ss.org to answer everything with "go buy a modeller".



I'm here to be the voice of dissent and recommend crusty old high headroom SS amps for every situation


----------



## TakeNoPrisoners (Nov 21, 2022)

TedEH said:


> Any and all recommendations here are useless until OP comes back with whatever 40w amp we're talking about. Leave it to ss.org to answer everything with "go buy a modeller".


I have a 40w Marshall Dsl combo. By itself it can be ok for practice but tone doesn’t quite sound heavy enough by itself for what I want. I have tube drive I put in front along with ts or other od sounds huge I love it. But carrying around pedals can be pain. I had been planning to get a bigger better amp to ditch the pedals altogether. But then the cost of a mesa and size of a big cab got me thinking maybe I should look for lighter option maybe stick w small combo.

Just ordered Simplifier to model preamp and cab the other day … I figure that way I can go direct in-house and if need cab I could get frfr type cab or just stick w 40w I have ..Im sure I’ll still want a rectifier but I figure I’ll see how this all pedal direct in works. Main thing about getting a stack is I live in 3 rd floor apt so it’s impractical for me to have a big ass heavy cab. Maybe I could keep at band mates house and maybe places will have cabs so maybe just need head but hate being a burden on or overly relying on others. Id hate to go do a show and not have adequate gear because the stuff at place sucks or my 40w isn’t cutting it etc.

I was thinking about modelers but I’m not sure I’d like. Hx stomp is like $700 plus similar for def cab… so like $1500. That’s a lot for something I’m not sure about. I’m not really using any fx just gain. I could get a used rectifier head for that much I’d prob prefer that and just get a load box if I want to go direct.


----------



## wheresthefbomb (Nov 21, 2022)

for $1500 you could build a literal wall of old peavey heads and cabs


----------



## budda (Nov 21, 2022)

buying a bigger amp doesnt guarantee no pedals. 

Buy a 112 cab to put under the dsl.


----------



## James W Thomas (Nov 21, 2022)

TakeNoPrisoners said:


> I thought about getting a modeler and neutral amp as that’d prob be easiest setup but I don’t think I like feel of modelers and hesitant about spending bunch of money on something I’m not gonna like.


I had the same feelings about modelers (currently Neural DSP Quad Cortex) and FRFR amps to begin with, but I got used this kind of rig eventually and now appreciate what I'm hearing. I needed to rewire my head to hear not the boomy loud-as-hell kick-you-in-the-gut thump of a 4x12 getting all of the traditional metal abuse, but instead a nicely EQ'd balanced, less muddy, well-crafted tone that only great sound engineers would have the ability to shape. And while I love getting kicked in the gut, I would much rather hear what's coming out of FOH. 

If I'm just using my 100w Line 6 Powercab as a personal stage monitor I have way more than enough volume. I don't know for sure how it would do on it's own (never actually tried it) but in that it's smaller gigs that are less likely to have decent PAs, I'm sure it would be fine.

Some players have put full range coaxial speakers in their 4x12s to get a little of that feel back. I'm sure looks played into that idea as well!

And to echo others on here: 40w tube doesn't equal 40w solid state in any way. I used to use a Carvin 60w tube combo with a 4x12 and played every size stage you could imagine with that rig and never ran out of headroom, so there's that bit of info.


----------



## TedEH (Nov 21, 2022)

TakeNoPrisoners said:


> I have a 40w Marshall Dsl combo


Well that answers the question in the thread title at least: Can a 40w Marshall DSL combo get loud enough to play most shows without PA support? I'd slot that in the "probably" category. I used to have a DSL40CR and it was plenty loud and sounded pretty good with a boost. I wouldn't have been worried about gigging with it except under the most egregiously terrible conditions.

That being said - if you want something like a Recto - do it for the tone, not for the loudness. Yeah, those rectos can get ungodly loud, but they're a whole different character from a DSL.

I maintain that swapping to all-digital stuff isn't going to provide you a better solution to the loudness problem - just change it. It won't be better, just different. You still have to, at that point, try out a bunch of cab + amp solutions for your on stage monitoring etc when at least with a traditional setup you know you can just drop it down and it'll do its job in almost any setting.

I've always been a big fan of keeping a tube head around for shows because most of the time some amount of gear gets shared and everyone just brings their heads.


----------



## budda (Nov 21, 2022)

Hence my fm3 + powerstage suggestion. Fits on a pedalboard and will run a cab plus foh.


----------



## Screamingdaisy (Nov 22, 2022)

TakeNoPrisoners said:


> I have a 40w Marshall Dsl combo. By itself it can be ok for practice but tone doesn’t quite sound heavy enough by itself for what I want. I have tube drive I put in front along with ts or other od sounds huge I love it. But carrying around pedals can be pain. I had been planning to get a bigger better amp to ditch the pedals altogether. But then the cost of a mesa and size of a big cab got me thinking maybe I should look for lighter option maybe stick w small combo.
> 
> Just ordered Simplifier to model preamp and cab the other day … I figure that way I can go direct in-house and if need cab I could get frfr type cab or just stick w 40w I have ..Im sure I’ll still want a rectifier but I figure I’ll see how this all pedal direct in works. Main thing about getting a stack is I live in 3 rd floor apt so it’s impractical for me to have a big ass heavy cab. Maybe I could keep at band mates house and maybe places will have cabs so maybe just need head but hate being a burden on or overly relying on others. Id hate to go do a show and not have adequate gear because the stuff at place sucks or my 40w isn’t cutting it etc.
> 
> I was thinking about modelers but I’m not sure I’d like. Hx stomp is like $700 plus similar for def cab… so like $1500. That’s a lot for something I’m not sure about. I’m not really using any fx just gain. I could get a used rectifier head for that much I’d prob prefer that and just get a load box if I want to go direct.


This is just my opinion, so take it for what it's worth...

The DSL 40 has an open back cab and (IMO) is a great classic rock amp. Assuming you're playing metal, I think you're going to be dissatisfied no matter what you do with it, unless you start dragging around a closed back 4x12 cab to plug into, and even then there's the chance you'll be running it so hot it'll be mushy. That said, if you want low budget/weight you might be able to get closer to the sound you want by throwing a closed back 1x12 under it to bring a bit more thump and tighten up your palm mutes.

IMO... if you want the Rectifier sound then going modeller just means you're going to spend a bunch on the modeller before deciding it still doesn't sound like a Rectifier, then spending money on the Rectifier. IME, it's cheaper to eat the cost up front and just get what you actually want the first time.

If you live in a 3rd floor apartment, do not buy the 4x12 unless you can roll it into an elevator. Personally, I'd get a 2x12 cab for gigs and a Mini-Recto 1x12 cab for rehearsal (although it sounds like your rehearsal space comes with a Recto, so that's a non-issue).



> hate being a burden on or overly relying on others. Id hate to go do a show and not have adequate gear because the stuff at place sucks



This is why I still use fullsize rigs.


----------



## Kosthrash (Nov 22, 2022)

TakeNoPrisoners said:


> I have a 40w Marshall Dsl combo. By itself it can be ok for practice but tone doesn’t quite sound heavy enough by itself for what I want. I have tube drive I put in front along with ts or other od sounds huge I love it. But carrying around pedals can be pain. I had been planning to get a bigger better amp to ditch the pedals altogether. But then the cost of a mesa and size of a big cab got me thinking maybe I should look for lighter option maybe stick w small combo.
> 
> Just ordered Simplifier to model preamp and cab the other day … I figure that way I can go direct in-house and if need cab I could get frfr type cab or just stick w 40w I have ..Im sure I’ll still want a rectifier but I figure I’ll see how this all pedal direct in works. Main thing about getting a stack is I live in 3 rd floor apt so it’s impractical for me to have a big ass heavy cab. Maybe I could keep at band mates house and maybe places will have cabs so maybe just need head but hate being a burden on or overly relying on others. Id hate to go do a show and not have adequate gear because the stuff at place sucks or my 40w isn’t cutting it etc.
> 
> I was thinking about modelers but I’m not sure I’d like. Hx stomp is like $700 plus similar for def cab… so like $1500. That’s a lot for something I’m not sure about. I’m not really using any fx just gain. I could get a used rectifier head for that much I’d prob prefer that and just get a load box if I want to go direct.


The stock DSL40CR comes with a 16 OHM Celestion V-Type Speaker with 98dB sensitivity. If you replace it with an Eminence Swamp Thang (102dB sensitivity) you'll instantly get double the volume (equal volume increase like having a100watt amp). 









SWAMP THANG 12


Designed with heavier players in mind, the Swamp Thang provides a thick and chunky tone with loads of sustain. The awesome bottom end will hold up to even the most demanding drop-tune or 7 string players.




eminence.com





By itself the Marshall is very easy to cut through the mix of the band/ live situation, so you'll most likely be heard without the need to increase the volume in insane levels...
Moreover, with an eq pedal in the effects loop, this amp totally gets transformed...


----------



## XC18 (Dec 27, 2022)

Best bet in my opinion, get whatever loud ass facefucker 5000 head you want that has a good master volume, and then two separate 212 cabs, or one each 412 and 212. Then mix match and mangle ears to your hearts content.


----------

