Musician Gear & Tech Discussion

I need more volume at band practice. The only amp I have is a 100 watt Marshall combo. When I try to get over the drums and the other guitarist warhead, I get terrible feedback. I use a MXR smart gate supressor pedal, but that does very little to cut down on the feedback. Can I just get a 4 - 12" speaker cabinet to use with my combo to get more volume and avoid the feedback or do I need to just break down and get a 120 watt half stack? And if I do have to get a half stack, which one will give me the best crunch without me having to go broke.

Just saw your post here, after replying to your other one. If it's a tube Marshall combo (jcm, dsl, tsl, etc..) at 100 watts and you need more volume,,, you guys must be crankin out some jams. If it's 100 watts solid state or "hybrid", it just ain't gonna hang. Another box won't do anything for your feedback problem. (might give you a "bigger" sound, maybe more bottom) Feedback could be caused by any number of things. Without getting technical, it's usally where the amp is at on stage, in proximity to other amps, drums, monitors, And also how close You and your guitar are to other devices. If you decide to look into "tube" half stacks, most of them will "break the bank"... Usually a couple G's, no matter which brand you go with. If it's a marshal 100w tube combo, you could run a 4x12 box with it, that would be a fairly inexpensive addition (4-5 bills?) It would definitely make your sound more solid for your kind of music. Again, without going into electronics 101, most 15watt tube combos have more percieved "volume" than most 100watt solid state rigs. Some people don't like the hassle of the "maintenance" of tube amps, so that might be another issue. Just based on these two posts, I think you'll be looking into a tsl half stack(if you like the marshall thang), and eliminating most of your pedals. (but you probably won't be able to use the rig for anything other than full out jams. ) another two cents......

Good Luck

Hi. I also own a "100W Marshall combo - Valvestate. It's a sweet little amp. The feedback in mine is very high frequency and I have to roll the treble off a little. I also have a B52 combo with (4) EL34 tubes. All tube, this amp kicks butt for about $700. It is geared for metal players, and has lots of gain and crunch. It's not for blues without some rework (I have that info too). Now I'm too loud for my horn band. Model number AT-212. It is made cheaply, in that the tubes are on a circuit board, and the covering is not very tough like Tolex. But the transformers are big and the thing really puts out.

KennyB.

I had the same issue with my JCM900 combo. Since it was a 2x12 openback the tone wasnt as focused as my buddies 4x12. I bought a marshall 1960b 4x12 cab on ebay and now its a perfect match. The overdrive is better and it cuts through the band better. See if you can borrow a friends 4x12 just to see how it will sound.

I agree that a solid state amp just can't hang with louder bands. If you're looking to go to tubes at a minimal expense, Peavey just came out with the Windsor, an all tube, British voiced head and cabinets. At 120 watts tube power for only $400.00 (head only at Musicians Friend), it should rattle the walls. It has a traditional appearence as well. Peavey also has the Valve King 100 watt head at a little over 5 bills. Many good reviews on this head. Epiphone has also come out with the S. Cali. head which is also very inexpensive for an all-tube 50 watt head (under 5 bills). While neither have the "glamour" of a Marshall, they don't have the price tag either. Check them out!
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/ ... sku=481331
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/ ... sku=480289
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/ ... sku=481170

hey bros ,one hundred watts is plenty ,if every one in your band would turn down so they could hear you ! a couple of practices like that you get used to the volume change ,and you will find out at that point what your band truly sounds like! if one of your pre amp tubes is going bad it can give you feed back, or your amp /pickup combo, try taking your neck pickup and moving it to the bridge and swap positions ,just remember where the wires go, later

I agree with "Jazzmine"... there is no reason to practice that loud. I've been playing 30 years and yes, even played "metal" in the '70's, and even we didn't pratice THAT loud. Right now I have a Blues DeVille Reissue, 60W, 4-10'S, we have a total of 6800W of PA and I never have the master volume over 2 1/2!!!!

Y-all need to turn it down so you can actually hear what you sound like, you might be surprised!

theres a few solutions that have nothing to do with your amp.

besides the fact that its practice, you shouldnt even need to turn it up all the way if its 100 watts and you have a cab or speakers that..well..work.

you probably cant hear yourself because the other amps are pointed at you, and your amp is probably behind you. just because of that, the other instruments will sound a lot louder when theyre not, because your ears are made to hear in front, not in back. because of that, youre probably turning your amp up. the other members hear your amp and, in turn, turn their sh*t up. its a horrible circle, and will leave your ears ringing for literally a week. trust me, i know.

also, look at the bass's levels. if the bass player is standing close to his amp, then he wont hear his bass as loud as you hear it (low frequency waves take longer to develop. so if you stand 10 feet away youll actually hear them more clearly than somone standing right in front of them). if your bassist THINKS he isnt high enough, he'll turn up too. stop that from happening and itll solve that.

put the amps at good points in the room. spread them out. if theyre bunched up, you wont get a clear sound, so you wont hear your amp like you want to. because of that, you'll turn your amp up, because you might think turning it up will make you stand out more. but everyone else will do it too. nothing's solved.

if the drummer plays loud, then he plays loud. theres nothing you can do about his playing style. if you put mittens on, you cant play guitar. your drummer cant change his volume as easily and you think, itll probably make him worse because hes focusing on being low instead of playing right. i suppose lots of practice could change this, though.

in other words, theres nothing wrong with your amp. its a marshall and its 100 watts. youre fine.

100W Marshall should cut through even a loud drummer but if feedback is the problem, are you standing too close to the amp with a high gain setting on the amp? Try moving away - 6 feet or so should do it.

Paradoxically, in my experience Marshalls tend to sound louder the further you are away anyway. Fender amps tend to be louder up close but "cleaner" (except the old Fender RocPro which is a seriously loud bitch of an amp - both clean and drive channels)

I have a 60W JCM 2000 TSL valve head/2x12 cab which is blown away volume wise by my 30W Peavey Delta Blues valve combo. Marshall doesn't equal loud??

If you can't cut through with 100 watts, then there's a problem with your settings or positioning. A 100-watt amp is approximately 3db louder than a 50-watt amp. 120 watts vs. 100 watts won't make a bit of difference.

For example, I run a Marshall Super Lead reissue (100 watts) into one 4x12 with a line-out that goes to a processor & power amp (90 watts@8 ohms), which then goes to two 4x12 cabs. My bassist has a Peavey Kilowatt that's 500w per side/stereo, and our drummer is loud as hell. I cut right through everything with the amp set on 2, let alone turning it up louder. One of my cabs directly faces the drummer, while the other two are angled to face him and myself. My bassist's rig faces the drummer as well, and we have no problem hearing each other.

You volume will also be affected by your effects levels. If you're running a processor into your amp, makes sure the levels are up. Often, preset levels tend to be way down and will drop your overall volume. Also, solid-state and hybrid amps are notorious for failing to cut through. You might be better off going with your TSL60 and the 2x12. By the way, you won't notice as massive a difference between a 30-watt and 60-watt amp, much like you won't see a massive difference between a 50-watt and 100-watt amp. To double the volume, you need ten times the wattage, not twice.

I have a Marshall tsl100 with a 1960a 4x12 300w cabinet because I used to play in a band which had a very "loud" but very good drummer(even without mics). So, that solved my problem of not cutting through the mix. We were doing classic rock and motown with a horn section. Never set my volume up past 2-3. I'm jamming with a band now that I only need to use my '57 fender twin reverb 2x12 combo amp with a Boss ME-50 pedal in front of the input. It has a volume pedal which is very effective for cutting through on leads or backing off a little on rhythm work. I run the noise gate, some compression, analog chorus, and a touch of delay. I only have the channel volume set on 3 and I cut through fine. The drummer in this band is not as loud. In my experience, tube amps do cut through a little better than solid state amps. It might be a good idea to match the cab size of your other guitar player if possible. If you can't spend the money, then I would check out the Peavey tube amp line. If you're rehearsing that loud, then no need to mic anything but the singer(s).

Why on earth are you all playing that loud?? You'll damage your ears. In case people think that sounds really uncool, a friend of mine played in a professional, touring/recording punk group for years ('The Damned', if you've heard of them) and eventually had to give up because he developed tinitus. Which basically means that his ears permanently ring and sound like wind tunnels 24/7. There's no cure, so he's stuck with it forever.

Anyway, another tip in perceived loudness.... Put a brick (or something like that) under the front end of your amp to tilt it upwards slightly. You'll be surprised how much louder the amp sounds without actually turning it up. If you all do it, you can drop your volume levels and save some headroom for when one instrument needs to drive through.

On a final note, get some ear plugs! You can get ones designed for musicians that attenuate the sound, while at the same time block out some of the more damaging frequencies that are going to kill your ears.

100 watt Marshall, and not loud enough????? I pray you guys are using ear protection. Unwanted feedback is either bad tubes or your standing too close. I agree with everyone else in saying drop the volume! If your fighting to be heard then you're not paying attention to what is being played.

When you lose you hearing, the first things that go are the highest notes.
- the cymbals don't seem as loud
- the harmonics in the guitar disappear
- then you can't hear constanants when people talk, only the vowels . . .
at which stage people start making fun of you.
Playing loud enough to damage your ears is totally uncool . . . .

100watts of solid state is not loud at all. Keep in mind that the amp is only as loud as it is efficient... that's prob equiv to a 25watt tube amp cranked.
Can't believe that no one covered freq for this guy... well, here goes.
Part of your prob is prob freq. When you crank up a solid state amp it is no secret that there is some freq loss... they just don't cut through a mix like a tube amp will (at peak volume). Add to that the fact that you are competing with someone else who will fall in the same range: unless some arrangement is made (and now has greater freq coverage).

A. work with the other noisemakers to tweak their sounds so that you ea have a little slice of the bandwidth pie.

B. If yer playin an open back cab... make sure you're not placing it in front of a concrete wall or a baffle... either sucks.
You may also try moving the cab closer and further from the wall to find optimum volume and tone setting.

C. If that isn't enough: consider a tube amp... I gaurantee dudes deville at 2.5 is louder than hell... I've owned a few devilles... even a 4x10...

that is a loud mf'n 60watts. And all the volume on a tube amp is at the first 30% of the pot... meaning that amp at 2.5 is probably pretty f'n loud. (Am I right or am I right?)
And you may find a handwired matchless (or some other high end amp)that will be rated at 60w and deliver seemingly "much-more-volume".

I will tell you that I have a 100watt (50x2) tube amp... at 75% volume a drummer will be breaking sticks to be heard.

Some of these old farts in here prob lost half their hearing jamming twice as loud as you on an 40w fender twin... don't listen to em when they tell you to turn it down... they're just jealous that you can stand music that loud anymore (just kidding guys).