Power Amp Gain

Thom · Post by **Thom** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 9:18 am

I've been thinking recently that I want a small amp that I can crank to get the power section to distort as all my current amps have far too much headroom to achieve this at home.
So essentially my question is - how powerful an amp would I need to achieve this at home? Or small practice volumes?
I'd like it to be single channel, not bothered about loops or reverb, tone control a must.
I tried my boss' pro junior the other week and cranked it at home, and whilst I got a really luscious crunch out of it, it was far too loud to use without really pissing off the neighbours.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Post by **Mike** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 9:25 am

5W->7W is the maximum pretty much I would say, and even that's going to be LOUD when you actually get chewy power amp overdrive, because even if you turn the preamp down and the master up, you're going to still have to be hitting the wide open power amp with a fair amount of preamp volume to get it to overdrive. I personally think if you want that real power amp overdrive at bedroom volumes you have to get something like a 1 or a 1/2W, 2->4W max amplifier, like the NanoHead or the Bumbox, MiniMat etc.

However it's not the whole story, because half of the sound you were getting the other day was trouser-flapping volume and the speaker kicking the air out, and possibly breaking up a bit itself. Power amp overdrive isn't the be-all-and-end-all, but it is nice. I find the TT sounds good at home, it's a great practise amp. Would I say I was getting power amp drive? No.

Thom · Post by **Thom** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 9:49 am

Nice one Mike - that's exactly what I wanted to know.
How would you describe the difference in the 7W and 15W modes of the TT?

Post by **Mike** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 10:03 am

There's a tonal difference in that the 15W setting is the brighter of the tone, 7W is darker, but you definitely notice a decrease in clean headroom (and this is definitely caused by the power amp overdriving) when you're playing on 7W.

Thom · Post by **Thom** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 10:15 am

Cheers mate.
Have been wondering about using a TT in the band too...I don't use sparkling clean sounds much any more, so might give it a go on the 15W and using the Blackstar and Boosts for dirt.

Might sell the Rockerverb

Post by **Mike** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 10:20 am

If you're not using a clean clean sound then the TT is a joy to use in a band, you really can use it at the volumes where it breaks up into glorious power amp overdrive if you're playing with a drummer. I think it would like the Blackstar a lot, and there's always the Saltbooster...

It would be a shame if you sold the Rockerverb, but you'd get a great price for it I'm sure. I used to not believe in selling gear, but then real life happened.

Thom · Post by **Thom** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 10:29 am

Yeah totally. Have been thinking about it a while...and haven't yet managed to bring myself to do it.
I do love the Rockerverb so much. Much more attached to it than the JVM, but it just doesn't get used as much.
Might see if I can part-x my Mustang against the TT.

euan · Post by **euan** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 10:33 am

Thom, I might be up for selling my TT if you are interested. Bro deals.

Thom · Post by **Thom** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 10:39 am

Nice, cheers euan. I am definitely interested.
Let me see what I can get from Mansons in part-x, and I'll give you a shout...don't have the cash at the moment.
But if that doesn't come off, then maybe we can do a deal in time for Doogfest.

euan · Post by **euan** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 11:08 am

Coolio.

benecol · Post by **benecol** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 2:36 pm

Not sure if this is just confusing the issue (and not wanting to be too much of an OLC posterboy...) but have you seen these?

Link here - I might treat myself to one for my birthday.

Post by **Mike** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 2:41 pm

It's a tube preamp only, Thom is after Power Amp Gain, he can get Preamp gain all day long at bedroom volumes using his JVM or Rockerverb.

benecol · Post by **benecol** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 2:51 pm

Dammit.

Lovely, mind, isn't it?

Post by **Mike** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 2:53 pm

Not really, it's just a preamp tube and a solid state poweramp. Valvestate did it better nearly 15 years ago.

Thom · Post by **Thom** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 8:14 am

So I went into Manson's last night and traded my Mustang for a TT - straight swap. Not too bad as I got the guitar for Â£230 a couple of years ago.
Great little amp as I know everyone who has one will vouch for.
Looking forward to getting to band practice and cranking it!
Oh, and yeah Mike, it loves the Blackstar

euan - cheers for the offer, but was trying to get rid of some guitars too, so this fit the bill.

Post by **Mike** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 8:18 am

lamp wrote:So I went into Manson's last night and traded my Mustang for a TT - straight swap. Not too bad as I got the guitar for Â£230 a couple of years ago.
Great little amp as I know everyone who has one will vouch for.
Looking forward to getting to band practice and cranking it!
Oh, and yeah Mike, it loves the Blackstar

euan - cheers for the offer, but was trying to get rid of some guitars too, so this fit the bill.

Awesome. Sounds like you did well there.

Happy New Amp Day, or Post new Amp Day, I dunno. I think they're really brilliant amps, I would never consider selling mine, I use it every day. Gareth uses his exclusively in Sell Crazy, he doesn't want or need for anything else.

Thom · Post by **Thom** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 8:24 am

Yeah totally, sounds great. I had played it in the shop a couple of times, but am looking forward to spending some proper time with it.

On a side note, thanks to my wife, I'm not going to sell the Rockerverb. Conversation last night went as follows:
Me: Look what I got! It's a Tiny Terror.
Ceri: Nice, you've wanted one of them for a while.
Me: Yeah. I think I might sell the big Orange.
Ceri: You can't do that, you love that amp.
Me: Ok.

It's not often that I get encouraged to keep gear, so I best make the most of it!

Post by **Mike** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 8:29 am

Looks like you married a stunner there mate. Congrats.

Thom · Post by **Thom** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 8:29 am

sure did

Post by **Doog** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 8:48 am

It'll come back on you though!

"Ohhh baby, since you're weren't selling that big ol' amp, it's only fair that I should buy myself a little something."

"BUT IT'S A DRESS MADE OF GOLD!"

Gratz on the new ampage dude, them TT's are alriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.