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Solid State amplifier: 30W or 60W?
Hi. I’m about to perform live on stage as an electric guitar-and-drums duo.
I will be playing an overdriven guitar tuned down to Standard D to compensate for the lack of bass, and ideally I will want to project a fat, well-rounded tone.
Which would be better suited to my needs between a 30W and a 60W Solid State amp, bearing in mind extraneous factors such as a music venue’s capability to mike the amp through the P.A. system?
What are the pros and cons of the 30W and the 60W in a rig in which the amp projects the sound, and a rig in which the amp is channeled through the P.A.?
Please note I am referring to the 30W and 60W models of the Hughes & Kettner Edition Blue solid state amplifiers.
While you may get a dirtier sound by driving a smaller wattage amp harder, this practice really only applies (well) to tube amps; tube amps have physical properties in the preamp that can actually be pushed into an overdrive state, while the solid state amp will be pushed into distortion via the speaker itself; there is not enough headroom in a solid state amp of that wattage to actually “overdrive” the preamp in any discernable way. Basically, you’ll get the tinny sound of a speaker cone being overdriven, not the warmth of a tube pre-amp being overdriven.
I would suggest the higher wattage for a couple reasons:
a) Either you would have a larger speaker cone, capable of a greater dynamic response (for your lower tuning)
or
b) The signal load of a lower tuning would be evenly/clearly distributed across a pair of speakers, providing a cleaner, more “full” tone.
If you’d like a distortion/overdrive more responsive to your playing dynamics, try a tube-base distortion pedal or preamp. These aren’t cheap, but they are well worth the tone, and allow you to utilize your current rig (and the more durable solid state amps) while adding the “sweetness” of tube tone.
Tuning down without a speaker/preamp good enough to handle the lower dynamic range of pitch can result in a flabby/tinny tone; if you want to overdrive your guitar, you always want to start with a very clear sound and THEN add distortion to taste so that the articulation of your playing can still be defined.
Also, if you are tuning down, heavier strings are always a plus. Don’t go crazy with the strings; just move down a gauge, play for a bit, and see how the sound has been affected. Anytime you change string gauges, intonation is slightly compromised; so if you find yourself in tune in the first position but out of tune in the fifth position, just get the intonation set (at the bridge – NOT by adjusting the truss rod!) and you’ll be good to go.
Rock on.
The Delta 88′s- Crazy About You (Blues Music)
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