Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Fender watts often seem to be louder than other brand watts...
Your amp will work just fine, and should be cooking fairly nicely!

Eden.

I have never heard such a ridicules set of demands... you are ALLOWED to bring only 1 guitar and there is a minimum watt threshold???
Don't let them step on you for being young.
As for wattage - at your age I used to play my lespaul over a Fender Princeton chorus that produces about 50 watt, I never had to crank it over 2 and it was always loud enough, it's only 3db difference between 25 and 50 watt so tell them to take a chill pill.
Good luck with your audition.

Interesting criteria/requirements. I say bring the guitar and amp you're comfortable with, and have fun!

I had the opportunity to play through "Analog Packrat" Doug's Deluxe Rev today and it rocked! Thanks, Doug!

Gee, I was going to tell you how much you can learn by playing with older musicians...but I'm not sure what you can learn from a "Classic Rock/Blues" band that doesn't know what a Deluxe Reverb is or how wattage work.

But, if nothing else, gaining experience, playing with other musicians is always worth the experience itself.

paologregorio wrote:Interesting criteria/requirements. I say bring the guitar and amp you're comfortable with, and have fun!

I had the opportunity to play through "Analog Packrat" Doug's Deluxe Rev today and it rocked! Thanks, Doug!

The pleasure was all mine, Paul. I was surprised how well that thing hung in there and I never had it up past about 6 (with a 12AY7 in V2)! The Vibro Champ struggled, but at 5W through an 8" what do you expect? Wish I had brought my 2x12 which really works great with the VC. Next time!

Jake--I would take the Tele and the Deluxe Reverb. If you need to cut through their 100W mud, that combination will certainly do it! Tele FTW!

I made it, and the Deluxe cut through the mix okay. The lead guitarist was using a Boss Multi-effects unit through the PA, so obviously that would be louder than my Deluxe, but I could still hear myself.

My keyboardist is joining the group

JakeK wrote:I made it, and the Deluxe cut through the mix okay. The lead guitarist was using a Boss Multi-effects unit through the PA, so obviously that would be louder than my Deluxe, but I could still hear myself.

My keyboardist is joining the group

Cool! Congratulations to you both. Looks like you taught the elders something new. I've experienced a similar mindset among my eldest brother's band mates; they're having a "reunion" after splitting up almost thirty years ago. the lead guitarist had an obsession with 100 watt amps and playing "loud" in the showcase room so he could hit the tonal sweet spot in his amp. I've managed to acquire more experience playing music and being in bands at this point than my eldest brother (weird situation, eh? ), so he was asking me how to deal with that issue. A few conversations and Q & A left my brother equipped to talk him back from the ledge somewhat, if not completely off the ledge. I think the "loud" amp mindset is a trickle down way of thinking left over from a time when guitar and bass amps were not miked and run through the P.A. at medium and large venues. At a small venue it's not required, and a Fender Deluxe, Vox AC15, or ay number of similar amps will easily cut through the mix with sweet tone, and without making anyone's ears bleed.

paologregorio wrote:Cool! Congratulations to you both. Looks like you taught the elders something new. I've experienced a similar mindset among my eldest brother's band mates; they're having a "reunion" after splitting up almost thirty years ago. the lead guitarist had an obsession with 100 watt amps and playing "loud" in the showcase room so he could hit the tonal sweet spot in his amp. I've managed to acquire more experience playing music and being in bands at this point than my eldest brother (weird situation, eh? ), so he was asking me how to deal with that issue. A few conversations and Q & A left my brother equipped to talk him back from the ledge somewhat, if not completely off the ledge. I think the "loud" amp mindset is a trickle down way of thinking left over from a time when guitar and bass amps were not miked and run through the P.A. at medium and large venues. At a small venue it's not required, and a Fender Deluxe, Vox AC15, or any number of similar amps will easily cut through the mix with sweet tone, and without making anyone's ears bleed.

Mike Campbell and his tech Chinner said it best:
Chinner: "It's not about wattage; it's all about tone. You don't have to have a lot of power to get the right tone. If your amp is the s**t, then everything else is fine. Plus you can do whatever you want through the PA"
Mike: "The smaller the amp, the more pleasant the sound for the room"

My dad also believes a low power amp is the best for tone and thinks I play too loud at times, but he doesn't really like me playing guitar in general! Wishes I had an acoustic guitar that I keep around the house.

I'll see guys in local bands who have amps forty watts and up, some are 100 watt hears with their giant 4X12 cabs who believe tube amps are made to be cranked. It's pretty ridiculous, if you ask me. People from those local groups laugh at me for having a low power amp, and how it never gets cranked above 4 (mostly on 2 1/2). Some of my friends (current and former) described it best as "That ****ing thing is as big as a peanut". I could really care less. It's all about tone.

On that note, a tube amp's natural overdrive is the best distortion anyone could ask for. Is it great sounding? Yes. Is it loud? Yes.

JakeK wrote:Mike Campbell and his tech Chinner said it best:
Chinner: "It's not about wattage; it's all about tone. You don't have to have a lot of power to get the right tone.

So long as everyone else in the band plays along with this. If the rhythm guitarist, for example, insists on being louder than the others then a volume war may ensue. Not saying that I have any experience with this, or anything!

jps wrote:So long as everyone else in the band plays along with this. If the rhythm guitarist, for example, insists on being louder than the others then a volume war may ensue. Not saying that I have any experience with this, or anything!

Has anyone used your Princeton?

While Mike uses his Blackface Princeton and Tweed Deluxe (both about 15 watts each), Tom uses big Fender Vibro King stacks with the 2X12 cabinets. Tom obviously likes it louder than Mike does, but it doesn't matter as everything is miked up through the PA.

Tom may not have those amps cranked, maybe they are for clean tones.

JakeK wrote:I made it, and the Deluxe cut through the mix okay.

My keyboardist is joining the group

Hey Jake, any further updates to report on you and your keyboardist joining this classic rock band with the "older" folks ?

Ask'em to submit the specs of their P.A. unit, confirmed future bookings, and your salary share per gig in writing,......if you are to seriously consider auditioning for them......

jps wrote: So long as everyone else in the band plays along with this. If the rhythm guitarist, for example, insists on being louder than the others then a volume war may ensue. Not saying that I have any experience with this, or anything!

Reminds me of a rehearsal back in our gigging days....Bass wound up running through an Orange OR120 top & a JBL 2x15,1x12 &HF stack. Guitarist running a Fender Twin Reverb getting increasingly frustrated and ends up hammering some discords and screaming "ALL I CAN HEAR IS F***ING BAAAAASSSSSSS!!!!!" Band grinds to a halt with much sideways glances and staring at the floor. A minute of silence is broken only by a lone voice.... "And your problem is?" End of rehearsal ......Gee I really should learn to keep my mouth shut sometimes

Problem? I see no problem.