How many watts would you feel safe with for live gigs?

[fishyfishfish]

18 - 30 watts, good 1x12 cab and speaker
And buy a 421 or other good mic so you
Know it is nothing but the sound guys fault if it sucks
In the house mix(lol)

 

[Spaceboy]

If you're playing to 500, you should be miked, and then your wattage doesn't matter. In 200 capacity or less venues is about the only time someone should need 100 watts and even then you don't need the volume.

 

[bonedarrell]

0........Axe 2

 

[NS10Fan]

If you're playing to 500, you should be miked, and then your wattage doesn't matter. In 200 capacity or less venues is about the only time someone should need 100 watts and even then you don't need the volume.

+1 I've never had a sound guy not tell me to turn down with ~30 watts. I just don't listen. In fact, I've only had one gig where 30 wasn't loud enough...

 

[Bob Savage]

If you're playing to 500, you should be miked, and then your wattage doesn't matter. In 200 capacity or less venues is about the only time someone should need 100 watts and even then you don't need the volume.

This assumes wattage is all about volume, which it is not.

 

[ACShreds]

I've never used my mark V past the 45 watt mode. You always want to be quieter than you think you need to be on stage most of the time anyway. Get a 50 watt or less amp and turn it up just enough to hear yourself over the drummer if not a little less then let the sound guy do his job and just make sure to ask for lots of you in your monitor. When bands play real loud on stage thinking it'll make them hear themselves better will actually just cause everything to sound like mush and no one will hear anything.

 

[dooredge]

100 is the correct number.

+100

I love my 100 watt amps & as long as my back is strong I'll push'em around till I'm dead in the ground.

 

[rockify]

50w

+1

 

[guitarmike]

If you're playing to 500, you should be miked, and then your wattage doesn't matter. In 200 capacity or less venues is about the only time someone should need 100 watts and even then you don't need the volume.

+1 I've never had a sound guy not tell me to turn down with ~30 watts. I just don't listen. In fact, I've only had one gig where 30 wasn't loud enough...

You assume the sound guy knows what he is doing, I will not make that assumption. I'd rather have extra horsepower than not enough, I'd never gig without at least 50 watts. A 100 watt head does not need to be loud to sound good, but a 15 watt head will run out of gas way before a 50 or 100 watt one will.

Sound guys all have different ideas of where the guitar should be in the mix and I am ok with that, sort of. I have been the guitar player in a 3 piece group and the sound guy had me so low, all you heard was the vocals and drums. It turned out he auditioned for the band before me and I got the spot so he was pissed about it. I brought a full stack, 100 watt head and made sure the guitar was heard until we replaced him.

If I do not know the sound guy I do not trust him.

 

[maddnotez]

So many mixed emotions

I think I just need to buy a wireless so i can actually hear what it sounds like on the floor.

 

[Mokaccino]

50w is more than enough for me, most of the time i'm miked anyways. Did plenty of gigs with my Classic 30 with ease, I was even too loud at times.

 

[guitarmike]

So many mixed emotions

I think I just need to buy a wireless so i can actually hear what it sounds like on the floor.

I did that in the 3 piece and that is how I found out he had me turned down. I'd run a stereo rig and he would not hard pan one side to the left and the other to the right, both straight up. What a dummy.