"Sounds like shit at low volumes" I call BS!

[Racerxrated]

Ok I always hear this and I have to laugh..admit it, EVERY amp sounds the same at low volumes! I think that every amp shows you its true identity when you turn them up. VH4, SLO, vintage marshalls ALL sound OK at low volumes. None sound bad....they just sound better loud. What do you think?

 

[fuzzyguitars]

Yep.

You can't really judge an amp or cab or speakers until you play me at band volume.

I have some amps that I really like the sound of, at lower volumes, and others that I don't play at all unless I can open me up a bit.

Speaker cabs especially.

 

[sjk]

For the most part I agree they all need some volume to sound "best", BUT after getting some volume going some need to be much louder than others to fully realize their tone.

 

[ActiveCape]

As someone playing a lot of non-master volume amps, I'll say that louder is not always better, but different for sure.

 

[Badronald]

IME, vintage style amps sound better cranked but modern amps that get gain from the preamp section seem to sound good at lower volumes.

Example: My 150 watt Triple Rectifier sounds really good at TV volume. Does it thump at loud volumes? Sure it does, but it's perfectly passable at very low volumes.

 

[ejecta]

Some amps sound better off.

 

[JB6464]

So let me throw a curve ball at this .
Are we talking about the amp itself or how the amp sounds when the speakers are driven hard up at higher volumes ?
Because one could set an amp on a load and drive shit out of it , re-amp it back with another amp or power amp and still have the overall volume low .
To me there's a big difference , I think when the speakers are opened up and being driven hard is what makes the amps tone change from low to high volume and is very noticeable .

 

[BrentSSL]

IME, vintage style amps sound better cranked but modern amps that get gain from the preamp section seem to sound good at lower volumes.

Example: My 150 watt Triple Rectifier sounds really good at TV volume. Does it thump at loud volumes? Sure it does, but it's perfectly passable at very low volumes.

lol does a triple rec have a low volume

 

[BrentSSL]

Also some amps sound better at low volumes and some some better at high volumes it depends on if you're using a good PA and what you're playing through for instance I would never take my mark 5 to a bar gig if there is not a decent PA because I know at high volumes it's going to sound like crap it really needs to be mic'd. I was able to get away with playing a three channel dual rectifier for years an original band in northeastern Ohio and we never got mic'd and it always sounded good.

 

[chadprsman]

Some amps are not designed to sound good at low volume. My sweet spot is 50 watts through a 2x12. I went through a bunch of bullshit (yet boutique) small tube, low powered amps that didn't work for me(fargen mini plex with el34s and power scaling did work through a 1x12). The fun of playing guitar for me is cranking a tube amp and making some noise!

 

[Valtyr]

Some amps sound like shit at any volume.

I think many sound better with some volume, but there are plenty of decent sounding low volume amps out there these days.

I prefer a bit of volume, where you can feel the bass hit you.

 

[Racerxrated]

I guess I'm coming from the opinion that when you're talking LOW volume playing, like you have neighbors or kids you don't want to disturb most amps sound the same. SLO for instance...I think it sounds like any other amp at low volume. Same with my friends VH4. Its when you give them juice they leave other amps behind. I just don't hear much difference between any of the amps I've played at low volumes...they all sound very similar to me. IMO....

 

[glassjaw7]

I disagree. I think most tube amps retain their character from low volume to stage volume. It's at super high levels, when they start breaking up that a lot of amps start sounding similar to me.

My Mark IV, the Diezels, Bogner XTC, Splawns, Rectos I've played..they mostly retain their unique character at lower volumes. My Mark IV certainly doesn't sound like any other amp at any volume.

 

[supersonic]

Volume is deceiving, louder doesn't sound better IMO. Personally I prefer bright and snappy low volume tones, they have less compression and cut in a mix better. Guitar tone can get messy once you add power amp distortion and speaker break up.

 

[romanianreaper]

As far as Marshall amps go, the JVM and DSL sounds great at low volumes but I've sold JCM 800 and Plexi amps back when I wasn't gigging because I felt like it was a waste of money (and tone). Those amps need to be opened up. I agree that there are a lot of amps that sound great at lower though.

Worst low volume amp of all time is the LANEY G100TI. I thought my guitar was plugged into a Boeing 747 engine when the volume was at .0001. Loudest amp I've ever owned.

 

[Badronald]

IME, vintage style amps sound better cranked but modern amps that get gain from the preamp section seem to sound good at lower volumes.

Example: My 150 watt Triple Rectifier sounds really good at TV volume. Does it thump at loud volumes? Sure it does, but it's perfectly passable at very low volumes.

lol does a triple rec have a low volume

You wouldn't think, but it sounds ok.

 

[zuel69]

Amps that have a return volume in the loop or a high end attenuator sound and feel much better than without at low volumes...imo. No doubt playing loud with the band exposes the amp Thats the best way to determine if it's headed for the classifieds.

 

[rottingcorpse]

It's the difference that a speaker makes when it starts working harder. That feeling when it starts moving the air around.

And if you run a speaker that breaks up or not.

And if your amp relies on power tube breakup to get to that sweet spot.

And the fact that most of us just like it loud.

 

[jerrydyer]

that's why things like The Amp Show are so important. You gotta hear it loud to know what your getting.

 

[shredhead666]

I think lots of amps even sound better at lower volumes. But then again I haven't had the pleasure of using an iso-cab either.