Question:
THinking of Classic 30 amp purchase for our church. THis amp will belong to church youth to teach them but also in our main sactuary with young adults.
We'll be using this amp in small room 30' x 30' and also in our main sanctuary that seats about 100 people.
Would you guys says this amp is a overkill??? in terms of volume and price.
I know it's all reletive to overall stage volume and our budget, but wanted to know if we would just be better off getting Cube 60, Vox Valvetronix, or blues Jr for this kind of usage???
thanks!
Answer:
I would say that it'll be too loud for your situation unless the entire band is going to crank it up.
I don't use my Delta Blues in church because it's too loud and we have a HUGE sanctuary w/ 500+ people.
I did recently get an Epiphone Valve Standard to possibly use in church instead of my Spider II.
The Epi is a 15 watt Class A amp (different than the 30 watt A/B C30 and DB) and I'm able to get a sweet tone at lower levels with it but I've yet to see how it does on-stage.
The Blues Jr. might be worth looking into if you need a tube amp (or the Epi Valve Jr, Special or Standard). The other 2 you mentioned I've used only briefly but I believe they're both solid state amps, yes? If so, you may be able to get an acceptable sound at lower levels with them if volume is an issue.
Answer:
The Valve Jr will probably be as loud as you'll need in all honesty.
Answer:
Kind of depends on how much amp distortion you need doesn't it? If you are going to play clean then lots of clean headroom could be a good thing, right? I wouldn't think the valve Jr would have much clean headroom at all. I wouldn't think its one volume knob would give you a whole lot for versatility in a live situation.
Answer:
I found that its a bit AC30 esque in that about 2 o'clock it starts to get pebbly and a bit crunchy, but will clean up nicely if you roll off some volume and change your picking attack, and that it was relatively true up until I tried it at full whack (for like 3 seconds because it was seriously loud) and it rocked but would still sound good by cleaning up the picking.
Answer:
I think in your situation a solid state modeling amp along the lines of a Vox Valvetronix or Roland Cube might be the best choice.
Considering, at least, that many different people will use it, it needs to perform often in different situations where you can't crank the amp, and the fact that it won't ever need to be too loud anyway.
Answer:
I don't know if you would want to mess around with installing an Lpad attenuator in one, but that would solve any volume problems. It allows you to get the tone of a cranked amp at any volume you want. The parts cost about $20 and it is pretty simple to install. I am 16 and it took me about 30 minutes. Read about them in the homemade attenuator thread that is stickied.
But anyways, I use an attenuator equipped Classic 30 in a similar situation and it is great. I have found that it is an excellent choice for praise and worship music.
I'll add though, a good modeler would be fine for your situation.
Answer:
Probably too loud, as would the Blues Jr. - the difference between 15 and 30 watts is only 3 db, which is not much. Aside from that, a 15 watt amp I think will pretty much wring as much volume out of most single 12" speakers as they are capable of (and at least still sound decent). You'd have to A/B compare, but my guess is you'll find them to be about the same volume. Yes, a power attenuator will help that.
You can look at smaller modeling amps too, that may be a good solution and less $. I would caution though, if multiple players are using it, to find one that is easy and intuitive to use without having to read an instruction manual. Another problem with modeling amps is that they are so adjustable and have so much distortion on tap, that it is too easy to get really bad tones.
Answer:
Since when is 'too loud' a bad thing?
An attenuator would probably be your best choice. Why get a new amp when you can make yours sound better quieter? Besides, attenuators cost less than $100, under $30 if you build your own, while amps can cost $200 or more for anything decent (with the exception of maybe an Epi Valve Jr.)
Answer:
i dont think he has a classic 30 just yet, but rather, he's debating whether he should purchase one.
i think the valvetronix or the cube 60 will suit you just fine. both can handle the situations you mentioned, they're pretty versatile, low maintenance, and you can save your church some money.
Answer:
Originally Posted by wjrhee i dont think he has a classic 30 just yet, but rather, he's debating whether he should purchase one.
i think the valvetronix or the cube 60 will suit you just fine. both can handle the situations you mentioned, they're pretty versatile, low maintenance, and you can save your church some money.
Ohhhhhh... I misread the OP.