Bass Players - How Many Watts are you Running?

[bassist_25]

Well, Joe talked me into this poll too.

Pretty much the same thing as the guitar poll - Let us know how many watts you are using. I've put options for both solid-state and tube amps. Also, let us know how much speaker area you're pushing, and if possible, speaker efficiency.

Anyways,

I'm using a QSC PLX1602, which puts out about 1600 watts bridged into a 4 ohm load. I generally run one 8 ohm Aguilar 4x10 with a sensitivty of 101 db. On some larger stages (e.g., City Limits) and outside gigs, I'll pair it with a matching cab for a 4 ohm load.

This isn't a pissing context. We're just guinely interested in how what types of power ratings guitarists and bassists are using out there.

[metalchurch]

1600W!!!?
My lord, Paul.
You weren't kidding, that Bass rigs need more power to get those speakers pushin' some air.

Do you run this in the mix, or not?

[MeYatch]

well, I'm running a Peavey Mark VI head, and I didn't even know how much power it puts out, according to internet searching, its 250 watts at 4 ohms.

I'm running it into 2 4x10s, which is 628.318 square inches of speaker area.

[bassist_25]

1600W!!!?
My lord, Paul.
You weren't kidding, that Bass rigs need more power to get those speakers pushin' some air.

Do you run this in the mix, or not?

Well, it's not so much an issue of volume; it has more to do with headroom. Solid-state amps need a lot of headroom to reproduce the notes cleanly, and with a five-string, the low B is watt-hungry. I was running a QSC RMX850 - which is now on PA duty - before the PLX, and I found that I was clipping it often to get the amount of volume that I wanted. It doesn't help that I have a preamp that is notorious for having a lot gain, which I'm sure makes it real easy to overdrive my power amp's inputs. My situation just calls for that amount of headroom. I can think of a lot of situations that don't require watts past 1k. Speaker sensitivity has a lot to do with things too. If I were playing through Eden XST cabs or something, I'd barely have to push my amp and could probably get away with a much lower-powered rig. Personally, I wouldn't feel comfortable with anything less than 800 watts though. That's just me. Everyone else has their own experiences and tastes.

[MeYatch]

I think the important part of a bass amp isn't how many watts it has, its how heavy it is, and how much of a bitch it is to move in and out of a bar.

You know what's cool bass amp manufacturers? Those same plastic strap handles you put on the top of a guitar head, but on a 90 Lbs bass combo.

Maybe I'll go back to using my accoustic 2x15, that sure was hard to move, but then thats only 353.429 square inches of speaker area. Thats an astonishing 274.889 square inches less area, in a cabinet basically the same size.

[bassist_25]

Maybe I'll go back to using my accoustic 2x15, that sure was hard to move, but then thats only 353.429 square inches of speaker area. Thats an astonishing 274.889 square inches less area, in a cabinet basically the same size.

Luckily, bass amps seem to have been getting smaller and more modular. I'm still really interested in trying a Schroeder.

I'm too the point that I hate hauling cabinets. It doesn't help that my cabs are 90 lbs. each. I did own a cabinet loaded with neos. It was easier to lift than my current cabs, but it was a little harder to handle because it had more exaggerated dimensions. I stand by my comment in the other thread that I wish I could just DI into the board at every gig.

[MeYatch]

you should get a phil jones briefcase.

[bassist_25]

you should get a phil jones briefcase.

I think that I'll have to be featured in Forbes before I can afford anything put out by Phil Jones.