1000 Watt + Bass amp owners

[anavar]

you loveable bunch are animals.

My Ex girlfriend has a Markbass Sd1200 (1200w at 4 ohm, 750w at 8ohm), and its was unbelievably, mind bending, atomic explosion loud, the headroom was seemingly limitless.

when do you even get a change to use them?

*weeps into my pityful 500 watt amp*

 

[JW56789]

The short answer:

Bass volume vis-à-vis amp output is logrythmic. In other words, say a 100w amp into a given cab will produce an SPL of 100db. Double to 200w, it's a 3db gain, and you get that 3db gain every time you double the output. So a 12db jump from 100w to 1200w is not what most guys are expecting, and not a night and day difference on a gig (not to mention that your 1200w-capable cab will hardly begin to wake up at 100w . . . . .).

What you do get is a LOT of headroom vs. a 100 or 200w amp. You're not pushing to keep up with the band, your tone stays the same if you do need to turn up, and it barely feels warm to the touch. This is WAY better than pushing your 200w combo for all it's worth to sit in the mix with that guitar player with a 50w Marshall half-stack that's killing you.

 

[Bim1959]

I have a Sunn 1200s (the 2 rack space hybrid) that became the Fender Bassman 1200 or something like that. I used it on stages everywhere and hardly ever turned the master above 3. I didn't need to. All sorts of clean headroom and 2 compressors built in (1 for the low end, the other for the mid his). If anything i used it to keep everyone in line volume-wise by reminding them what i had (even though it was 1200 watts at 2 ohms which i didn't tell them). But. It got heavy and its sitting in storage while my Ampeg PF800 gets all the love.

BTW. I ran it into an old Hartke 410XL cabinet that i reloaded with Eminence kappa pro (I think) 500 watt speakers which meant the cabinet could handle 2000 watts. Was the cabinet designed for it? No. Did i ever turn it up? A few times to show how loud I could get for s***s and grins.

I dont need to get stupidly loud. I dont play much on those huge stages where i need the volume. Now its all about keeping a lower volume and having the clubs invite us back. Besides. Isnt that what we have PA systems for - to amplify us?

 

[Foz]

I use one half of a Crown iTech 6000 into a greenboy 66 [dual kappalite 15" woofs + dual 18sound 6" mids + BMS horn - with a tru3way xover]. The amp will do 3kw but I limit it using the integral DSP to 70 volts = 1225 watts. While I have run it at full volume [outdoors on a big stage with no PA support] it usually just idles along exhibiting infinite headroom.

 

[chadds]

you loveable bunch are animals.

My Ex girlfriend has a Markbass Sd1200 (1200w at 4 ohm, 750w at 8ohm), and its was unbelievably, mind bending, atomic explosion loud, the headroom was seemingly limitless.

when do you even get a change to use them?

*weeps into my pityful 500 watt amp*

Is she your exgirlfriend because you married her or she plays better than you do?

I use 1000w a lot but also 160w. The 1000w kit I use sounds just as good at acoustic guitar volumes. It does speak with the authority but it's greatest strength is it also sounds the same loud. If I dig in the raunch starts but that's happening at the strings and bass's pre.

To answer though, big pure undistorted tone allows for dynamics.

 

[anavar]

I use one half of a Crown iTech 6000 into a greenboy 66 [dual kappalite 15" woofs + dual 18sound 6" mids + BMS horn - with a tru3way xover]. The amp will do 3kw but I limit it using the integral DSP to 70 volts = 1225 watts. While I have run it at full volume [outdoors on a big stage with no PA support] it usually just idles along exhibiting infinite headroom.

you animal, you.

Is she your exgirlfriend because you married her or she plays better than you do?

I use 1000w a lot but also 160w. The 1000w kit I use sounds just as good at acoustic guitar volumes. It does speak with the authority but it's greatest strength is it also sounds the same loud. If I dig in the raunch starts but that's happening at the strings and bass's pre.

To answer though, big pure undistorted tone allows for dynamics.

Ex because after 1200 watts, how can i compete?

 

[Sid Fang]

...when do you even get a chance to use them?

Outdoors, when there's no bassworthy PA.

 

[B-line]

you loveable bunch are animals.

My Ex girlfriend has a Markbass Sd1200 (1200w at 4 ohm, 750w at 8ohm), and its was unbelievably, mind bending, atomic explosion loud, the headroom was seemingly limitless.

when do you even get a change to use them?

*weeps into my pityful 500 watt amp*

Sorry, I top out at 800 into 4 ohms w/ my Quilter and LM-800T.

However, I would like to get your Ex-GF's phone #.....

 

[Jrussblues]

I have a 2k watt amp, I use a quarter of that. Like you said it's about headroom.

 

[joel406]

Even my Mesa D-800 + has all the head room of a 1000 watt amp. Your hearing will never allow you to push it that far.

But I have all the clean headroom I'll ever need with that amp.

Side note. I was playing with the eq tonight at rehearsal and found the most awesome vintage tone. Mesa is truly at the top of the heap these days.

 

[BassmanPaul]

I use a Pre/Power system using a Carvin HD2000 amplifier. Into the two 4Ω Acme B2 2x10s I usually play through it gives me 500W into each. The headroom and driver control I have is superb. As the amp is stable at 2Ω/channel I can add my second pair of B2s for the full 2000W. I never use the system full out but it’s nice to have.

I should mention that my cabinets have a fairly low efficiency rating but they can get as loud as I ever need.

 

[GreyBeard]

I use a pf500 now into 4 ohm 2x15 EVM cab which is rated at 400 watts and I've used a pre/power amp setup into the same speaker that was 1200 watts and honestly I can't hear any difference. I have never run out of headroom with the pf500. Big SS power just means having more clean headroom than you will ever possibly need.

 

[Catbuster]

After bench testing the 1001RB-II and watching it actually hit 1001 watts and then go a hair past, I gotta say that it's headroom. When I need to run it WFO through eight ten inch speakers because I have no PA it's nice to have and have the amp not break a sweat.

 

[JimmyM]

I used to think high wattage amps were nuts because I rarely have the need to be much louder than I can get cleanly with my 50w PF-50T into a PF112hlf. On some of my gigs, I can even get away with my little BA108 v1, which puts a whopping 25w into a single 8". But then I played some high wattage amps in stores that just sounded so good that I had to have them, so now my top wattage amps are 800w and 1000w, and I still don't play them any louder than I can get with the PF-50T/PF112hlf. But I'm pretty well convinced that with micro amps, the extra headroom greatly benefits the tone, even when I don't come anywhere near the capabilities of them. So I'm much less judgmental about that these days. It's always important to remember that even high wattage amps have a volume knob.

 

[jazzbass_5]

I use rack mount preamps pretty much exclusively, my power amps are:
1, QSC PLX3002
2, Peavey DPC1400x
1 Peavey GPS 3500 (backup).
I never have them much above 10 o'clock, it's about the headroom.

 

[DWBass]

I have no need for more than 500w. Plenty of headroom. I play funk, r&b, pop and some classic rock. My amps are set no where close to max. Gain between 10 and noon and volume between 10 and noon depending on the bass. 1000w is overkill, IMHO, unless you're in a very loud rock or metal band pushing several cabs. 500w into 2 2x12's or 2 4x10's.....trust me.....you'll be loud. But hey, whatever floats your boat.

 

[seamonkey]

1000w seems to be about the minimum of power amps these days. Price point is under $150 for 1000w.
Power amps can be re-used for many things, PA, monitors, party stereo's, ... and a good one lasts a lifetime.
I mostly don't need all the power for just me, but in other cases it can be useful.

I have a couple that are rated 1000w
"w" not being specific to any rating other than to imply "watts"
The "w" also doesn't match any of the cab "w"
The double U is actually a stuupid/stwpid letter of the alphabet with no correlation from manufacturer to manufacturer.

My amps are different brands, but there is no sonic difference. One has a DSP which can make a difference. A 1000w is hardly noticeably than a 500w amp.

More and more amp makers are also making great pre-amps/pedals/software that lets you get any sound you want off a good power amp at high volumes and low volume levels.
And no need to turn it up all the way.

The one amp with the DSP lets me dial in the max "w". It's just a limiter, and limits voltage out. It can also drive a lower impedance load without shutting down. Only if needed for convenience like adding on an extra monitor. (IEM are the best way to monitor anyhow)

Some of these modern cabs you just don't hear them fart out when they get too much power. They still sound good up until burn out. One has to use some common sense.

 

[DWBass]

I use a rack rig and the power amp is rated at 1000w bridged, 250w per ch at 8ohm and 500w per ch at 4ohms. I run mine in parallel mode which gives each of my GK Neo112's 250w. Trust and believe I'm pretty doggone loud with volume to spare. If I need more, I have a 4ohm Eden 2x12 I put on one side and the 2 GK's on the other side now pushing 500w per side. I only utilized that a couple times during outdoor gigs.

 

[DiabolusInMusic]

I have an SD800 and it gets ridiculously loud. I don't think I have ever cranked my SD800 for fear of blowing up my cabs. I always wondered what kind of maniac needed to run the SD1200...

 

[quickfix]

I used to think that my Ampeg PF 800 and PF115LF was loud enough for an outdoor show. That is, until I plugged my PF 800 "preamp out" into my Peavey PV 2600 class H power amp. Holy Schmokes Bassman! Talk about clean and punchy. Oompf galore.
My main system now is the PF 800 as a preamp and the big Peavey power amp, all packed in a 4u Gator case.
I'll never go back to just class D power again for an outdoor show.

It's akin to the difference between a Honda with a loud fart can doing a high speed blow by, and a big block v8 blow by. Both are equally loud, but the difference in the feeling in the chest, and through the ground is hard to ignore. One just assails the ears. The other is an experience to be remembered.