How Loud is 5 Watts???

[dreamingtele]

So, I've never had a tube amp at home..

I've played a Twin - I played it volume around 7. It was glorious. We played a very large outdoor venue.. It was my monitor at the same time, it was angled towards me, on my left side, hiding behind the lights and decorations of the stage, mic'ed..

Since then, I've always been after that clean tone. specifically, Fender clean tone.

Amps I had in the Past (for Home use)
Peavey Bandit 112 - MIC
Fender Frontman 65R - MIM
Peavey Envoy 110
Vox AD50VT

I sold my last amp for financial reasons, and now I have spare change and looking for something small, that has really good clean tone, cheap, can be modded (IF I want to have a speaker swap), and something I can take to a small venue that can be mic'ed..

My rig:
Tuner -> Chinese Klone -> LovePedal AMP11 -> Joyo American Sound -> DD20 -> RV-6

image removed

and I play an AVRI 62 - all stock, 11's string gauge

I want to be very Fender-consistent thats why I have the American Sound in there.. I dont have a say in the venue's sound system.. sometimes I go straight to PA, sometimes there will be an amp, but I still want to sound like me, so Joyo is my "amp".. I set everything to flat and then EQ my Joyo to sound like the Bassman setting from Tech21.. but Once I find a Tech21 Blonde, I will replace the Joyo to see if I like it.. Also if I get a small Fender amp, the Joyo will go out of the board and I will bring it as a back up instead, because Im just after Fendery cleans.

So I'm looking at few options, mainly on the VERY cheap side, in the low wattage category

Tube Amps:
Joyo JTA-05 "Sweet Baby" - Champ clone - This is what Im leaning towards as it's very cheap
Bugera V5
Vox AC4

So far thats all I have researched, and for the reason that its available here in Oz.. I really want to get a tube amp this time, but how loud is 5 watts? I know low wattage and clean headroom doesnt go together, but I want to just play clean because I have my drive pedals.. 5 watts would probably break up super early, but I still want to be able to get good clean tones (mic'ed) when lets say I'm in a full band (2 guitars, bass, keys, drums, vocals)..

My other option is Solid state amp (AGAIN)
Solid State:
Fender Champion 20 - I see good reviews here
Fender Frontman 25R - Ive had the 65R, how bad can this be?
Vox Pathfinder 15R
Orange Crush

So you think 5 watts would be okay?

 

[Ex-riverman]

Monoprice 5w? It has a low and hi input. I want to say the low is 1 watt. Very affordable.

 

[Dacious]

The Sweet Baby is a great sounding little amp and the newer ones Artist sells have a fairly good Eminence. Artist often has 'customer returns' - saved my friend $60. It sounds Fendery up to 6-7. If you want more Tweed you can sub in a 5Y3 rectifier.

Beware that 5 tube watts depending on your domestic arrangements can be too loud.

OTOH if you really liked the Twin something with a 12" speaker like the Vox AC suitcase might be better. Vox sounds Brit rather than Fender. I characterise it as sharp, crisp and jangly due to preamp rather than round and woody like a Fender. The 6V6 is definitely the Fender sound.

We don't get the Monoprice and the Bugera - meh.

 

[dreamingtele]

Monoprice 5w? It has a low and hi input. I want to say the low is 1 watt. Very affordable.

Pretty much the same with the Joyo JTA-05 with little differences.. Monoprice seems to be unavailable here in Australia.

 

[simoncroft]

An amp is as loud as it sounds!

I know that sounds like a stupid answer, but I was once sent a 1W tube amp for review, and it was so loud I worried it might annoy the neighbours. I've played through 30W amps that were so lame, I wouldn't attempt to gig with them. Generally speaking, the higher/faster 'transient' response of a tube amp to that initial hit on a string means it will sound a lot louder than most solid-state designs.

Unfortunately, Watts are a measure of electrical power, not SPL (Sound Pressure Level), so there is no automatic link between the two.

The other factor is how loud you want the amp to be. Here in crowded South East England, I'd be pushing my luck cranking a Vox AC30 at home. When my wife is asleep, I'd be pushing my luck using any guitar amp!

 

[dreamingtele]

The Sweet Baby is a great sounding little amp and the newer ones Artist sells have a fairly good Eminence. Artist often has 'customer returns' - saved my friend $60. It sounds Fendery up to 6-7. If you want more Tweed you can sub in a 5Y3 rectifier.

Beware that 5 tube watts depending on your domestic arrangements can be too loud.

OTOH if you really liked the Twin something with a 12" speaker like the Vox AC suitcase might be better. Vox sounds Brit rather than Fender.

The only reason I want a small amp is mobility.. Actually, If I have the money, Id buy the Pro JR as that seems to be very simple and loud as heck.. I like it better than the BluesJr. but I dont have the money and Im not sure if I want to load an AC30 in the back of my hatch along with the prams and baby stuff..

But for money reasons, and mobility, I chose to go with low wattage tube amp.. I think the older ones have the Eminence? Artist lists them with Celestion G8c-15.. somehow it got changed over time?

 

[dreamingtele]

An amp is as loud as it sounds!

I know that sounds like a stupid answer, but I was once sent a 1W tube amp for review, and it was so loud I worried it might annoy the neighbours. I've played through 30W amps that were so lame, I wouldn't attempt to gig with them. Generally speaking, the higher/faster 'transient' response of a tube amp to that initial hit on a string means it will sound a lot louder than most solid-state designs.

Unfortunately, Watts are a measure of electrical power, not SPL (Sound Pressure Level), so there is no automatic link between the two.

The other factor is how loud you want the amp to be. Here in crowded South East England, I'd be pushing my luck cranking a Vox AC30 at home. When my wife is asleep, I'd be pushing my luck using any guitar amp!

I play with my iRig through my phone when the baby and the wife is sleeping!!

 

[PhredE]

What simoncroft said.

An amp is as loud as it sounds!

I know that sounds like a stupid answer, but I was once sent a 1W tube amp for review, and it was so loud I worried it might annoy the neighbours. I've played through 30W amps that were so lame, I wouldn't attempt to gig with them. Generally speaking, the higher/faster 'transient' response of a tube amp to that initial hit on a string means it will sound a lot louder than most solid-state designs.

Unfortunately, Watts are a measure of electrical power, not SPL (Sound Pressure Level), so there is no automatic link between the two.

The other factor is how loud you want the amp to be. Here in crowded South East England, I'd be pushing my luck cranking a Vox AC30 at home. When my wife is asleep, I'd be pushing my luck using any guitar amp!

Or, stated another way, it depends on the destination of the amp's output: if you send it to a meek speaker with a miserable efficiency rating (say < 95db) you will not be impressed. However, take that same 5W, preamp the input signal, then output to a highly efficient speaker (say 101db or 102db) and it's quite possible your ears will ring after a good session of that.

Afterthought: one nice feature of some of the latest SS designs, is the support down to a 4 ohm load.
That also might play into the output 'equation' depending upon your situation.

 

[dreamingtele]

What simoncroft said.



Or, stated another way, it depends on the destination of the amp's output: if you send it to a meek speaker with a miserable efficiency rating (say < 95db) you will not be impressed. However, take that same 5W, preamp the input signal, then output to a highly efficient speaker (say 101db or 102db) and it's quite possible your ears will ring after a good session of that.

The joyo ships with this speaker, rated at 95db.. so a speaker swap would be in line?
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...inch-15-watt-replacement-guitar-speaker-4-ohm

 

[PhredE]

The joyo ships with this speaker, rated at 95db.. so a speaker swap would be in line?
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...inch-15-watt-replacement-guitar-speaker-4-ohm

Ah, I see, it's an 8" driver. 95 db is pretty typical of the 8" units for guitar. WGS has one that is 95.75db, I think emi has a few that are pretty similar in ratings. With an 8" driver, your options are pretty limited (compared with 12" or 10" drivers).

 

[Obsessed]

This is where I was many years ago. Basically a home version of the Fender voiced Twin clean for my home surf guitar practice. I found the 80's Fender Champ 12 to be the ultimate 6L6 Fender clean on the cheap and light. Somewhere around 10-12 watts, so it can get gig loud, but it takes every pedal I have ever used. You won't find a better Fendery clean 6L6 amp under 12 watts. Just do not use the Gain channel since it sucks, but who cares with your favorite drive pedals. As time went on from surf guitar to blues, I finally ended up with Fendery amp-in-a-box drive pedals. Bassman, Tweed, JTM, Mesa Boogie pedals all nail those amp sounds with glorious tube response. A lifer stock amp for me and I have put it through the test for many years now.

 

[dreamingtele]

This is where I was many years ago. Basically a home version of the Fender voiced Twin clean for my home surf guitar practice. I found the 80's Fender Champ 12 to be the ultimate 6L6 Fender clean on the cheap and light. Somewhere around 10-12 watts, so it can get gig loud, but it takes every pedal I have ever used. You won't find a better Fendery clean 6L6 amp under 12 watts. Just do not use the Gain channel since it sucks, but who cares with your favorite drive pedals. As time went on from surf guitar to blues, I finally ended up with Fendery amp-in-a-box drive pedals. Bassman, Tweed, JTM, Mesa Boogie pedals all nail those amp sounds with glorious tube response. A lifer stock amp for me and I have put it through the test for many years now.

I didnt know this amp existed.. I was actually looking for alternatives to the Pro Jr that has 12" speakers..

it also sounds like its going to be expensive to get this built by an amp builder..

 

[Orpingtons]

The problem with some of those cheap amps is the PCB board, it can be difficult to mod a PCB circuit. Point to point amps are way easier to mod but, as you know, they're more expensive.

If you know how to solder and the fundamentals of electronic circuits you can build your own, a 5W amp is very easy to build. If you don't want the trouble of building your own and you want to be able to easily mod the amp, consider paying a bit more for a point to point (or hardwired) amp.

Just my two cents.

 

[adjason]

I've owned two champs and I would take a twin or super on low volume over it any day. Champs are cool in that with a crappy PA you can sing over them and they are cranked but I think I just like bigger speakers, bigger iron and reverb. 5 watts can be loud but never hurts the ears. It not the volume its the tone that I don't like as much as bigger amps

 

[GuitarKid]

I had a Marshall Class 5 (5 watts) for a while. It was too loud for home, not so loud for stage use (in a rock power trio scenario with loud drums and bass, un-micked). At home it was window shaking loud.

 

[Dacious]

I didnt know this amp existed.. I was actually looking for alternatives to the Pro Jr that has 12" speakers..

it also sounds like its going to be expensive to get this built by an amp builder..

There's one on Gumtree right now.

 

[tfarny]

As others have said, 5w doesn't have a "loudness" associated with it, except that it will probably be able to easily annoy any family members in the home while still being not loud enough to gig with unmiked. I have a 5w Ceriatone "ultra champ" this is in some ways the best 5w amp you could get, I would say - Fender BF Vibrochamp with a bigger speaker and a tone stack lift switch for "instant tweed" tone. I'm going to sell it for something bigger, as it's too small for gigs and I have other amps I can use at home (including a gig-volume amp). It has a couple of great sounds (tweed mode on 3, or BF Mode on 7-10, tone stack dimed), but they won't cut it on a stage. My band owns a very wonky PA, we usually have to do our own sound, and the less we run through it the better at this point.

With a 12" efficient speaker (The Cannabis Rex) it's much louder than with a 10" less-efficient speaker (The Eminence Legend) - maybe not twice as loud, but it's a big difference. Same cab.

If you like shimmery Fender cleans btw, you're not going to get it from a Pro Jr or a Blues Jr. Those are different sounding beasts entirely.

 

[Obsessed]

I didnt know this amp existed.. I was actually looking for alternatives to the Pro Jr that has 12" speakers..

it also sounds like its going to be expensive to get this built by an amp builder..

They are going up in value, but you can still get them on fleabay for about $200 US here stateside. Not much more than a boutique pedal.

 

[dreamingtele]

There's one on Gumtree right now.

Just checked! 500 AUD, and all I have is half of that! and I live in Melbourne! add postage! my goodness

 

[dreamingtele]

The problem with some of those cheap amps is the PCB board, it can be difficult to mod a PCB circuit. Point to point amps are way easier to mod but, as you know, they're more expensive.

If you know how to solder and the fundamentals of electronic circuits you can build your own, a 5W amp is very easy to build. If you don't want the trouble of building your own and you want to be able to easily mod the amp, consider paying a bit more for a point to point (or hardwired) amp.

Just my two cents.

I wish I can solder.. I wanted to learn, but I just couldnt find the time, as I really want to be able to change the pickups and make my own pedals

But I dont know what to do if something goes wrong.. I might as well be buried 6ft under the moment I start making my own amps.