What's the smallest valve amp you have successfully gigged?

ICBM

mburekenge said:

5watt Victoria 5112

The wink is appropriate given that it's the loudest 5W I've ever heard... the guitarist in my band had one, and it would keep up unmic'ed with a fairly loud drummer and my 500W bass amp - admittedly flat-out, it had nothing even approaching clean at that volume.

It was actually labelled "20W" in the back, even though it definitely isn't - but does sound quite like it.

shaunm

I've been gigging 18 or 20 watt amps for the last 10 years without too much of an issue (a 5e3 isn't great unmiced in a two band set up mind). 

Im looking forward to my next gig though as I get to use my 50watt jcm800 combo. I should t have thought volume will be an issue at this gig.

danlpt

Orange OR15. Held it's own through a 212 with no mic against our heavy hitting drummer

Niallseroreilly

If the amp is being mic'd does it really matter how powerful the amp is?

ICBM

Niallseroreilly said:
If the amp is being mic'd does it really matter how powerful the amp is?

No, if it's loud enough to be successfully mic'ed without bleed from other instruments getting in. So about as loud as a vocal is fine. The problem is that it can take away some of the 'live guitar' interaction with the amp, which doesn't just have to mean controlled feedback. Putting it all through the monitors doesn't sound quite the same, somehow. It's not impossible - I've done gigs with the guitar DI'd and no amp on stage at all - but I do prefer to use a real amp that I can hear.

DaevidJ

A Blackstar HT-20... Plenty for club gigs  

jellybelly

6w vht special 6 in smaller 'intimate' venues, with humbuckers mind so the volume was there to use - I wouldn't fancy it's chances with my Jaguar. 

Otherwise its my MJW 15watter with an EMI Cannabis Rex. Volume to spare. 

alcxam

I've gigged many times with my Blackstar HT1. That's all of 1 watt.
Full disclosure - this was a 'no drummer' scenario.

Teetonetal

Laney Cub 12 in the <1w mode. Used it a bunch of times in small rooms when the drummer knows about volume control. Also used it a lot in 15w for normal gigs. Plenty loud enough unless you need crystal clean. (has had a speaker upgrade so the speaker has a higher sensitivity than stock, which made a massive difference.

Dopesick

I've never used less than 50w.

I did see the two guitarists from The King Is Blind (heavy death/doom metal band) each use a 15w Orange Dark Terror though. Mic'd up obviously.

BloodEagle

I used a Blackstar ht20 (miced up) for a Slayer tribute night I did

JMP220478

Smallest valve amp - Ive ever played was a modified garrard record player - auto changer turntable in box with a very small valve amp n elliptical speaker .. errh - it was a much better record player ..
smallest gigged anp ac10 1x10 - mates dad ex skiffle band gave it and a 62 strat to his son - I borrowed both for a late 70s gig with two mxr distortions into front end .. feedback n howling for days :-) , though id clearly discovered tasteless gain stacking .. and my first serious should have bought faux pas cos i turned down strat as it was pink n didnt have humbuckers !!!
kept up with olympic drum kit n a noname bass combo ... 

have gigged JCA 20H n Custom 22 with 1x12 / initially V30 n settled on G12H anniversary - unmiked and not cranked in smaller pubs / bars ; no genuine cleans but who needs em :-) 

Jalapeno

Mesa Boogie mini rectifier on 10W setting, master volume 4-5, un-mic'ed, accused of being too loud etc .....

Watched an awesome jam using a couple Fender Pro Juniors (one per guitarist) at Ain't Nothing But  - convinced me to give up with the Blues Junior and switch.

Also used a Princeton 10" on less than half whack at a jazz gig (with a loud, but it's a relative term, drummer).

frictionfraction

Jalapeno said:

Mesa Boogie mini rectifier on 10W setting, master volume 4-5, un-mic'ed, accused of being too loud etc .....

Watched an awesome jam using Fender Pro Juniors at Ain't Nothing But  - convinced me to give up with the Blues Junior and switch.

Also used a Princeton 10" on less than half whack at a jazz gig (with a loud, but it's a relative term, drummer).

Another Mesa.. been using a Mesa 5:35 on the 10 watt setting with a full on rock Band and have been too loud apparently ..

fretfinder

Not valve, but I played a gig at the Red Lion Brentford many years ago and my valve amp blew up half way through and I had to finish the gig with my trusty Ross Fame 10 1x8 tranny combo, miced up obviously, and it got me through the gig surprisingly well.

Danny1969

When you think of it some guys are using no amp at all these days .... friend of mine uses Axefx and IEM's ... everbody else is on IEM's and stage volume of anything is irrelevant as nobody is hearing anything other than what's piped in their ears
Personally I like some kind of amp onstage even though I use it mic'ed up and use IEM's ... it's like a comfort blanket  

welshboyo

Danny1969 said:

Personally I like some kind of amp onstage even though I use it mic'ed up and use IEM's ... it's like a comfort blanket  

Exactly the same here @Danny1969 ;

Tuscan777

Orange Rocker 30 in an 8 piece band.

frictionfraction

welshboyo said:

Danny1969 said:

Personally I like some kind of amp onstage even though I use it mic'ed up and use IEM's ... it's like a comfort blanket  

Exactly the same here @Danny1969 ;

Agreed - I've gone the quiet stage bit and really found it soulless and lonely!! 

Having said that it seems to be the way things are going. Once wireless in ear monitors get down to the price of an average pedal and kempers are the same price as a blues junior we will all have to pray that game - I'll probably pack it all in then  

Mickeyji

Must have been my Cornell Romany Plus. It was unmic'ed and turned up all the way and sounded as if it was going to blow up. And at that level it didn't really sound very good either. I think I brought a bigger amp the next time.