Metropoulos Forum

So... Who thinks VH1 is actually a 50 watter instead of a 100 watter>

FWIW, I've built a 50 and 100 watt amps, and often pull two power tubes on 100 watters to run like 50's. If you have all else going right, PU's, variac/s, playing, etc. either will do it. 100 watters just hit the cab a little harder but dialing up some voltage using a 50 watt gets you there. The 68 spec setup right, is where it is at.

Ummm,
a fifty watter is nice and good luck getting above a drummer like AL. I think that should be the end of that discussion. I have too many experiences of not having enough volume with a drummer with a 50 watter to know thats just not reality. You need more.Thats the volume junk that just makes the hundred watter theory just stupid. Al hits hard , more so than a fifty. He will tell you that and god forbid you are drinking with him . He would be insulted beyond belief.

I have had 50 watters in that zone and still no chance with a hard drummer. Now thats with the vintage cabs the goods the scooby doo friends. You need to have volume control over your drummer. No deal. So plexi one , drummer zero. Singer , still practice. Thats the way it works .

You might wanna check that 50 watter, cause mine is loud as hell. Anyway... When recording it doesn't really matter volumewise if you need a 50 or 100 watter. It's the sound and feel that makes someone prefer a 50 or 100 watt.

I might have to agree somewhat. My 50 watter at 100VAC into my Custom oversize 2X12 is pretty damn LOUD. And into my 4X12, it's kind of nutty. At 110-115VAC, thing is scary for a 50 watter. Would have to be a good size club for gigging at that voltage and the drummer would have to be the Hulk.

Well, a fifty is loud ... I often pull the two inner tubes on my 100w, and still sound higher than my fellow guitarist ( wich happens to have a 1987 lead )... Probably due to the larger ot in my 100w head.
It happens we take out all attenuation during rehearsal, and just crank the shit out of our amps... ( not for very long, I might add )... I could probably play along our drummer, who hits really hard when needed, if I wanted to... probably my friend as well... so regarding the pure volume, I think it would be enough...
But if Ed would be playing a 50w head on the first album... No, I don't think so... A 50 has a different kinda bite... a bit too soft... It's hard to get that "cracking" sound from a 50 head... You'll need a 100w for that...

My guess would be that Ed left all his tubes in but the real question is whether or not we would really notice on albums. Most likely not except where he's articulating a lot of the low E muted notes. That's probably the biggest standout IMO. However, there is a pic out there, of his amp from behind, with two tubes out. It was at a live event and the pic was pretty much a straight on shot. So 50 watts can be plenty.

You all have seen the VH 2 Sunset Studio photos before -- and they are undoubtedly staged PR photos -- but I have to believe Ed used the full output of his baby Marshall when he was in the studio. See picture below that appears on the Abalone Vintage website showing the back of his Marshall while in the studio. That is a really cool website for the Ed fans among us.

An off topic thought, but I wonder why he had that Dano U-1 with him when he has a single coil Strat right behind him (just looking at the photo, he had two rear loaded humbucker guitars and two single coil guitars). Unless of course, he sandwiched a humbucker in the U-1 just like Franky . . . .

A 50 doesn't sound right to me, plus my feeling just from reading and listening is Ed didn't like 50s nearly as much.

Re: playing with a drummer, you're really talking about the crashes and the snare, and not getting drowned out when he hits those, plus what is the room like. I think a cranked 50 is fine for most drummers. Al is not most drummers!