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Posted by: Sircraigery Apr 17 2008, 08:28 AM

My 50W tube amp doesn't seems to be loud enough to keep up with drums.

I was wondering, since it has another speaker output, will this double the amp's output (aka, run the speakers in parallel), or would using this output cut the stock speaker out...and only run the extra cab?

Just looking for a cheaper alternative to buying another amp.

Posted by: erik Apr 17 2008, 09:10 AM

I don't think it will get much louder

Posted by: MickeM Apr 17 2008, 12:11 PM

A 50W tube amp that doesn't keep up with a drummer? That doesn't sound right at all. Are you sure all it's tubes are working? ...or if the drummer is hitting ridiciously hard ask him to cool it.

The internal speaker will most likely get bypassed and you end up with only the external cabinet. I think you should go for a 2x12 or 4x12. it won't get louder but you'll be moving a lot more air.

Posted by: JVM Apr 17 2008, 12:36 PM

+1 50 tube watts should be able to almost drown out a drummer cranked, that doesn't seem right.

Posted by: Sircraigery Apr 17 2008, 04:07 PM

It's possible that one of my tube is pooched.

Everyone told me is was going to easily loud enough, but it's not. The room is super small too, and I think that makes it even worse.

Both tubes glow...but that probably doesn't mean anything.

Posted by: MickeM Apr 17 2008, 04:27 PM

When did you last change tubes? Or if it's a used amp and you don't know, check if the technician put a date sticker somewhere on the back.

If you play once a week at low volumes and never move your amp the tubes could last you up to 10 years.
If you play every day, loud, and gig with it. Half a year could be enough to wear your power tubes out.

And lets assume you have to change to new pre amp tubes every third or fourth time you change power tubes.

Posted by: Danilo Capezzuto Apr 17 2008, 06:05 PM

Beat to the death the drummer...
Check out the tubes...I think it's impossible that a 50 watt amp can't fight a drummer...

Posted by: bmh1109 Apr 17 2008, 07:10 PM

see i don't get how saying adding a 4x12 to you tube amp won't make it louder. It seems as simple as the definition of the measure of loudness that it would. Volume is measured in dB with is a measure of sound pressure level. Greater speaker cone surface area can move more air and thus create a higher sound pressure level, it just seems like simple physics. More air being moved = more volume. Now I could be wrong but I played my old carvin 60watt tube amp through its internal 12 a 2x12 and a 4x12 and i can promise you that the 4x12 was definitely louder then the internal single 12.

Posted by: Hisham Al-Sanea Apr 17 2008, 09:37 PM

if you change your speaker to 4 ohm it will be much loader

Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Apr 17 2008, 11:10 PM

Something is wrong there, 50W is very loud.

Either tubes need replacement or the speaker. If you have any speakers around try them in your amp to see if they produce enough dB.

Posted by: MickeM Apr 18 2008, 12:10 AM

Maybe so, I just don't know my theory too well.
But I've tried so many times with my Peavey Classic 30 alone and plugged into a 4x12.
I don't think the 4x12 is louder, not as far as my ears can pick up. But the sound picture is a lot wider spread and the sound becomes fatter (could be the eq of the GT75 speakers). With the internal 12" speaker the sound becomes very straight forward directed, but standing in front of the 1x12 and standing in front of the 4x12 there are a lot of differencies with the 4x12 getting the upper hand, but louder? Not to my experience.

So there must be more parameters to that theory if you add the directed sound from a single 12" compared to the spread of a 4x12. Could it be?