An apartment use
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nicoroy123
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Hi, first of all, what do you mean by road star? It is either a Roadster, Roadking or Lonestar.
Even if they have some similarities they are three different amps.
Second, when you buy a 50/100Watts tube amp, the best sound will be obtain when you warm up the tubes, meaning the volume must be loud. This is why all guitar tracks are usually recorded with amp cranked, with the tubes almost frying.
It doesn't mean that you won't have a good guitar sound with a Mesa at bedroom level, it just mean that you won't get the best of it.
My 2 cents
Even if they have some similarities they are three different amps.
Second, when you buy a 50/100Watts tube amp, the best sound will be obtain when you warm up the tubes, meaning the volume must be loud. This is why all guitar tracks are usually recorded with amp cranked, with the tubes almost frying.
It doesn't mean that you won't have a good guitar sound with a Mesa at bedroom level, it just mean that you won't get the best of it.
My 2 cents
na said:
No.
Two problems.
1. It's just too loud for an apartment, especially the bass, you will get a lot of complaints.
2. It's VERY heavy (around 47 kilos) so if you need to take it to band practice it will be a real hassle.
If you have the money you should think about getting one of these (click the link) and a Roadster head and cab, so you can leave the cab where your band practices and play silently through headphones or quietly through monitors at home, and you'll just have to carry the head around. The Palmer units are not cheap (they are $650 new in the US, I think they were about 450 euros last I saw) but they are very good, much better than a HotPlate or other attenuator.
KoskineN
Well-known member
I own a Roadster combo and I live in an appartment too! For sure it does sounds way better cranked, but it also sounds good
at low volume. Depending if you can hear your neighbours breath, you should be alright.
That's true thought that the combo is really heavy,
but thanks God for the casters that comes with it! I personally have not real problem carry it around, but I do use the help from my bandmates sometimes!
at low volume. Depending if you can hear your neighbours breath, you should be alright.
That's true thought that the combo is really heavy,but thanks God for the casters that comes with it! I personally have not real problem carry it around, but I do use the help from my bandmates sometimes!
crockett
Member
I have a Roadster Combo in my thin-walled apartment. A little knowing your neighbors can go a long way. After a month or so of having it, I've asked my neighbors if they could hear me play and all of them said no, much to my surprise. The trombone player that used to live above me, on the other hand, resonated everywhere. Play during daylight hours, not during prime time television and I doubt you'll get much flak. After dark, I play into a direct box through my cpu, using headphones.
I do keep it very low, but it sounds good, of course not as good as at break-up. Lugging it up to the 2nd floor solo sucks, and sometimes I'll leave the combo in my trunk if it's only 2 or 3 days between practices. I'd guess the clean mode is the one which is easily heard through walls, it just sounds much deeper and richer. Then again, most of my neighbors have horrible taste in music, and I have no problem culturing them to death metal. If you have neighbors who would rather read a book on a Sunday afternoon, that might be a different situation. Know your enem.. err, neighbor! You will not appreciate the amp fully, however, unless you have opportunities to open it up.
I do keep it very low, but it sounds good, of course not as good as at break-up. Lugging it up to the 2nd floor solo sucks, and sometimes I'll leave the combo in my trunk if it's only 2 or 3 days between practices. I'd guess the clean mode is the one which is easily heard through walls, it just sounds much deeper and richer. Then again, most of my neighbors have horrible taste in music, and I have no problem culturing them to death metal. If you have neighbors who would rather read a book on a Sunday afternoon, that might be a different situation. Know your enem.. err, neighbor! You will not appreciate the amp fully, however, unless you have opportunities to open it up.
To echo what everyone else basically said, the Roadster sounds great at bedroom volumes.
The problem is it sounds Godly loud.
Modern mode for sure will be fizzy at bedroom volumes. It really needs to breath in that mode. But vintage sounds good at bedroom volumes.
The problem is it sounds Godly loud.
Modern mode for sure will be fizzy at bedroom volumes. It really needs to breath in that mode. But vintage sounds good at bedroom volumes.
I have a Roadster and to me it sounds very thin at bedroom levels.
Realistically if you are playing in a bedroom setting the Roadster is way to much amp. Its basically a mini halfstack. I would look at one of the Lonestars that has the 5 watt option.
An attenuator is an option. I own a Weber Mass. I had to take the bakc off the Roadster and pull the speaker cord loose to get enough length to hook it up.
I personally have a Mesa Triple Rectifier Stack, a Roadster combo and a Mesa Subway Rocket. I play 3-5 times a month. Lately I have been using a POD PRO straight inot the pa. We play venues from 100 seats to 300 and all of my amps are too loud. I go out and hear a lot of bands and most of the guys using 50 tube watt amps and up have a hard time getting a good tone, because they overblow the PA systems. If youve got the money for a Roadster and attenuator you can get away with using one in the bedroom. Mine sounds pretty good with the Weber unit, but you really cant get into the amp hard enough to sound good and like the amp is designed to sound.
I crack up reading all these posts about bedroom level amps. If all you are going to do is play in the bedroom get some sort of preamp that you can run headphones out of. This will allow you to get the presence in your ears that you want without bugging the neighbors. If not then get a good attenuator to get the level down, will it sound like it should. NO it wont. I like to tell people its like owning a Ferrari and trying to drive in rush hour traffic. It looks good but you really cant cut it loose and let it do what its designed to do.
Get equipment that fits your true needs and longterm you will be happy.
Just my 2 cents.
Realistically if you are playing in a bedroom setting the Roadster is way to much amp. Its basically a mini halfstack. I would look at one of the Lonestars that has the 5 watt option.
An attenuator is an option. I own a Weber Mass. I had to take the bakc off the Roadster and pull the speaker cord loose to get enough length to hook it up.
I personally have a Mesa Triple Rectifier Stack, a Roadster combo and a Mesa Subway Rocket. I play 3-5 times a month. Lately I have been using a POD PRO straight inot the pa. We play venues from 100 seats to 300 and all of my amps are too loud. I go out and hear a lot of bands and most of the guys using 50 tube watt amps and up have a hard time getting a good tone, because they overblow the PA systems. If youve got the money for a Roadster and attenuator you can get away with using one in the bedroom. Mine sounds pretty good with the Weber unit, but you really cant get into the amp hard enough to sound good and like the amp is designed to sound.
I crack up reading all these posts about bedroom level amps. If all you are going to do is play in the bedroom get some sort of preamp that you can run headphones out of. This will allow you to get the presence in your ears that you want without bugging the neighbors. If not then get a good attenuator to get the level down, will it sound like it should. NO it wont. I like to tell people its like owning a Ferrari and trying to drive in rush hour traffic. It looks good but you really cant cut it loose and let it do what its designed to do.
Get equipment that fits your true needs and longterm you will be happy.
Just my 2 cents.
MusicManJP6
Well-known member
All tube amps are loud. It doesn't matter if it's 5 watts or 150 watts. If you want tube tone then pick whatever amp you think you'd like and go to town. They all sound good at low volume but sound better as you turn them up. I don't see the big deal about bedroom amp this or that. Just buy what makes you happy!
