Express 5:50 seems too loud

[cherbst]

Hi, I'm a new owner of an Express 5:50 1X12. I'm loving the sound I get with my HSS Strat and the rectifier-workalike settings listed on this site, but it seems *way* louder than I would expect. I'm just running it at home along with the stereo now, but even in class A/5 watt mode I've never been able to turn the volume past 8 o'clock.

How is the output on these calibrated, should it be putting out the full 5 watts with the volume over 3 o'clock, or is there more play in it so low gain settings can get as much output? I'm a former bass player so my 'mental calibration' of wattage vs output might be skewed too But how loud do these 5 watts get?

 

[TimeSignature]

Any 5 watt amp tube amp will be VERY loud. With the volume at 3 oclock that will be enough to annoy everyone in your house. lol

 

[Old BF Shred]

Welcome to the world of Mesa!

Mesa's are truly the working man's amp. They are designed to be loud as that is what gigs require.
And "tube" watts always sound louder than solid state watts. (Has to do with, among other things, the way tubes compress the waveform vs solid state, but that discussion is for another thread).

Yep, even 5 watts can be too loud for "bedroom level" practice. You can try an attenuator, if absolutely necessary. Or plan on keeping the master volume way down. That's pretty much the norm for these amps. On the other hand, when you get the chance to really crank it up, then you really appreciate what they can do.

Good luck!

 

[Don]

A 5 watt amp with an effecient 12" speaker will be quite loud-certainly too loud to use in a living space while other people are there.

 

[soundchaser59]

.....certainly too loud to use in a living space while other people are there.

Unless you are a really really gifted player......

 

[cherbst]

How about with a sealed cabinet? I know I'll get more bass, but would that also cut enough volume to make 5 watts more manageable? How about putting in a low output tube (i.e. 12AT7), probably last preamp position? (I do realize lowering preamp output will prohibit power section saturation)

I am very happy with the sound as is, keeping the master under 8 o'clock, but I might go for a hotplate so I can get some power section saturation happening in the future

 

[dogdew]

I feel your pain Brother! HAHAHHHHAAAA
Loves my 550!

 

[elvis]

Power rating has ALMOST nothing to do with volume, especially at low volumes. Power rating is a lot more helpful when figuring headroom, as in "how loud can I get an still not compress the signal". Here's why power is useless for getting low volumes:

1. Power is rated with a specific continuous test signal. Music NEVER comes close to that condition.
2. The Human ear is logarithmic.
3. The universe (as we perceive it) is 3-dimensional

All of these affect the perceived volume. In effect, you will have a lot of trouble telling the difference between amp power except at their loudest. 50W gets just about as loud as 100W. 5W can't quite get as loud as 50W, but it's close.

The way to get low volume is by lowering the master volume. Your amp can be just as quiet at 50W as 5W.

If you're looking to compress in the power amp at low volume (the most common reason for getting a low power amp), you will need to look into <1W amps. I have experience with half-Watt and one-Watt amps, and they are surprisingly loud.

 

[Furvel]

Hi, I'm a new owner of an Express 5:50 1X12. I'm loving the sound I get with my HSS Strat and the rectifier-workalike settings listed on this site, but it seems *way* louder than I would expect. I'm just running it at home along with the stereo now, but even in class A/5 watt mode I've never been able to turn the volume past 8 o'clock.

How is the output on these calibrated, should it be putting out the full 5 watts with the volume over 3 o'clock, or is there more play in it so low gain settings can get as much output? I'm a former bass player so my 'mental calibration' of wattage vs output might be skewed too But how loud do these 5 watts get?

Maybe part of the reason is that a lot of 5w tube amps are one channel "clean" amps that you overdrive by maxing the volume. By experiencing those we're conditioned to think 5w isn't very loud. I would surmise that the Express is louder than expected at 5w because it has gain controls. For example, I have found my Express is pretty tame at 5W on the clean mode, since that has a low gain structure. The other modes have higher gain and more "punch", and really jump out of the speaker, even at a 5w setting. In a live format I pretty much use whichever power setting that will allow me to run the crunch channel @ 9 o'clock, at a comfortable volume level to me. The 5w setting has been plenty for small gigs where the amp is positioned very close to me. I should mention the I never use the clean mode. Of course my group has very reasonable stage volumes, and I don't have to compete with another guitarist, just drums, bass & keys.

I think 5w isn't much for an amp without any gain, but a 5w setting + Mesa gain = louder than you'd expect.