what EXACTLY is head room?
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stephen sawall
Well-known member
How much volume before distortion.
How much has to do with what your sound goal is.
Little or a lot is not good or bad.
Only has to do with what sound you are going for.
How much has to do with what your sound goal is.
Little or a lot is not good or bad.
Only has to do with what sound you are going for.
Yeah, generally on a clean channel "headroom" describes how much volume you get before the amp starts to distort.
On an overdrive channel it can mean how much volume you get before the amp stops getting louder and just starts compressing and losing definition.
Generally speaking, amps using 6L6s in the power section can provide more headroom at volume than amps using EL34s.
Headroom and definition is where wattage really starts to matter. High-wattage amps stay clean much louder and keep much more definition in the highs and the bass, even if the math says 150W is only 3 decibels louder than 100W. This is why people buy crazy things like Fender Super Twins or Triple Rectifiers. The Super Twin is a 180 watt combo. You can play it in a hockey arena, completely sparkly clean, loud enough to render the front 20 rows deaf for the next two weeks and burn off your neck tattoo if you are dumb enough to walk in front of it.
On the heavy side, An EL34-based 100W amp, even a real "heavy" one like a Splawn Nitro, will have lots of low end you can hear on the CD... but a high-wattage 6L6er like a Triple Rec puts out enough bass thump to make you involuntarily poop yourself when you hear it live.
On an overdrive channel it can mean how much volume you get before the amp stops getting louder and just starts compressing and losing definition.
Generally speaking, amps using 6L6s in the power section can provide more headroom at volume than amps using EL34s.
Headroom and definition is where wattage really starts to matter. High-wattage amps stay clean much louder and keep much more definition in the highs and the bass, even if the math says 150W is only 3 decibels louder than 100W. This is why people buy crazy things like Fender Super Twins or Triple Rectifiers. The Super Twin is a 180 watt combo. You can play it in a hockey arena, completely sparkly clean, loud enough to render the front 20 rows deaf for the next two weeks and burn off your neck tattoo if you are dumb enough to walk in front of it.
On the heavy side, An EL34-based 100W amp, even a real "heavy" one like a Splawn Nitro, will have lots of low end you can hear on the CD... but a high-wattage 6L6er like a Triple Rec puts out enough bass thump to make you involuntarily poop yourself when you hear it live.
jdurso
Well-known member
i dont know... all my poop is voluntary. ESPECIALLY when a Triple recto is involved.
Turumbar82
Well-known member
Oh how I miss the days when my poops were voluntary
I thought "head room" was how much space in the car there was for your girlfriend's noggin under the steering wheel... :lol:
Re: Turumbar82 and "voluntary poops":
I can't stop... (laughing, that is!) :lol: :lol: :lol:
Re: Turumbar82 and "voluntary poops":
I can't stop... (laughing, that is!) :lol: :lol: :lol:
212Mavguy
Well-known member
I'm glad my truck has a tilt steering wheel! :lol:
halfmachine
Active member
MrMarkIII said:
hahahahaha lmao
that's a good one
Robusto
Well-known member
I love the mild derailment of threads.
LOL!
Personally, I hope to keep all my Poops voluntary.
At least until I am old and with my dementia, I won't know the difference.
LOL!
Personally, I hope to keep all my Poops voluntary.
At least until I am old and with my dementia, I won't know the difference.
soundchaser59
Well-known member
headroom = the difference between a real Mesa and a Korean Vox......
ryjan
Well-known member
giggity-giggity
