whats the smallest amp you've ever gigged with (and how)

[StreetwalkinCheetah]

I mostly sing so I got nothin, but a friend mic'd a Pignose just to prove he could once.

 

[Don A]

I gigged exclusively with a tweed Deluxe clone for several years. I used mostly a Tele and an ES-225 and a simple pedalboard. Sometimes it was mic'd, sometimes it wasn't. I'm playing blues and a little classic rock thrown in. I had no clean tone to speak of and no need for it.

 

[Gasp100]

Just curious.......

Vox AC10 with Celestion G10 Creamback, not mic’d on a chair.

 

[bigben55]

A newer stock Fender 68 Custom Princeton Reverb. And it wasn't enough.

 

[Aslan]

Fender 57 Custom Champ, put a Sennheiser e609 in front and used a Tech 21 Fly Rig 5 version 2 and a wah pedal for effects. It actually sounded pretty decent.

Now why would I do this when I have 3 other tube amps that are awesome? A friend dared me because he felt if you didn’t have at least 50 watts or more you wouldn’t be heard. I usually play out with a Fender 5E3 Deluxe (12 watt) and I have no problem being heard in a four piece group (guitar, bass, drums and keyboard.)

 

[Cousin]

Tech 21 Trademark 10....horrible experience every time, I only used it due to space constraints and a couple of control freak sound men we've worked with. I figured I'd acquiesce and take one for the team, but even on a tall stool, (mic'd) and aimed right at me it was just too small for any real dynamics or band interaction. We often record our shows and the board tapes confirmed what I was experiencing on stage.
Funny little amps, not bad in the studio.

 

[sll]

A 1969 Princeton Reverb with a Deluxe Reverb output transformer and a 12" JBL D120f speaker and a Klon Centaur. Sounded great.

 

[Dashface]

I had to play a gig once with a Princeton... That was tough. Just could not get loud enough to hang with the drummer.

I don't think I've played a gig with an amp less than 50w for six or seven years, and for good reason.

 

[woof*]

I used a Vibrolux a couple times. Ok for a tiny place.

 

[jmonk99]

Gigged all the time with my 70’ SFPR, and I never had it above 4 on the volume. 10” Celestion Gold. 5pc. with a second guitarist and a very loud drummer. I couldn’t imagine being in a band were a 15watt amp won’t cut it.

 

[Tony Done]

I used to gig with my Peavey Classic 30 turned down to "bedroom" volume, I could easily have got by with a 5w clean amp. I really just used it as my monitor, with a line out from the FX loop to the PA mixer, and a mic.

 

[One Small Voice]

Pignose>SM57>PA

 

[Muddy100]

In terms of size...Revv D20 (9 lbs)
In terms of power...'57 Champ...but that was a trio...not my regular stuff.

 

[MilwMark]

I’ve gigged a flat out Vibro Champ literally on the bar in a small pub. Ditto a Marshall
class 5.

That ragged distorted compressed thing is kind of fun in some ways but too limiting.

I’d rather tame a 40w amp with a good MV.

 

[terickson]

SF Champ...Yeah, it lacks a little headroom. Makes ya work a bit harder to find space.

 

[feet]

i played festivals and stadium gigs with this:

the high school quad and football field were some of the biggest venues around at the time. 40 solid state watts, open back 110 speaker. pure metal. ladies couldn't get enough.

 

[georgelrg]

Egnater rebel 20 head and matching 112 cab at my wedding...no more than 70 people.

 

[rickt]

TopHat Portly Cadet. Serial Number 001. And I still got complaints it was too loud.

 

[Teleplayer]

THD Univalve. 1x12 cab. Small venue. Maybe 125-150 people total. Worked fine.

 

[Thinline_slim]

Gigged an Orange Tiny Terror with an Eminence Ramrod 10” quite a few times. I don’t really need cleans though, just light od “clean”.