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Amp question - wattage and tone?

1K views 6 replies 7 participants last post by  lynchfan6 
#1 ·
Well, I have been searching for the answer to this question for a few days now. I looked through many of the threads already posted and searched but I couldn't find the answer here. So, sorry If this question has already been asked.

I saw on this guitargeek website that steve vai basically uses two halfstacks (8 speakers with 2 amp heads) and then saw that joe satriani uses one full stack (8 speakers with 1 amp head). And I hope this site wasn't just feeding me with BS. I'm a vai addict (obviously) and was thinking of buying the carvin legacy fullstack. But I started wondering,... how would it affect the tone to have two half stacks as opposed to one amphead for all 8 speakers? I tried searching for the answer, and from I can tell, more watts = more volume. And I was thinking that two half stacks might give a fatter sound but thats just a guess because I don't understand much of anything. So, can anyone help me out? Whats the difference in sound between two halfstacks and one fullstack?
 
#2 ·
More watts is not that much more volume. Double the watts = 3Db more volume. There could be a lot of different reasons Vai uses 2 halfstacks instead of 1 full stack, but chances are you will never find yourself in a situation where you need the kind of volume either of those setups would give you.
 
#3 ·
The Legacy only has two channels, maybe he just needs a wider range of tones. Elcid is right, chances are you don't need either setup. I'd recommend a 2x12 combo, it has more than enough volume for any gig, and you can use it at home without the rest of your family beating you over the head with a baseball bat.

If you're going to for the legacy, keep in mind that you WON'T get Vai's tone without $10,000 of rack gear. Alone, and especially at low volumes, the Legacy sounds almost nothing like Vai. The clean channel is absolutely amazing (the best I've ever heard), but the lead channel has a lot to be desired.
 
#4 ·
If you're going to for the legacy, keep in mind that you WON'T get Vai's tone without $10,000 of rack gear.
Kinda funny then since his OWN rig doesn't cost that much...Don't go by the guiar geek website anymore either, hes pritty much just using the G-system now, with his usual pedals and the harmonizer, so a DS-1, G-system and a legacy will nail his tone.
 
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