what the differnce between half and full stacks? i know a full stack is 2 cabinets on top of each other, but does that make it louder? i dont see how having more speakers can increase the watt's...

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you have more speaker elements being driven and thus creating more volume. its the same watts just a different resistance from the speakers.

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the watts stay the same. actually the wattage splits up... half to each cab...

watts don't exactly equal volume.... but it's a very common way to measure by... because more watts can mean more volume... but it varies, tube watts are louder than s.s. watts... but i think class A watts are louder than class A/B watts.... most heads are class a/b anyways.
100w isnt twice as loud as 50w, but it is significantly louder.
i think to get twice the volume it's about 10 times the wattage..

the reason a fullstack is louder than a half stack is because more speakers will move more air, and if you have one cab set higher(stacked) it will be more at head level and will be heard more... they project better too.
8 12" speakers isnt twice as loud as 4 12's, but there is still a significant increase in volume.
i think you need about 4-5 times the speakers to double the volume.

nobody really has all of this to a well known science because there are so many variables....
but these are just basic things to consider.

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i think i get it... 120 watts isnt twice as loud as 60 watts... so if you split 120 watts into two 60 watt speakers then its like having one 600 watt speaker?(since it takes 10x the wattage to double)

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Yeah 120 watts isn't twice as loud as 60 watts. To get twice as loud as 60 watts, you would need a 600 watt head. I think thats been stated.

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only if youre a moron and think that 3db is a significant amount.

so you think theres barely any difference between a 50 watt amp and a 100 watt amp?

well, db's are funny things...
hell, i believe +10db is double the volume right?.
3db IS significant though....
take a 100w head and a cab of anysize., crank it, pull two of the tubes so it runs only 50w(-3db), not drastic, but definately audible and often "significant" volume drop.
my guitarist was running his old bv120 with only two tubes for awhile. he had it dimed and it was barely loud enough. put the others in, WHAM! a significant difference.

i dunno, maybe it's just because i'm a moron and you're just the all knowing one. but personal experience is more important than a stranger's opinion sometimes.

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depends on the amps you're comparing.... volume... if you're comparing a 50w tube head to a 100w s.s. head you might be suprised which is louder...
tubes seem louder because they have more harmonics. in reality, it's more sonic frequenqies being covered, not more decibels/watts

in most cases it's a headroom issue though.. with s.s. stuff you want tons of headroom because s.s. poweramp breakup sounds really bad....
with a tube amp the powertube saturation is sweet and smoother... many people buy low wattage heads just so they can crank em for great tones at more reasonable volumes. but if you have no headroom then good luck avoiding gritty cleans at higher volumes.

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wtf? i don't get your math at all.... 120w head pushing two speakers with 60w powerhandling...... and then you lost me with the rest...

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volume wise. for example say you're going to do a huge concert like ozzfest. you would use full stack. but if you where going to a bar you would use half stack because you would want to blow out the roof. but there would be no reason to take a full stack to a bar because bars are mostly small unless they where warehouses and it would be idiotic to take all that weight when you can just use a half-stack.

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In either situation micing the cab would be smart, and you would only need a half stack.

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+1

i only "need" a halfstack.... in fact i often just use one cab, but hell, a fullstack is just soo much better... fuller and cooler. so i love busting out both of my babies at a gig. my guitarist currently only has 1 cab though so we both just use halfstacks if he can't barrow somebody else's cab for a show...
alot of venues don't have huge PA's... or good sound guys.
no biggy for me.. i like alot of my volume to come from my amp anyways... then just use the PA to help project it better if needed.

there is this local place that has a huge PA... four 18" subs on each side, then two 15's with horns on each side..... so it's very, very, very, bassy... and everything gets mic'd, so people that are planning on using the PA for most of there volume might not be happy because it just sounds like a huge rumble.
good for bass's,drums and vocalist's, but guitars tend to sound like ass when they depend on the PA for volume.

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Well sound guys suck, i have never met one who wasent a complete dumbshit.

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depends on the venue & or management..... if you're playing some big metal fest or something, chances are you'll have a pretty good sound guy... but if your playing at the chicken hut/cafe down the street from you.... well you probably wont have the best sound guy.... theres a reason he working for the chicken hut instead of a big club or top notch venue....
whenever a venue doesnt have a PA or just has a tiny one, i take it into my own hands, bring some of my gear and tech the show the best i can.

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I thought my VTM 120 would blow away a friend's Fender, both tubes, but now I know why there is not twice the db.

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