Amp volume increase.

Bill Dobkins · Post by **Bill Dobkins** » 25 Apr 2018 5:12 pm

Is there a simple way to increase the volume of my amp? such as a pedal. I love the sound Of the amp, it just needs more power.

Jim Sliff · Post by **Jim Sliff** » 25 Apr 2018 8:48 pm

What kind of amp, what speaker is in it, is the amp turned up ALL the way (or does it distort unacceptable at a certain level), what style are you playing, in a band or where, if it's a tube amp when was it last serviced, but who and what tubes are in it....

You asked a question that really takes an amp tech to answer. I can try, but there are quite a few "contextual" questions that must be answered first. I listed some of the basics, so lets start there - because "not loud enough" is meaningless without a LOT more information.

But FWIW NO pedal will make an amp louder. IF you are getting maximum output out of it a pedal will only drive the preamp harder, either causing tonal changes or distorting it.

A different speaker MAY help, but all the other questions need to be answered first.

Edited to add - Bill, do you have any electronics background? If not do you have a good local amp tech? You will need one ( or both) regardless to effectively work out this type of question/

Greg Cutshaw · Post by **Greg Cutshaw** » 26 Apr 2018 3:55 am

From what you are describing, I am guessing that the amp's output stage is not being driven to full power or that you may just want more gain to get more dynamic expression. If that's the case then there are lots of preamp devices that will increase the volume and gain of your setup including the Li'l Izzy and a host of low cost stomp boxes.

Ian Rae · Post by **Ian Rae** » 26 Apr 2018 4:36 am

My first thought was "Is the power stage being fully driven?" If there is no distortion when the volume's at maximum, then Greg's suggestion might be good. But I would get someone knowledgeable to inspect your rig at first hand.

Mike Marsh · Post by **Mike Marsh** » 27 Apr 2018 11:02 am

What Speaker you using? If its not a 100-103 DB sensitivity, you can get plenty of Volume from a Speaker upgrade.
Mike

Greg Cutshaw · Post by **Greg Cutshaw** » 27 Apr 2018 12:21 pm

Perhaps this will help:

Paul Arntson · Post by **Paul Arntson** » 27 Apr 2018 12:49 pm

What Mike said.

Ken Metcalf · Post by **Ken Metcalf** » 27 Apr 2018 1:46 pm

Pretty funny Greg but I am still fighting my cabinet drop.

Greg Cutshaw wrote:Perhaps this will help:

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 27 Apr 2018 5:08 pm

With many amplifier designs, certain tone settings will severely reduce the output. As a test, turn all your tone controls all the way up, and then note how much louder the amp is. If the amp is then a lot louder, it is your "tone shaping" that's stealing your power. There is no easy cure for this, and although a better or more efficient speaker my help, it will also likely change the tone of the amp. It my improve, or it may get worse. But efficient speakers are expensive, so the solution becomes a kind of crapshoot, as to whether the money spent will fix the issue to your satisfaction.

But, first things first! Have a good tech check out the amp. It could be a simple inexpensive component in the amp that's failing and causing the issue you describe.

Bill Dobkins · Post by **Bill Dobkins** » 27 Apr 2018 6:45 pm

The amp is an older Carvin acoustic 100 watt 3 channel. I know you get more gain with more bass but I like the amp at mid bass . I just want a recommendation on a pedal ECT. that will boost the power. I like the size and sound of the amp, it just needs a little more power.
Thanks for everyones input.

Georg Sørtun · Post by **Georg Sørtun** » 27 Apr 2018 9:21 pm

Check these: http://equipboard.com/posts/best-boost-pedals … which may go at/before the chosen input, or, maybe, in the effects loop, to raise line-level.

The amp will of course still (only) deliver max 100 Watt, but from your original post it seems like you can not drive its pre-amps high enough and then one of the above may help.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 28 Apr 2018 3:17 pm

Bill, looks like you're using a "Y" cord to drive two different channels from the same instrument. On some amps, this will reduce the volume because the channels aren't in phase, and the signals tend to cancel each other out. Does the amp get louder if you just use one channel?

Bill Dobkins · Post by **Bill Dobkins** » 28 Apr 2018 6:48 pm

The TC Mini Spark is exactly what I needed. Awesome pedal for the price.
Donny,The reason for the Y is I can get delay from one (channel)or side of the effects and verb from the other and no I don't seem to lose any volume. Carvin amps are kinda unique in the way they separate channels.

Jim Sliff · Post by **Jim Sliff** » 1 May 2018 4:04 pm

The pedal worked? HOW?

You kept repeating that you wanted to "get more power" - which you can't do. I'm curious to understand exactly what you were trying to get, or how the amp was underperforming.

The only way to get more "power" is to modify the output stage of the amp - different tubes, transformers (or transistors in a solid state amp).

Pedals can only boost input signal. Power never changes. But a pedal can change the frequencies passing through the amp, changing the *apparent* volume (along with a few other things).

A pedal alone doesn't increase volume - or shouldn't, if the amp is set up properly.

If the amp is a tube amp the pedal may have provided some boost but be a very poor decision. The amp may need service - if it's a tube amp over 15 years old i's overdue for replacement of filter and bias capacitors, which can also be the reason for an apparent lack of "power". By delaying proper service you could damage the amp.

Please provide some more details - tube or solid state, age, and exactly what the problem was.

Gary Leggett · Post by **Gary Leggett** » 2 May 2018 3:46 am

Greg Cutshaw wrote:Perhaps this will help:

Greg, what is that? a radar tube?

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 2 May 2018 7:19 am

Gary... That's the new chip that the government wants implated in everyone.

Bill Dobkins · Post by **Bill Dobkins** » 2 May 2018 5:05 pm

OK I mean more Volume.

Jim Sliff · Post by **Jim Sliff** » 7 May 2018 8:40 pm

OK I mean more Volume.

And that means either

1) a speaker upgrade to something with higher sensitivity

2) Having the amp serviced by a qualified tech to optimize headroom (critical in tube amps, which MUST be serviced by a qualified tech every 15 years or so at a minimum)

3) or a different amp.

A pedal CAN'T get you more clean headroom. If you add a pedal and i does increase clean volume there was something wrong with the preamp - it was not supplying full signal to the power section.

If that is the case I could not continue to use the amp. It needs to be seen by a tech before a serious failure occurs.

ajm · Post by **ajm** » 8 May 2018 5:50 am

In Bill's first post he intermingled and seemed to use "volume" and "power" as if they were the same thing. He may not have the electronics background that some of us have, and therefore not realize that they are NOT the same. So get a wet noodle and a lawyer and start the punishment process now.

It is possible that a pedal CAN make an "amp" louder. By "amp" I really mean system or set up. Once again, terminology.
But.......it depends upon how everything else is set in that system.
If something ahead of the amp input is attenuating the signal and feeding a weak signal to the amp input (a bad cord, a cheesy pedal, etc) then putting a booster right before the amp input can make it louder. But it should be noted that the booster is compensating for or correcting something else. Nothing necessarily wrong with that, but you need to be aware of it.

However, the design of the amp determines how much power can ever be delivered to the speaker. There is no way around it.

If this amp is not a tube amp, then tube maintenance issues don't factor in.

A more/less efficient speaker can change the volume for a given setting, but it won't change the power that the amp is capable of. (Before somebody chimes in, keeping the speaker impedances/sizes/etc the same when doing the comparison is a given.)

Bill: I've always viewed tone controls as really being volume controls for specific frequency ranges. If you turn all of your tone controls down you're not going to get much volume.

Your effects and the Y cable: Without seeing and hearing what you're doing it's hard for me to get a handle on this. But my gut feel makes me suspicious of what you're doing here.

If the booster solved your problem (assuming that you had a problem, whatever it was) then OK. But if you don't know much about electronics, someone who does may be able to provide an alternate solution with about 2-3 minutes of hands on troubleshooting.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 8 May 2018 8:25 am

You can do a lot with tone controls and drive changes. What you can't do is get any big increase in bass response. Bass is what takes power to reproduce, and a tiny increase in bass may require doubling or tripling the power. The treble of a small amp can make your ears bleed with only 10-20 watts of power. Whereas, good solid bass may take 5 to 10 times as much.

Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 8 May 2018 9:25 am

Bill Dobkins wrote:OK I mean more Volume.

If you want the same sound, but louder, buy a half dozen amps just like yours and use them all together.

Bill Dobkins · Post by **Bill Dobkins** » 8 May 2018 3:12 pm

Boy do I feel stupid.

Ken Metcalf · Post by **Ken Metcalf** » 8 May 2018 3:23 pm

Slippery slope of more better power.
I recommend Tone Beer.
Better than the Tuning Beer. LOL

Bobby Nelson · Post by **Bobby Nelson** » 8 May 2018 4:10 pm

I have a 30 something yr old Boss 5 band EQ/Booster that I used yrs ago to get tone (and a little grit) out of some P-100 pups in a 135 I had. It was great. You may find one of them that can help you out. I don't know if they still sell them but, a stomp box 5 band EQ is not the same thing - it has to be a booster.

Georg Sørtun · Post by **Georg Sørtun** » 8 May 2018 4:51 pm

Lots of funny stuff presented here, but, if for whatever reason the OP cannot get the line-levels high enough to drive the power-stage in his amp to max, then a line-level booster will help. It's as simple as that.

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Amp volume increase.

Amp volume increase.

Speaker sensitity???