Hot Rod Deville

Too much power??? Joe is running 4 heads into 2 412 cabs. As a general rule for good tube amps, the louder you play the better it will sound. Not necessarily your playing, but your tone. You need to give those tubes a work out! If you want the 'loud' tones with lower volume I would suggest looking on the Bay for a power soak. Either that or go after something like a Volume Box, which I've got for my '95 Blues Deville. The Volume Boxes go for $20 or something on eBay. You put it in the effects loop and adjust the volume accordingly.

It doesn't sound like you've bought the amp yet, so where are you playing one?

I know someone who has one.
thanx for the replies.

No such thing as too loud.

There is a video on youtube that you is playing through a really small squire amp and it sounds great, but i can't seem to find the vid, maybe someone took it down.

yup he  was playing an gibson es style guitar not sure (175 not sure) through a small (15 watt?) squire amp. Not on stage but in the studio. I'll see if i can find it.

What a champ!

I play a 4x10 DeVille and yes they are really loud. The problem is that if you crank the drive up too far at a reasonable master-gain level, 2 or 3, unless you're in a big room or outside, it gets really mushy. Try the first gain stage at around 4-drive and 3-master and use an overdrive pedal (not distortion) like a Blues Driver or Tube Screamer with the drive around 1/3 and the level at about 1/2. You start to get some sustain and chime without the mush so that chords are still articulate and the soul of the guitar can come through. Lately I've been using a clean boost (BBE Boosta Grande) and that works well. It lights up the tubes a little better and even gives a little compression/sag that simulates a tube rectifier, really organic and pure.

Blessings,
Larry

Keep the tone knob well left of center and play with your guitar tone. You can get as round and warm as you want.