PA instead of Half Stack?

I was wondering whether it would be possible to buy a PA and some PA speakers instead of getting a half stack and cab. I know all the tone advantages of a half stack and cab however if i'm running my guitar through a preamp then it would pretty much solve tone issues (of course nothing probably compares but still). The reason i'm asking this is because I need a cheap solution to my problem. My problem being that i play guitar, and sing, and am poor :). Basically i would need an amplification system that would allow me to do both and keep up with my bands mighty 100watt stacks (only jamming now adays so they are hardly set loud but still).

Any suggestions on the matter? Once again I know there are obvious tone differences in the half stack that make them sound more hearty and so on but i'm really strapped for cash, and i can always get a half stack later on.

If you must go that route, then you will need atleast a 1000 watt amp, a mixer, or a powered mixer, and something like 2 1x15"+horn speaker cabinets, and something like a PODxt that emulates a miced amp and cabinet.

I was just looking through some half stack setups and apparently a lot of heads have a effects loop or something that you can apparently plug miscellaneous stuff into and it will come through clean along with the guitar. is that right? could i plug vocals into an effects loop or am I dreaming? what do your run of the mill garage bands use for vocals, surely you don't go out and buy heaps of half stacks, a half stack is only barely affordable in my current situation.

Usually at small punk rock type clubs they'll have a rudimentary PA set-up for you to scream through... just loud enough to be audible but unintelligible when they're blasting half stacks (and sometimes full stacks!) in a cramped hall that has room for less than 200. A local two-bit garage band in a marginal/underground urban scene would typically play such joints. Otherwise, if they had a gig at a house party or something or were doing some outdoor type thing, they and the other bands (or whoever's throwing the party) would rent a PA system for the night.

If you're in your garage, rehearsing (this is again assuming you're a two-bit garage band)... ehhhhh... usually you just kinda holler real loud... though it'll be drowned out if you've got half-stack tube amps.

ive sort have decided with much thought and discussion with techies at the music store and online communities that i'll get a combo amp instead of a half stack, i mean a half stack looks good and all, but a 100 Watt combo amp, granted it's chosen carefully, can deliver good enough performance for minor giggin and jamming, is half the price and half the weight. There are some pretty awesome 212's out there that are 150, 160 watts, of power, made by marshall and fender that are actually priced within my price range, so yer, i'll have to see.

a 2x12 combo is always way more than you need...the only time you really have to worry about having enough volume is when jamming at a rehearsal...most shows (all of them out here) will be able to mic you up and run you through the PA.

A 50 watt combo should more than suffice (thats a tube combo tho...100watt transistor is also way more than you'll ever need).


Halfstacks are awesome...but almost always overkill