Alright. I am a beginner. Grade 1 module 2. The A D and E chords. After practice the songs in the app…I like Three Little Birds, I realized no one was home. Now my amp and speaker are nothing special. A b7gera G5, clone of the Blackstar HT5, and a 12 inch cab with a Celestion Vintage 30 in it. I practice with the amp in 0.1 watt mode. No one was home, I know three chords, I have 5 watts of tube/valve goodness. How loud is it? I used earplugs. 5 watt mode and the amp was wide open. I was 78 inches, 6.5 feet, about 2 meters from the speaker. The DB meter app showed 107.1DBA. I let the chords feedback and you could feel it in your chest. Now I know why classic rock guitarists are deaf, it is a rush. LOL Now I gotta try this with power chords once I learn them. LOL
Paul
Please be careful, I worked at the Wolfson Unit Sound a vibration lab at Southampton University for a couple of years in me early 20’s as a lab technician. Anything above 80dB for not long periods can cause hearing loss. It’s accumulative, 2 hours at 80dB and your hearing is at risk. It is worse in small enclosed spaces due to resonance and the likelihood of certain frequencies being boosted.
1 watt of true power out of most systems will produce over 80dB at 1 metre.
That is why I used earplugs. The speaker in the cabinet is rated at 100db at 1 watt. Now I know why 0.1 watts is plenty power for bedroom/couch volume. The 107.1db I got was with -30db earplugs. The interesting bit wzs I saw 107db at the Weird Al Yankovic concert I went to. Again wearing earplugs. Now I understand how loud a guitar amp really is in a bedroom. No way you could do that and not suffer hearing loss.
Good ya did this experiment for us Paul.
Thanks for helping us out.
imho, as a home player only, loud is over rated.
In my younger years, I for sure did loud. Stereo, concerts, guitar amps, car stereos. Whatever. For sure, turn 'em up!
Now I’m old(er).
The constraints of living with my wife has worn me down for wanting to listen to loud.
What I’ve found that works best for me, is thinking acoustic guitar level for how loud is ok.
After years of doing this, I even find it the desirable level I ‘want’ to play at.
Yeah, I know, ya gotta turn up yer tube amp to get it to perform proper.
Well, I guess mine just don’t perform optimally. As I never get there to turning them up.
I still think they sound great, even at these lower volumes. So I’m happy. And since I don’t play for anyone but me, that’s all that is necessary.
fwiw.
I got two tube amps. 12W and 15W.
I had the 15W (supro blues king 12) one up to max, once. It was too loud.
I had the 12W (fender '65 princeton reverb reissue) one up to 9 out of 10, once. It was too loud. I’ve not got to 10 with that one.
I got two 80W (peavey red and silver stripe bandits) solid state amps. Both literally move air. Both are way to loud. The silver stripe was my first real amp. It’s been at max volume more than once (when I was a young whippersnapper). Not so much any more.
I’ve spent much time trying to get good tone at lower volumes. Most of my efforts at getting good tone is done at home volume levels (around acoustic guitar volumes). It is somewhat of a challenge. But one worth taking.
Instead of overdrives, or booster pedals, or any other devise to get me louder. I find myself looking for ways to retain good tones, but somehow lowering the volume w/o loss of good tone.
Master volume amps are easy to dial down loud. Least it is for the one that I’ve got.
Non master volume amps are harder.
I use guitar volume controls mostly. My new way is a eq pedal w/a volume control on it. Pull the volume down with that. It works.
It does seem that this day and age. Loud ain’t what it used to be in the late 60’s and early 70’s. I’m ok with that. As I can still hear as of now.
Anyways, good experiment Paul. Thanks for sharing with us. It seems even low watt amps can still be ‘too loud’.
All I can say is. There are volume controls on amps and guitars. It’s not hard to use them. 
Perhaps I’d change my tune if I were in a band with other instruments vying for space. But I’m not.
Keep yer volume down. Ya might wanna still hear the birds chirping in the morning when ya get old(er). 
Absolutely. I was surprised at how loud 0.1 watts can be going into a speaker rated at 100db at 1 watt/1 meter. What I like about electric guitar is how quiet it can be. With these modern amps, you can get metal chug distortion at low volumes. It does not matter while learning, but it is fun to play with. The Peter Gunn theme at low volume, 0.1 watt mode, but high gain…just for giggles.
Hi Jim
I have been told to try a Guitar attenuator, it goes between the amp output and the speaker. You can then drive the power valves to breakup for the tone you want, but then keep the volume down, I will probably get to use with my PRS DGT15 combo.
I know the exact speaker its a classic and its loved by many, to keep it legit you mean “the vintage Celestion 30, 12 inch.” 
Hard to fit a 30 inch speaking in a 12 inch cab. I wouldnt mind a 30 inch speaker. You could cover a solid ampatheater with a few of those.
They are a classic great speaker. That rig does not look too heavy to carry in for a gig. That speaker will sound best after 40 to 50 hours of play time also. Nice set up dude 
Edit: oh IMO it was a good idea just getting an amp head. Cause now you can do what ever you want as far as what you want below.
Gotta love used. The Bugera amp is a clone, thus it was cheap. The Blackstar cab did not work. Thus I got it cheap. It was said the speaker was blown. Turns out a wire was not connected.
Although for a number of years I have driven my Line 6 POD Go through my studio monitors (150 Watts) at a low volume, before that I was plugged into my Fender Mustang III, which sits under the desk in my music studio. And still accessible with a few cable switches.
Most of the time the Mustang was used via headphones or around 1/10 on the Master Volume. But on days when the family was over on holiday and my daughter took the missus out for retail therapy, the patio doors were opened and the amp cranked to the max and the opportunity to rock out was exploited.
Yeah it was loud but my neighbours are 0.6 km North and East and 1 km South and 2 km West so no one to upset but when those rare days arrived it was good to feel the music. Every frequency resonating in my body and heck when better to rebel when your an old retired rocker.
Nothing better than being at a concert and feeling the bass line reverberating through your chest, while the lead sets up some tinnitus for the next couple of weeks !
Music is all about the feel so crank it up and enjoy the experience when you can.
5W 15W 100W it don’t matter just pump up the volume now and then.
Just make sure the other half is not in the vicinity !!
There is no other half. I like my freedom to much.
Then just go for it !!
Score!
Thats how I got one of my electric guitars.
Oh yeah!
Well there are elderly parental units. I do not wanna bug them with my hobby.
When you are already 70, elderly parents aint something to worry about. And bugging the kids and grand kids is just musical sport !!
Grow old disgracefully
Crank it up and rip off the knob!
I play at home most of time at very reasonable volume and it works for everyone. Having said this, there is nothing like the feeling of full stack (100W and 4x12 cab) turned on behind you. Shaking of the ground, the air moving, the cymbals clicking on a drum set. Even with the modeller, I find it way more enjoyable plugging it into guitar cab as oposed to powered frfr speakers.