2x12 speaker cab

[object88]

does this still apply if i run 2 cabs, but each being fed directly from the heads speaker outs?

As in what happens when the head has two speaker outs? That depends on what the wiring is inside the head. You'll have to dig up the manual or schematic to answer that one.

[ryangobie]

ugggg...crappy hahaha...it's an old silver face fender dual showman reverb if anyone knows off the top of their head


edit:i.e. i don't know what in the schematic to look for and i wouldn't know where to find a manual...maybe i can ask the local amp guy

[shamtown]

here's an article that explains the whole ohm thing very clearly:

http://www.legendarytones.com/all_about_ohms.htm

[maz]

Maybe cause i smoke too much pot.. even after playing guitar for over ten years. i still get confused on the ohm thing... is it safer for your head to be running a cab that has a higher ohm rating, i.e. 4ohm output into 8ohm cab or vice versa?

The rule of thumb to follow is that you can pour smaller into the same or bigger. 4 into 4, 8, or 16. 8 into 8 or 16. 16 into 16. You couldn't pour something bigger into something smaller.


-Doc

But you can still do some damage with a mismatch of 4 to 16 or 16 to 4... it all depends on how robust the output tranny is.

On most old Fenders they can handle a large mismatch... I had a DR Z "Z Best" 2x12 that was labelled 4 ohms but some smart guy had rewired it for 16ohms w/o changing the label- I was running my Vibrolux (4 ohm out) into it for about a month before I opened it up and noticed it was wired in series. Thankfully nothing happened.

I have a custom head with three outs- one for 4, 8, and 16 ohm cabs... the builder told me I'm ok mismatching it so sometimes I will because it sounds cool. But w/o knowing for sure, mismatching is playing with fire.

[Sir John Wackness]

i have a 71 fender bassman 100 head that's rated at 100 watts @ 4 ohm max, but i've ran it with an 8 ohm cabinet plugged in and also with 3 4 ohm cabinets plugged in without any ill effects. i thought ohm balancing mattered less with a tube amp than with a solid state.

[frank]

speaking of ohms...

I have a celestion speaker from a Hiwatt combo that's labled 15ohms.

what's up?

[ryangobie]

15 ohms...hmmm...the really old orange cabs ran at 15ohms...this place in jersey up on 17 used to be the only orange dealer in the state and has these really old 4x12s that they won't sell, but they are labeled at 15 ohms...