130 watt head with 100 watt cab... Am I looking for trouble?

[clegg]

Pairing am old Traynor YBA-3 custom special 4 ohm 130 watt head with an old 2X15" 4 ohm bass cab.

This will be my first experience with tube bass amps. Anything I should watch out for? (I know it sounds like a newbie question but I'd rather be safe than sorry).

[billfitzmaurice]

Originally Posted by clegg

Anything I should watch out for?

This: AMPS FAQ!! Info on OHMS, Allsize RIGS-OverUnderPowerCabs DIY TechTalk-Links

[Corey Y]

Bill is right to point out the FAQ, but I just thought I'd throw in that the YBA-3 puts out a lot more than 130 watts in practice and a lot of old Traynors get quite a bit of their total volume out of the first few degrees on the volume knob. So it could be pretty easy to blow those speakers, be careful and listen to how the speakers react as you turn up. If they start distorting and farting out before you get the volume you want, I'd replace the speakers or get a new cab with a higher power rating and/or bigger xmax.

[clegg]

Thanks for the comments.

Another newbie question... If I replace the speakers (for higher wattage) but keep the cab, would that be OK, or are certain cabs built according to wattage of the speakers installed?

[paganjack]

the cab is just wood so it has no impact on wattage or impedance, but the speakers you put in will not be expressly designed for that cab size/tuning/etc, so it's probably better to just get a different cab.

[billfitzmaurice]

Originally Posted by clegg

Thanks for the comments.

Another newbie question... If I replace the speakers (for higher wattage) but keep the cab, would that be OK, or are certain cabs built according to wattage of the speakers installed?

Watts mean nothing. This is what matters:
Understanding Loudspeaker Data | Eminence Speaker