6 ohm load... should I just avoid it?

[Stevenjm]

Hey guys, I'm new to playing bass. I've been playing guitar for about 15 years since I was a young kid, but now I'm playing bass and have been acquiring some gear to gig with.

I have an Acoustic B200H head that puts out 200w @ 4 ohms, but my acoustic 4x10 is 8 ohms. Just for more volume, and a fuller sound I've been thinking of adding another 8ohm 2x10 or 4x10.

I found a good deal on a Fender Rumble 410, but its rated at 4ohms... If its loud/full enough I could just use that and sell my acoustic cab. But if I stack them, my load would be 6 ohms (right?)... Would a 6 ohm load be bad for my solid state head?

[Bass_Pounder]

Nope..........

A 4 ohm load and a 8 ohm load is 2.67 ohms

2/3 of the power will go to the 4 ohm, 1/3 to the 8 ohm.

Solid state amps only care if you go BELOW the minimum rating.

[Bassmec]

Yes you should avoid it because whereas your acoustic cab is made out of 4 x 8 ohm drivers in series parallel and the fender cab is made out of 4 x 4 ohm drivers in series parallel, therefore the fender 4 ohm drivers are getting twice the power that the acoustic 8 ohm drivers are getting.
That's not at all clever is it.

[Stevenjm]

Ok cool. Good to know. Fender shouldn't have made theirs a 4 ohm load since most people like to add on extra cabs at times.

Thanks guys.

[Bass_Pounder]

Originally Posted by Stevenjm

Ok cool. Good to know. Fender shouldn't have made theirs a 4 ohm load since most people like to add on extra cabs at times.

Thanks guys.

Thats why there are 2 ohm capable amps, or people use stereo power amps.

[Steve Dallman]

I have both 4 ohm and 8 ohm 4X10's but use the 4 ohm more often than not. Fender made theirs 4 ohms to produce max power from their heads.

A 4 ohm cab will use 4 ohm or 16 ohm speakers. I think your best bet is to get a 4 ohm 2X10, and rewire it in series for 16 ohms. When used with the 8 ohm 4X10, all speakers will get the same power.

[tjh]

Originally Posted by Stevenjm

Ok cool. Good to know. Fender shouldn't have made theirs a 4 ohm load since most people like to add on extra cabs at times.

Thanks guys.

Fender also made heads that are 2 ohm capable, so you can add a second cab ...

[walterw]

and the matching rumble heads are not them!

the rumble 4Ω 4x10 cab just extracts the most power out of the little budget heads they come with.

[Stevenjm]

Originally Posted by Steve Dallman

A 4 ohm cab will use 4 ohm or 16 ohm speakers. I think your best bet is to get a 4 ohm 2X10, and rewire it in series for 16 ohms. When used with the 8 ohm 4X10, all speakers will get the same power.

This hurts my brain, ohms always confused me... Wouldn't I want another 8 ohm 2x10 cab so when it's stacked with my 4x10 (8ohm) the total load between the two cabs would be 4 ohms?

[Bass_Pounder]

Originally Posted by Stevenjm

This hurts my brain, ohms always confused me... Wouldn't I want another 8 ohm 2x10 cab so when it's stacked with my 4x10 (8ohm) the total load between the two cabs would be 4 ohms?

No...........

If each cab is 8 ohms, the power gets split equally between the two cabs.

One cab has only 2 speakers, whereas the other has four speakers.

Each of the speakers in the 2X10 will get double the amount of power.

[Stevenjm]

After some google reading I think I got a better understanding of it. Maybe I'll keep my eyes peeled for another 8 ohm 4x10 just to simplify things.

[Bass_Pounder]

Originally Posted by Stevenjm

After some google reading I think I got a better understanding of it. Maybe I'll keep my eyes peeled for another 8 ohm 4x10 just to simplify things.

Make sure it is the same exact cab you are aready using then.

Mixing brands of speakers, and/or cabs with different tunings brings on other problems.

[walterw]

right, the best arrangement would be another identical 4x10.

trouble is, now you're dragging out a lot of cabinet, and only powering it with a measly 200 watts.

you might hate load-in less with just keeping the one 4x10 cab and getting a more powerful head, something in the 4-500 watt range.

it won't be quite as awesome as 8 tens rocking behind you (doubling the wattage doesn't get you as much as doubling the speakers, because the speakers begin to "eat" some of the extra power), but it would be better than what you have now.

[Stevenjm]

Originally Posted by walterw

right, the best arrangement would be another identical 4x10.

trouble is, now you're dragging out a lot of cabinet, and only powering it with a measly 200 watts.

Just for now. I was borrowing a svt3 pro from my friend but he needed money so he sold it to a music go round for like $150. I was pissed because I would've easily given him that. So the acoustic head was a quick Craigslist solution because I had a gig coming up. I'm constantly looking for a good deal on something in the 400-500 watt range. Luckily the band I'm playing bass in is a punk band where I only have to compete with a 20watt hiwatt head and a 60 watt fender hot rod deville.

[walterw]

are you kidding? a 60-watt deville can freakin' clear the room!

if you're doing punk rock where "loud and out of control" is what's supposed to happen, then you might indeed be best off lugging the second identical 4x10 cab. you'll hear yourself better, and there's less risk of blowing up one cab by trying to put too much power into it.

[Stevenjm]

Originally Posted by walterw

are you kidding? a 60-watt deville can freakin' clear the room!

if you're doing punk rock where "loud and out of control" is what's supposed to happen, then you might indeed be best off lugging the second identical 4x10 cab. you'll hear yourself better, and there's less risk of blowing up one cab by trying to put too much power into it.

No I'm not kidding you. In a practice space it's pretty easy to drown out a fender deville. I own one, I know. Plus they're not really "bass-heavy" amps... Pretty trebly and midy... So playing bass over it doesn't clash so bad.

Being loud and out of control isn't punk, it's just stupid, and nobody probably likes watching your band. JMHO.

[walterw]

Originally Posted by Stevenjm

Being loud and out of control isn't punk, it's just stupid, and nobody probably likes watching your band. JMHO.

how oddly mature for punk rock and you're right of course;

as such, if the volumes are "sane", then maybe a beefier head through the one cab would indeed be enough for the gig.

[El-Bob]

If your deville isn't getting crazy loud, there's something wrong with it...

[Stevenjm]

Originally Posted by walterw

how oddly mature for punk rock and you're right of course;

as such, if the volumes are "sane", then maybe a beefier head through the one cab would indeed be enough for the gig.

I think it helps that we're all late 20s... We've been around since high school days, we've done the "super loud" thing, it gets old for the band and the audience. Taking the time to find a good mix makes your whole band sound so much better.

My 200 watt amp and 1 4x10 gets the job done for the most part, but we're playing a bigger venue at the end of the month and I'm kind of nervous that my 4x10 might not be enough. I don't the place has anything more than a vocal PA...

Now I'm not sure if I should try adding another cab or look into a better head first. I'm fairly knowledgeable with guitar gear, but bass gear is a big unknown world for me.

[T-Bird]

HI.

Originally Posted by Stevenjm

No I'm not kidding you. In a practice space it's pretty easy to drown out a fender deville. I own one, I know. Plus they're not really "bass-heavy" amps... Pretty trebly and midy... So playing bass over it doesn't clash so bad.

A broken DeVille perhaps, but not a working one.

If the guitarist wants that, that is.

Some guitarists do know how to play with moderate levels...

The guitarist I play with ATM plays through a Fender 100W head at 25W, through a 412. aIf he wants to, he'll drown my 200 "tube" Watts through a 410 in a sec.
Fortunately he doesn't do that .


Regards
Sam