Fender BXR300C, no speaker... combo or half stack it?

ninjatanzen · #1 03-04-2011, 12:37 PM

I just bought a Fender BXR 300C for $50 today. Everything is in relatively good shape beside the input jacks, and there is no speaker. I tested it, and the amp works perfectly. Should I buy a 15" to throw in there, or take out the head and have it run through an external cab like a 2x10, 4x10, etc.?

These are the two 15" speakers I'm looking at. They are both 4 ohms and handle 300 watts RMS, which is what I would want. That, or I'd want a 8 ohm 150 watt speaker so I could run a second 8 ohm cab down the road.
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/sho...tnumber=290-466
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/sho...tnumber=290-514

Also, people say that it doesn't have a output for a second cab, but it does. Are the various models of this amp?

nanookofnj · #2 03-04-2011, 01:05 PM

I just sold an older black faced BXR300C last weekend for $150. Actually liked the tone of the 15" speaker with that head, but that box was huge, weighed an f'ing ton, and was horrible to move IMO. Enough for me to want to sell it.

I'd go separate cab, but not sure if you can get rack ears for that head. Mine attached via screws from the top of the cabinet into the head to hold it in place.

There were two 1/4 outs on my head too. Amp was 300W at 4 ohms IIRC.

ninjatanzen · #3 03-04-2011, 01:11 PM

I have the older one too, I believe. It's the black faced one held on by velcro.

Well I do know a decent bit about moving around heavy cabinets, heh. I know what you mean. But I guess I could always get the 15" and put it into a separate cab if it gets to be too much to haul around a combo.

So between those two speakers, which would be better? Sure the Neo driver is lighter, but that wouldn't really matter in this case. It also doesn't have as large of a frequency range.

JimmyM · #4 03-04-2011, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ninjatanzen

I just bought a Fender BXR 300C for $50 today. Everything is in relatively good shape beside the input jacks, and there is no speaker. I tested it, and the amp works perfectly. Should I buy a 15" to throw in there, or take out the head and have it run through an external cab like a 2x10, 4x10, etc.?

These are the two 15" speakers I'm looking at. They are both 4 ohms and handle 300 watts RMS, which is what I would want. That, or I'd want a 8 ohm 150 watt speaker so I could run a second 8 ohm cab down the road.
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/sho...tnumber=290-466
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/sho...tnumber=290-514

Also, people say that it doesn't have a output for a second cab, but it does. Are the various models of this amp?

eminence beta 15...cheap, sounds good, works in most cabs that size, comes in 8 or 4 ohms.

you don't want to hook up an 8 ohm cab with that down the road. it will take an extension speaker, but instead of boosting the wattage, it reduces it because the speaker jack is wired in series. so if you plug in two 4 ohm cabs, it will reduce the wattage to what it would be at 8 ohms, usually about half. put an 8 ohm speaker in there and run an 8 ohm cab with it, and you'll be at 16 ohms, reducing wattage even further. frankly, i'd just use the rumble as a standalone and get an entirely different rig for other stuff. not the answer you wanted to hear, but it's the answer.

ninjatanzen · #5 03-04-2011, 01:16 PM

Thanks Jimmy, and it is actually an answer I wanted to hear. I'd rather know up front that it's a series jack. Thought it was parallel. So I'll stick to a single 4 Ohm driver. The Eminence Beta looks pretty good as well, especially for the price.

I appreciate the responses thus far!

Also, between the Beta and the Legend there is only a 9 buck difference.. should I just get the Legend?

JimmyM · #6 03-04-2011, 01:36 PM

which legend?

ninjatanzen · #7 03-04-2011, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

which legend?

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/show...number=290-466

Same power handling, just a bigger VC, larger Xmax, and larger magnet.

JimmyM · #8 03-04-2011, 02:00 PM

hmm, pretty flat response in it, too. i could be talked into it.

ninjatanzen · #9 03-04-2011, 02:03 PM

Well, maybe not by this guy. I know you have much more extensive knowledge in bass gear. Personally, I don't see any reason I shouldn't opt for that one. I'm just going to make sure it'll fit in the mounting depth due to the internal bracing.

Thanks for the help!

ninjatanzen · #10 03-04-2011, 02:09 PM

Oh, it actually has parallel outs. But I'll still stick with the combo.

Jim C · #11 03-04-2011, 02:13 PM

Might want to make an appointment with your orthopedic surgeon in advance
I am one of the few that like the tone but the weight and shlepability was unacceptable

JimmyM · #12 03-04-2011, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ninjatanzen

Oh, it actually has parallel outs. But I'll still stick with the combo.

hmmm...i stand corrected. but if it came with a 4 ohm speaker in there, it totally makes no sense to run the jacks parallel. on the other hand, with an 8 ohm speaker you'll get that expandability back.

anyway, sorry for the misinfo...i was going by the usual practice of amp makers using series jacks in their 4 ohm combos to prevent blowups. apparently fender didn't care if you blew it up

ninjatanzen · #13 03-04-2011, 02:42 PM

I know exactly what you mean Jimmy, it would make sense to either have loaded it with a 8 ohm speaker or not have given it a parallel output.

Blues Bass 2 · #14 03-04-2011, 02:50 PM

I had one back in the mid 90s too . It came with an 8 ohm speaker and was loud enough to keep up in a band without an extension speaker . Like Jimmy says the Beta looks like a good speaker to put in there , the one that came with the amp looked a lot like it . I tried putting a Black Widow in mine and it didn't change the tone much so I went back to the original speaker and it was fine . I don't think the head has a top plate on it when you remove it so you might be stuck with the combo . It is heavier than heck but sounds decent and gets loud .

JimmyM · #15 03-04-2011, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blues Bass 2

I had one back in the mid 90s too . It came with an 8 ohm speaker and was loud enough to keep up in a band without an extension speaker .

ah...see what happens when i assume? i make an ASS out of U and ME!

i was assuming it came with a 4 ohm speaker. so i've done gone and made a total mess out of this thread!

ninjatanzen · #16 03-04-2011, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

ah...see what happens when i assume? i make an ASS out of U and ME!

i was assuming it came with a 4 ohm speaker. so i've done gone and made a total mess out of this thread!

But you learned something new. I used to have an account on here, dunno where it went, and you seem to be a top contributor with a slew of helpful information. So I still stand with thanks to everyone.

BigOldHarry · #17 03-04-2011, 03:13 PM

I say yank the head, stick it in a rack (if it's rack sized), trash the box and use a real cab with it.

stiles72 · #18 03-04-2011, 03:14 PM

The BXR 300C was my first amp. Still have it - and love the big deep rumble you can get from it, along with the variable mid sweep. Keep the unit as a whole. People today complain about weight in the midst of ultra light 3 lb heads and what not, but that amp and cab were built like tanks, and the cab directly related to the big deep tone. +1 to getting an Eminence 8 ohm speaker. That way you can always use the second speaker jack to tun another cab and get it down to the minimum 4 ohm load if you ever wanted to.