GK 800RB question

[jsr885]

Hi everyone!
Somewhat new to the board; got a question for ya.
I run a GK 800 RB with a Ampeg 810 (love this setup).
The other day my brother brought over his GK goldline and we ran the 800rb to the ampeg 810 and the gk goldline; it sounded wonderful, but we turned it off as we weren't sure if that was too much wattage for the 800rb. The ohm thing always confuses me, so I was wondering if any of you could enlighten me. Is it safe to run the 800rb to these two cabinets?

[gidbass]

You may want to start with the sticky at the top of this section

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

Good Luck!

[BassmanPaul]

like most bass amps the 800RB has a minimum impedance of 4Ω on its low amp. All the 8x10 Ampeg cabinets I know of have an impedance of 4Ω. By using both cabinets you were well below that limit. You are very lucky that your GK survived the abuse..

Paul

[lbwdog]

Paul is correct. You can run a minimum 4 ohm load on the Lo side, and a minimum 8 ohm load on the Hi side. Check the speakers' impedances!

One thing you can do only if the Goldline is 8 ohms is, run it from the Hi side (full-range, not bi-amped), and the 4 ohm 8x10 from the Lo.

[B-string]

Originally Posted by lbwdog

Paul is correct. You can run a minimum 4 ohm load on the Lo side, and a minimum 8 ohm load on the Hi side. Check the speakers' impedances!

One thing you can do only if the Goldline is 8 ohms is, run it from the Hi side (full-range, not bi-amped), and the 4 ohm 8x10 from the Lo.

Ding ding ding we have winners.

[jsr885]

Ok so update to the situation--thanks to everyone who posted with replies before too.
I was playing today for about 1 hour at a reasonable volume and then I decided to jam a little bit higher. (Im plugged in GK 800 rb to the Ampeg 810 in case your wondering) As soon as I started getting some really low end tones the signal starts cutting. My first instinct was that the speaker cable was blown. I noticed it said "guaranteed for life" so I took it to guitar center and they gave me a new one.
I got home, plugged it in and had a really low, low signal. After fidgeting with the knobs a little the sound popped really loudly and came in at a normal signal. It seemed to be playing fine, but occasionally it would struggle and then go back to the normal signal.
My fear is that I have ruined the head, which sucks cause I really love my setup and I now feel foolish for plugging in another cabinet just for kicks.
Anyway, at this point I want to take it in to someone but I live in Southern California where all we have is Guitar Center and a few shops, but I dont know if they can help me. Do you think I should try and find another head, or try see if someone can salvage the situation? My feeling is if someone can fix it, then it would cost just as much to fix than to buy a new head.
Any input is welcome.
Thanks!

[B-string]

Probably will not cost much. Try a short patch cable from the effects send to effects return. If the trouble is gone the effects return jack maybe all that needs to be replaced (you already tried cleaning). Johnk_10 is in Simi Valley or T.O. I think? Really good knowledgeable man that may be able to help you out? I'm in AZ which is kind of a drive

[jsr885]

Thanks B-String! I've never used the effects send/return, will using a patch cable just increase the signal quality? I was looking for some shops in los angeles and orange county but it was tough to find anyone that would work on gk and ampeg products. Any suggestions? Thanks for help I really appreciate it

[B-string]

If you've never used the effects return jack then the contacts in the jack probably have a problem called fretting. The effects return jack contacts (not ones you can't get to from outside) interrupt the signal from the preamp to the power amp (when a plug is inserted). Using a cable bypasses that connection.
Start here Good amp techs! Oh and Johnk_10 is in Thousand Oaks.
I used to be in Ventura County, that place was a wasteland for repair after the shop I work at closed.