HELP! I only know so much about amps

[sethlow3]

I own a GK1001RB going through a 5.3 Ohm Epifani UL-310 series one...
So that's...
700 watts at 4 ohms for the GK
750 watts at 5.3 ohms for the Epifani

Last week after 3 years of gigging this way I was finally told to turn up LOUD one night.
I put the GK at about 11 oclock and started getting a mild distortion or crackling of some kind when I would play. When I turned it down it went away. This started making me wonder a lot of things since I only know so little about amps...

According to the Epifani website you should run a higher wattage from the amp and a lower one for the cab to get better performance.

Are there any concerns I should have about this setup? Any suggestions on changes that need to be made or better options? PLEASE HELP!

[Rick Auricchio]

You did the right thing by turning down. Either the speakers were reaching their limits or the amp was crapping out.

There's no way to tell without troubleshooting.

[Bass_Pounder]

The Epi's 750 watt rating is only a THERMAL rating for the voice coil - depending on how your EQ is set, you could well be hitting the mechanical limits of the speakers long before that.

Hopefully you did not damage the speakers. Make sure you give a good visual check at the outer edge of the cones for signs of creasing.

[JimmyM]

yeah, you probably pushed them a little too hard. that is a ton of wattage to be throwing at a 310. but you did the right thing by backing down immediately. epifani's full of crap if they still have that nonsense up there. it's a lie that gets disproven scientifically at least once a week on here. the easiest way to blow your cab is to have twice as much wattage as the cab can handle. in the real world, plan on using about 50-60% of what your cab is rated for. if you need to go louder, you need more speakers. most cabs are rated at what causes the voice coils to burn out. but damage can happen at much lower wattages because the speakers will bottom out long before you reach that burnout point.

[sethlow3]

I think I follow you guys... I'm not in front of the amp the moment but will look for creasing the best I can. I just wonder since you say "that's a ton to be throwing at a 310", should I make an amp or a cabinet change? I wonder what would be a better way to get some more volume perhaps.


here is the part I spoke of from the Epifani website...

"Q: How should I match my amp with my speaker cabinets?
A: Let's consider power first. For optimum results the rule of thumb is that your amplifier's power rating should be HIGHER than that of your speaker cabinet. Look at it this way... If a car that can only reach 100 MPH is driven at 100 MPH, it is being forced to operate at its maximum capacity and will not perform very well, but if a high performance car, that can reach a speed of 200 MPH is driven only at 100 MPH, it handles beautifully because it has plenty of power to spare. ?? In like manner, a 100 watt amp, when using all 100 watts, is being driven to its maximum capabilities and will not perform well. However, a 500 or 1,000 watt amp that is using only 100 watts of its power is going to perform MUCH SMOOTHER because the amp does not have to push itself at MAXIMUM power to reach the 100 watt level. The result is a much CLEANER TONE at higher volume levels.
There are sonic matching considerations as well - best chosen with your dealer or by listening. Feel free to contact us as well for recommendations."

Not sure if I misread that... or not?

[JimmyM]

no, you didn't misread it. that is for audio professionals running large pa systems who have the discipline to keep the volume way below the damage point. you'll notice they said running a 1000w amp at 100w worth of power. you apparently don't have that discipline. neither do many bass players, so don't feel bad. you can run as much wattage as you want as long as you use the volume control wisely. but i think it's a terrible idea to tell bass players that, especially newbies.

[B-string]

You miss understood it. To get clean sound higher than "expected" amp wattage is the way to go. But crank up a more powerfull amp (and G-K does NOT use current limiting on the RB series amps), and over driving the speakers is a very real possibility! They were taking about using moderate volume levels (think 10:00 or lower on the master).

[will33]

Originally Posted by sethlow3

I think I follow you guys... I'm not in front of the amp the moment but will look for creasing the best I can. I just wonder since you say "that's a ton to be throwing at a 310", should I make an amp or a cabinet change? I wonder what would be a better way to get some more volume perhaps.



Not sure if I misread that... or not?

You read it right. The car analogy is good although it may be easier to comprehend using more realistic speeds of 60 and 120. Using amps that are double the power rating of cabinets is a rule of thumb in the PA world for the same reason your car goes faster than the speed limit. Works just fine that way for bass too IF you have some self-control. The distorted sound is what they call a speaker "farting out". It's reaching the excursion limit. That's how far it can move back and forth before it either shorts out against the magnet on the back stroke or starts to tear the cone apart at the seams. On most cabs, this can happen with far less power than the rating of the speaker.

You did right by turning down. If you've been getting along fine for 3 years except for this one time playing loud, your rig is probably fine and you don't need to start buying stuff. If you do need to get loud sometimes, adding another cabinet to the stack is the way to go although that could get complicated with a 5.3ohm cab and a 4ohm minimum amp. You'd likely then be selling your 310 and getting a pair of 8ohm cabs. Adding more speakers will get you louder, throwing more power at the single cab that's already straining won't.

[Jaco who?]

Originally Posted by sethlow3

I own a GK1001RB going through a 5.3 Ohm Epifani UL-310 series one...
So that's...
700 watts at 4 ohms for the GK
750 watts at 5.3 ohms for the Epifani

Any suggestions on changes that need to be made or better options? PLEASE HELP!

Well, it sounds like your guesstimation of power vs. impedance is backwards, you'll probably have a max of 700 watts @ 5.3Ω, not 4, but you probably weren't even close to that anyway, and if you've never cranked the amp that far with that cab before, incrementally less low mids and bass might have helped. That said, 3x10s can only produce so much volume, no matter how much power you have to work with.

[sethlow3]

cool so if I do want more stage volume, a higher wattage amp and more speakers would be the way to go right?

[somegeezer]

Get 2 8ohm 410s. Keep the same head. You'll be fine.

[Mr. Foxen]

Originally Posted by sethlow3

cool so if I do want more stage volume, a higher wattage amp and more speakers would be the way to go right?

Just more speakers is enough. They make much more difference than 'wattage'. If you have enough power to make your speakers upset, then you have enough power.