Loud amp fan

Goober1206 · #1 05-20-2010, 12:25 AM

Hello everyone,

I have a GK Backline 600 amp head connected to two cabs. One is a GK Glx and the other is a speaker from an Elliot trace combo amp that no longer has it's built in head attatched. I have the master volume set to nine o'clock and level a set to 12. Boost is either off or around nine. After playing through even one song at that volume, the fan gets extremely loud and I'm afraid it'll over heat. None of the holes in the head are covered and the minus 10 decibles button is pushed in, but to counter this I have a boss bass eq boosting the volume. I'm afraid something is wrong with my amp and would love some help or opinions. When I unplug the trace Elliot speaker the problem remains. Thank in advance.

T-Bird · #2 05-20-2010, 12:36 AM

Hi.

What's the combined impedance of the cabs You use?

While most of the companies list 4Ohm as a minimum load for "budget oriented" gear, 8Ohm makes the output sections much, much happier. And therefore they run cooler and doesn't require that much airflow.

Regards
Sam

Goober1206 · #3 05-20-2010, 12:37 AM

I'm not sure honestly, I'll go take a look at the two cabs and see what they say

Goober1206 · #4 05-20-2010, 12:41 AM

The head says 4ohm and 300 watts while the gk cab says 8ohm and 400 watts. Idk if that's good or bad. The TE cab doesn't say, I ripped outthe old head and I'm guessing that's where the info would be

jelwood · #5 05-20-2010, 01:03 AM

You should be fine, if your ohm load was terribly mismatched (well below 4 ohms) the amp would go into protect mode and wouldn't let you play at all. Common protective feature in GK amps. If you still get the loud fan sound even just plugged into the 8 ohm cabinet, then it's probably just how that amp's fan works. If the amp gets too hot it will disconnect from your speakers and go into protect mode as well. As long as it isn't doing that, you're golden.

Goober1206 · #6 05-20-2010, 01:14 AM

That's a very good way too look at it and thanks alot for the info

if anyone else has opinions I'd still like to hear them. The TE one use to be a commando combo amp though I can't find any info on it.

Mr. Foxen · #7 05-20-2010, 05:32 AM

Check the amp/heatsink isn't choked with dust, that will make your airflow noisy and cooling less effective. Hoover and a paintbrush will sort that.

Wes Whitmore · #8 05-20-2010, 11:08 AM

GK fans are quiet, and only come on when you are creating a good amount of heat. They pull from the top and blow out the front. The fan sounds like it is worn out. It should be looked at, regardless of why your amp is getting hot.
You should find out the model of the TE combo, or pull the speaker and see what ohm load it is (look for an ohm load marking on the magnet). If you are running an 8 ohm cab and a 4 ohm cab off of that amp, the combined load is well below 4 ohm, and you are asking for trouble. If it's 2 8ohm abs, the amp should handle it fun if it's in good working order.

Wes