need ideas for 2 (4ohm) 1x15 cabinets

[sickest beast]

I'm going to be running a dual amp rig, one clean, one distorted.

The amps will be a Mesa Boogie Buster 200 (clean) and a Marshall JMP Super Bass 100 (distortion).

I was going to keep my Ampeg B25B 2x15 and buy a matching 4x12 Ampeg cabinet for the Marshall, but I realized this is going to be WAY too big of a rig to haul around. I need something more modular.

SO... I want to run each head into it's own 1x15.

My problem is that I would like to run each amp at 4ohms. So far 2 of the 1x15s i like most cosmetically are 8ohms, the Ampeg SVT115e and the Orange 1x15. My Ampeg B200R combo 1x15 cabinet is 4ohms, and I think the Fliptops.net B15 cabinets could be ordered with 4ohm speakers as well.

The Mesa Boogie Vintage Powerhouse 1x15 comes in 4ohms. Hurray. Mesa is expensive unless I can buy used.

Does anyone have any recommendations on how to get the most out of these 2 tube amps in a 2- 1x15 cabinet setup?

[Oobly]

Why 4 Ohms? Both of those heads can put full power into 8 Ohm cabs and if you want to run both cabs off one head at some stage you can if they are 8 Ohm, but not if they are 4 Ohm.

You shouldn't use cosmetics to decide between cabs (at least not to the extent of choosing based on that RATHER than tone). Try some with your heads and bass if you can before you buy.

[sickest beast]

I've heard most of the cabinets, I was simply pointing out that I like the way the Ampegs look most, not deciding based on how they look. Ampeg, Mesa and Orange all make fine products, I'm aware of this.

But, I didn't realize the heads would put full power at 8ohms vs 4ohms.

What you're saying is I can use any 2 8ohms cabinets I want and still get the full power of both heads?

If I'm not limited to 4ohm cabinets to get the full potential of these amps then I don't really need ideas for 1x15s because I can go try all of them, and this thread can be closed.

[sickest beast]

maybe I'll go read the ohm FAQ for the second time...

[Oobly]

Most tube amps use output transformers and have different points on the output coil selected for different impedence loads. They put the full wattage into whatever load is selected as long as it is matched. Both your amps seem to have this setup (Marshall amp has a switch to select load, Mesa has different output plugs).

Most solid state amps, however, don't use output transformers and therefore only have a single output point, usually designed or rated for a 4 ohm load. The wattage varies according to the connected load in that case (ie 500W into 4 Ohm, 300W into 8 Ohm, etc.).

Sorry if I sounded harsh in my first post...

[spaz21387]

Originally Posted by sickest beast

I've heard most of the cabinets, I was simply pointing out that I like the way the Ampegs look most, not deciding based on how they look. Ampeg, Mesa and Orange all make fine products, I'm aware of this.

But, I didn't realize the heads would put full power at 8ohms vs 4ohms.

What you're saying is I can use any 2 8ohms cabinets I want and still get the full power of both heads?

If I'm not limited to 4ohm cabinets to get the full potential of these amps then I don't really need ideas for 1x15s because I can go try all of them, and this thread can be closed.

No what he is saying is get 2 8 ohm cabs per amp because you chain 2 8 ohm cabs togather and they run at 4 when combined. I dont think 1 4 ohm 1x15 can handle the amps most 15s handle 200 watts at the most.

[sickest beast]

ooooooookay, that's why I got mixed up. I was so used to reading "(ie 500W into 4 Ohm, 300W into 8 Ohm, etc.)." on gear websites. It's good to know this doesn't relate to the 2 amps I will be using. This is really good news. Thanks guys.

Now to find the best sounding pair of 1x15 cabinets for my application.

[spaz21387]

Amps will put out less power at higher ohm ratings. Thats what that means. 4 ohms is ideal, Most amps like 4 ohms. Theres a few amps that will handle 2 Ohms but thats pretty uncommon.

[Oobly]

Originally Posted by spaz21387

No what he is saying is get 2 8 ohm cabs per amp because you chain 2 8 ohm cabs togather and they run at 4 when combined. I dont think 1 4 ohm 1x15 can handle the amps most 15s handle 200 watts at the most.

Nope. I was saying get ONE 8Ohm cab per amp. Then you have a flexible rig and can combine amps and cabs nicely (both amps with one cab each or one amp with both cabs).

Amps will put out less power at higher ohm ratings.

Solid state amps, yup. Tube amps with coil taps you can select the load and as long as the cab has the same impedence as what you have selected, the amp will push full power into it.

Anyway, point is, you can pick and choose any 4 Ohm or 8 Ohm cab for your amps. Have fun

[gumtownbassman]

Originally Posted by spaz21387

Amps will put out less power at higher ohm ratings. Thats what that means. 4 ohms is ideal, Most amps like 4 ohms. Theres a few amps that will handle 2 Ohms but thats pretty uncommon.

Unless it is a tube amp, they have impedance matching output selection.

Your two heads will be fine running a 15 bin each, run them separate,
never connect the two bins together while running 2 amps, that would kill your amps by shorting the two amps outputs together.

[Bassmec]

I do the Clean Dirty all tube thing! after many years I think I have it licked.
SO I finally went with an Eden LXT 8 X 10 for my Simms Watts AP 200 super, for vicious clean and a pair of Ampeg SVT 115's with Altec 418 series II drivers for my filthy Roost/Hiwatt clone.
The other vital bits of my chain are an SVTIIP for overall EQ and level into a Lehle transformer splitter mine is a dual but if you don't want to ABY switch a P split is fine.
Useful other bits are a TS 808 tube screamer for the dirty amp and an ne 1 yamaha eq box to scoop the clean side midrange a bit for the dirty to mix into. Totally Sorted Now!
Avast! Tharrrrr she blows shipmates!

[sickest beast]

Originally Posted by Bassmec

I do the Clean Dirty all tube thing! after many years I think I have it licked.
SO I finally went with an Eden LXT 8 X 10 for my Simms Watts AP 200 super, for vicious clean and a pair of Ampeg SVT 115's with Altec 418 series II drivers for my filthy Roost/Hiwatt clone.
The other vital bits of my chain are an SVTIIP for overall EQ and level into a Lehle transformer splitter mine is a dual but if you don't want to ABY switch a P split is fine.
Useful other bits are a TS 808 tube screamer for the dirty amp and an ne 1 yamaha eq box to scoop the clean side midrange a bit for the dirty to mix into. Totally Sorted Now!
Avast! Tharrrrr she blows shipmates!

Hey there, Nice rig! I bet it pushes a lot of air. My lord that's a lot of speakers!!!!!!!

I figured a bit of EQ shaping would be necessary when mixing a distorted amp with a clean amp, luckily my Mesa Boogie Buster has some amazing EQ options which should make it easier, so if all goes well I shouldn't need any outboard equalization.

What are you using the tubescreamer for exactly? just to add a extra little grit to your sound?

Once I get this rig completed, I was thinking of creating a "Rick-O-Sound" kind of thing with my Jazz Bass, by installing a stereo input and sending each pickup with a mono line to it's own amplifier. Neck would be clean, Bridge would be distortion.

[Bassmec]

Originally Posted by sickest beast

Hey there, Nice rig! I bet it pushes a lot of air. My lord that's a lot of speakers!!!!!!!

I figured a bit of EQ shaping would be necessary when mixing a distorted amp with a clean amp, luckily my Mesa Boogie Buster has some amazing EQ options which should make it easier, so if all goes well I shouldn't need any outboard equalization.

What are you using the tubescreamer for exactly? just to add a extra little grit to your sound?

Once I get this rig completed, I was thinking of creating a "Rick-O-Sound" kind of thing with my Jazz Bass, by installing a stereo input and sending each pickup with a mono line to it's own amplifier. Neck would be clean, Bridge would be distortion.

I use the tubescreamer to start the grit and keep a little bit of bass out of the dirty amps pre, otherwise the distortion there can get too thick and wooly.
Yeah The Mesa has a good parametric built in so no need for the yamaha NE1 for your rig to hollow out the clean for the dirt to sit in.

[Bassmec]

Originally Posted by Bassmec

I use the tubescreamer to start the grit and keep a little bit of bass out of the dirty amps pre, otherwise the distortion there can get too thick and wooly.
Yeah The Mesa has a good parametric built in so no need for the yamaha NE1 for your rig to hollow out the clean for the dirt to sit in.

I had the ricosound thing going on with a John Birch Rickenbircher bass made in birmingham.
That was a long time back.
But I like the mono bass, transformer splitter driven with a pre solution better, primarily for better signal to noise and then the slight transformer saturation from the splitter, driven hard by the SVT pre amp is well handy for the subtle compression and the strong signal it can give you for driving the main amps pre's.
+ The EQ and tone of the 3 X12ax7 SVTIIP is like a familiar old pair of slippers to an old git like me.
But I also have a mesa 5 X 12ax7 studio preamp that I love and use lots but not in this rig much, I usually drive solid state amps or use it as an all tube DI box with a joe meek vc6 compressor on the input. Thats good and Crunchie!

[sickest beast]

So I'm probably going to end up going with a pair of Orange OBC115s.

Everything I've seen states that these are one of the best 1x15s available. They are super expensive here in Canada ($755 each!) so I'll have to look used.