Playing bass through car speakers?

Morson93 · #1 10-13-2010, 04:13 PM

Okay, i'm learning to drive and i'm looking to buy a nice little car for getting around in, probably a Peugeot 106 or 306. These have a decent sized boot for a bootbuild, which i plan on doing. Could I build the cabinet, put the speakers in (was thinking 2x12" and maybe bass ports?) and then link it all up to an amp to play music through the car, but have a seperate amp and use them for a bass amp in my car?

Sartori · #2 10-13-2010, 04:28 PM

Do you mean you want to take the speakers out and put then in a cab to play bass in?

Or do you mean you want to have an amp that will connect to your car speakers so that you can play bass in your car?

Eric Moesle · #3 10-13-2010, 04:29 PM

Only if you want to blow your car speakers by playing bass through them.

The specs on car speakers are totally unsuited for bass guitar through an amp. Ignore the wattage rating, that's only the thermal rating for the voice coil melting. You will exceed the cone's maximum excursion long before that happens.

Car speakers are terribly inefficient, which means lots of watts will only get you small amounts of volume. They are designed for full-range of instrumentation that's already been compressed and limited. Your bass - not at all.

Stick_Player · #4 10-13-2010, 04:37 PM

My kid plays his bass through my car speakers. Sounds fine. He brings his bass along when we go on longer trips. Kids these days have far more things to do or bring along on long car trips.

Of course I have a preamp before the "AUX" input. Most newer cars have "AUX" inputs for iPods and such.

Sartori · #5 10-13-2010, 04:41 PM

Unless you're planning on actually playing inside the car, car speakers will be blown. They're meant for being used in very small spaces... the interior of a car.

ninepoundjammer · #6 10-13-2010, 04:45 PM

I read it as he's planning to build a cabinet in the trunk, probably with appropriate speakers for bass, then rocking out. Sounds like fun if you have nothing better to do. I'm sure it can be done, but I'm of no help.

Bassmec · #7 10-13-2010, 04:51 PM

In Car Audio Drivers are quite inefficient and have poor bass guitar performance as many designes have almost no useable output above 300 hz.
If you want to go dual purpose use Eminence:
http://www.soundmastersdirect.co.uk/...ource=googleps
Design your cab and porting using some of these tools:
http://www.trueaudio.com/
There are several world class experts on this forum with their own much vaunted designs to guide you if you get stuck anywhere.
Humm! 106 pogo Eh! might need a 12 X 15" Neo hexaport and about 8kw!.

OOHH!

billfitzmaurice · #8 10-13-2010, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stick_Player

My kid plays his bass through my car speakers. Sounds fine.

Inside the car, sure. That's due to cabin gain. Take the speakers out of the cabin and you lose that gain, and probably toast the speakers as a result.

Quote:

Could I build the cabinet, put the speakers in (was thinking 2x12" and maybe bass ports?) and then link it all up to an amp to play music through the car, but have a seperate amp and use them for a bass amp in my car?

If built with musical instrument drivers it will work, though you'd need a serious EQ to get them to sound good in a car.

Stick_Player · #9 10-13-2010, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Inside the car, sure. That's due to cabin gain. Take the speakers out of the cabin and you lose that gain, and probably toast the speakers as a result.

He's not doing a gig (he's already got a rig for that). He's just practicing bass instead of playing a mindless video game.

Samsound · #10 10-13-2010, 08:28 PM

Maybe you should focus on driving? Lol.

Stick_Player · #11 10-13-2010, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Maybe you should focus on driving?

I am.

I only text and make cell calls... the kid plays the bass.

chadds · #12 10-14-2010, 01:23 AM

Will you be parking your car on the left or right side of the drummer?

blastjv · #13 10-14-2010, 07:00 AM

For what it's worth, years ago before I knew better I built a 210 cab using car stereo subwoofers and used it for bass guitar...sounded very good actually. I guess I just got lucky...

-John

fleabee · #14 10-14-2010, 07:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chadds

Will you be parking your car on the left or right side of the drummer?

LMAO

amimbari · #15 10-14-2010, 08:54 AM

I have used my 2x12 home-made car cabinet for years since I sold the car I had the cab in, running it as a sub for my 4x10 with my Mackie 1400i in bridge mode.

yes car speakers are 4ohm, and you have to wire it series not parallel to get 8 ohms mono, but they have never failed me and yes...terribly inefficient but the Mackie never complained and it get's plenty loud enough to compliment the lack of bass from the crappy Hartke 4x10

.

Morson93 · #16 10-29-2010, 03:51 PM

I am building a cabinet in the boot of my car, shaped and custom built to fit into the car.
i want to use it to play music through, but also to play my bass through.

I wanted to know if it could be done, i was thinking along the lines of using a bass head or preamp and going through that into the speakers.

this was a serious question, so if you have nothing good to say, please don't say it...

what sort of speakers would i be looking at to do this?

BassmanPaul · #17 10-29-2010, 04:06 PM

Maybe I'm being thick today - it's happened before!

How would you be driving and playing bass?

Using a bass head would require an AC supply not present in a car. Or would you drive the car onto the stage in order to play????

Morson93 · #18 10-29-2010, 04:12 PM

for times when i'm away and want to play bass, i'd use this.

i wouldn't roll up to the stage and play, i have a rig for that...

lunarpollen · #19 10-29-2010, 04:23 PM

I would just get a little battery powered pre-amp to boost the bass signal to line level, and connect that to an AUX input of the car stereo.

Morson93 · #20 10-29-2010, 04:25 PM

links to battery powered preamps?