A small question regarding Amps and Cabs

[Agito]

Hi
Just wanted to know, lets say I have an Amplifier head that outputs 650watt in 8 ohms and the cab can only handle 400watts in 8ohms, will it result in a cabinet that will output 400watts or will it destroy it?

Thank you

Danny

[somegeezer]

Depends how high you turn up your volume and EQ.

[somedumbguy]

You will blow your cab if you keep the volume cranked.

[Sten]

The cabinet does not really put out power in watts, it uses the power to produce volume. The watts rating is just what it thermally can handle. If you push your amp to the limits, you could fry your cab, but in reasonable levels you should be okay. I think you can turn your heads volume quite far before you will experience problems.

Some guidelines:
- if it sounds like you're hurting your cab, you probably are - turn the volume down.
- if the cab has to handle very low notes (lets say you have a song where you hit the open B string the whole song) don't turn the volume up too high and turn down the bass EQ knob on the amp a bit. The bassy lows can be really hard for the cab.

[BBEgo]

A huge amp can safely power a cab with a lower wattage rating. You just have to be smart, and not go overboard with it. Keep an eye on your low bass EQ. That's where all the power goes: producing those deep deep low frequencies. If you cab can't do it with a comparably powered amp, it sure as Hell won't do it with an amp that has twice the power.
Use your ears. If you hear the speakers struggling to give you anymore volume, it's time to turn it down.

[Agito]

I see, I'm just thinking about selling my CMD151P and getting an Ampeg, but the only reasonable one I see by power is the SVT7, though I'm probably wrong cause the SVT3 might be powerful as well, the problem I'm having with MarkBass is that they clip in low volumes and for some reason I can't hear myself or the sound is horrible because it clips too soon and with a passive bass, that's really annoying me.

[Sten]

Turn the input gain down on the Markbass then?

[Bass_Pounder]

Turn down the gain, and raise the master volume

[Agito]

I'm feeling really dumb :doh:

[Sten]

There's a clip led, turn your gain to a level where it only blinks on the strongest notes (or just below it). Adjust volume with the volume knob.