What cab for a 500 watt head?

bassclef216 · #1 01-12-2011, 10:35 AM

Ok... Here is the question of the day. I am going to get a bass head unit that pushes 500 watts at 4 ohms. I am looking to match it to a cabinet (probably a 410). I found a Carvin cab on Ebay for a decent price. You can buy it in either an 800 watt @ 4 ohm or an 800 watt @ 8 ohm configuration. If my understanding is right, if I run the 8 ohm cab alone I will only get around 400 watts out of it. With the 8 ohm cab I will have the option to expand with another cab in the future and pump 250 watts to each one thereby using all 500 watts of the head without a lot of effort from each cab. If I get the 4 ohm unit then I can use the full 500 watts of the head but the single cab will have to work harder. Will running the 8 ohm cab alone at 400 watts with a 500 watt head be bad. Also I will be playing in church and at coffee houses and such, no big venues.

JoeVictim · #2 01-12-2011, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassclef216

Ok... Here is the question of the day. I am going to get a bass head unit that pushes 500 watts at 4 ohms. .....Will running the 8 ohm cab alone at 400 watts with a 500 watt head be bad. Also I will be playing in church and at coffee houses and such, no big venues.

It won't be bad. You will just be using less power.

Also, your math and assuption of power distribution may not be accurate.

What amp are you getting?

For a quiet gig, you probably wont see the volume knob go past 9 o'clock, depend on how efficient your speakers are.

bassclef216 · #3 01-12-2011, 11:53 AM

I am looking at either a GK Goldline 500 or a Hartke LH500

Rockit · #4 01-12-2011, 11:59 AM

You'll get around 350 watts @ 8ohms, the full 500 watts @ 4 ohms.

JoeVictim · #5 01-12-2011, 12:08 PM

I would go for 8 ohm. Even if these amps only do 200 watts at 8 ohms, it's still a lot of air being moved. More than you'll ever need and then you have the chance to expand as you may get into a band situation later. It's best to leave yourself room to grow.

I personally would go for the Hartke. I just like Hartke better.

RickenBoogie · #6 01-12-2011, 12:10 PM

+1 get the 8 ohm cab- which will give you plenty of volume, and allow expansion with another 8 ohm cab, should you need it.

bassclef216 · #7 01-12-2011, 12:24 PM

Thanks for the responses...one question though: When you put a single 8 ohm cab with a 4 ohm head which one is limited. Is the head limited to what it can put to the cab or is the cab limited to how much power it can use from the head?

BigOldHarry · #8 01-12-2011, 12:27 PM

What is your goal? A certain sound, or just lots of volume?

Volume is *easy*. Good tone is not quite so much.

bassclef216 · #9 01-12-2011, 12:41 PM

Well right now I'm looking for a nice combination of both. I currently use a 100 watt 115 combo. It can get really loud but the volume seems to be really....hard to put into words...."bland." I like the sound that comes from having a cab with multiple speakers. To me it sounds more pleasing. Like when you hear a solo singer or horn player hit a note and it's kind of focused. Then if another singer stands next to him/her and begins singing or playing the same note at the same volume. As you add more singers/players the sound just becomes much fuller and more satisfying. I do want some more volume but I think it is the desire for a fuller sound that is pushing me more than overall volume.

Rockit · #10 01-12-2011, 03:10 PM

The amp is rated @ 4 ohms which means that is the minimum impedance you can SAFELY use it at. 2, 8 ohm cabs will bring the total impedance down to 4 ohms and will utilize the full power of the amp. Anything lower will possibly damage the amp. Divide the ohms by 2:

2, 16 ohm cabs = 8ohms
2, 8 ohm cabs = 4ohms
2, 4 ohm cabs = 2ohms

Even running the amp into 1, 8ohm cab I think the difference in volume won't be that much of that same amp running into a 4 ohm cab.

If you play small places like I do, you don't need much more than 350 watts although I use much more than that with my rig.

tjh · #11 01-12-2011, 03:55 PM

yup, the difference you will hear out of a single 8 ohm cab, and a single 4 ohm cab with that head is barely noticable, even though the 4 ohm will be utilizing all 500 watts, compared to the 8 ohm's 350 ... now if you add a second 8 ohm cabinet to the other 8 ohm cabinet, there WILL be a noticable difference between the single cab 8 ohm output and the now 4 ohm output ... you will be moving twice the air ... all this is based on the assumption that both of the single cab options are the same configuration (your 410) ...

jeff7bass · #12 01-12-2011, 03:59 PM

If it's a Carvin BRX10.4 cab, get it. It's 4 ohms and would kick with that GK head. The Avatar TB153 (4 ohm) is another option.

JoeVictim · #13 01-12-2011, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassclef216

Thanks for the responses...one question though: When you put a single 8 ohm cab with a 4 ohm head which one is limited. Is the head limited to what it can put to the cab or is the cab limited to how much power it can use from the head?

The head is limited .The speakers will go until they blow. This is why it is important to listen for distortion in your speakers. However, having an 800 watt cab would require a lot more power than what you're going to give it, for it to blow.

bassclef216 · #14 01-13-2011, 07:30 AM

Thanks all...good info.