(Sigh...) On Behalf Of My Guitarist

[PNS128]

sorry guys i hate to drag a question about a guitar amp in here but ive been kind of confused about something and i figured the best help would be generated here. my guitarist has a pretty crappy half-stack (Marshall MG100HDFX/ Marshall MG412), and something struck me. it says it's a 100 watt halfstack, but the manual says it's only 100 at 4 ohms. the cab it came with is 8. does this mean we're only pumping out 50-75 watts or so??? he's planning on getting rid of at LEAST the cab (i said ditch them both), but we need to figure out a way of getting the full 100 to one speaker if we keep the current head
Thanks,
Ryan

[markkoelsch]

Originally Posted by PNS128

sorry guys i hate to drag a question about a guitar amp in here but ive been kind of confused about something and i figured the best help would be generated here. my guitarist has a pretty crappy half-stack (Marshall MG100HDFX/ Marshall MG412), and something struck me. it says it's a 100 watt halfstack, but the manual says it's only 100 at 4 ohms. the cab it came with is 8. does this mean we're only pumping out 50-75 watts or so??? he's planning on getting rid of at LEAST the cab (i said ditch them both), but we need to figure out a way of getting the full 100 to one speaker if we keep the current head
Thanks,
Ryan

We would need to know what the impedance of each speaker is, and if you can solder?

Mark

[B-string]

You are correct in that the power is less than 100 watts at 8 ohms. Is it a stereo cab (two 8 ohm jacks or one 4 ohm jack, sorry don't know the model)?
If it only has one jack not much you can do with the orign. speakers (should be 32 ohm X 4 for a 412 cab).

[PNS128]

only one jack so yes i would go with 32ohmsx4. the cab can go though, but heres the thing. hes ok with the head because though the distortion and effects suck the big one, he has separate pedals etc already to make up for it, and the clean tone isnt too bad. so essentially, he just wants to buy a new cab. im having difficulty finding 4 ohms guitar cabs (unlike 4 ohm bass cabs which are EVERYWHERE). are there any ways you know to get a new cab (not 2 cabs, just 1) to take advantage of all 100 watts???
Thanks,
Ryan

[gerryjazzman]

Fortunately 16 ohm speakers seem to be fairly common for guitar speakers, so a cab with 4 16 ohm speakers in parallel would provide the required 4 ohm to the amp.

[B-string]

Do a search for speakers, several web sources for Celestion, Jensen, Eminence 12" 16 Ohm drivers. Just replace all four speakers in his existing cab. 4 16 ohm drivers wired in paralell = 4 Ohm load.

[PNS128]

wouldnt that result in 2 ohms??

[B-string]

No four 16 ohm in paralell = 4 ohms, four 8 ohm in paralell = 2 ohms

[PNS128]

so basically. if i can't find a 4 ohm cab and we want to keep his current head, i should just wire it up myself with new speakers??and is this the correct way to do it??
http://www.colomar.com/Shavano/4x12wiring1.gif

[ibnzneksrul]

Don't know how the cab sounds, but it's cheap (low-end) for a Marshall. And that head is solid-state. Difficult to achieve with pedals the sound he would have already with a tube head.

My vote is for a whole new (tube) rig.

[B-string]

Originally Posted by ibnzneksrul

Don't know how the cab sounds, but it's cheap (low-end) for a Marshall. And that head is solid-state. Difficult to achieve with pedals the sound he would have already with a tube head.

My vote is for a whole new (tube) rig.

Agree with that! But yes if you can't find a 4 ohm cab for the price of four replacement speakers, just replace the speakers in his existing cab with 16 ohm Vintage 30's, greenbacks, any driver will probably sound better than the original guitar speakers.

[JimmyM]

Funny, but I play my Super Reverb at its full 45 clean watts and it kills my brain to listen to it that loud. What the heck is so bad about 50-60 watts? Is he trying to make people puke when he hits a low chord?

[Deville2Rocket]

I think replacing the head is a much better option.

Those heads can sound pretty cool at low volumes in a teenager's bedroom, but they're useless on stage in a band situation. The sound just goes away, and what's left is thin and crappy.

[rodl2005]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Funny, but I play my Super Reverb at its full 45 clean watts and it kills my brain to listen to it that loud. What the heck is so bad about 50-60 watts? Is he trying to make people puke when he hits a low chord?

Your Super Reverb is all tube Jimmy. His Marshall is ALL solid state!! The Gtr-ist in one o' my bands has a similar set up & I'm ALWAYS sending him links to all tube ebay finds Same as bass heads- S.S. gtr amps seem loud, but in a band situ. they just don't cut thru very well or have ANY of the lovely all tube OD! Maybe a 300w S.S. gtr amp will cut thru( & no doubt be very piercing), but I suspect-like me & the gtr-ist in our band- a 50w all tube Marshall amp & quad would sound HUGE & be all thats needed!

[jjhardy]

im in a similar situation. the guitarist in my band uses a Marshall AVT half stack and it can't really handle show levels. it's gotten to the point where i drown HIM out.

[sonic assassin]

most 4x12's are wired in series/parallel. so you could likely rewire the cab. or ditch the whole amp and buy a valveking and an overdrive pedal.

the 2 guitarists in my band have a valveking combo (100 watts tube) and a line 6 flextone III (150 watts SS) and they can both cut through with 2x12 cabs. i could destroy them both if i wanted to, but we all get by with pretty low wattage amps.

half stacks are over rated. i love when some jackass shows up with some giant stack of crate garbage and then gets out volumed AND out toned by a guy with a 1x12 badcat

[Sean S]

Kudo's on not just buying another 8-ohm cab

However, that may be a cheaper option, and it will offer more speaker area (but you might not...want...that...)

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by rodl2005

Your Super Reverb is all tube Jimmy. His Marshall is ALL solid state!! The Gtr-ist in one o' my bands has a similar set up & I'm ALWAYS sending him links to all tube ebay finds Same as bass heads- S.S. gtr amps seem loud, but in a band situ. they just don't cut thru very well or have ANY of the lovely all tube OD! Maybe a 300w S.S. gtr amp will cut thru( & no doubt be very piercing), but I suspect-like me & the gtr-ist in our band- a 50w all tube Marshall amp & quad would sound HUGE & be all thats needed!

I gotta tell you Rod, I work with guys who use small SS guitar combos sometimes, and lack of loudness is never an issue with them. Seems unreal to me that even a cheap SS Marshall wouldn't be able to put out real volume at 50-60w.

[bassninja7]

Originally Posted by rodl2005

Your Super Reverb is all tube Jimmy. His Marshall is ALL solid state!! The Gtr-ist in one o' my bands has a similar set up & I'm ALWAYS sending him links to all tube ebay finds Same as bass heads- S.S. gtr amps seem loud, but in a band situ. they just don't cut thru very well or have ANY of the lovely all tube OD! Maybe a 300w S.S. gtr amp will cut thru( & no doubt be very piercing), but I suspect-like me & the gtr-ist in our band- a 50w all tube Marshall amp & quad would sound HUGE & be all thats needed!

my guitarist uses a 50w Valveking.(tube)
im pushing about 275w(ss) and i have trouble sometimes!! my clip light is peaking like crazy at times, however i recently bought a FSR w/SD qt pounders, and that took care of the clipin(well cutting it down)
anyway, point is, tell him to invest in an all tube amp.
after i add a 210 thats what im lookin to get(: (:

[ibnzneksrul]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Funny, but I play my Super Reverb at its full 45 clean watts and it kills my brain to listen to it that loud.

One of our guitarists has that amp, and it will make your ears bleed.