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4ohm Amp into four 8ohm cabs?

Thank you. Mated with the Trickfish, this would be a really nice gig-worthy rig. Quit dickin' around with the idea of connecting (4) 8 ohm cabs. If an absolute must, snag a dedicated power amp which can be slaved.

Riis
The Amp has 1000 watts peak @8ohms (@4ohms min load)
Two 12s would handle 600 watts

That leaves the amp being too strong for the cabs right?
Isnt it a constant struggle, to never be able to crank up the volume? :(
 
I’ve used a 500w head with two 2x10 200w cabs (often just one) for 7 years now and played to just about every size room you can think of (even without PA support) and never needed more power than about half way on the volume knob. You really don’t need to worry about not having enough volume, or blowing your speakers if you’re just playing to a room of 100 people.
 
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Out of logistical reasons i thought about getting:
2x 110 instead of 210
2x 112 instead of 212

What are the logistical reasons you have for this? That's 4 cabs you have to move around, 4 cabs you have to place, 4 cables to attach, and then undoing all of that at the end of a gig. That seems to be complicating the logistics rather than simplifying - which is why I'm asking about how you got to this setup.

You do mention buying the cabs one at a time - so getting your setup done in multiple phases. If it's a financial reason then maybe looking at buying the first cab used would be good way to start - you're likely to get your money back out of it when you go into the next phase of the setup.

There's a lot of advice here about solving the "4 cab" scenario, but there might be a better answer to what you're trying to accomplish in the first place. Knowing why you're looking at this configuration will open up those answers as well.
 
I want OP to know that the “series/parallel” connection is not simple at all. It requires you to purchase, or construct, a very unusual cable that will allow connecting your cabinets in series.

This is because all the connectors on your amp, and on the cabinets, are parallel connections by default. If you run a normal speaker cable from your amp to one cabinet, and then another cable from that cabinet to a 2nd cabinet, those cabinets will still be running in parallel because of how the jacks are wired.

So if you want it to be simple, forget series/parallel. Just get 2 high-quality, 500 watt rated 8 ohm cabinets of the same type, either 112 or 115. If you are worried about volume I would stay away from 110 except maybe the Barefaced ones.
 
I own a Trickfish Bullhead 1K. I previously owned a pair of Trickfish TF112 cabs and currently own a Trickfish TF212V. While the Bullhead 1K is not the loudest amp compared to similarly powered amps that I've owned, most notably a GK MB800, Genz Benz Streamliner 900 and Tecamp Puma1000, it has never disappointed in terms of total output into a pair of Trickfish 12s. I also don't play insanely loud metal or similar, but I've been on some very loud EDM/dance gigs, one wedding gig as part of a 9-piece band that got completely out of hand, and some decently loud rock gigs. My recommendation is not to overcomplicate the whole thing. Get a couple of high quality 112 cabs or a single 212 of equal quality and you'll likely be set for all but the absolute loudest of gigs.
 
Hi everyone,

I just bought the „Trickfish Bullhead 1k“ which is rated @4Ohm.

Now to the cabs:

Out of logistical reasons i thought about getting:
2x 110 instead of 210
2x 112 instead of 212
—-> this would be 4 8Ohm cabs

Is it possible to use 4 8Ohm cabs with the 4Ohm amp?
What are the downsides?
No. Downside? Smoke and failure. Suggestion: get 2 8ohm 1x12 or 1x15 cabs. You WILL be loud enough. If not, your band is way too loud! You're making things way too complicated.
 
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Your account is new, I am gonna give you some advice I wish I had waaaay back at the beginning. Back in like '01 or '02 when I bought my gear.

  • If you're strong, carrying one thing is easier than carrying 2+ things. Especially when wheels are involved. (LOVE my 810).
  • Mixing speaker sizes is not worth it. There's a tiny chance you might gain something cool, and I big chance you won't see any effects, and a big chance you will have detrimental effects.
  • Speaker sizes are mostly irrelevant. Sure, they matter, but other factors matter more. 10s go lower than 15s. 10s don't go as low as 15s. 10s go equally as low as 15s. All of these are true, for different 10s and 15s.
I would personally buy either a 210 or a 212 cab, preferably with casters. I would buy it based on what the cab SOUNDS like, not what size the speakers are.

I think you should buy 1 2xx or 2 identical 1xx cabs, as is your preference, after listening to them. Buy em based off sound, not speakers. You will have a great rig. If you keep the volume reasonable, your speakers should be safe as long as they can handle a few hundred watts each.

I say all of this as a man who ran a mesa 1x15 and a mesa 2x10 parallel, and who now occasionally runs that mesa 2x10 as an extender to a fender rumble 2x10.
 
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What are the logistical reasons you have for this? That's 4 cabs you have to move around, 4 cabs you have to place, 4 cables to attach, and then undoing all of that at the end of a gig. That seems to be complicating the logistics rather than simplifying - which is why I'm asking about how you got to this setup.

You do mention buying the cabs one at a time - so getting your setup done in multiple phases. If it's a financial reason then maybe looking at buying the first cab used would be good way to start - you're likely to get your money back out of it when you go into the next phase of the setup.

There's a lot of advice here about solving the "4 cab" scenario, but there might be a better answer to what you're trying to accomplish in the first place. Knowing why you're looking at this configuration will open up those answers as well.

Id rather carry 9kg four times, than 22kg twice.
But as mentioned in other posts, the series thing seems quiet difficult
 
I own a Trickfish Bullhead 1K. I previously owned a pair of Trickfish TF112 cabs and currently own a Trickfish TF212V. While the Bullhead 1K is not the loudest amp compared to similarly powered amps that I've owned, most notably a GK MB800, Genz Benz Streamliner 900 and Tecamp Puma1000, it has never disappointed in terms of total output into a pair of Trickfish 12s. I also don't play insanely loud metal or similar, but I've been on some very loud EDM/dance gigs, one wedding gig as part of a 9-piece band that got completely out of hand, and some decently loud rock gigs. My recommendation is not to overcomplicate the whole thing. Get a couple of high quality 112 cabs or a single 212 of equal quality and you'll likely be set for all but the absolute loudest of gigs.
Yes, 2x 112 seems good