• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join freeLog in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

600W Head Driving 400W Cab Question...

Some people like the way their amps sound really distorted.

Is it that easy to distort your poweramp?

I assume from your profile you are talking about your Mesa Boogie D180. That's has a tube poweramp, right?
I'm not familiar with this one, IIRC it has a "special" master control of some sort.


But in general, I think it's easier to blow your speakers before you distort a non-tube poweramp.

With a tube poweramp I don't know. :)
 
The tube power amp is still putting out power over its clean wattage when it's being clipped, so the rules still apply. SS clipping is nastier sounding and spikier and may cause speaker damage a little sooner just because of the grossness of the spikes, but a tube power amp will still damage speakers if you exceed their safe power handling.
 
Is it that easy to distort your poweramp?

I assume from your profile you are talking about your Mesa Boogie D180. That's has a tube poweramp, right?
I'm not familiar with this one, IIRC it has a "special" master control of some sort.


But in general, I think it's easier to blow your speakers before you distort a non-tube poweramp.

With a tube poweramp I don't know. :)

Yeah, my amp is weird, as I can get gobs of power amp distortion at low volumes, and also a clean sound at high ones. the best sound is distorted at high volume though, but it's just too loud for me to use that sound all the time.

The inability to get the same kind of grind through my SVT-350H was one of the reasons I went to all tube. I had a lot of clean headroom with that amp, but that wasn't what I wanted (never tried turning it up all the way, either). It sounded very warm for a SS amp, but not ballsy enough. Never got it loud enough to distort the power amp, it probably would have sounded like crap, which is one disadvantage of SS amps. What's really stupid is that it weighed almost the same as my Mesa does.
 
I use a 500 Watt head with a 350 Watt 4 Ohm speaker all the time
low to medium volume gigs

just be careful & If you're in a really Loud band, be Very careful!

Also, be careful with your low EQ settings, Use 'mids' if you need to hear better

+1.

If your amp puts out more wattage than your speakers are stated to handle, you just have to be extra careful. And use the mid knob rather than the lows knob to try to cut through the mix.
 
I feel I need to respond to some of this!

I would like to make it clear - I'm not stupid. And I'm not interested in turning anything up to Full volume. I'm mainly a Jazz player but have recently got the call to join a rock trio who are due to release an album later this year. So I need a new rig! But I will definitely not be interested in going full volume - not my bag.

I was just asking the initial question to see if it was simply a bad idea, or just a bad idea if you're silly.

It seems to be the latter!

I think the functionality of the Shuttle MAX 6.0, coupled with the practicality of the TC RS212s will be, to be blunt, absolutely brilliant!?
I won't be trying to blow any brand new, nice, shiny (or matt black as it turns out), lightwieght, bad ass looking cabs. They will be treated with Tender Loving Care.

So it seems like it will be fine.

Cheers for everybody's input, and I'm more than happy for more of it to come in!

Cheers.
X