Bass Amp and Cab Match?

[workinthecorner]

Currently I have a SWR Triad I cab rated for 400W and I'm in the market for an amp head. One option available is a Peavey Tour 700 head which is rated at 700W at the 4 ohms my cab is. I've tried to research the whole underpower/overpower issue but there seems to be a lot of debate. Basically I just want to know, if I don't crank the head all the way to 10 (or 11) will it be safe to use with my cab speakers?

PS. has anyone owned the Tour 700 before? is it a good head?

 

[DiabolusInMusic]

If you pump the full 700w @ 4 ohms into a 400w @ 4 ohm cabinet there will be a chance of you blowing it. It will run the cab just fine, but be careful with your volume and EQ settings as you can damage that cabinet.

 

[workinthecorner]

Yeah I'll make sure to keep the volume low enough to prevent speaker damage but what should I be careful with regarding EQ settings? Should I invest in a compressor pedal too?

 

[Bass_Pounder]

Just a few items to consider:

The position of the volume knob means absolutely nothing. Most amps are capable of putting out full power with the volume knob way below "10"

Wattage ratings on cabs are the thermal limit at which the voice coil will be damaged - NOT the real world mechanical limits of the speaker which is closer to HALF the thermal wattage rating (in the case of your cab, you could very well hit the mechanical limits at 200 watts).

Trust your ears, they will tell you when the cab is reaching it's limits.

 

[RickenBoogie]

Re: the eq, using the lowest frequencies, (bass), eats up more power, and drives speakers harder. So, don't boost the bass too much.

 

[Aussie Player]

Also consider that those Peavey heads are usually running at 2 Ohms to get the full 700 watts. When running into a single 4 Ohm box, you will be likely around. 480 watts. Still a lot but you still have to listen to the box. Any speaker breakdown is pushing it too far.

 

[Korladis]

If you hear the speakers making unpleasant noises (farting is the usual description), turn down, and/or turn your lows down. Personally I like my cab to be capable of handling more power than my head normally puts out, but this is not always possible.

 

[CL400Peavey]

Also consider that those Peavey heads are usually running at 2 Ohms to get the full 700 watts. When running into a single 4 Ohm box, you will be likely around. 480 watts. Still a lot but you still have to listen to the box. Any speaker breakdown is pushing it too far.

No.

The Tour 700 is a 4 ohm minimum head.

500 watts (rms) into 8 ohms, 700 watts (rms) into 4 ohms (4 ohm minimum load).

 

[jungleheat]

There's no "debate" about over/underpowering, just people who know what they are talking about and people who don't.

As long as you are careful with the volume, you'll be fine.

But why are you looking at that particular head?

 

[JimmyM]

Yeah I'll make sure to keep the volume low enough to prevent speaker damage but what should I be careful with regarding EQ settings? Should I invest in a compressor pedal too?

Only thing to be careful with EQ is boosting bass too much. Lows eat wattage at the expense of other frequencies, so just bear that in mind. Compressor? Not necessary. Common sense? Necessary

 

[Korladis]

Yep. Lows take a lot of power, and also place the largest burden on speakers.

 

[workinthecorner]

Thanks for all the advice everyone, and I'm looking at that head in particular because it's on sale at Guitar Center for $250 and that's the best deal I can find right now in the Detroit/ Ann Arbor area. I've found other things (like an Ampeg B2 and Hartke Mosfet HA3500) but they're all older and I don't really know how to decide haha.

 

[Korladis]

Have you looked on craigslist and such? That is a pretty good deal, though.

 

[workinthecorner]

I've been patrolling the Craigslist and pawn circuit for a few weeks now haha, all over it. I think..

 

[Downunderwonder]

Peavey has a stellar reputation for reliability.

 

[sratas]

It's quite simple at the end. Speaker can be damaged by overpowering or excessive strain when they move.
Overpowering is obvious, take into consideration the rated power of the cab. The second point refers to the fact that if a driver is forced to move in excess regarding its mechanical properties (concept of volume displacement, Xmax etc), it can break prior to burning the voice coil. Low frequencies in this case are the first coulprit.
So, you can use that head with that cab with a bit of judice, just use your ear (farting or strange noise from the drivers) and remember, as the volume goes up, the bass frequencies in your tone have go go down. When bass is boosted, an amp can deliver its maximum power in spite of a perceived low volume.
This is the way I undestood things, if I'm wrong, please correct me.

Currently I have a SWR Triad I cab rated for 400W and I'm in the market for an amp head. One option available is a Peavey Tour 700 head which is rated at 700W at the 4 ohms my cab is. I've tried to research the whole underpower/overpower issue but there seems to be a lot of debate. Basically I just want to know, if I don't crank the head all the way to 10 (or 11) will it be safe to use with my cab speakers?

PS. has anyone owned the Tour 700 before? is it a good head?

 

[Downunderwonder]

Yup. Low bass adds very little to volume but lots of excursion.

Something else to note, when your ears get tired at high volume your speakers can also be getting warm. You may be tempted to turn up, it heats up more quickly and if you turn up again you cook the speaker without flapping it to death.