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Best speaker Cables for TUBE amp

M

mydog213

Jul 15, 2012
17
0
#1
Recently bought a tube amp, I have been learning an incredible amount of information through you guys, and wanted to say thank you for that.

BUT point of this is to answer the following questions:
1) What is the best Speaker cable to use for a tube amp?
2) I have a Ampeg SVT CL, when hooking the amp to the cabinet(610HLF CL) is there any precautions I should take into account?
3) I have a Speakon connector to a 1/4 Jack speaker cable(see picture), Is this fine? Or should I get Speakon connector to Speak on connector?

Obviously I am a noob at this stuff, but I need to be careful with my investment
 

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#2
What you have is fine.

The only thing you need to consider is: Never - EVER - run a tube amp without a speaker connected to it. It can, potentially, do some very expensive damage to the amp.

Other than that, don't worry too much about it. Any decent quality, heavy-duty speaker cable will be just fine.
 
#4
Yes. Expensive was about $300 for me when I got my first tube amp back around 1997. I ran it with a 32 Ohm load. (It was a single speaker that was a spare for a bigger cab.) This was fine for my rack rig with Crown PSA-2 power section, but the tube amp backfired and toasted some KT-88's.
 
#5
I'd get a speakon to speakon, especially with a tube amp, as mentioned earlier, if you run that without a cab it will cook itself within minutes.

You won't notice a difference either way from a sonic perspective, Speakon is more for bi-amping, most people, myself included, just prefer it because it locks.
 
#6
DiabolusInMusic said:
I'd get a speakon to speakon, especially with a tube amp, as mentioned earlier, if you run that without a cab it will cook itself within minutes.

You won't notice a difference either way from a sonic perspective, Speakon is more for bi-amping, most people, myself included, just prefer it because it locks.
Click to expand...

Speakon to Speakon is best, but it's really not more for biamping. It's the best choice for biamping, but almost all modern cabs have Speakon jacks, biamped or not.
 
#7
I've had tube amps all my life, & only recently had them with speakon leads. Used jack plug leads for over 35 yrs with never a problem.
What you have will be fine, but by all means get a dual ended speakon if it suits you.
I use both now, but mostly still just jack to jack as that what my old tube amps have & the modern do too.
 
#8
I can testify to the no speaker fail scenario.
Once when my old band played the Chameleon in SF I neglected to push the speaker plug all the way in. Turned on my amp and heard nothing. It was kind of loud with the program they were pumping through the PA so I turned up. Still nothing. Then I look at the back of the amp and see my tubes pretty much redplating in time with what I was doing with my right hand.
:eek:
Good thing I worked at a brewery across the street from the amp's manufacturer!
 
#9
Just don't get sucked into buying the most expensive cables in the store. None of my amps use anything but 1/4" jacks, but it's not a big deal to use them, although speakons are safer.
 
#12
Calaverasgrande said:
I can testify to the no speaker fail scenario.
Once when my old band played the Chameleon in SF I neglected to push the speaker plug all the way in. Turned on my amp and heard nothing. It was kind of loud with the program they were pumping through the PA so I turned up. Still nothing. Then I look at the back of the amp and see my tubes pretty much redplating in time with what I was doing with my right hand.
:eek:
Good thing I worked at a brewery across the street from the amp's manufacturer!
Click to expand...

I had Marshall Major on a V4B cab. Fuse blew.
Put in new fuse with left hand on strings and right on fuse without, I repeat without, fuse cap. Of course it was all plugged in to the wall.
Let's just say.....
It felt like I got yanked into the air by my arm by a helicopter.
New kind of pain.
When I reincarnated I was a much better bass player and also more cautious.:)
 
#13
chadds said:
I had Marshall Major on a V4B cab. Fuse blew.
Put in new fuse with left hand on strings and right on fuse without, I repeat without, fuse cap. Of course it was all plugged in to the wall.
Let's just say.....
It felt like I got yanked into the air by my arm by a helicopter.
New kind of pain.
When I reincarnated I was a much better bass player and also more cautious.:)
Click to expand...

You know what they say..no pics, no helicopter ride!

:bassist: :hyper: :eek: ;)
 
#14
I have a noob question...personally, I never do this, but is it okay to turn a tube amp on without a load, as long as it's in standby? I know that running it with no cab and turning standby off will cook the tubes, but does it matter if standby is on?
 
#15
Yes, if it's in standby, it won't hurt the amp. You also won't hear anything out of it ;) but it won't hurt the amp unless it's taken out of standby and played through without a cab.
 

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