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Cab Speakers?

C

Cruzer23

Apr 24, 2026
32
4
#1
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Hi, was trying to work out what speakers are in a Mesa Boogie 4x10 Powerhouse 600w Cab. No labels other than to say made in USA. Assume they're 150w each. Cab from around the 2000's? Hand made in Petaluma California
 

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#23
mikeswals

Post in thread 'Mesa Powerhouse vs Subway cabs'

HearNoStevil said:
View attachment 3954457
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I realize this guy is gone, but would have been interesting to know what model Mesa 810 he had. I'm guessing the traditional going by the triangle pads to screw the grill down to, and I dont see the hf driver.

My 2010 era 'regular' Powerhouse 810 has cast frame speakers. Here is one of them.

Seen other posts on Talkbass with these same speakers in the 4x10 and 8x10 Mesa Cabs. So whatever they are, I think their legit
 
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#25
agedhorse said:
First, the wiring was modified because the black-white pair should have been twisted together but while the white wire shows the original twisting, the black wire does not.

The very first thing to do is verify that the cabinet is correctly wired. (Most of the cabinets were 8 ohms, using a series-parallel combination of 8 ohm drivers)

Is there a nominal impedance stated on the driver?

Are they all the same driver... for the 8 ohm cabinet, they SHOULD all be 8 ohms but the one with the missing dustcap may be 4 ohms which may (depending on how wired) have received more power and because those drivers were not designed around extended bass, damaged the dust cap.

Those look like an early driver we used, possibly earliest of what became the Eminence Legend series. Does it have a #761058 stamped on the back of the magnet? I kind of doubt it because the surround doesn't match my data.

I would say no more than 150 watts each as a generality for driver of that era.
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Hi Andy, you mentioned before about the wires not twisted together how they originally were.
I've put the wires back together how they naturally linked, giving me two pairs of black & white wires. Also have two short black jumper wires (not pictured here).
Looked at lots of wiring diagrams and YouTube, but could someone explain in layman's terms how to wire 4x 8 Ohms speakers giving 8 Ohms output?
The original twisted pairs would suggest they go to just two speaker directly +/-
Someone obviously separated them to wire the cab differently in the past?
 
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#26
It's hard to tell from the pic, but it appears the two black/white wire pairs are connected in parallel at the input jack. If so, use the black jumpers to create two pairs of speakers connected in series -- the white wire goes to the '+' terminal of one speaker, a jumper connects the '-' terminal of that speaker to the '+' terminal of a second speaker. The black wire of the black/white pair then connects to the '-' terminal of that second speaker. Do that same process to the second pair of speakers. Those two 'series'd' pairs will be connected in parallel at the jack. Look for a diagram of 'series/parallel wiring' on the Interwebs if you're not following that.

I strongly recommend researching and implementing the 'battery test' to check for consistent polarity after you've wired it up.
 
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#27
Redbrangus said:
It's hard to tell from the pic, but it appears the two black/white wire pairs are connected in parallel at the input jack. If so, use the black jumpers to create two pairs of speakers connected in series -- the white wire goes to the '+' terminal of one speaker, a jumper connects the '-' terminal of that speaker to the '+' terminal of a second speaker. The black wire of the black/white pair then connects to the '-' terminal of that second speaker. Do that same process to the second pair of speakers. Those two 'series'd' pairs will be connected in parallel at the jack. Look for a diagram of 'series/parallel wiring' on the Interwebs if you're not following that.

I strongly recommend researching and implementing the 'battery test' to check for consistent polarity after you've wired it up.
Click to expand...
Thanks Mark, I'll give it a go 👍
I've seen the 9v battery test fluxing the speakers 🔊
 
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#28
Redbrangus said:
It's hard to tell from the pic, but it appears the two black/white wire pairs are connected in parallel at the input jack. If so, use the black jumpers to create two pairs of speakers connected in series -- the white wire goes to the '+' terminal of one speaker, a jumper connects the '-' terminal of that speaker to the '+' terminal of a second speaker. The black wire of the black/white pair then connects to the '-' terminal of that second speaker. Do that same process to the second pair of speakers. Those two 'series'd' pairs will be connected in parallel at the jack. Look for a diagram of 'series/parallel wiring' on the Interwebs if you're not following that.

I strongly recommend researching and implementing the 'battery test' to check for consistent polarity after you've wired it up.
Click to expand...
1000082832.jpg
Yes I believe the two 1/4 Jacks are wired together
 
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#30
Redbrangus said:
It's hard to tell from the pic, but it appears the two black/white wire pairs are connected in parallel at the input jack. If so, use the black jumpers to create two pairs of speakers connected in series -- the white wire goes to the '+' terminal of one speaker, a jumper connects the '-' terminal of that speaker to the '+' terminal of a second speaker. The black wire of the black/white pair then connects to the '-' terminal of that second speaker. Do that same process to the second pair of speakers. Those two 'series'd' pairs will be connected in parallel at the jack. Look for a diagram of 'series/parallel wiring' on the Interwebs if you're not following that.

I strongly recommend researching and implementing the 'battery test' to check for consistent polarity after you've wired it up.
Click to expand...
1000082838.jpg

Thanks for the info 👍
When I first got the Cab and took the first speaker out, it had separated wires? The white was clearly twisted with a black wire originally? Making me think the wiring had been changed at some point. I put the two pairs of black and white wires back together again as this seems to what it was originally. The advice you gave earlier (series/parallel) using the jumpers, will keeping those two pairs so closely twisted together still work without separating them again?
 
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#32
Cruzer23 said:
...will keeping those two pairs so closely twisted together still work without separating them again?
Click to expand...
It depends on how far apart the two sets of terminals are -- it seems like you'd have to split them up at least somewhat just to allow you to pre-wire them before mounting. Orient the speakers so that the terminals in the respective pairs are close together.
Cruzer23 said:
Fairly sure both jacks are connected in parallel together
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I advise still confirming that with your ohmmeter. Edit: Confirm that the two wire pairs are in parallel.
 
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#33
Did you determine the impedance of the drivers? Are they all the same? This is an early cabinet.

Seeing this, for an 8 ohm cabinet, the drivers are all 8 ohms and the wiring would have been parallel-series:

Each pair of black/white twisted wires feeds a pair of drivers like the image... orient the driver pairs with the terminals facing each other so you only have to untwist a few inches. The black wire is the series jumper.

Below is what each pair will look like:
1777405977231.png
 
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#35
agedhorse said:
Did you determine the impedance of the drivers? Are they all the same? This is an early cabinet.

Seeing this, for an 8 ohm cabinet, the drivers are all 8 ohms and the wiring would have been parallel-series:

Each pair of black/white twisted wires feeds a pair of drivers like the image... orient the driver pairs with the terminals facing each other so you only have to untwist a couple of inches. The black wire is the series jumper.

Below is what each pair will look like:
View attachment 7484207
Click to expand...
Thanks, that makes sense 👍
The two pairs of twisted wires, one pair is marginally longer. So I can see now the there will be two pairs of speakers (top and bottom) wired as above your pic using the two twisted pairs from the Speaker Out. And then use the two Jumpers to connect each pair going from a + and - of each pair 🫣🤣
Think I got it! 👍
 
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#37
Cruzer23 said:
Thanks, that makes sense 👍
The two pairs of twisted wires, one pair is marginally longer. So I can see now the there will be two pairs of speakers (top and bottom) wired as above your pic using the two twisted pairs from the Speaker Out. And then use the two Jumpers to connect each pair going from a + and - of each pair 🫣🤣
Think I got it! 👍
Click to expand...
Correct
 
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