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Can you explain bass amp, line input/output to me...

D

DM3MD

Apr 17, 2019
21
4
#1
Hi,

This is my first post. I joined because of an unusual gear set up question. I’m an acoustic guitarist using SWR gear. I have a Strawberry Blonde amp, which as you probably know is an 80 watt amp that can handle all acoustic instruments.

I’m looking to add a bit more power and bottom end, so I had a strange idea...can I add a 1x10 bass speaker cab? Will my amp actually drive a small bass cab/tweeter? I really miss SWR and thought maybe an old WM10 cabinet might work.

Also, I noticed a local WP10 for sale, and it has a side input to act as a powered monitor. Can I run a line out the back of my amp that says “extension speaker” and plug in there? The amp says “line input only or you will damage your equipment.” I don’t know what that means. Thanks for your help!
 
#2
Hello and welcome to TalkBass!

Quickest and easiest answers to your questions:

1) NO, you cannot connect a line out from the extension speaker jack. This is an amplified output meant for a passive extension cabinet. Which leads to....

2) All you need is a passive 8 ohm bass cabinet.
 
#4
According to Invalid Link Removed, Strawberry blonde has these outputs:
- Effects Send
- Tuner Send
- Balanced Line out (XLR)
All of these can be used as line outs. If by WP 10 you mean SWR WorkingPro 10 100W 1x10 Bass Combo, you can plug any of these outputs to 'input' on the WP10.

DON'T PLUG 'EXTENSION SPEAKER 8OHM MIN TOTAL 80W' OUTPUT TO INPUT ON WP10!! You might fry one or both amps. This output is power output meant to be connected directly to a speaker. If I read the picture right, there are two of these outputs; one is already used for Strawberry, the other is free to use. If you had a passive box like @mmbongo suggests, you can plug this output directly to this box. Any box works, just check whether it is 8ohm or more. 4ohm or less might fry your Strawberry. Any bass box I know could handle 80W of power.
 
#5
Wow, you guys are great! Thank you so much for clarifying! I think my best bet in this situation is to find a 1x10 or 2x10 cabinet that is passive and is rated 8 ohm or higher. Does that sound about right? The SWR does have the ability to plug into an extension cab called the “Blonde on Blonde” or the “Baja Blonde” and they seem virtually impossible to find.

I would like to circle back to the comment by user jj.833. Yes, I was referring to the WorkingPro10 bass combo. Are you saying (and please forgive me I’m a novice hatching an odd plan for a setup ) that I can run a guitar cable from the effects send or tuner send from the Strawberry Blonde and plug it into the input jack of the WP10 and both amps will work together?

I’m getting pretty ridiculous sounding,
So thanks again.

Finally, if anybody has a WM10 cabinet or WP10 cabinet they want to sell, let me know. I’m not seeing any online.
 
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#6
You will need to test your new rig to be sure both speakers operate with the same acoustic polarity. If you add the second cabinet and you lose low end volume, the polarity is reversed and you will need to correct one of the two.

As a general comment, this is true anytime you add a source where you have additional electronics in the path. Polarity can be inverted whenever two paths that are not specifically designed to work together are used. Unusual routing typically results in a 50-50 chance of polarity being right/wrong.
 
#8
Thanks again for your responses. I’ve never quite understood 4ohm vs 8 ohm and I’m learning a lot today. I also appreciate those not saying “buy a new rig” or a bigger amp. I don’t have a ton of cash and for me, the idea of adding an extension cab/passive cabinet theoretically gives me low end power for acoustic guitar and my cheaply made acoustic bass.

If anyone sees an SWR 1x10 working man or working pro cab available, I’m definitely interested!
 
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