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My guitar Player is Drowning Me

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altarsofmadness

altarsofmadness

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Jul 21, 2014
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#1
Hi!
Well, my band's guitarist used to play through a small Laney TF-200 combo with a single 12'' Speaker, everything was fine, with an old Peavey 115 and my PF-350, I had more than enough volume.

Today, he arrived to rehearsal with an ancient Sunn Concert Lead and a 4x12, the thing is just monstrous, I was blown away. I tried diming my Ampeg and, well, lets say that I don't need my distortion box anymore, the cabinet's got me covered.

I was wondering if a GK BLX 410 or a PF115LF would be enough to be heard again.
 
#2
Probably not. The 115LF is gonna use any available headroom to transmit big lows, which is actually kind of opposite of what you'd want. Try your local Craigslist for a 8x10 cab. You may still need more wattage, but you should be able to hold your own for now with the larger cabinet.

Theoretically, a 1x15 has the same potential output as a 2x10 from speaker area, but so many variables go into it, it's not a hard and fast rule. That being said, 4x your current speaker area should net you both a significant increase in actual volume, while also putting speakers up near your ears for better monitoring.

Or you can always "drop" your guitards head into the bathtub full of water. :)
 
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#6
You probably need to get louder, but maybe your guitarist needs to curb his enthusiasm and turn down a bit, too. For me (and a lot of other people) it's the drummer who defines the volume level. Both you and the guitarist should define your levels by his power and comfort zones.

That being said, you weren't very clear on what you want to do with the new cab, add it to your existing 115 or replace it. 350W should be enough for stage volume vs. a half stack (works for me, anyway), but maybe not driving a single 15. Area trumps power. If the cabs and head are compatible with running 2x115 in a stack, that might or might not sound good (see all the "mixing cabs" threads), but you should be able to keep up with your guitarist unless he's being a totally unlistenable dick. A 410 on its own would probably do the trick as well. But please don't add a 410 to your existing 115 in a stack, and go into sound pressure level combat with a Sun Concert Lead. You'll just fry the 15.
 
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#18
Four things that will help you here.

- buy an efficient 4ohm cabinet. The more speakers the better. Your PF350 should be plenty of watts.

- lift the cab off the ground, or point it towards your ears. You won't hear it if its pointing at your knees.

- have a polite word to your guitarist and ask him to watch his volume or use an amp attenuator.

- boost your midrange and cut your lows a bit. This will help you cut trough in the mix.

Search the forum if you don't understand any of what I just said, that's how I learnt!

Hope it works out for you.
MC
 
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#19
1) Aim for 3x the amount of power that his amp is pushing. Guitar watts and bass watts are not the same.
2) get a 4X10, or bigger
3) Get an amp that's got as many watts as you can afford.
4) I'd highly suggest NOT getting a 4ohm single cab. You'll be stuck if you decided you wanted to pair another cab with it. I'd get an 8ohm anything really.

This is the reason I have a high wattage head. I run through an Ampeg 810, but if I down size for some bands, I've ALWAYS got the option to add another cab and crank more volume than the guitarists.
Welcome to the wonderful world of trying to be heard as a bassist. I spent my money wisely once, and have never had a problem being heard.
 
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#20
AciDBatH666 said:
1) Aim for 3x the amount of power that his amp is pushing. Guitar watts and bass watts are not the same.
2) get a 4X10, or bigger
3) Get an amp that's got as many watts as you can afford.
4) I'd highly suggest NOT getting a 4ohm single cab. You'll be stuck if you decided you wanted to pair another cab with it. I'd get an 8ohm anything really.

This is the reason I have a high wattage head. I run through an Ampeg 810, but if I down size for some bands, I've ALWAYS got the option to add another cab and crank more volume than the guitarists.
Welcome to the wonderful world of trying to be heard as a bassist. I spent my money wisely once, and have never had a problem being heard.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I agree on the impedance issue. If a big cab is 4 ohms, that's fine, like if it's a 6x10, 8x10, 2x15, or even a 4x12... but anything smaller, it's best to get in 8 ohm so that it can be further expanded if necessary.
 
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