What is more important an expensive cab or an expensive head. If you had to get one of them cheap wich one would it be. Another questio is say i bought a cab with 4 10" speakers and it says it delivers 1200 watts of power would i need a 1200 watt head or could i use a 300 watt head and just not get the full potential of the cab? Thanks for all responses.
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Newb needs help!!!!!!!!!!!
- Thread starter Blankwall
- Start date
First of all, why does it have to be expensive? Not all good equipment is out of reach. Having said that, I would think it's more important to have a good cab. The cab is going to be the determining factor on how well you can hear yourself in the mix.
As for the 300 watts into a 1200 watt cab, it won't hurt it. Just make sure you have a cab with a sensitivity of 100dB or higher. Three hundred watts is really all you need.
As for the 300 watts into a 1200 watt cab, it won't hurt it. Just make sure you have a cab with a sensitivity of 100dB or higher. Three hundred watts is really all you need.
I always say if you're only going to have one speaker, make it a 15 for bass, there are some companies now that make very good single 12" though. Go to a music store, you don't have to buy anything the first day but try out as many different cabs/speaker configurations as you can. There are many 10's and 12's that will respond just as low or even lower than a 15 but the sound still has a different "color" to it. Look at the efficiency ratings of the cabs, the higher the number the better. Higher efficiency means more volume coming out per watt going in. Basically you can get as loud or louder using a medium sized amp (usually less expensive) with a more efficient speaker as you can with a high wattage amp (more expensive) with a less efficient speaker. When you find a cab you think you like, try several different amps with it. Amps vary quite a bit too. Don't buy it the first day, come back a few days later and see if you still like it. Can offer more help if you tell us your price range, kind of music you play, etc.
My rig was $600cdn head and Cab - I traded some crappy gear, and my final bill was $65cdn
Head is a Peavey Mark4, and the Cab was a Peavey 1820 (18 Black Widow, and double 10 Scorpions all in one)
I spent about $120 and built my own cabs...(single 18) and another for the 2/10s
I recently added an Acoustic 370 ($300cdn)
To me...my rig kicks ass.....
Then we did a set at a large festival here and a bass amp was provided for me....$3000 Genz Benz head and cab
AWEFULL!!!!!!...no tone....no power....just BLAH!
good thing I didn't blow 3 grand eh?
Expensive doesn't always mean good....sometimes it means you're a sucker.
Head is a Peavey Mark4, and the Cab was a Peavey 1820 (18 Black Widow, and double 10 Scorpions all in one)
I spent about $120 and built my own cabs...(single 18) and another for the 2/10s
I recently added an Acoustic 370 ($300cdn)
To me...my rig kicks ass.....
Then we did a set at a large festival here and a bass amp was provided for me....$3000 Genz Benz head and cab
AWEFULL!!!!!!...no tone....no power....just BLAH!
good thing I didn't blow 3 grand eh?
Expensive doesn't always mean good....sometimes it means you're a sucker.
Introvox said:
Good point. If you want something inexpensive, reliable and loud go with used Peavey. You say you don't like messing with EQ, well you will sooner or later, you'll have to depending on the room you're playing in, some are boomy or echoy and some are dull, you may need to EQ a little to compensate for that but the mark of a good amp is one that sounds good with the controls set flat.
im trying to get everything to get me setup for small gigs for like 300 or under. I will probably end up using ebay. So if i can get a 200 watt amp that is relatively efficient and put it on a cab with 2 10" spekers that delivers 500 watts will this work out and be enough for small stuff? I like to play punk rock and emo music. I toss som slapping and popping in as well. I like a punchy sound. Right now at least i have a 15 watt practice amp and it is always set flat. I have seen a few peavey heads for cheap on ebay and some eminence cabs are these companies reputabl or not? Thanks for all the help.
OK, the amp is not what is efficient, the speakers are where efficiency matters. If the amp delivers 200 watts, that's what you get, 200 watts, it doesn't matter if the cab handles 200 or 2000. The wattage rating of the cab is how much power it can handle, it will only put out what you put into it, in this case, 200 watts. If you're into rock/punk etc, a 2-10 cab by itself will probably be lacking some, they sound good when stacked with a 15. Try looking at some 2-12's or 4-10's. Eminence is one of the biggest speaker manufacturers out there, they supply speakers to companies to put them in their cabs. Cabs of many different names may have eminence speakers in them. Peavey is good gear, can usually be had for low prices and is very reliable but maybe not as clear or modern sounding as some of the more expensive stuff, they are known for being ballsy, loud and reliable. Don't know what your price range is but look up Ashdown MAG300 and Avatar speakers, either a 212 or a 410. This setup can be had brand new for about $700, sounds great, you will not have to upgrade for quite some time. If that's too much money, look at the used market. If you end up getting 2 cabs, make sure they are both 8ohm cabs. Combined they will make a 4ohm load which is safe to run on about any amplifier you end up with. Search the FAQ's for ohms, they matter, too low of an ohm rating will let too much electricity come through your amp and fry it. Whatever you end up with will sound awesome compared to your practice amp. When you say you need a rig for small gigs 300 or under, is that $300 or 300 people? For $300 dollars you can get a 150-200 watt combo amp with a 15" speaker in it, will sound good and handle playing small bars, parties, etc. or maybe something bigger when buying used.
The Yorkville Y400 head is great and can be had for fairly little money. One 15" speaker will definitely handle small gigs. I would recommend getting a 15 now and adding a 2x10 or 4x10 down the road - the 4x10 will make a great standalone too, but that's quite a bit more $$ than a comparable single 15.
Unless you're good with tools and have a good speaker design book to follow, I wouldn't recommend building your own cabs. There's more to it than just slapping some wood together, cutting a hole and sticking a speaker in the hole. It's also not going to save you much money over the price of a good used cabinet.
Unless you're good with tools and have a good speaker design book to follow, I wouldn't recommend building your own cabs. There's more to it than just slapping some wood together, cutting a hole and sticking a speaker in the hole. It's also not going to save you much money over the price of a good used cabinet.
Thanks for the info i can get a 15" for short money but getting something such as 4 10" costs huge buck on ebay they had a 15" that was cosmetically messed up but it worked great it went for 55 plus 40 for shipping thats the kind of thing im looking for now i just gotta find a used head for short money
