I'm looking for a practice amp and someone offered me used 50w 112 cab for good price. I know that you can overpower the cab without blowing the speaker if you are carefull, but I would be pushing 330w into that cab. Any thoughts?
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Overpowering a cab (overdose version)
- Thread starter krstko
- Start date
Your only pushing that much power if you choose to run the amp that hard.
Lower you volume knob and listen for sounds of speaker distress - you will be fine.
If you are just going to use it for solo, 'bedroom' volume practice it's fine. Just don't turn up too loud. It should be easy to hear if you do.
If you really are going to push 330W into it, it will almost certainly fry quite quickly. If you keep the volume under control you'll be pushing a lot less than 330W. If you're very careful there won't be a problem but there's potential for smoke if you get carried away.
Works no better then just controlling the master volume on the amp.
In fact, it is much easier to accidentally move the volume knob on the bass (which could cause damage to the cab) then it is to accidentally move the volume knob on the amp
I will only use it in my bedroom, so I will have it really quiet 
but even at low volumes, I fear I will blow it, that's more than 6 times more watts than cab can handle :/
but even at low volumes, I fear I will blow it, that's more than 6 times more watts than cab can handle :/
The ONLY way you could blow it is to turn the volume up too much. For example if you left the amp set the way it was at your last loud gig, plugged into the 1x12 and dimed the volume on your bass and whacked the strings- that would do it, but you'd have to be a bonehead to do it. Don't be a bonehead and it'll be just fine.
Exactly. Just keep the volume knob in check and you'll be fine.
I run a 900w head into 200w cabs all the time at loud gig volumes with no PA support.
It doesn't sound like a speaker made for bass. You'll blow it if you put any substantial low end into it.
It's a home made bass cab, I'm sure about that
Who makes a 50W dedicated bass speaker? It may be a home made cab, but made especially for bass is still up for debate.
But it should be fine if you keep volume in check. I practice with a little 1-10 Fender (25W) combo all the time and it does fine for the bonus room. You should be able to get that little "bass" speaker to give you enough to noodle around with.
I will only use it in my bedroom, so I will have it really quiet
It's only six times more watts if you turn it up.
I often run 1500 watts into a 400 watt cab for practice with one of my bands, it's absolutely fine, just keep an ear out, if the speakers start to distort then turn down.
Basically it won't damage the speaker unless you do something silly
A compressor/limiter can also be handy for preventing signal spikes from a loud slap or something from getting through to the cab
Basically it won't damage the speaker unless you do something silly
A compressor/limiter can also be handy for preventing signal spikes from a loud slap or something from getting through to the cab
I figure that even 50 Watts into a mediocre speaker would be pretty loud in a small room. So long as the sound is quiet, then the speaker is in no danger. The fact that it's homemade just figures into the price.
The problem with a guitar speaker is the low end is so heavily rolled off that one is even modest volume for a bass requires more power than the speaker may be able to handle.
