Rewiring a 6x10

[zartalexander]

My never-ending cabinet journey...

Despite seeing this topic in a few different places, I'm still kinda lost.

Some guy on CL is selling his Peavey 6x10 for practically nothing. It's in decent shape but the speakers are busted and it's for guitar anyway. I was thinking about snagging it and just installing 6 10" bass speakers. The thing is I don't know where to start in terms of what kind of speakers to look for. Not only do I want them to sound good with the cab (which is sealed) but also to find speakers that would give me a 4 ohm load to go with my head.

Has anyone had success with this?

I've also been informed a few times that Low Down Sound makes good custom cabs. Would it be more realistic/less expensive to go with something like that?

 

[B-string]

You will need 6 ohm speakers to get an actual 4 ohm load. This means buying OEM speakers like from possibly Ampeg/LOUD.
Three pairs of speakers each wired in series, then those three sets wired in parallel with each other. Good luck with your project.

 

[will33]

Without custom designed speakers you'll end up something like 5.33. Fine for most any solid state amp. I would assume "close enough" for a tube amp of robust design with 4 or 8ohm tap.

 

[will33]

The Bergantino NV610 used OEM 24ohm speakers all in parallel, though you could probably buy a whole used cab for less than 6 replacements from Berg.


The Faital 8ohm 10FE200 is well suited for sealed cabs and would give you an affordable 5.33 ohm 610 if you don't want deep deep extended range low bass.

Wouldn't hurt to ask Peavey what they'd suggest either.​

 

[sharkbait130]

You said this was a guitar cab? Is it an open or closed back? If it's an open back cab , it probably won't be very good as a bass cab. If it's a sealed cab then the Ampeg or Berg speakers wired up as B-String or will said could be fine. If you are using a tube amp ,it's best to match the impedance of the amp with your cab. If it's a solid state amp , you will have a little wiggle room with that.

 

[Jim Carr]

...I've also been informed a few times that Low Down Sound makes good custom cabs. Would it be more realistic/less expensive to go with something like that?

What is your budget for an LDS? They are not cheap new. A DIY or used fEARful 15/6 would likely be cheaper and as loud as a 610 guitar cab reloaded/converted to bass. Plus, a fEARful would bring more tonal range (clean deep lows, clean mids, etc.).

 

[AstroSonic]

You said this was a guitar cab? Is it an open or closed back? If it's an open back cab , it probably won't be very good as a bass cab.

+1 for this.

If the cab is a 610 built for guitar it very likely will not have sufficient internal volume for six 10 inch bass drivers. They are most likely going to need at least 1 cf per driver. Remember that with a solid state amp the impedance is not at all critical provided it is between 4 and 8 ohms. Below that lies amplifier burnout, while above that lies substantially diminished power output. You will have a good selection of drivers if you look for nominal 8 ohm drivers with a Re below 6 ohms. For starters, the Dayton PA 255-8 is an 8 ohm driver with a Re of 5.0 ohms. It will work very well in a sealed 1-1.5 cf cab. The Eminence Alpha 10A is another good candidate, with an Re of 5.31 ohms. Success hinges on the internal volume of that cab.