Should I get another cab?

[Crypt Ghast]

I have a SWR WorkingPro 700 head (Power Output: 700 Watts @ 4 ohms 450 Watts @ 8 ohms) and an SWR 4x10 cab. The cabinet is only 8ohms, so should I get another 8ohm cab? I'm not really sure how all this stuff works.

I was looking at getting a Seismic 2x10 cabinet. Any opinions this company? I've heard them being compared to Behringer, which isn't a good thing.

 

[chaosMK]

The typical TB response is to get another matching cab. This will help avoid numerous possible issues.

 

[Bass_Pounder]

Are you loud enough already ?

If so, no need for another cab.

If no, then a matching cab is the answer.

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

The typical TB response is to get another matching cab. This will help avoid numerous possible issues.

I am a big fan of mixing heads with different cabs but yeah - mixing cabs is usually a non-great idea. If you like the SWR cab you have, get another.
By the way - which SWR 4x10 do you have - and WHY do you think you need another? The 4x10 I have gets so insanely loud that I can't imagine needing more drivers.

 

[Crypt Ghast]

I am a big fan of mixing heads with different cabs but yeah - mixing cabs is usually a non-great idea. If you like the SWR cab you have, get another.
By the way - which SWR 4x10 do you have - and WHY do you think you need another? The 4x10 I have gets so insanely loud that I can't imagine needing more drivers.

Why is mixing cabs not a good idea?
The cab I have is a SWR Goliath I from the late 80's if I remember correctly.
And I'd like to get another so I don't have to worry about blowing the speakers. My main band is Noise Rock (think Lightning Bolt), and it's just me and a drummer, so I need a lot of power, and I don't want to crank it because like I said, I don't want to damage the speakers. Don't get me wrong, it goes LOUD, but I don't want to damage it, because I have had issues with stuff like this in the past and I am paranoid of anything happening like that again.

 

[JimmyM]

Find yourself another Goliath 410. They're relatively easy to find and not too expensive on the used market.

 

[Crypt Ghast]

Find yourself another Goliath 410. They're relatively easy to find and not too expensive on the used market.

There are none in my area at the moment.
And I still never found out why mixing cabs is "bad". I searched but I couldn't find anything. Could someone enlighten me?

 

[Bass_Pounder]

There are none in my area at the moment.
And I still never found out why mixing cabs is "bad". I searched but I couldn't find anything. Could someone enlighten me?

First - if you believe that 10's and 15's have different "sounds", and by combining them you get the "best of both worlds", you are wrong. Not all 15's sound alike, nor do all 10's. There are 10's that act like subwoofers, and there are 15's that are made for guitar amps. Cabs achieve their "sound" as a combination of the speakers design, and the design of the cab they are loaded in.

As far as possible problems:

Power distribution inequalities
Sensitivity mismatches
Displacement differences
Inability to EQ each cab differently (one cab sounds great, the other like ass, but not able to get both sounding great)
Different size drivers playing in the same bandpass (same signal from amp) can cause distructive interference out in the room you are playing ie: areas of muddy bass, and other areas with no bass (even though it sounds good standing in front of your amp).

 

[Crypt Ghast]

I knew about the speaker size stuff, but I did not know about the other potential problems, thanks.

 

[Lo-E]

Are you loud enough already ?

If so, no need for another cab.

If no, then a matching cab is the answer.

This is pretty much everything you need to answer your original question.

Without getting too terribly technical, Bass Pounder did a pretty darn good job of answering the second one, too.
Now, just to be clear, if you mix cabs it's pretty unlikely that the world will grind to a halt or that babys will cry or that it will rain puppies or anything, and plenty of players have mixed cabs (with mixed results) but, for the most part, matching your cabs is a very good idea that circumvents a lot of potential problems. If finding another Goliath becomes a big problem, try to at least find a cab with similar ratings - particularly power handling and sensitivity. It may not sound as good as matched cabs, but you'll be less likely to damage anything.

 

[waltdogg]

Phasing issues can also arise with mismatched cabs, easy fix but it's hard to tell if it's happening if you're not experienced or testing your amp from a foot away.

 

[Downunderwonder]

The biggest reason not to add 2x10 to 4x10 is you can't get much louder without stressing the 2x10. Assuming you have oodles of power on tap, at the point the 2x10 is maxed out the 4x10 is only getting half the power it could have used.

 

[Crypt Ghast]

The biggest reason not to add 2x10 to 4x10 is you can't get much louder without stressing the 2x10. Assuming you have oodles of power on tap, at the point the 2x10 is maxed out the 4x10 is only getting half the power it could have used.

Oh I didn't even realize that, that makes a lot of sense. I'll look for a 4x10 that's close to the Goliath then