The Combo Club

[G-Dog]

What I like the most of it is the jack in the back. I can use it as a Practice amp with or without an extra cab and I can use it as a 15" cab with built-in spare amp to hook up with my SWR 350 Basic , and do you hear miss Daisy rattling her chains? .... so much different possibilities that fit in the corner of the room... It's not mega loud but it's sufficient

Yo, my man, swinkley! Did you put in a switch or some kinda circuitry to keep an external amp from from back feeding the B2's internal amp? There are threads about doing that on Rumble combos.

I don't see anything in the B2 manual about using it as a cab as-is. If it's like most other combos with external cab connections, connecting another amp there is a recipe for disaster!
.

 

[swink]

Yo, my man, swinkley! Did you put in a switch or some kinda circuitry to keep an external amp from from back feeding the B2's internal amp? There are threads about doing that on Rumble combos.

I don't see anything in the B2 manual about using it as a cab as-is. If it's like most other combos with external cab connections, connecting another amp there is a recipe for disaster!
.

The b-2 combo is simply a b-2r built in a box with a driver jacked in it.
The driver is fed with a jack that is inserted in slot 17.
The cable of the jack goes directly to the 8 Ohm driver, and is long enough to be fed by my other amp. so there is no connection between both amps
I don't se a problem with this, but might it be that I overlooked something?

My other amp is rated for 350w at 2Amp.
But mostly I use my other amp as preamp that I connect via its effect loop OUT to the instrument IN from the B-2 and after some wiggling with the gain to prevent clipping I'm good to go.

AAAARGH .... so many options, so little time

 

[G-Dog]

View attachment 4173016
The b-2 combo is simply a b-2r built in a box with a driver jacked in it.
The driver is fed with a jack that is inserted in slot 17.
The cable of the jack goes directly to the 8 Ohm driver, and is long enough to be fed by my other amp. so there is no connection between both amps
I don't se a problem with this, but might it be that I overlooked something?

My other amp is rated for 350w at 2Amp.
But mostly I use my other amp as preamp that I connect via its effect loop OUT to the instrument IN from the B-2 and after some wiggling with the gain to prevent clipping I'm good to go.

According to this block diagram from the B2/B2R manual all of those speaker outputs are connected directly to the power amp. They are all outputs, no inputs! They do not make the combo into an extension cab. Plugging another amp's speaker output into any of them will fry one, or both, amps. Please do not do that! And no, that protection relay will not keep the high voltage from another amp's speaker output from doing damage. That's not what it's for.

If you have done this before it's a miracle if there was no damage. But please don't push your luck. It will eventually cause problems.

No, this diagram doesn't show the combo's internal speaker but it, too, must be connected to the power amp, and in parallel with those other speaker outputs, or else it won't make a sound. The internal 8 ohm speaker allows the amp to run at 200W alone. It connects in parallel with the other speaker outputs to allow another 8 ohm external speaker to give the amp a combined 4 ohm load for the full 350W power.

.​

 

[G-Dog]

View attachment 4173016
The b-2 combo is simply a b-2r built in a box with a driver jacked in it.
The driver is fed with a jack that is inserted in slot 17.
The cable of the jack goes directly to the 8 Ohm driver, and is long enough to be fed by my other amp. so there is no connection between both amps
I don't se a problem with this, but might it be that I overlooked something?

My other amp is rated for 350w at 2Amp.
But mostly I use my other amp as preamp that I connect via its effect loop OUT to the instrument IN from the B-2 and after some wiggling with the gain to prevent clipping I'm good to go.

AAAARGH .... so many options, so little time

I'm sorry. You must have this on the back of your B2, swink. So, yes, unplugging that jack and plugging it into another amp's speaker out does make your B2 into a speaker cab. My bad.

.​

 

[swink]

Not entirely bad.... I like the fact that you're concerned about all the combo's in the world and especially, mine
And I shall thank you by writing a positive rapport to our FL, so your time in the launderette can be reduced with a generous 2 seconds.... or when he's in a good mood maybe even 3.

Thanks Dog

 

[G-Dog]

Not entirely bad.... I like the fact that you're concerned about all the combo's in the world and especially, mine
And I shall thank you by writing a positive rapport to our FL, so your time in the launderette can be reduced with a generous 2 seconds.... or when he's in a good mood maybe even 3.

Thanks Dog

Thank you most graciously, swinky-doo. I am concerned about our Combo Club members blowing up their combos. I look forward to FL's benevolent respite from my toil.

Ironically, I had also forgotten that my own Fender Bassman 150 and the 250 combos both have that very same arrangement. Except, AFAIK, the cables on my jacks are not long enough to reach anywhere else. I seem to need a speaker cable with 1/4" male jack on one end and a 1/4" female on the other, which is probably why I've never used it that way.

.​

 

[swink]

Thank you most graciously, swinky-doo. I am concerned about our Combo Club members blowing up their combos. I look forward to FL's benevolent respite from my toil.

Ironically, I had also forgotten that my own Fender Bassman 150 and the 250 combos both have that very same arrangement. Except, AFAIK, the cables on my jacks are not long enough to reach anywhere else. I seem to need a speaker cable with 1/4" male jack on one end and a 1/4" female on the other, which is probably why I've never used it that way.

View attachment 4173142
.​

you can gently pull the cable to see if there is some more hidden inside the box ....or just solder a longer cable directly to the driver

 

[BigAndyA]

Possibly the latest membership ceremony I've ever performed...my apologies to BigAndyA, our 230th member of this grand club! It was (and is) that kinda week, but you are welcome just the same. Don't be a stranger, especially if you have a question about a certain combo or wish to add a comment to someone's post. Thanks, BAA!

Thanks. I'll send a photo later of the other two combos I have - one for plinking around the house and one I use for rehearsals - though it's been so long since we rehearsed, I need to make sure it's still at the site!

 

[G-Dog]

you can gently pull the cable to see if there is some more hidden inside the box ....or just solder a longer cable directly to the driver

I think I recall doing the gentle pull, just out of curiosity, many, many moons ago without success. But, I never really had the need for it enough to actually extend the cable. Both the 150 & 250 have 4 ohm speakers and I never had a small enough amp head to run to them. When I got my Rumble 500 combo it could only use an 8 ohm external cab. And when I got my Bassman 500 head I already had an 8 ohm 350W Bassman neo 115 cab for it. Besides, the 4 ohm speaker from the 250 could draw the full 500W from the BM500 head, so not a good fit.

Maybe if curiosity strikes hard enough again, someday, I might look inside to see if that cable is longer than it currently seems to be. It reasonably should be much longer to be of any real use like that. Hmmmm ..... ...
.

 

[themickster]

Today I got the Trace Elliott 1x15 speaker that my friend picked up for me and kept until I'd moved home. As soon as I lifted it, I was thankful that I bought my Mark 121 stack. The TE is twice the weight of each 121 at 70lbs and is 250w/4 ohms against the Mark speaker's 400w/8 ohms.

 

[GwenOnBass]

The TE is ... 250w/4 ohms

Nice place to park a tube amp

 

[themickster]

Nice place to park a tube amp

I bought it to go with my Carlsbro 150w Stingray bass head.

 

[GwenOnBass]

The Ampeg BA108v2+ sounds so good to my ears with headphones as I practice this morning, I can easily see adding more 'Peg goodness to the rig pen. The question is (if there is such a question) what role would it fill that I don't have covered now? A BA115v2 combo could do a lot of work. OTOH a Micro VR or PF350 would pair well with any of my cabs ... a PF500 and the PJB C4 would be potent .... But all things considered, I don't need more sonic potency.
Post-lockdown steady gigs first

 

[swink]

The Ampeg BA108v2+ sounds so good to my ears with headphones as I practice this morning, I can easily see adding more 'Peg goodness to the rig pen. The question is (if there is such a question) what role would it fill that I don't have covered now? A BA115v2 combo could do a lot of work. OTOH a Micro VR or PF350 would pair well with any of my cabs ... a PF500 and the PJB C4 would be potent .... But all things considered, I don't need more sonic potency.
Post-lockdown steady gigs first

OTOH: If you buy it now, you can dive in it and work out all its potential,so you can show it to the world in all its glory Post-lockdown era....

 

[Cracker7]

Or wait a little longer, more Ampeg goodness is on the way.

 

[bassartist]

First impressions are great. It is not light, but not super heavy. Very solid construction. The height is perfect for my 17 piece big band, as we all sit to rehearse and perform. The tone shaping works very well. The Kosmos-c is no joke. You can feel and hear the difference. The knobs turn slowly but smoothly. It really feels like and sounds like a premium product. I've only played around on it for 15 minutes. I'll know more as I get familiar with it. Hopefully we'll get back to rehearsing.

View attachment 4139722 View attachment 4139723

Glad to see some Peavey Max love. I have the Max 300 210 and loving it.

 

[iagtrplyr]

I look forward to FL's benevolent respite from my toil.

As much as I thoroughly enjoyed reading the back ‘n forth between you two (and already knowing the outcome), I was emotionally overwhelmed by your mutual respect for one another.

From Dog’s genuine concern that Swink may blow up a city block with his combo/speaker setup and Swink’s gratitude they someone cares about his equipment brought tears to me eyes. Why can’t the rest of the world be like these two guys?

Thank you for being our club’s goodwill
Ambassadors. Carry on!

 

[iagtrplyr]

The Ampeg BA108v2+ sounds so good to my ears with headphones as I practice this morning, I can easily see adding more 'Peg goodness to the rig pen. The question is (if there is such a question) what role would it fill that I don't have covered now? A BA115v2 combo could do a lot of work. OTOH a Micro VR or PF350 would pair well with any of my cabs ... a PF500 and the PJB C4 would be potent .... But all things considered, I don't need more sonic potency.
Post-lockdown steady gigs first

I know my replies for this topic are long in the tooth and you're probably onto something else, but of all those you mentioned, for your playing and musical style, I think something like the PF350 would serve nicely. JimmyM is always positive in his remarks about the one he owns. It has the Micro VR's preamp but is a Class D amp instead of the MOSFET. For what you can get them nowadays, it's a steal.

 

[iagtrplyr]

Or wait a little longer, more Ampeg goodness is on the way.

There ya go again, C7, driving us Ampeg-lovers crazy. Right now, if VOX announced something new and gig-worthy with NuTube, I'd be all over that too. I have re-fallen into lust over my SuperBeetle "non-combo" rig this week (see avatar). For practice room-volume, it's perfect and punches far beyond its weight class. I think the difference from the last time I auditioned it is my new secret sauce...my pedalboard. Long live my Ampeg SCR-DI pedal. I'll never need another. The Rogue has gotten the playing time the past few days and it is a natural with this amp. I'd love a larger combo version of this unit in its traditional colors, and if that happened I'd have to let Vox and Ampeg duke it out for my affections.

 

[GwenOnBass]

I know my replies are long in the tooth and you're probably onto something else, but of all those you mentioned, for your playing and musical style, I think something like the PF350 would serve nicely. JimmyM is always positive in his remarks about the one he owns. It has the Micro VR's preamp but is a Class D amp instead of the MOSFET. For what you can get them nowadays, it's a steal.

/agree

Both have looks to kill IMO. Arguably a PF350 would find a natural home with two PJB Cab 27s.

What still amazes me on some level is the Phil Jones BG-400 combo will play well (for me) anywhere as it's fully usable through its entire volume range. As a newb to my BG-400, and in complete misunderstanding of what I have, thought this isn't loud. <ahem>
Oh it gets loud all right, just got to know how to use it

Which means at this point everything's covered between the BG-400 and the Elf. If I need seriously loud, an A/B-Y switch will fix me right up.

Waiting for the PF line to shed a few pounds
and totally on board with a PF350