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Very stupid basic questions

T

toshiro94

Apr 10, 2009
79
0
#1
I have a whole bunch of stupid basic questions. sorry if these seem idiotic to you, but i've been very confused for the last few weeks.
1. I have a 60 watt peavey combo amp. Can I attach a cabinet to it to make it louder?
2. I know that watts are a measure of power... how many more watts (generally) does it take to double the volume? I've googled this, but all its said was "a double in the amount of watts will only raise the volume by 3 decibels"
3. A 500 watt head can only produce 500 watts of power and volume, correct? so to increase the volume past this point, would you have to attach more heads?

i have a couple more, but can't remember them now...
And btw, I looked under the FAQ, didn't answer these questions. same with google.
 
#6
1. I have a 60 watt peavey combo amp. Can I attach a cabinet to it to make it louder?

Yes, if it has a speaker out jack and you don't go below the minimum impedence of the "head."

2. I know that watts are a measure of power... how many more watts (generally) does it take to double the volume? I've googled this, but all its said was "a double in the amount of watts will only raise the volume by 3 decibels"
I don't really understand this question. More speakers will produce a more noticeable change in volume as opposed to doubling wattage. In order to increase volume you're better off adding more speakers. I'm sure there is a point where you can't add more but from what I've read, more speakers equals more volume.

3. A 500 watt head can only produce 500 watts of power and volume, correct? so to increase the volume past this point, would you have to attach more heads?

I don't even know what this means.
 
#7
You need to read the specs for the amp. In some cases, like MarkBass combos, they pump out 350W via internal but with an added external cab you could get 500+ Watt.

Not that you mostly feel the air when more air moves with more cones, not hearing a big loudness difference.

Some think 60W is plenty for a bass amp. If you play heavy rock/metal, it is not, unfortunately.

In most cases the best approach is to just get a separate head and cabs and upgrade along the way the cabs, while the initially purchased 500W head should last you a longer time.
 
#9
yep, I have a basic. Just checked, doesn't have a speaker out jack.

hmm... Let me try to reword the question.
Lets say I bought a amp stack, with the head rated at 200 watts and the cabinet at 250 (such as the one here: : )
Then later, I want it to be louder. What do I do?
Kinda general, sorry...
 
#11
I think he means use more heads as well as more speakers.

OP You need to look up ohms and speaker wiring. Most bass amps are designed to put out their top wattage at 4 ohms and most little combos hhave a 4 ohm speaker in them so there really is no option for adding speakers. Another speaker at 4 ohms and you'd be running 2 ohms and that could damage your amp. Burn it out. (Unless there's a speaker jack out like a SWR Workingmans 15, that's designed for adding speakers) Some bass heads can handle 2 ohms (Carvin for instance) but a combo wouldn't be like that. They are for practice. A 500w head could drive two 8 ohm speaker cabs (that makes 4 ohms), with just one it will be drawing (note that word, draw, it's a hint as to what ohms are resistance is) a little over half that, maybe 300w. A big rig (500w, 2 cabs (or one with) 8 10s, 2 15s, 4 10s and a 15... etc) is much louder than a combo. TWO BIG RIGS is louder still. obviously. Tube watts are louder than solid state watts. Some amp brands are louder than others too or accent different frequencies making then thought of as dark, bright, punchy, hi fi, a good rock amp vs a good jazz amp...etc.
Most of the benefit of high watts is Headroom. Look that up too.
 
#12
It works like this. The wattage of the amp, (we'll use the 200 you mentioned), is the power that pushes the speakers and makes sound. More speakers equals more volume. So, if you have a 1x15, adding another 1x15 will net you +3dB of volume. To *double * the volume, you'd need 10x the power, and the speakers to handle it. So, from a 200 watt amp, you'd need a 2000 watt amp. Not very helpful. Basically, what you want is a bass head with as much power as you can afford, and as many speakers as you can afford, so long as you don't go under the amps impedance rating. (generally 4 ohms, though some will go down to 2). Figure a 300-500 watt head, and either an 8x10, or 2x 4x10's, or 2x12's, or whatever. Hope this helps some.
 
#13
Some combos (especially low-power ones like yours) don't have an output for extension cabinets. If your does, make sure you obey the instructions printed next to the socket - this will usually say "minimum 8 ohms' so DON'T put anything less than that or you will fry your amp! A correct extension cab will make the amp louder but not by much, after all it's only 60W. Watts is only a crude measure of loudness and not all manufacturers use the same criteria when measuring. Books have been written about this - it's a big subject, but think of it like this - is a 1000cc motorbike twice as fast as a 500cc? Not usually, and amp wattage is much the same. A 60W amp is meant for solo practice and very small gigs that don't include a drummer. For most gigging bass players a very rough guide is that you need about five times the watts that your guitarist has - so if he has a 50 or 60W amp you need something like 250 to 300W amplification and suitable cabs that can handle this without distorting - say a couple of 200W cabs. In your shoes, if you are planning to gig, I wouldn't bother looking for another cab because the improvement will be minimal - think about trading up to a more powerful amp instead. Good Luck.
 
#14
So, technically, if my peavey had a speaker out jack it could work, since the speaker is 8 ohms (the head i beleive is 4). Adding another 8 ohm speaker would make it have a net impendance of 4, which my peavey could handle... correct?

if I keep adding speakers (as Rickenboogie said) wouldn't there be a limit on the volume level, based on something on the head?
sorry again for these questions...
 
#15
toshiro94 said:
So, technically, if my peavey had a speaker out jack it could work, since the speaker is 8 ohms (the head i beleive is 4). Adding another 8 ohm speaker would make it have a net impendance of 4, which my peavey could handle... correct?

if I keep adding speakers (as Rickenboogie said) wouldn't there be a limit on the volume level, based on something on the head?
sorry again for these questions...
Click to expand...

Yes, eventually you would reach a point where you could not add more speakers to increase volume. If you still need more volume try using a DI to the PA or do what Rickenboogie said and buy an amp with 10x more watts. IMO you really don't need much more than 500 watts into a good 8x10 to be heard over everything.
 
#17
so the wattages don't have a direct influence over the volume?
meaning that, if i have the 500 watt head, and i played it through a 8x10 it would be much louder if played through a 4x10?
And a 200 watt head could get louder than said 500 watt head if played the the proper speakers?
 
#20
toshiro94 said:
so the wattages don't have a direct influence over the volume?
meaning that, if i have the 500 watt head, and i played it through a 8x10 it would be much louder if played through a 4x10?
And a 200 watt head could get louder than said 500 watt head if played the the proper speakers?
Click to expand...

Sort of. The 810 would be 3dB louder than the 410, all else being equal. Wattage is *part* of the equasion, but not the only part. Speakers are a big part, and then you get into sensitivity ratings and what not with them. As said above, get yourself 300-500 watts of power, and a good 410, you should be good to go.
 

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