Anyone remember-

  • Thread starter Thread starter JackBootedThug
  • Start date Start date
JackBootedThug
JackBootedThug
MURDERATOR
Me not liking my Marshall mode 4 cab? Well…user error. I complained about it being super dark and blah… well I did some reordering of my equipment and decided to put it back on its casters. See if getting it off the floor would help. Well I discovered that I had my amp impedance set to 8 ohms instead of 16. I also switched amp heads as well. Cab sounds alot better now. 🤪
 
JackBootedThug said:
Me not liking my Marshall mode 4 cab? Well…user error. I complained about it being super dark and blah… well I did some reordering of my equipment and decided to put it back on its casters. See if getting it off the floor would help. Well I discovered that I had my amp impedance set to 8 ohms instead of 16. I also switched amp heads as well. Cab sounds alot better now. 🤪
Click to expand...
Steve that brings up a good question…. Does the impedance change the tone? In your case made it brighter sounding . I bet this topic has been brought up ad nauseam but I don’t know.
 
JackBootedThug said:
Me not liking my Marshall mode 4 cab? Well…user error. I complained about it being super dark and blah… well I did some reordering of my equipment and decided to put it back on its casters. See if getting it off the floor would help. Well I discovered that I had my amp impedance set to 8 ohms instead of 16. I also switched amp heads as well. Cab sounds alot better now. 🤪
Click to expand...
I have too many cabinets, including 4 boogies. I used to gig a mode four cab and a mesa depending on the band. I always loved the mode four cab and as time goes on I probably like it the most out of all my cabinets. Glad you got some good tones out of it
 
alund said:
Steve that brings up a good question…. Does the impedance change the tone? In your case made it brighter sounding . I bet this topic has been brought up ad nauseam but I don’t know.
Click to expand...
I actually just tested this lately, basically by mistake at first, then did it purposely. Way darker running at 8 as opposed to 16. Definitely an audible difference.
 
GuitarGuy08 said:
I actually just tested this lately, basically by mistake at first, then did it purposely. Way darker running at 8 as opposed to 16. Definitely an audible difference.
Click to expand...
What is the physics behind this?
 
I've thought about this, haven't tested it. I have a 1x12 50W combo, the 12" speaker is rated at 60W, and ohms matched with the power amp (8 ohms), it's getting the full 50W of power to that 1x12 speaker.

vs 2 x 4x112 cabs, each 16 ohms; with 2 of these cabs, it's 8 ohms total. with a 100W head, each speaker is getting 1/8 of the 100W @ 8 ohms, so you can use speakers with a much lower power rating.

I have a pair of 2x12 cabs, rated at 8 ohms each; combing them for a 4 ohm load, which gets even more power out of a 100W head, with each speaker receiving 1/4 of the 100W amps power at 4 ohms, which requires speakers that can handle more power than speakers in a 4x12.

I'm guessing that power distribution is going to effect the how the speakers are driven. Different power ratings of speakers are going to reflect how they respond to a given power signal. Not sure how to compare short of having 1x12, 2x12 and 4x12 cabs loaded with the same speakers and using them under different ohm loads; I expect they will sound different...but how much is due to the amp power, ohms, the speaker cab...

it feels like I'm getting into TGP "voodoo" territory now; all I'd need is a cryogenic, directional power cable... :D
 
itsgoodnow said:
I have too many cabinets, including 4 boogies. I used to gig a mode four cab and a mesa depending on the band. I always loved the mode four cab and as time goes on I probably like it the most out of all my cabinets. Glad you got some good tones out of it
Click to expand...
Really ? Wow . I must try one again then . I’ve NEVER found a cab better than the warhesd 4x12 with v30s. I’d like to best it someday lol
Everyone finds atleast one special cab though out so many to try
 
Kerry King likes those Commode 4 cabs too. They're definitely beastly. There was one on Craigslist for a long time in mint condition for $350. If I had a truck and a better back, I would have snagged it.
 
I really want the straight model with k100’s. Or anything without v30’s. I like v30’s but 90 % of all cabs I have owned have had v30’s.
 
alund said:
Steve that brings up a good question…. Does the impedance change the tone? In your case made it brighter sounding . I bet this topic has been brought up ad nauseam but I don’t know.
Click to expand...
Yes, to my ears it does....take a 16 ohm cab and switch the amp down from 16, then 8....then 4 and hear for yourself. Going lower gives a perceived darker, thicker tonal response from the same cab.
 
One of my most recent amp builds used an unusual Fender Deluxe (2x 6V6s) output transformer for my 2x EL84 Liverpuddle. It was built for 2/4/8 ohm but I run it at 4/8/16 ohm. This was suggested to me by Sergio at Mercury Magnetics when I inquired about a scaled-down Trainwreck Liverpool.

I’ve also posted before that I much prefer my BF Bassman run at the proper 4ohms. They sound good into an 8 ohm cab too. But when you compare…you can’t go back.

Basically if you set the amp impedance selector one click higher than the speaker load, eg amp set at 16 ohms into an 8 ohm cab, you get ‘more’. And when you do the opposite, eg - amp set at 4 ohms into 8 ohm cab, you get ‘less’.

By more/less I mean bandwidth AND power. At least that’s what it sounds like.
 
Racerxrated said:
Yes, to my ears it does....take a 16 ohm cab and switch the amp down from 16, then 8....then 4 and hear for yourself. Going lower gives a perceived darker, thicker tonal response from the same cab.
Click to expand...
Exactly. That was my complaint about that cab…dark as fuck.. hated it. It’s a 16 ohm cab and I had the switch set on 8 ohms. I have put the casters on it and hooked my pv ultra up to it and it thumps… in a good way.
 
SpiderWars said:
One of my most recent amp builds used an unusual Fender Deluxe (2x 6V6s) output transformer for my 2x EL84 Liverpuddle. It was built for 2/4/8 ohm but I run it at 4/8/16 ohm. This was suggested to me by Sergio at Mercury Magnetics when I inquired about a scaled-down Trainwreck Liverpool.

I’ve also posted before that I much prefer my BF Bassman run at the proper 4ohms. They sound good into an 8 ohm cab too. But when you compare…you can’t go back.

Basically if you set the amp impedance selector one click higher than the speaker load, eg amp set at 16 ohms into an 8 ohm cab, you get ‘more’. And when you do the opposite, eg - amp set at 4 ohms into 8 ohm cab, you get ‘less’.

By more/less I mean bandwidth AND power. At least that’s what it sounds like.
Click to expand...
I think it’s more dangerous to your amp running that way. Possibly fuck the transformer up. Take that with a grain of salt because I don’t know shit about electronics and stuff. I can rough wire a house but circuitry…nope…
 
JackBootedThug said:
I think it’s more dangerous to your amp running that way. Possibly fuck the transformer up. Take that with a grain of salt because I don’t know shit about electronics and stuff. I can rough wire a house but circuitry…nope…
Click to expand...
One click off is OK. And since it was recommended by the engineer at Mercury Magnetics I felt comfortable with it. He knew it was an amp designed to be cranked.

My Lightning clone is the opposite. I used the ‘alleged’ Matchless transformers (built by Heyboer). The primary impedance of the OT is 4k ohm for 2x EL84s. For reference, it’s usually around 8k ohm for Vox AC15 and Marshall 2x EL84 amps. But I run it at 8 ohms into a 16 ohm speaker so that puts it back to ‘correct’. That amp sounds so much bigger than 15W.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
 
Back
Top