watts question?

[Hoss]

i'm gonna be buying a bass head and 4x10 combo soon...i need some help understanding how to match them up better.

how do i figure out what kind of cab to match what head?

for instance, if a head says it has 600 watt power output, would a 400 watt 8ohm bass cab handle it ok...? it may seem like a stupid question , but i've always bought combos...so i'm completely ignorant in this regard!


thanks,
mike

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: watts question?

Hoss, IMO, if you got an amp with 600 watts RMS output and you plan on cranking it up, you'll need a speaker cab that's rated at 600 watts power handling minimum. That means a 4x10 cab with each speaker able to handle a minimum of 150 watts. Some people would even say that the cab should handle double what the amp is rated at.

What the heck amp are you going to use that's 600 watts tho? :smack: Lew

 

[y2stevo]

Re: watts question?

What the heck amp are you going to use that's 600 watts tho? :smack: Lew

+1 :smack: ????

 

[Quencho092]

Re: watts question?

do higher wattage speakers distort less

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: watts question?

Figure out what ohms rating the average bass cab is that goes to the head you wanna buy, then look at the back of the head's speaker outs. The wattage rating is completely different, depending on which output you use. I'd still make sure that output's wattage is the same as the cab's. And 600 watts is a perfect wattage rating, since it's good for moderate volumes as well as keeping up with a heavy handed drummer. 400 isn't quite enough and breaks up too soon. Most of the bassists I've played with use 800W heads, which is equal to a 100W guitar amp.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: watts question?

Oh yeah, and most bass amp companies offer two types of cabs. Budget oriented ones and pro grade one's. ALWAYS buy the pro grade one. The speakers are crap in the budget cabs, and the wood is usually particle board.

 

[GuitarGuy503]

Re: watts question?

Hoss,

Make sure the ohms of the head matches the ohms of the cab. For instance if your cab is rated at 16 ohms and your head at 8 ohms, than you will have a huge sound loss and your amp won't perform at its best in the volume department. Also im not sure id go the 4x10 route. 10's will give you alot more punch than 15's but 15's will give you a bigger all around fuller sound.

 

[Hellion]

Re: watts question?

My bass rig puts out 425 watts a side (SansAmp RB-1 into a Fender SS Stereo Power Amp). One side goes to a 410 cab rated at 400 watts, the other to a 115 cab rated at 350 watts. I personally like 10s for bass speakers. They're incredibly efficient and have a little more definition than the 15, but the 15 provides that thump in the chest that I like to have. If I need to, I can add another 15 for more thump, but I don't need that very much unless I'm outside and really want to feel it onstage.

I like going into a speaker cabinet with more power than it can handle, especially with bass. You're not necessarily using all 1,000 watts, it's just on demand, and it gives you a bit more headroom, which is necessary with bass systems. Guitar systems are designed to be full on all the time, bass systems are designed to loaf.

Anyway, yes, an amp that puts out 600 watts will work with your cabinet of 400. And it will give you some headroom, but be careful of overdriving it, because then you'll be sending more power to the cab than it can handle. And make sure that the impedences match!

 

[Hoss]

Re: watts question?

tell me what you guys think...used, i'm looking at around $1000...?

this is what i'm thinking so far...

Model Number: LM600 (tech 21)

Input Impedance: 1MOhm
Nominal Input Level: -20dBu
Optimal Output Load: 4 Ohms
Power Output: 600W
Effect Loop Input Impedance 1MOhm
Maximum Effect Loop Input* approx. -6dBu
Nominal Effect Loop Output Impedance 1KOhm
Nominal Effect Loop Output* approx. -10dBu
Nominal XLR Output* 0 to -20dBu
Maximum Power Consumption: 1KVA
AC Input Power: 100V, 117V, 230V, 240V
NOTE: AC power cannot be switched. See authorized dealer/distributor for voltage modification information.
Cycles: 50/60 Hz

Speaker NA.
Dimensions: 17”w x 5.25”h x 16”d
Weight: 40 lbs

TO MATCH WITH THIS CAB...

Gallien-krueger 410RBH

8 ohms or 4 ohms.
800 Watts.
4xGK-Paragon 10B200-32
Cast Frame, 10", 200W,
32 or 16 ohms High Presence Voice Coil.
GK-Paragon 5H50-8.
50Hz to 19kHz + 5dB.
103dB.
Switchable Bi-Amp/Full Range, Horn Power Limiter,
L-Pad High Frequency Attenuator,
Switch (Bi-Amp/Full Range).
1xBi-Amp Connector.
1x1/4" Full Range Only.
All Birch Cabinet, Black Carpet,
16 Gauge Steel Grill,
Nickel Plated Castors,
Custom Tooled Interlocking Corner System
and Dual Front Loaded Ports
92 lbs.
23"H x 27.5"W x 18"D

 

[Chi3f]

Re: watts question?

the specs aren't bad try it out see how it sounds

 

[Hoss]

Re: watts question?

actually, i think this G&K head would work well too...and a little more power in case i ever want to add another 410...

G&K 1001RBII
Low-700W@4ohm, 460W@8ohm, 1kHz.
High-50W@8ohm, 5kHz.
Continuously Variable Speed Fan.
Ultra low noise S/N>90dB, Clip LED and
10dB Pad, Volume, Mute Switch and Mute LED.
5/4 String Bass, Adjustable Contour and Presence.
Bass Specific Series Four Band Active.
Boost, Tweeter Level with Hi-Cut Switch
and Woofer Level with Crossover Switch.
XLR, Level Control, Ground Lift and Pre/Post Switches.
Send, Return and Tuner Out.
Two 1/4" and Two Bi-Amp Connectors.
18 lbs.
17.5"W x 3.5"H x 8"D