1/4" Female to 1/4" Female Mono Adapter

[Jazzer2020]

Could I use the above adapter to extend a speaker cable (attach one cable to another)

to attach a speaker cab to a head?

 

 

[Grant Harding]

As long as you're using suitable speaker wire there shouldn't be a problem. If you try it with guitar cables at volume not so much.

[daddymack]

^ yep...it'll do that. good for extending footswitch cables, too...instrument feed, as noted above, not the best idea...

[Grant Harding]

I just made up a speaker cable with a phone plug on one end and a phone socket on the other so I can use the speakers in my combo amp with another amp. Works a charm.

[WRGKMC]

Hold on there before you go about possibly blowing your amp up.

 

Make sure your impedance is going to be OK first to avoid damaging your head. Most heads that can have extension cabs will install and extension cab jack. The fact that you're having to use a splitter suggests the amp is designed for a single speaker.

 

You can find on line impedance calculators if you need it. Check the amps minimum and maximum impedance levels before you connect any additional speakers. As a rule of thumb higher impedances don't usually hurt SS amps but they can damage Tube heads if you go too high. Likewise, SS heads should NEVER be run lower then they're minimum impedance.

 

If for example this is a SS amp has a minimum or 8 ohms rating and you connect a second cab with a Y jack it cuts the impedance in half to 4 ohms. This overheats the output transistors and blows the head. If you wired them for series with a Y jack instead of parallel, you'd have 16 ohms and the head would be safe to run. (may have allot of volume loss but you wont be condemning the amp to death.

 

Tube heads I never recommend running them at anything but they're ideal impedance unless you are positive the head can handle the load differences. For example, my of Fender Bassman can handle 4 or 8 ohms but I know for a fact it will blow the screen resistors and blow the tubes if I run 16 ohms. Been there and done it. Other tube heads have multi tapped transformers and you change impedance with a switch or jumper.

 

If your head has a variable impedance or an impedance switch, and its juts a matter of linking cabs, you can use a Y jack, but its often just easier to add a second parallel jack in the cab to connect an extension. That way it's solid and permanent. (its the reason why most manufacturers add the second jack to most cabs) You can easily buy a two way jack plate at places like Parts Express https://www.parts-express.com/penn-elcom-m1500-speaker-cabinet-double-1-4-jack-plate--260-287 May need to do a little cutting to get it in but its a permanent fix.

 

 

[1001gear]

I think he just wanted a longer speaker wire. You can get 50 feet of 12 gauge zip cord at PE or MP for not a lot. 10 gauge too I recall.

[WRGKMC]

^^^ If that's the case then a simple 1/4" to 1/4" costs less then making your own. These are only $3

 

They make cheaper ones but the metal are more durable and the connections are more solid.

This one will handle TS mono or TRS stereo connections

 

https://www.parts-express.com/1-4-st...metal--090-306

 

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]n32041769[/ATTACH]

 

 

 

[Jazzer2020]

I just made up a speaker cable with a phone plug on one end and a phone socket on the other so I can use the speakers in my combo amp with another amp. Works a charm.

 

Thanks Grant for this info!