Members zinzin Posted October 12, 2006 Members Share Posted October 12, 2006 i got a cab 2x10" which is rated 30 watts. can i play a 30 watt class A tube head through it? is it risky and would it be better to have some more cab watts spare as reserve? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members No Soul Posted October 12, 2006 Members Share Posted October 12, 2006 nahh, youre fine. When you crank the amp you are bound for some speaker distortion. Its actually worse to severely underpower a speaker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GCDEF Posted October 12, 2006 Members Share Posted October 12, 2006 Originally posted by No Soul Its actually worse to severely underpower a speaker How so? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members No Soul Posted October 12, 2006 Members Share Posted October 12, 2006 Originally posted by GCDEF How so? it can cause the speaker to rip itself apart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GCDEF Posted October 12, 2006 Members Share Posted October 12, 2006 Originally posted by No Soul it can cause the speaker to rip itself apart Underpowering a speaker can cause it to rip itself apart? How? Does that mean you should avoid playing quietly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members No Soul Posted October 12, 2006 Members Share Posted October 12, 2006 Originally posted by GCDEF Underpowering a speaker can cause it to rip itself apart? How?Does that mean you should avoid playing quietly? I will get specifics if you want. My friend is a live sound guru, and explained it to me once years ago. Frankly, I didnt pay attention because of anything Im always overdriving my cabs... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rockon1000 Posted October 12, 2006 Members Share Posted October 12, 2006 Originally posted by No Soul nahh, youre fine. When you crank the amp you are bound for some speaker distortion. Its actually worse to severely underpower a speaker NOT TRUE. Only with Hi Fi or PA speakers do you want to have clean headroon as their horn drivers and tweeters (in the case of hi fi) are easily damaged with clipped power. This is NOT the case with guitar speakers which can easily handle distorted clipped waveforms (of coarse since we all love overdrive!). For guitar its generally BETTER to have speakers rated at almost twice the amp output IF you are going to crank the amp fully. Why? Because a fully cranked tube amp generally will produce almost twice its rated output. A 30 watt amp may put out 40-50 watted fully cranked. NOW if your going to run it conservetively then a 30 watt cab may be ok. HTH Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tlbonehead Posted October 12, 2006 Members Share Posted October 12, 2006 Originally posted by GCDEF Underpowering a speaker can cause it to rip itself apart? How?Does that mean you should avoid playing quietly? That's some pretty silly stuff, huh G? WOW! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sammyhuck_finn Posted October 12, 2006 Members Share Posted October 12, 2006 Originally posted by No Soul nahh, youre fine. When you crank the amp you are bound for some speaker distortion. Its actually worse to severely underpower a speaker aren't you severely underpowering a speaker when playing on 1:confused: or is like severely underpowered considered 10 watt amp to 50000 watt speakers. now im confused Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tommythelurker Posted October 12, 2006 Members Share Posted October 12, 2006 Originally posted by rockon1000 NOT TRUE. Only with Hi Fi or PA speakers do you want to have clean headroon as their horn drivers and tweeters (in the case of hi fi) are easily damaged with clipped power. This is NOT the case with guitar speakers which can easily handle distorted clipped waveforms (of coarse since we all love overdrive!). For guitar its generally BETTER to have speakers rated at almost twice the amp output IF you are going to crank the amp fully. Why? Because a fully cranked tube amp generally will produce almost twice its rated output. A 30 watt amp may put out 40-50 watted fully cranked. NOW if your going to run it conservetively then a 30 watt cab may be ok. HTH Bob Bingo. Live sound guys use the "don't underpower the speaker" guidline because they typically want as much volume as they can get but don't want to send any PA power amp disortion to the speakers. That's it. This of course doesn't apply to guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Big Hair Posted October 12, 2006 Members Share Posted October 12, 2006 be careful I blew two alnico blues speakers (cab was rated at 60w) with a 50w head. 30w into a 30w cab with a valve head is potentially risky, due to the fact that a 30w valve head will possibly peak at 40-50w occasionally Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rockon1000 Posted October 12, 2006 Members Share Posted October 12, 2006 Originally posted by sammyhuck_finn aren't you severely underpowering a speaker when playing on 1:confused: or is like severely underpowered considered 10 watt amp to 50000 watt speakers. now im confused Nothing to be confused about. Read my first post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GCDEF Posted October 13, 2006 Members Share Posted October 13, 2006 Originally posted by tlbonehead That's some pretty silly stuff, huh G? WOW! That was my thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members duncan Posted October 13, 2006 Members Share Posted October 13, 2006 my personal rule of thumb... guitar set up? underpower your speakers.live sound set up? over power them. in both instances, make sure impedance matches up, and you're gold. scott. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members duncan Posted October 13, 2006 Members Share Posted October 13, 2006 when i talk about underpowering guitar speakers, i'm not talking a 1 or 2x12 setup. i'm talking 4x12 cabinets. it's pretty darn hard for me to find a 240watt head to match my cabinet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members vancleaf Posted October 13, 2006 Members Share Posted October 13, 2006 I say a thirty watt cab should handle a thirty watt head no problem. Vhoholic ( fellow formite) always played his 100 watt plexi head into Marshall 4x12 greenback 100 watt cab with no issues. Though he did use a Variac. Maybe you should too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rockon1000 Posted October 13, 2006 Members Share Posted October 13, 2006 Originally posted by Roccaforte Amps So, to the thread originator, a 30watt cab on a 30watt amp is OK provided you're not running the amp on 10 at all times. Doug I always assume it is going to be cranked and recommend a cab will a higher than amp output rating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GCDEF Posted October 13, 2006 Members Share Posted October 13, 2006 Originally posted by Roccaforte Amps matching impedances doesn't protect a high power speaker from being burnt out by a low power amp. You should qualify that statment. A low power amp won't burn out speakers. The distortion produced by to turning up a low powered amp to the point of hard clipping may, but low power by itself is harmless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members willy22 Posted October 13, 2006 Members Share Posted October 13, 2006 I play a 100 watt Dual Recto through a 100 watt Greenback cab and have never had any problems whatsoever. I play extremely loud through the cab at least once a week at band practice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rockon1000 Posted October 13, 2006 Members Share Posted October 13, 2006 Doesnt matter what size the amp is really. The point in fact is that a 30,50 or 100 watt amplifier will produce MORE than its rated output in watts when its cranked! I fried a G12H-30 with my JSX playing thru 4 of them.I smelt the voice coil melting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rockon1000 Posted October 13, 2006 Members Share Posted October 13, 2006 Originally posted by Roccaforte Amps I already did earlier:FWIW FYI, a 10watt amp clipping is more harmful/dangerous on a 100watt speaker than a 50watt amp.The reason? Hard clipping in small amplifiers produces heat that can toast even the highest power voice coil. Although IMO the point is somewhat moot as any tube amp will produce more than its rated output cranked (hence the need for speakers rated more than the amp ) I am curious why a 10 watt tube amp produces more "hard clipping " than a 50 or 100 watt tube amp when fully cranked. There are after all many who prefer cranking smaller tube amps for power tube distortion/saturation at less than ear bleed volumes. I have never heard they were more stressful to speakers than their larger brethren. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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