Ampeg stack

[Andypunisher]

Hey people I have a question. I want to buy my first bass stack but do not know what I am doing. I have very little knowledge on creating stacks. I have been playing on a 300watt Carvin combo. I was looking at the SVT3Pro series head. The question is, what can I add to that? Would it be possible to get a 4X10 AND a 1X15 with the 3Pro? I have saved up some money and could spend around 3,000 bucks. Any help would be great.

[Rippin' Robin]

 

Hey people I have a question. I want to buy my first bass stack but do not know what I am doing. I have very little knowledge on creating stacks. I have been playing on a 300watt Carvin combo. I was looking at the SVT3Pro series head. The question is, what can I add to that? Would it be possible to get a 4X10 AND a 1X15 with the 3Pro? I have saved up some money and could spend around 3,000 bucks. Any help would be great.

 

 

Yes, you could do that. And 't would be a sweet rig. For sure.

[tylytle]

3K, Just get the "rig" SVT head and 8 10 cabinet.... You know you want it.

[Captain Fathead]

Yup. Get the SVT-CL and an Ampeg 810. If you've got $3000, why sell yourself short?

[Incubitabus]

 

Hey people I have a question. I want to buy my first bass stack but do not know what I am doing. I have very little knowledge on creating stacks. I have been playing on a 300watt Carvin combo. I was looking at the SVT3Pro series head. The question is, what can I add to that? Would it be possible to get a 4X10 AND a 1X15 with the 3Pro? I have saved up some money and could spend around 3,000 bucks. Any help would be great.

 

 

Well I'd reccommend trying everything you can, first. Ampeg, Mesa, Genz Benz, MarkBass, SWR, Trace Elliot and Gallien Krueger are all used by at least a few forumites. Also, try mixing and matching. You might find that combining, say, an Ampeg amp and a Mesa cab gives you a tone you like better...

 

As far as connecting amps and cabs, there are issues with impedance (Ohms rating, sometimes labelled with ?), but most guitar shops you go to should be able to help you determine what a safe combination would be. You want to try to have a cabinet(s) that can handle the same, or less than, the wattage output of your amp at a matched impedances. And take note that adding a second cabinet will change the impedance of the system.

 

Example

-if your amp can output 300 watts at 4 Ohms, you will want a cab that handles 300 watts, or less, at 4 Ohms.

-if your amp can handle 600 watts at 2 ohms, you can use 2 cabinets that can handle 600 watts or less (individually) at 4 Ohms.

 

Specifically for the SVT3Pro, it can output:

-275 watts at 8 Ohms

-450 watts at 4 Ohms

Because of this, you can only use 2 cabinets if both can handle 450 watts or less at 8 Ohms.

 

So with this amp, you could use any of the following combinations just examples, there are TONS more options out there!):

-Ampeg B-410HE and B-115E

-Ampeg SVT-410HE and SVT-15E

 

hope this helps...

[Kindness]

 

And take note that adding a second cabinet will change the impedance of the system.

 

 

Great advice.

[skatalite]

I'll recommend a great combo: Gallien Krueger head with Ampeg 8x10. Mmm.

[Incubitabus]

gah! I need a refresher on impedance equations!

 

See Kindness's post for the correct formula.

[Kindness]

 

Should have added the impedance equation, too. When you combine 2 cabinets, you use this equation to figure out what their combine impedance is equal to: X = sqrt(A x B) X= Total impedance A= Impedance of cab 1 B= Impedance of cab 2.

 

 

In parallel, which is how most multi cab systems are connected, the correct equation is:

 

1/x = 1/a + 1/b

 

x = total impedance

a = impedance of first cab

b = impedance of second cab

[Andypunisher]

Hey thanks for all the input people! Great advice from everyone!

[snd4c]

 

In parallel, which is how most multi cab systems are connected, the correct equation is: 1/x = 1/a + 1/b x = total impedance a = impedance of first cab b = impedance of second cab

 

 

I thought it was just if you have two 8ohm cabs then the overall is 4? If you have 2 16 cabs then the overall is 8ohm now I am truly confused.

[Incubitabus]

 

No. I regularly use cabinets "that can handle" more or less power than the amp I am using is rated for. In fact, it is safest to use a cabinet that can handle more power than your amp can deliver. Please note that the thermal ratings provided by the manufacturer's have little to no bearing on how much power you cabinet "can handle."

 

 

I have to disagree. Unless you are pushing the hell out of your speakers (playing on 8-10 for reasonably long periods), overpowering your speakers is not dangerous, and causes no distortion. However underpowering speakers can cause distortion.

 

However, I'll agree, if you're within a few watts on either the high or low side, your amp and cabs will be fine.

[Incubitabus]

 

I thought it was just if you have two 8ohm cabs then the overall is 4? If you have 2 16 cabs then the overall is 8ohm now I am truly confused.

 

 

No, hes correct. 2 4 Ohm cabs create a 2 Ohm impedance, 2 8 Ohm cabs create a 4 Ohm impedance, and 2 16 Ohm cabs create an 8 Ohm impedance.

 

Those are the easy ones to memorize, but the euqation helps if you want to run a 4 Ohm cab and an 8 Ohm cab together. Using that equation, you'll end up with a combined impedance of 2.66... ohms.

[Thumper]

3K, Just get the "rig" SVT head and 8 10 cabinet.... You know you want it.

 

+1. That's assuming you have a rig big enough to haul an 8x10.

[snd4c]

 

No, hes correct. 2 4 Ohm cabs create a 2 Ohm impedance, 2 8 Ohm cabs create a 4 Ohm impedance, and 2 16 Ohm cabs create an 8 Ohm impedance. Those are the easy ones to memorize, but the euqation helps if you want to run a 4 Ohm cab and an 8 Ohm cab together. Using that equation, you'll end up with a combined impedance of 2.66... ohms.

 

 

Excellent.

 

the Svt-cl sounds like a sweet head all tube 300watts makes me cream.

[zesty brick]

i recently tried some genz benz, and DAM, i say check them out!

[FloydianAnimal]

 

In parallel, which is how most multi cab systems are connected, the correct equation is: 1/x = 1/a + 1/b x = total impedance a = impedance of first cab b = impedance of second cab

 

 

The simpler equation is this actually:

 

x = (a * b)/(a + b)

 

where x = total, a = 1st cab, b = 2nd cab

 

So, for example, two 8 ohm cabs would be:

 

(8 * 8)/(8 + 8) = 64/16 = 4 ohms total

[FloydianAnimal]

 

Hey people I have a question. I want to buy my first bass stack but do not know what I am doing. I have very little knowledge on creating stacks. I have been playing on a 300watt Carvin combo. I was looking at the SVT3Pro series head. The question is, what can I add to that? Would it be possible to get a 4X10 AND a 1X15 with the 3Pro? I have saved up some money and could spend around 3,000 bucks. Any help would be great.

 

 

I've run that exact setup with my SVT3Pro- works just fine. In fact, I've run:

 

4x10 and 1x15

2x15 and 1x15

2x15 and 2x10

2x10 and 1x15

1x15 and 1x15

 

all with that head...

[Undead Sycip]

Forget all these discussions.

 

Get the SVTCL + 810.

[xOriginalNinjax]

 

I have to disagree. Unless you are pushing the hell out of your speakers (playing on 8-10 for reasonably long periods), overpowering your speakers is not dangerous, and causes no distortion. However underpowering speakers can cause distortion. However, I'll agree, if you're within a few watts on either the high or low side, your amp and cabs will be fine.

 

 

Pardon my possible ignorance on this, BUT, if underpowering cabs is bad...then effectively ANY bass head that you don't run the master volume CRANKED all the time is damaging and can cause damage to the speakers. If underpowering is bad for a speaker, I'd hate to be your neighbors...and relatively speaking, for PA systems, it CAN be bad...but with a PA you have a poweramp with a volume, then you have a separate master volume, and channel volumes...so you CAN crank your power amp volumes and keep it quiet by pushing full power to the speaker...but not so with a bass head from my understanding of how it works...and also, companies like Genz wouldn't produce heads that could damage their own matched cabs...and would advise against using a neopack with a Neo212 I'm sure.

[dragon9666]

I use the 3Pro and the 8x10 just fine, and yes, just get the CL.

Or better yet the 400+.

[been_effected]

 

I'll recommend a great combo: Gallien Krueger head with Ampeg 8x10. Mmm.

 

 

The band i saw last night were running a 2001RB-II into an Ampeg fridge. Good God it was good!

[Nick Kay]

 

I have to disagree. Unless you are pushing the hell out of your speakers (playing on 8-10 for reasonably long periods), overpowering your speakers is not dangerous, and causes no distortion. However underpowering speakers can cause distortion. However, I'll agree, if you're within a few watts on either the high or low side, your amp and cabs will be fine.

 

 

In modern instrument amplification, it's a very good idea to underpower speakers. Today's speakers are completely capable of reproducing square waves (ie: heavily distorted signals, or some very common synths) if the signal doesn't overtake their operating parameters. On the other hand, if you overpower your speakers and hit a hard transient spike (Which are VERY common in clean instrument amplification), they're going to blow. Much safer to underpower in this case.

[Apendecto]

If you have thee grand, you better not be going on what we say or "coolness" alone. If I had that kind of bread and needed a new rig, I'd be out playing every damn thing I could.

 

Yo.

[Kindness]

I have to disagree. Unless you are pushing the hell out of your speakers (playing on 8-10 for reasonably long periods), overpowering your speakers is not dangerous, and causes no distortion. However underpowering speakers can cause distortion. However, I'll agree, if you're within a few watts on either the high or low side, your amp and cabs will be fine.

 

As soon as you overpower your speakers you create distortion and potential mechanical damage. That is the definition of overpower. There is no such thing as underpowering a speaker, if there were, I'd be blowing my cabinets up right now since my amps are turned off.

 

The search function is disabled preventing me from easily accessing my explanation of this just a few days/weeks ago, but the reality is, use any amp and cabinet combination that gets you the desired tone and volume regardless of ratings. In any case, except in rare cases, a cabinet will tell you it isn't happy well before you do any damage to it. If it is giving warning signals and you aren't satisfied with the volume/tone, find new gear.