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[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1486945424' post='3235830'] Yes. Forget watts. Check ohms if using more than 1 cab & use your ears. [/quote] I've since totally changed and elaborated on my problem but thank you for responding to the original post, much appreciated.

Hey guys, I'm a bit confused and wondering if you can help. I primarily use a Burman 100 amp through an Ashdown MAG410 (450 watt) cab, sometimes with an extension ABM115 (also 450 watt) cab. My spare amp is an [solid state] Orange OB1500 which I use as a backup. I lent the Orange and 115 (essentially my 'secondary' rig) recently to a friend playing in a pub, and both blew. This cost me some £150 in repairs. Frustratingly, the bassist using my rig (totally unapologetic after break) was using the amp at full at the time, which I thought given the venue wouldn't be the case, but hey. So presumably, the 500w overpowered the 450w cab, which shorted the amp, hence why both blew. Now, with both repaired, I'm very apprehensive about using the Orange 500 through any cab that has an RMS rating of lower than that, even though I've done so many times successfully because it wasn't running at full. So, my question here would be - is it safe to run a 500w amp to a 450w cab as long as it's not running at maximum? I.e. if the volume is up halfway on a 500w solid state amp, am I only using 250w, therefore I am safe? I've done a bit of reading into over and underpowering cabs now (including on here), but know of many people (including myself until now) who run higher wattage amps into lower wattage cabs. On the other hand, people talk about 'underpowering', but if I've never understood this? Is my Burman 100w (valve) really at risk of damaging a 450w cab? Apologies for perhaps not grasping what has already been said; it took me years to even understand ohmage and impedance. Any advice, wisdom or knowledge would be gratefully appreciated as this has been a costly mistake and I'm naturally concerned about it happening again. Thanks guys, H.

Hi guys, First time poster. I'm a full-time musician but have only a rudimentary understanding of the anatomy of my beloved basses (and six strings); whilst I'm perfectly capable of carrying out a very basic setup and repair, I'm no technical wizard, so I'm considering getting hold of a scrap bass and restoring it myself to gain a thorough insight into the build of the bass, or I am considering purchasing a kit and working from there. Does anybody have any recommendations for a technical novice who wants to learn? Also, I'd greatly appreciate anything in the way of directions towards literature, websites or videos that help with repairs and restorations. Apologies if this is a kind of FAQ, and please just direct me to another thread if there's something appropriate. Kind regards, H.