Bass head + bass combo + bass cab?

[tommania]

Hi,

I have always played using a combo, but I have just been given a Peavey 450 Tour and an Ashdown 410 cab. I am currently using an Ashdown Mag 300 Evo II.

The rear panel on my combo looks like this, with two speaker outputs, one which is hooked up through a cable coming from inside the amp. [url="http://www.guitarmagazine.co.uk/imageBank/i/IMG_27162.jpg"]http://www.guitarmagazine.co.uk/imag.../IMG_27162.jpg[/url]

Is there a way for me to use the 15" speaker inside the combo with my 4x10" cab and hook it up into my Peavey head?

The Peavey runs 450W RMS into 4 ohms, the Ashdown Combo runs at 'minimum load 4 ohms' and the Ashdown Cab is 8 ohms.

I don't really understand the whole ohms thing. hope you can help!

Tom.

[paul_5]

The ashdown website states that the speaker on your combo is 8Ω, so the short answer is yes, you can use both cabs with your Peavey head. Running two 8Ω cabs (one from each speaker out) will provide a 4Ω load on the head, so you'll get all 450W from your head.

(2 speaker in parallel uses the formula R1 x R2 /R1 + R2 - where R is the resistance/impedance of each speaker. In this instance the numbers are 8 x 8 divided by 8 + 8, which gives you 4Ω).

Congratulations on your new freebie - looks like a nice bit of kit.

[tommania]

Thanks for your reply! I appreciate the help. I don't really understand the whole technical side of things, I just want to sit and play bass and it will always sound good! Any idea how I would be able to connect the speaker in the combo though to the head? The cable is really short and only reaches the output. Can you buy extension sort of things?

My combo speaker did have a bit of an adventure... it blew and when I took it back to my shop, they then sent it back to Ashdown who apparently didn't have the stock speaker in so they had to give me an upgraded speaker. They wouldn't have given me a speaker of a different ohm-age would they?

Thanks again!

Tom

[tommania]

[quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1376936980' post='2181232']
The ashdown website states that the speaker on your combo is 8Ω, so the short answer is yes, you can use both cabs with your Peavey head. Running two 8Ω cabs (one from each speaker out) will provide a 4Ω load on the head, so you'll get all 450W from your head.

(2 speaker in parallel uses the formula R1 x R2 /R1 + R2 - where R is the resistance/impedance of each speaker. In this instance the numbers are 8 x 8 divided by 8 + 8, which gives you 4Ω).

Congratulations on your new freebie - looks like a nice bit of kit.
[/quote]

I've heard that a 4x10 and a 1x15 isn't a very good pairing, could you explain why not?

[xgsjx]

[quote name='tommania' timestamp='1376940076' post='2181294']
I've heard that a 4x10 and a 1x15 isn't a very good pairing, could you explain why not?
[/quote]

Same reason as to why you'd want 2 different speakers on your hifi or a pair of headphones with a different can on each arm. A 1x15 sounds different from a 4x10.
There's already a lot of reading on here in relation to it & it can get rather technical as to why 2 different cabs are not a good idea, but hey, try it. Nothing to lose. Just don't get caught up in the "10s give you mid & top & the 15's for the bass" drivel.

[Jack]

Seems a bit easier to plug the cab into the combo surely?

Yes, it's as simple as plugging that short cable into your head though. Obviously, for this the combo doesn't need to be turned on. You can make extension cables easily, however you admitted you are not technically minded so may I suggest [url="http://bassic-bits.co.uk/"]http://bassic-bits.co.uk [/url]? What you need isn't listed, but I bet you obbm would happily make you one at an extremely good price.

[paul_5]

[quote name='tommania' timestamp='1376940076' post='2181294']
I've heard that a 4x10 and a 1x15 isn't a very good pairing, could you explain why not?
[/quote]

Some people would try to dissuade you from running a fifteen and a four by ten, probably because of the dispersion of the cones, but don't worry about it - nothing will blow up. Try it mate; if it sounds right, then it IS right.

Don't get hung up on the physics of amps and speakers and enjoy playing, after all, that's why you started playing, right?

[BassTractor]

[quote name='tommania' timestamp='1376940076' post='2181294']
I've heard that a 4x10 and a 1x15 isn't a very good pairing, could you explain why not?
[/quote]

It's not necessarily bad, but more risky. Huge difference.
That said, exactly the Ashdown MAG 410 and MAG 115 are said to pair well, and I sense that those are the exact ones that you are talking about. In case: Go for it!

Yes, extension chords are available, and are a lot easier than opening the combo to mount a new lead and connector. The latter would probably more satisfying in the long run though.

I don't know the Peavey 450 Tour, and don't know what you know, but just to be sure: do not assume that 450W is 50% louder than 300W. It's not, and you might be hard pressed to hear the difference - depending on other characteristics.
So the question becomes whether you have a good reason to shift to the Peavey. It might not be worth it. Mind you: might.

[tommania]

[quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1376953239' post='2181583']
It's not necessarily bad, but more risky. Huge difference.
That said, exactly the Ashdown MAG 410 and MAG 115 are said to pair well, and I sense that those are the exact ones that you are talking about. In case: Go for it!

I don't know the Peavey 450 Tour, and don't know what you know, but just to be sure: do not assume that 450W is 50% louder than 300W. It's not, and you might be hard pressed to hear the difference - depending on other characteristics.
So the question becomes whether you have a good reason to shift to the Peavey. It might not be worth it. Mind you: might.
[/quote]

Thanks for your reply. Yes those are the two so I was quite fortunate! So would the Peavey 450w Head hooked up the my combo speaker and my cab not be louder than just my 300w combo? My goal with my sound really is just to fill up the whole mix. My guitarists play technical frilly riffs - we are inspired by Foals - and my job is just to fill out the low end.


[quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1376948079' post='2181504']

Don't get hung up on the physics of amps and speakers and enjoy playing, after all, that's why you started playing, right?
[/quote]

thanks! That's some pretty good advice I think

[barkin]

Your 300W combo will only put out ~200W into a single 8Ohm speaker. Hooking the 2 cabs to the Peavey will give the full output and it'll almost certainly be louder, but mainly due to the extra speaker rather than the extra wattage.

[tommania]

So would

Peavey
| |
Ashdown Combo Ashdown Cab


Be better in a technical sense and more beneficial than

Ashdown Combo - Ashdown Cab
|
BOOM

?

With regards to tone, I am able to get a similar tone with the combo and the head, although the head has a pretty gnarly sub effect that destroys Ashdown's version.


T

[barkin]

Technically, there's no real difference - an amp driving 2 cabs in both cases.
Me - I'd just ask myself which sound I preferred, and whether it's worth lugging the Peavey around as well.

[tommania]

[quote name='barkin' timestamp='1376994830' post='2181880']
Technically, there's no real difference - an amp driving 2 cabs in both cases.
Me - I'd just ask myself which sound I preferred, and whether it's worth lugging the Peavey around as well.
[/quote]

Thanks, I think I like the tone of the Peavey more than the Ashdown actually, although the Ashdown is a bit warmer. I think I'll just keep playing around and then I'll know!

T

[Musky]

[quote name='tommania' timestamp='1376994193' post='2181867']

With regards to tone, I am able to get a similar tone with the combo and the head, although the head has a pretty gnarly sub effect that destroys Ashdown's version.


T
[/quote]
Do watch your volume while using the sub effect - they are quite capable of destroying your speakers as well. If that gnarly sound is added distortion that's the first sign that your speakers are complaining. You'd need to lose some bass and/or volume to keep them safe.

[gjones]

I've owned a 150 watt Ashdown combo which was loud enough. When I paired it with another ashdown speaker cab it gave a MUCH bigger sound and the whole thing was given a new lease of life and sounded great! My advice is to try the cab with the combo first because it's the easier option. You'll be impressed by the improvement in your sound with all those speakers behind you. You won't need the extra watts the peavey has with all those speakers blasting out.

[BassTractor]

As Barkin indicates, the Peavey solution is not "technically better" than the full Ashdown solution. Do as you say: experiment. Let your ears decide, absolutely not the wattage in this case. What you perceive as louder may be due to a different frequency response and possible compression. It's all good, but just let your ears decide.
Have we talked about ears yet?

Yeah, the Sub on this MAG head is not that great, as it is very slow.

Have you looked into removing the MAG head should you go for the Peavey? It should not be too hard. When I had a MAG combo, I planned to split the head and cab parts, to get better handling (but sold it before getting the work done), and seem to remember that the removal of a few screws should be enough for the head to be able to slide out.

Good luck!

[tommania]

[quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1377041088' post='2182718']
As Barkin indicates, the Peavey solution is not "technically better" than the full Ashdown solution. Do as you say: experiment. Let your ears decide, absolutely not the wattage in this case. What you perceive as louder may be due to a different frequency response and possible compression. It's all good, but just let your ears decide.
Have we talked about ears yet?

Yeah, the Sub on this MAG head is not that great, as it is very slow.

Have you looked into removing the MAG head should you go for the Peavey? It should not be too hard. When I had a MAG combo, I planned to split the head and cab parts, to get better handling (but sold it before getting the work done), and seem to remember that the removal of a few screws should be enough for the head to be able to slide out.

Good luck!
[/quote]

Hey! Thanks for your response.

I had not considered removing the MAG head to be honest, I don't think I would just incase anything happened and I want to shift it in the future in order to just purchase a cab! I just need to find some way of connecting the speaker in the combo now to the head and I will be sorted!

Cheers!
T