The Steel Guitar Forum Store 

Post new topic Speaker Wiring
Reply to topic
Author Topic:  Speaker Wiring
Mitch Druckman


From:
Arizona, USA
Post  Posted 21 Dec 2008 7:00 pm    
Reply with quote

I have 2- 8ohm 12" speakers. I want to mount them together in an extension cabinet, but a 4 ohm cabinet will not work for me.

How can I wire them to end up with an 8 ohm cabinet?
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Bob Tuttle


From:
Republic, MO 65738
Post  Posted 21 Dec 2008 7:18 pm    
Reply with quote

If you wire them in parallel, you'll have a 4 ohm load. If you wire them in series, you'll have 16 ohms. I don't know of any other way to wire them. Maybe you could trade them for two 16 ohm speakers and hook them in parallel for an 8 ohm cabinet.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website

Mitch Druckman


From:
Arizona, USA
Post  Posted 21 Dec 2008 8:18 pm    
Reply with quote

Isn't it possible to use a resistor or some type of load circuit to modify the speaker's impedance?
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Mitch Druckman


From:
Arizona, USA
Post  Posted 22 Dec 2008 3:49 pm    
Reply with quote

Have I stumped the band?
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Pit Lenz


From:
Cologne, Germany
Post  Posted 22 Dec 2008 4:46 pm    
Reply with quote

Mitch,
Bob is completely right, but
theoretically you could wire the two 8-ohm speakers in series (one behind the other) to get a 16-Ohm combination, then hook up another 16-Ohm Resistor (watch the wattage) parallel to that and you´ll end up with a 8-Ohm cabinet.

But this makes no sense, since the parallel dummy resistor will eat up half of the amp´s power to produce nothing but heat, only the other half will actually drive your speakers.
So, in the end you´ll be better off with a 16-Ohm cabinet (no resistor hassle and risk), ´cause it´ll deliver just the same power to the speakers....
What´s the problem with a 4.Ohm cab?
Are there already other speakers hooked up or is it a tube amp?
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Mitch Druckman


From:
Arizona, USA
Post  Posted 22 Dec 2008 5:16 pm    
Reply with quote

I want to connect a 2-12 extension cabinet to my deluxe reverb. The deluxe already has an 8 ohm speaker in it. I'm afraid if I connect a cabinet with less than 8 ohms to the extension jack on the amp, I'll damage the amp. I don't think a deluxe reverb can handle a load of less than 4 ohms total. Is this correct?
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Pit Lenz


From:
Cologne, Germany
Post  Posted 22 Dec 2008 6:09 pm    
Reply with quote

Mitch,
I just googled "deluxe reverb external speaker"
and came across these discussions:

http://www.thegearpage.net/board/archive/index.php/t-139966.html
and this:
http://www.tdpri.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-75327.html
and this:
http://www.strat-talk.com/forum/amp-input-normal-bright/4707-proper-use-speaker-jacks-deluxe-reverb.html
ad this:
http://newsgroups.derkeiler.com/Archive/Alt/alt.guitar/2008-08/msg02394.html

Seems that you can mismatch a Fender amp by 100%, but the Deluxe is already mismatched slightly.
The original Fender Manual
recommends 8Ohms total,
three 8Ohms speakers wired parallel give 2,67Ohm total, one 8 and one 16Ohm cab parallel give 5,33Ohms.

So I guess you´d be better off with the 16-Ohm cabinet parallel to the 8-Ohm internal speaker.
Anyway someone reported to achieve a better sound if the amp is not squeezed to it´s minimal Ohmage (is this proper english?)

please keep in mind that I´m not a tubeamp expert, so maybe someone else of the usual tube suspects wants to chime in to shed a little light? (aaahh, better english...)

greetings
pit
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Mitch Druckman


From:
Arizona, USA
Post  Posted 23 Dec 2008 7:25 am    
Reply with quote

Thank you to Pit and Bob for steering me in the right direction. It looks like wiring it for 16 ohms is the ticket. Happy Holidays to all.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

James Morehead


From:
Prague, Oklahoma, USA - R.I.P.
Post  Posted 23 Dec 2008 8:01 am    
Reply with quote

Mitch, you can wire two 4 ohm speakers in "series" to end up with 8 ohms from your ext. cabinet, too. But if you already own the 8 ohmers, well----------
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Donny Hinson

 

From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
Post  Posted 23 Dec 2008 7:31 pm    
Reply with quote

Since you're using a Deluxe Reverb (with only about 20 watts), you'd probably be better off just using one 12" extension speaker. If the cabinet holds two speakers, just unhook one of them.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail


All times are GMT - 8 Hours
Jump to:  

Our Online Catalog
Strings, CDs, instruction,
steel guitars & accessories

www.SteelGuitarShopper.com

Please review our Forum Rules and Policies

Steel Guitar Forum LLC
PO Box 237
Mount Horeb, WI 53572 USA


Click Here to Send a Donation

Email admin@steelguitarforum.com for technical support.


BIAB Styles
Ray Price Shuffles for
Band-in-a-Box

by Jim Baron
HTTP