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Topic: 16 ohm speaker in solid state 8 ohm amp? |
Tim Herbert
From:
Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 26 Mar 2009 11:00 am |
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I have a 16 ohm 12" JBL speaker that I'd like to use in a 100 watt, 8 ohm-output solid state combo amp. I think that's technically feasible (probably won't burn up the amp, correct?), but will cut the power and may impact the tone. So, are there inexpensive ways to match the impedance between the amp and the speaker, or other suggestions? Thanks!
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Tim Herbert - Wisconsin |
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Roger Kelly
From:
Bristol,Tennessee
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Posted 26 Mar 2009 11:21 am
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Tim, probably the simple and least expensive way is to get another 12" 16 ohm speaker and parallel them together for a total impedance of 8 ohms.
Replace your 8 ohm speaker that you now have in your combo with a 16 ohm.
Add another speaker jack wired in parallel so the amp will "see" an 8 ohm load when you hook up you speaker cabinet to it. If you want to run only the combo speaker, the 16 ohm speaker will knock your output down about 35% or 60 watts approximately.
Hang on to your 8 ohm speaker to see if that is what you really want. Good luck. |
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Tim Herbert
From:
Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 26 Mar 2009 11:35 am
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Thanks Roger. That's what I was originally planning to do, but I failed to mention that I want to keep the weight down, and haul just the amp with a single speaker to practice sessions. I was hoping that maybe there's an 8 ohm, 25 or 50 watt resistor I could put in series with the single speaker, but they appear to be available only for non-inductive loads.
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Tim Herbert - Wisconsin |
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Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
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Posted 26 Mar 2009 2:43 pm
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I would not put a dummy load in to bring the load resistance down to 8 ohms. You'll just be working the amp harder and getting nothing for it. There's no problem running the typical 8-Ohm solid-state amp with a 16-Ohm speaker. It will draw less current and run cooler, but of course you won't get the rated output.
This would all be different if the amp was a tube amp with an output transformer and matching is more critical. But the typical solid-state amp has no problem running at higher than the rated impedance. |
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Tim Herbert
From:
Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 26 Mar 2009 5:39 pm
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Thanks Dave. I'm a "tube guy" from way back, and wasn't sure that I could safely drive a 16 ohm load with a solid state amp. I'll give it a try!
Tim
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Tim Herbert - Wisconsin |
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Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
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Posted 26 Mar 2009 8:44 pm
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| BTW - exactly what solid-state amp is this? The Steel King? |
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Tim Herbert
From:
Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 27 Mar 2009 4:53 am
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No, it's a Fender Stage 100 that I picked up for song. I love my Steel King, except for its weight, so I was hoping to trim about 20 pounds from the package I'd haul to practice sessions by putting the JBL in the Stage 100. I think the JBL will sound better for steel, than the Celestion that's currently in it.
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Tim Herbert - Wisconsin |
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Roger Kelly
From:
Bristol,Tennessee
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Jim Sliff
From:
Lawndale California, USA
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Posted 30 Mar 2009 8:19 pm
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As Dave said, you're probably safe, although tone and volume will suffer.
A resistor is a bad idea as a speaker load (paired with a speaker), as the speaker is a dynamic load (it changes with the amount of signal) and the resistor is not, it's static. This can cause all sorts of grief.
But I'm more concerned about your speaker itself. WHAT JBL do you have installed in a 100-watt amp? If it's a 16-ohm version of a D130 or D130F you are hitting it with about double the rated output power, and if you happen to run at very high volume (or use distortion at all) you'll stand a good chance of cooking that thing. Those JBL models are 60-watt speakers on the best of days when brand new - after 10 years or so 50 watts is about the maximum power you can hit 'em with.
JBL rates their speakers in literature as "continuous power" which is NOT what a guitar amp smacks it with. I have replaced dozens of JBL's (or had them reconed) over the years because players were mislead about the power handling, thinking all "JBL" speakers were 100-watt speakers. Most are not.
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No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional |
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