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Topic: Can a Black Widow from a steel amp handle a bass? |
Ethan Shaw
From:
Texas, USA
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Posted 29 Jul 2014 5:26 pm |
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| I have a Black Widow from a peavey steel amp that I put in a closed back cab. I have a fender pa 100 (similar to a silverface twin) that I hooked up to it. A bass guitar sounded fantastic through it, but if I ever wanted to play it at (loud) gig volume, do I risk blowing the speaker? The amp is 100 watts, so theoretically the speaker should be able to handle it, right? What, exactly, is the difference between a 15" bass speaker, and a 15" guitar or PA speaker? When did they start making speakers specifically for bass? Thanks for your knowledge! |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 29 Jul 2014 10:00 pm
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Several Peavey steel amps actually used bass speakers.
The main difference lies in the cone, and the bass one won't handle the highs.
I think it'd be fine, especially in a 100W amp and closed back
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 29 Jul 2014 11:17 pm
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The 1502 is a bass speaker and was used in the first year or two in the Nashville 400, and I think the Session 500. I have a 1502 in my NV400, and can get highs that would shave the beard off your face.
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Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 55 years and still counting. |
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David Mason
From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
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Posted 30 Jul 2014 12:49 am
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But, and this is a big but: bass speakers are usually used in closed back cabinets, with the internal dimensions worked out very carefully to control "excursion" - which means how far in-and-out the voice coil is allowed to travel. The fact that you can use a bass speaker in an open-backed cabinet, for steel, doesn't necessarily mean you can use the same speaker in a guitar-type open-backed cabinet for bass.
You don't have to look too far for an answer, just google something like "bass speaker cabinet open vs. closed back" and all SORTS of nuggets (and horrors) drop, dozens upon dozens:
http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=988182
I use the same bass head for everything, but I would never use open-backed speaker cabinets for bass. It doesn't take a lot of watts to blow them up, just a string of notes that act in an additive way for the excursion. At the very least check with the manufacturer! |
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Ethan Shaw
From:
Texas, USA
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Posted 30 Jul 2014 6:36 pm
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| Thanks, y'all. It's a closed-back cab that I have it in, so I figured that would help. |
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Larry Bressington
From:
Nebraska
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Posted 30 Jul 2014 6:56 pm
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Make sure the amp can tolerate a 4ohm speaker. I think the black widows were 4 and those older Pa were 8? It might work the output transistors a tad hard.
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A.K.A Chappy. |
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