• From: Edwardsville, IL
  • Registered: 2010-05-17
  • Posts: 656

Topic: Anybody knowledgeable about Speakers and Ohm impedance?

So for Christmas I wanted to buy myself two of these http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/ … 1000386000 one for my Ceriatone Jubilee and one for my Fender Bandmaster Reverb....But I'm running into some trouble....The cabinet is 16 ohms...My Ceriatone can switch from 4 to 8 to 16, but my Fender BR is 4 ohms...

Can you run a 4 ohm head into a 16 ohm cabinet or should I look for something different for my Fender?

my guitar playing. http://www.youtube.com/user/09ncowan?feature=mhee
  • From: Ireland
  • Registered: 2010-10-25
  • Posts: 57

Re: Anybody knowledgeable about Speakers and Ohm impedance?

No you will need to get a different cabinet /speaker for the fender as running it through a 16 ohm cab would not be safe, it would put too much stress on the output transformer.

Guitars: Epiphone JBLP, Epiphone Les Paul Custom
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  • From: Edwardsville, IL
  • Registered: 2010-05-17
  • Posts: 656

Re: Anybody knowledgeable about Speakers and Ohm impedance?

Can anybody find a 1x12 cab with 4ohm impedance? or do you think it would be possible to wire the cab to 4ohms after I buy it?

my guitar playing. http://www.youtube.com/user/09ncowan?feature=mhee
  • From: New Hampshire, USA
  • Registered: 2010-12-21
  • Posts: 3,650

Re: Anybody knowledgeable about Speakers and Ohm impedance?

JBFan1 wrote:

Can anybody find a 1x12 cab with 4ohm impedance? or do you think it would be possible to wire the cab to 4ohms after I buy it?

With a 1x12 the single speaker would need to be a 4 ohm speaker. If it where a 2x12 at 16 ohms then there would be two eight ohns in series they could be rewired in parralel to get 4 ohms.
Cheers Ron

"Joe B saved my soul, forever grateful Ron"
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  • From: Edwardsville, IL
  • Registered: 2010-05-17
  • Posts: 656

Re: Anybody knowledgeable about Speakers and Ohm impedance?

So Ron, what should I do about getting a 1x12 cab for my Fender Bandmaster Reverb?

my guitar playing. http://www.youtube.com/user/09ncowan?feature=mhee
  • From: New Hampshire, USA
  • Registered: 2010-12-21
  • Posts: 3,650

Re: Anybody knowledgeable about Speakers and Ohm impedance?

JBFan1 wrote:

So Ron, what should I do about getting a 1x12 cab for my Fender Bandmaster Reverb?

Well if you are set on getting that cab it is clearly 16 ohms. With your Fender only able to drive 4 ohms I would not use that cab with that speaker 16 ohm. Have you checked to see if you can get it in 4 ohms? Other then that if you need that cab you will need to find a 4 ohm speaker to replace the 16.

"Joe B saved my soul, forever grateful Ron"
"Some people dream of worthy accomplishments while others stay awake and do them"
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  • From: Ireland
  • Registered: 2010-10-25
  • Posts: 57

Re: Anybody knowledgeable about Speakers and Ohm impedance?

Honestly if your looking for 1x12 4 ohm cab your options are really limited, as very few guitar speakers are 4 ohm and 12 inches, I think Eminence may make a few. I would recommend looking into getting a 2x12 as you would have way more options to choose from.

Guitars: Epiphone JBLP, Epiphone Les Paul Custom
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  • DougH
  • DougH
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  • From: Toronto, Canada
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Re: Anybody knowledgeable about Speakers and Ohm impedance?

On tube amp's only...
You can run an 8 ohm or 16 ohm speaker on a 4 ohm amp output.
it will act like an attenuator and lower the overall volume of the amp.

You really don't want to put a 4 ohm speaker on a 8 or 16 ohm amp output.. you'll just end up pushing the output transformer too hard and blowing up your amp.

Always best to match your speaker ohms to amp output ohms, its just the safest thing to do.

---------------

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  • From: North Carolina
  • Registered: 2008-10-26
  • Posts: 2,926

Re: Anybody knowledgeable about Speakers and Ohm impedance?

Totally agree with this statment.

DougH wrote:

On tube amp's only...
You can run an 8 ohm or 16 ohm speaker on a 4 ohm amp output.
it will act like an attenuator and lower the overall volume of the amp.

You really don't want to put a 4 ohm speaker on a 8 or 16 ohm amp output.. you'll just end up pushing the output transformer too hard and blowing up your amp.

Always best to match your speaker ohms to amp output ohms, its just the safest thing to do.

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  • From: Frederick, MD
  • Registered: 2009-03-26
  • Posts: 107

Re: Anybody knowledgeable about Speakers and Ohm impedance?

Yes, DougH is right. Despite it seeming backwards, the higher the impedance (number of ohms) the less of a load it is on the amplifier. The lower the impedance (number of ohms) the greater the load on the amplifier. This is because the lower impedance offers less resistance to current flow. If you run a four ohm speaker from an amplifier's 8 ohm output, much more current will flow than the amp can handle causing overheating and melt down. If you run a 16 ohm speaker from an amplifier's 8 ohm output, less current will be able to flow so it will not hurt anything, but it may not sound all that good either because an 8 ohm output cannot produce enough current to properly drive a 16 ohm speaker. Always best to match connections.

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  • From: New Hampshire, USA
  • Registered: 2010-12-21
  • Posts: 3,650

Re: Anybody knowledgeable about Speakers and Ohm impedance?

jimmydweed wrote:

Honestly if your looking for 1x12 4 ohm cab your options are really limited, as very few guitar speakers are 4 ohm and 12 inches, I think Eminence may make a few. I would recommend looking into getting a 2x12 as you would have way more options to choose from.

Hi I needed to pick up two 8 ohm evm12l recently and noticed they are now offering a 4ohm speaker. Google and check it out
Cheers Ron

"Joe B saved my soul, forever grateful Ron"
"Some people dream of worthy accomplishments while others stay awake and do them"
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  • DougH
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Re: Anybody knowledgeable about Speakers and Ohm impedance?

cindyron wrote:

I needed to pick up two 8 ohm

I only buy 8 ohm speakers now.. they are so versatile when working with amps if you have 2 of them.

You can modify the input jack to make it either a switch or have input jack's in combination.

1 - 8ohm = 8 ohm
2- 8ohm in series = 16 ohms
2 - 8ohm in parallel = 4 ohms.

with 1 - 2x12 cab you can cover any amp you could ever run into.
remember when running more than 1 speaker the power wattage's gets added when either parallel or series
so two 60 watt speakers would make a 120w cab.

Hope this helps.

---------------

(If only I had 1% of Joe's guitar talent)
  • From: New Hampshire, USA
  • Registered: 2010-12-21
  • Posts: 3,650

Re: Anybody knowledgeable about Speakers and Ohm impedance?

DougH wrote:
cindyron wrote:

I needed to pick up two 8 ohm

I only buy 8 ohm speakers now.. they are so versatile when working with amps if you have 2 of them.

You can modify the input jack to make it either a switch or have input jack's in combination.

1 - 8ohm = 8 ohm
2- 8ohm in series = 16 ohms
2 - 8ohm in parallel = 4 ohms.

with 1 - 2x12 cab you can cover any amp you could ever run into.
remember when running more than 1 speaker the power wattage's gets added when either parallel or series
so two 60 watt speakers would make a 120w cab.

Hope this helps.

Hi
I agree with everything you said simple responed to his need for a single 4 ohm cab.

"Joe B saved my soul, forever grateful Ron"
"Some people dream of worthy accomplishments while others stay awake and do them"
Skinner #1,JBLP 145(aged),252, (unaged),#285HM, Bburst #026, Joes 052 BCC black LP, Strat> RT,EC Gilmour,Beck,Lenny LP> PK 83,CC#2,3,4,9,Amps>Carol Ann RAH JB-100 SN 001,JB100 Red SN02,OD2, OD3,Tucana 2&3 Triptix,Twinkle land, Plexi ,JB Jub, Jubs,Plexi,Satch,Two Rock>others