I'm curious if it would sound good using my Fender Hot Rod Deluxe to power a 2x12 Marshall type cabinet. I'm figuring a closed back would give more bass and a different sound than the open back HRD. My amp is 8ohms and I know nothing about electricity and all. My initial guess is that it doesn't sound very good because I've never seen any local bands do it or seen any posts. Can't remember (old age at 38) if it was Wes or some other forum where I got the idea. Anyway, if anyone has any info let me know . . .
"Nothing...can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts."
Here's a tip on electricity "Don't plug your speaker cabinet into a 115 volt wall socket to check phasing"...lol
Phasing means that the cones of the speakers move together in the same direction - in phase.
I'll also add a few more things to the list of choosing a cabinet. You have to juggle lots of variables at once not just add a couple thoughts and some terminology that can be misleading. You might want to do some research on these. Cabinet size's, baffle, tuned or ported, type and brand, size of speakers, Ohms, watts, ratings RMs, peak power, Max Distortion, Q, Qtc, Qes, Xmax, Vas, SPL, frequency response. To name a few.
A speaker is an electroacoustic system which combines the characteristics of the loudspeaker itself and the cabinet in which it is mounted. A great sounding speaker cabinet involves trading off various parameters of a desired speaker's performance within the limits of acceptable output and efficiency. The goal of matching amplifiers to speakers is to reliably get the best possible performance of both amplifier and speaker. Most people imagine matching speakers to amps is simple. It isn't.
Remember, each 3 dB increase in efficiency results in twice the apparent sound level at a given power input. Then consider a 2.7 dB peak at 110 Hz will add punch to the natural 5th of the D power chord which will sound incredible. Sorry corbind I couldn't answer the question the way you asked it so I thought I'd try and add some confussion...lol
What I'm explaining is accually true even though I'm making light of it. You may have the most advanced data from Area 51 test facility on a particular speaker, but no accurate way to compile that data as to what the speaker will actually sound like. You actually have to listen to it. Add in these variables, you need to determine the signatures of each speaker along with the room acoustics which will effect the perceived result.
Joe
Only one rule here - get the right impedance!
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Joe, that's a lot of stuff to worry about. My head hurts! :lol:
I just looked up the impedance and it's 8 ohms and 40 watts output.
"Nothing...can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts."
Dennis
The HRD is designed to operate at either 4 or 8 ohms.
That cab will work providing it is either 8 ohms or 4 ohms impedence.
If it is an 8 ohms cab, then you can either use the cab alone (plug it into the left Speaker Out facing the rear of the amp), or you can use it as an extension cab along with the amps single 12" speaker (for this plug the cab into the right Speaker Out facing the rear of the amp).
The Speaker Outs on the HRD are parallel, so two 8 ohms speakers or cabs in parallel is a 4 ohm load.
So, you can use your amp's 8 ohm speaker and an 8 ohm cab for a 4 ohm load. You would then have 5 speakers.
If this cab is rated 4 ohms impedence, then you can only use the cab alone. Unplug your amp's speaker from the left Speaker Output and plug the cab in using the same output.
Also, make sure to use speaker cable, not instrument cable. You can pick up short cables at most music stores for around $10-15. A heavy cable is better than a thin one, 12 gauge is very good, but even 16 gauge is ok for very short runs. You only need maybe a 2' cable.
With multiple speakers you amp will naturally handle more bass. This is because the wattage will be divided equally between all speakers. So 4 speakers will get 10 watts each, if you use 5 speakers they will get 8 watts each. You will get more bass response without distortion simply because all speakers are pumping out low end. This is why so many bass players have gone to 4 X 10 cabs instead of the old single 15" or 18" speakers. You actually get more bass with multiple smaller speakers than one large speaker.
You might know I recently put a Celestion G12T-75 speaker in my HRD. This is the famous speaker Marshall uses in many cabs like the 1960 and 1936 cabs. It is known for having a big bass, shrill highs, and a subdued midrange. So this speaker is great for that famous Marshall "scooped mids" tone. I really like this speaker. It really does seem to handle the bass much better than the stock speaker. I have been able to turn bass up on my amp and eq without the amp starting to howl or fart (pardon the expression). The amp does have a little more of a Rock tone than Blues now. I have only had this speaker about 3 weeks now, but I really like it. So a Marshall cab should sound really great with your HRD.
Do not get the cab if it is 16 ohms only. Many Marshall cabs are 16 ohms. Others have a selectable switch that allows you to operate the cab at 4, 8, or 16 ohms. So make sure you can operate this cab at either 4 or 8 ohms.
If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis
Dennis
Here is the Marshall 1936 2 X 12 cab. It will operate at 8 ohms mono, so it will work with your HRD. You could use the cab alone, or use it with your amps 8 ohm speaker for 3 speakers in all. These cabs come with the Celestion G12T-75 speaker I wrote about.
I would check the dimensions on the cab first to make sure your HRD will sit on top of this cab properly.
Another option I recommend is Avatar speakers. I have a 2 X 12 cab from them (G212H Special Dual Vin 30) with two Celestion Vintage 30's in it. It is a great cab. I use it closed-back, but you can remove the back. So that is a nice feature. The construction and tone are excellent. Avatar gives you a wide selection of speakers, so you can order a 2 X 12 with the Celestion G12T-75 or any of their available speakers. My HRD sits on top of my Avatar cab nicely. The cab is a little wider, it sticks out about 2" on each side. What I really like is that the black tolex and silver grille matches my HRD perfectly. They look great together. They have other color options as well. And their prices are really great, about 1/2 of a Marshall cab.
These are really quality cabs.
Here is my HRD on top of my Avatar cab.
If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis
I was funning with you some. What I wrote are aspects that do effect the sound. It maybe extreme for most but are things one should atleast be aware of. They do add up to the bigger picture. For the most part matching your cabinet to your amp as others have suggested will work just fine. It's when your looking for that something that takes your tone beyond the norm. Like boosting certain frequencies a few more db's will accent certain aspects of your tone.
If your looking to create a tone and have cabinets built then spending the time researching on what I posted earlier would be something to think about. For different amps I use different cabinets to create a sound. For example with the Marshall's I use 1- 4x12 cabinet or 2, with the Mesa Boogie's I use 2x12 or single 12's. All my speaker cabinets have Celestions in them G12M-70's. Over time they have just been my choice when it comes to speakers.
Joe
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