Built Like a Tank

[kickinwing65]

We are recording this band today, scratch tracks, and we thought the speaker cab was plugged into my 5150. After about half an hour of recording tracks I realized that the cab in the other room wasn't plugged in. The amp sounded and acted normal, tracked through FX send. After plugging in the cab nothing sounded damaged, and the amp was at 4 or 5 on the post lead.


wtf

 

[John_C]

i've done the same with 2 different tube amps. Never had any damage

except one of them did blow up some months later.......

 

[kickinwing65]

shit man, dont say that.. I love my peavey

 

[John_C]

when i say blew up it was the output transformer that went.........which then meant the tubes went
which we then replaced, but because of the dodgy output transformer they blew again

It was an old laney head that hadn't been opened up or anything in like 25 years though.

 

[if6was9]

In doing live sound and just playing around a bit I've seen wayyy too many guys turn on their heads, leave em warm up for a while and then plug in the speaker cable. maybe 20-3o minutes after it has been on. I've even said it to a good few of them that its terrible for the amp and the usual reaction is that they know better. Had 1 guy tell me it was fine, then proceed to tell me it was only his backup anyways, he'd blown his expensive mesa a few months prior to this. Wonder why?

 

[Metaltastic]

In doing live sound and just playing around a bit I've seen wayyy too many guys turn on their heads, leave em warm up for a while and then plug in the speaker cable. maybe 20-3o minutes after it has been on. I've even said it to a good few of them that its terrible for the amp and the usual reaction is that they know better. Had 1 guy tell me it was fine, then proceed to tell me it was only his backup anyways, he'd blown his expensive mesa a few months prior to this. Wonder why?

Fuck 'em, let 'em ruin their amps if their gonna be obstinate dumbasses!

 

[if6was9]

yep- wisened me up a bit.
I've blocked off the stereo input to my amp by taping over it so people can't plug into it and if anyones ever using my shit, I set it up for them and tell em to not plug or unplug anything without me being there.

 

[lolzgreg]

I've seen wayyy too many guys turn on their heads, leave em warm up for a while and then plug in the speaker cable. maybe 20-3o minutes after it has been on. I've even said it to a good few of them that its terrible for the amp

I was told by BOTH of the head techs at my choice electronics modification and repair center that it is okay to power up and flip standby off on an amplifier that has no load connected AS LONG AS YOU DONT PLUG ANYTHING INTO THE FRONT END. Once a signal goes through the amp, you're in deep shit, otherwise it's okay. For safety reasons, I would keep a load connected at all times anyways

 

[devouredremains]

I would keep a load connected at all times anyways

For sure. Why someone wouldn't do that is beyond me. It's not like it's a hassle.

 

[Metal Overload]

I`ve done it a couple of times, but being unaware the cable isn`t plug, once i though i fried my amp, because sounded wierd, but was because other things, the amp is fine, but i always have em plugged.

 

[if6was9]

yeah its safe on standby with nothing plugged in- most of the guys I've seen do it both don't have it on stand by and have it all set up and ready to go with their guitars in- leaving the speaker cable one of the last things to plug in. I see no reason not to plug it into the frickin' cab, its right there!!

 

[TravisW]

That's ridiculous. The first thing I ever do is plug in my speaker cable. The switch on my 1960 cab once got bumped, so I ran my JCM900 at 16ohms into an 8ohm load for a 1-hour set, without any problems. Wouldn't recommend it, though.

 

[John_C]

yeah i ran my ashdown FA out of 16 ohms and into 8 by accident once and it actually sounded better like that, much tighter bass and smoother highs. But i did change it back to 8 into 8 when i noticed

 

[ze kink]

That's ridiculous. The first thing I ever do is plug in my speaker cable. The switch on my 1960 cab once got bumped, so I ran my JCM900 at 16ohms into an 8ohm load for a 1-hour set, without any problems. Wouldn't recommend it, though.

Isn't this ok? I've heard that if it goes the other way, then it's bad. Like plugging the 8ohm output of a head into a 16ohm cab. We borrowed a 4x12" cab for a gig once, the cab was wired by the owner, and the ohms were really low in it. I'm pretty certain it was 4ohms. We called him when we were doing the soundcheck because neither of the heads we used had a 4ohm out (I don't think I've seen one actually), and he said that it doesn't matter if the cab has lower ohms than the head. So we just plugged a 6505 into it and it worked great.

 

[TravisW]

Isn't this ok? I've heard that if it goes the other way, then it's bad. Like plugging the 8ohm output of a head into a 16ohm cab. We borrowed a 4x12" cab for a gig once, the cab was wired by the owner, and the ohms were really low in it. I'm pretty certain it was 4ohms. We called him when we were doing the soundcheck because neither of the heads we used had a 4ohm out (I don't think I've seen one actually), and he said that it doesn't matter if the cab has lower ohms than the head. So we just plugged a 6505 into it and it worked great.

It's opposite from what you've heard. You're a lot safer running a tube head into too much load than running it into too small a load.

 

[AdamWathan]

It's opposite from what you've heard. You're a lot safer running a tube head into too much load than running it into too small a load.

+1

If the cab is 8 ohms and the head is 16 ohms, then the resistance in the load is lower than what the output transformer is prepared to handle and it will draw too much power and fry the transformer... If the cab is 16 ohms and the head is 8 ohms, the head is all like "Shit son I expected an 8 ohm load and this bitch is 16 ohm, it's asking for even less power than I was gonna throw at it, fuckin' dumbass cab."