petejt
Active member
I tried searching the forums but nothing seemed to show up...
Anyway, I feel like I should know this already but I don't.
Is there any major discernable difference between running a particular guitar amplifier at 8 ohms or 16 ohms?
Is it a larger factor when using the amp into a 4x12 cab vs a 2x12 cab? Mono vs stereo, etc.?
I have a single channel early '80s Marshall JCM 800. I've always run it at 16 ohms, sometimes into a mismatched 4x12 cab.
I've since used it via an attenuator into a 2x12 cab loaded with an older Celestion Vintage 30 and a Mesa/Boogie Black Shadow MC90. Both speakers are 8 ohms. I run it in stereo, i.e. 8 ohms per side.
I really like how it sounds, even at low volumes. It seems to have a really good edge to it, whereas before (with the mismatched cab) it was way too midrangey and less crunchy.
I think what is happening is that more power is going to the speakers, so they are getting pushed harder.
Anyway, I "discovered" that some speakers I had ripped out from another cab, are actually 8 ohms rather than 16 ohms. So my mind starts ticking into putting this pair of speakers with the pair of speakers from the 2x12, into a 4x12 cab. Then I just run the JCM 800 at 8 ohms mono.
Would it be worth it? For some reason I think it would, but I can't work out how. Hence my opening question.
Anyway, I feel like I should know this already but I don't.
Is there any major discernable difference between running a particular guitar amplifier at 8 ohms or 16 ohms?
Is it a larger factor when using the amp into a 4x12 cab vs a 2x12 cab? Mono vs stereo, etc.?
I have a single channel early '80s Marshall JCM 800. I've always run it at 16 ohms, sometimes into a mismatched 4x12 cab.
I've since used it via an attenuator into a 2x12 cab loaded with an older Celestion Vintage 30 and a Mesa/Boogie Black Shadow MC90. Both speakers are 8 ohms. I run it in stereo, i.e. 8 ohms per side.
I really like how it sounds, even at low volumes. It seems to have a really good edge to it, whereas before (with the mismatched cab) it was way too midrangey and less crunchy.
I think what is happening is that more power is going to the speakers, so they are getting pushed harder.
Anyway, I "discovered" that some speakers I had ripped out from another cab, are actually 8 ohms rather than 16 ohms. So my mind starts ticking into putting this pair of speakers with the pair of speakers from the 2x12, into a 4x12 cab. Then I just run the JCM 800 at 8 ohms mono.
Would it be worth it? For some reason I think it would, but I can't work out how. Hence my opening question.