Matching heads with cabs...

[QuasarQuail]

Okay, the only stupid questions are ones you don't ask, right? So:

What happens if you pair, say, a 44W head with a 30W cab? Nothing much? Nuclear blast?

I'm trying to put together a very portable setup, just wondering if anyone can impart some knowledge here...

 

[rapfohl09]

I might be wrong, but the way I understand it is that a cab's power rating is the # of watts the cab can handle without blowing speakers.

So a 44W head into a 30W cab (which I would guess is a 1x12, or something similar) would probably blow the speaker if you put a good amount of volume to it.

Likewise, if you have a 120W cab with a 100 watt head, crank that bad boy, you got the power.

 

[Logrinn]

I don't imagine much would happen. You might blow the speaker, but that would mean you'd need to play with the amp at full volume and probably for quite a while.
The rating of the speaker is an average. It is probably able to handle more at certain frequencies and also under shorter bursts.
But as long as you you don't crank the amp, my guess is you'd be fine.

 

[Timmsie95]

Well, The Rivera Silent Sister has a single 75W speaker, and people run 100W heads and even 120W through them, so I think you're fine with a cab that's less wattage than the head.

 

[Cagey]

It has to do with averages. Generally, what you need to worry about with speakers is heat. If the voice coil overheats, it'll warp or may even open and then it's shot unless you get it re-coned. But, if you're not feeding it more power than it's designed to handle 100% of the time, it's usually not an issue. So, if the speaker is running at about a 50% duty cycle, you can probably over-power by that much without issue. Even 50% duty cycle is tough to do, though. Guys that play high-speed thrash metal maybe need to worry more than most.

Marshall has been selling 412 bottoms with 25 watt Celestions in them since forever, and guys hook 100 watt heads to them that'll peak at 180 watts or so. The more ambitious rockers can burn up speakers in those, but most seem to get away with it for quite a while.

 

[Timmsie95]

That's why you get this bad boy! Imagine a 412 loaded with them...

 

[Cagey]

Don't have to imagine it. Been there, done that, but with EVM 12Ls. Used to use those in a lotta things. Almost impossible to blow 'em up. They're rated at 300 watts each, and they sound incredible. Downside is, with those in there the cabinet tends to feel like it's bolted to the floor when you try to move it. The speakers are almost 20lbs apiece, so 4 of those with the cabinet is probably 140-150 pounds. Buddy of mine still has a couple cabs loaded that way with SROs, which are nearly the same thing.

 

[Timmsie95]

Holy crap, I can't even imagine...

 

[QuasarQuail]

Thanks, y'all. I've been a combo user forever, so this is great info. I play clean (as in "at about 40% volume or less") for the most part, so it sounds like my plan might do just fine.