VintageKustom.com: Comment Board » kustom cts 4x12 columns. help?

Home » VintageKustom.com » Comment Board » kustom cts 4x12 columns. help? (specs anybody?)

Show: Today's Messages :: Show Polls :: Message Navigator

kustom cts 4x12 columns. help? [message #16433]

Sun, 20 November 2011 00:34

tbot
Messages: 4
Registered: November 2011
Location: spokane wa

Junior Member

I just acquired 2 kustom cts 4x12 column speakers. They have the tuck and roll finish in black. Does anyone know anything about these speakers? I can't really find any info on them on the internet. Can anyone help me out?

Report message to a moderator

Re: kustom cts 4x12 columns. help? [message #16434 is a reply to message #16433]

Sun, 20 November 2011 09:20

kustomoholic
Messages: 227
Registered: March 2009
Location: Tulsa,oklahoma

Senior Member

Generally these 4-12 columns were paired with the 200 and 400 series heads. 200 Pa's had 2 of these 8 ohm columns for a 4 ohm load matching the heads output impedance. 400's had 4 cabs...2 for each output stage. I've never seen specs on these either but I would estimate them at 100 watts RMS max per column???? though I would not want to run them much hotter than 75 watts each. I have seen these matched with a 300 head as well...150 RMS between 2 cabs and seem to handle them OK. Keep in mind these are my best estimates but I've yet to actually blow a speaker on any of my amps and I've been playing since I was 16 and I'm 57 now and still playing. Very Happy

Craig

Report message to a moderator

Re: kustom cts 4x12 columns. help? [message #16436 is a reply to message #16433]

Sun, 20 November 2011 11:08

stevem
Messages: 4733
Registered: June 2004
Location: NY

Senior Member

In high school band I was in during the early 70s we used a K200 PA with those 4-12 cabs and for vocals they where ok when you where able to open them up enough to get some solid lows to the vocal range.
One this is sure, the drivers do not like frequencys below 150 cycles so do not pump bass guitar or low note synth key boards thru them at any volume near whats needed to match a live hard hitting drummer!

Report message to a moderator

Re: kustom cts 4x12 columns. help? [message #16437 is a reply to message #16436]

Sun, 20 November 2011 11:49

kustomoholic
Messages: 227
Registered: March 2009
Location: Tulsa,oklahoma

Senior Member

Both sets of my 4-12's are the Unvented Ross 4-12 cabs. Good thing to know about those cabs... I haven't tried them with a bass and won't now... There is a seller on Craigslist out of PA with a Blue 300 and 2-6-8's that is apparently using his that way as he says bring your bass and try out the amp set.

Craig

[Updated on: Sun, 20 November 2011 15:10]

Report message to a moderator

Re: kustom cts 4x12 columns. help? [message #16439 is a reply to message #16434]

Sun, 20 November 2011 13:57

tbot
Messages: 4
Registered: November 2011
Location: spokane wa

Junior Member

I'm new to speakers and amps (I'm a drummer) but I plan on using my 4x12 columns for my drum triggers, what kind of power amp should I use to power these speakrs? What if I powered them with a 1000 power amp? Would the speakers blow? Thanks for the help!

Report message to a moderator

Re: kustom cts 4x12 columns. help? [message #16440 is a reply to message #16439]

Sun, 20 November 2011 15:17

kustomoholic
Messages: 227
Registered: March 2009
Location: Tulsa,oklahoma

Senior Member

1000 watt power amp???? Way too much power...you'll blow em for sure if you use something that big. You can find an older 100 watt RMS or better cheap these days...I wouldn't want to use anything too big to safely operate the speakers you currently have in those cabs for drivers. Do your 4-12's have any ports on the back of the cabs? Both of my early Ross cabs aren't ported out the rear.

Craig

Report message to a moderator

Re: kustom cts 4x12 columns. help? [message #16442 is a reply to message #16440]

Sun, 20 November 2011 21:43

tbot
Messages: 4
Registered: November 2011
Location: spokane wa

Junior Member

kustomoholic wrote on Sun, 20 November 2011 15:17

1000 watt power amp???? Way too much power...you'll blow em for sure if you use something that big. You can find an older 100 watt RMS or better cheap these days...I wouldn't want to use anything too big to safely operate the speakers you currently have in those cabs for drivers. Do your 4-12's have any ports on the back of the cabs? Both of my early Ross cabs aren't ported out the rear.

Craig

No mine are not ported. Would I be safe to run both of these speakers and another 80 watt speaker with a 300 Watt amp?

[Updated on: Sun, 20 November 2011 22:33]

Report message to a moderator

Re: kustom cts 4x12 columns. help? [message #16444 is a reply to message #16442]

Sun, 20 November 2011 23:12

kustomoholic
Messages: 227
Registered: March 2009
Location: Tulsa,oklahoma

Senior Member

You could of course you could sell the 12's that are in them and help fund an upgrade to some really stout drivers then that 1000 watts will make for a better match.... Very Happy

Craig

Report message to a moderator

Re: kustom cts 4x12 columns. help? [message #16445 is a reply to message #16444]

Sun, 20 November 2011 23:27

tbot
Messages: 4
Registered: November 2011
Location: spokane wa

Junior Member

kustomoholic wrote on Sun, 20 November 2011 23:12

You could of course you could sell the 12's that are in them and help fund an upgrade to some really stout drivers then that 1000 watts will make for a better match....

Craig

I would like to eventually. But for now I'm just looking for something to power them.

Report message to a moderator

Re: kustom cts 4x12 columns. help? [message #16446 is a reply to message #16445]

Mon, 21 November 2011 00:41

Kustom_Bart
Messages: 601
Registered: October 2010
Location: Greenville, MichiGUN

Senior Member

They really just aren't intended to be used for what you want to use them for unfortunately. You would be better money spent buying a couple of 15" monitors to us, unless you intended to use them for the crowd to hear your triggers and then you would still be better off getting something better suited for way less money than what it would cost to make these handle 1000 watts and handle the low frequencies of you floor tom and bass drum.

Report message to a moderator

Re: kustom cts 4x12 columns. help? [message #16449 is a reply to message #16446]

Mon, 21 November 2011 08:04

pleat
Messages: 1452
Registered: June 2004
Location: Belding, Mi

Senior Member

I would not run the risk of running drums either triggered or mic'ed through the columns, vented or sealed. The columns are designed for vocal frequencys. Drums will go a lot lower and you will put a heavy strain on the speakers. Keep in mind, the columns are 40+ years old and if you bought them used, you don't know how much punishment the columns had in the past, and you may end up blowing the speakers on a gig. Replacing all the speakers with the Jensen Mods you'd have spent over 350.00 and you'd still have speakers that would be a matched replacement and still be in the same quality range as you have now. That kind of cash outlay might be better spent on cabs that could actually handle amplified drums.
I've seen too many speakers blown from too little power than from too much power, and most times it was low frequencies that made the amp clip and took out the speakers.
pleat

Report message to a moderator

Re: kustom cts 4x12 columns. help? [message #16450 is a reply to message #16433]

Mon, 21 November 2011 12:39

chicagobill
Messages: 2005
Registered: April 2003

Senior Member

Pleat brings up a very important point here regarding speakers being blown by too little power.

When an amp goes into severe clipping, the output will turn into a square wave. This means that the speaker cone will be driven straight out and then pulled straight back. This is very hard on the speaker and will cause all sorts of damage.

As for the column speakers, they don't have enough internal airspace to make them efficient at low frequencies. They were designed at a time when PA's were only used for vocal reproduction and didn't require a lot of lows or a lot of highs for that matter.

Report message to a moderator

Re: kustom cts 4x12 columns. help? [message #16451 is a reply to message #16450]

Mon, 21 November 2011 18:44

kustomoholic
Messages: 227
Registered: March 2009
Location: Tulsa,oklahoma

Senior Member

Excellent thoughts here on using Pa columns appropriately. The pa sealed cabs just don't have much room volume wise for the speakers to work properly for drums...especially Bass range. Too much restriction of cone movement due to insufficient volume. This sealed 4x12 Pa cab is 35-40% overall smaller volume wise than (4) 12" "PORTED" cabs like monitor cabs. 2 2-15's or 4 singles would be better both setup wise and matching to modern power amp arraingements for 2 4 ohm outputs.

Craig

Report message to a moderator

Re: kustom cts 4x12 columns. help? [message #16452 is a reply to message #16451]

Mon, 21 November 2011 22:31

C4ster
Messages: 686
Registered: June 2001
Location: Mukwonago, WI (Milwaukee...

Senior Member

One other thing about severe clipping of the output is that as the output turns closer to a square wave, the resulting power is closer to DC. (with instant reversal) The power then rises from 70% of peak to peak so your 100 watt amp now puts out 200 watts. That along with the low frequencies will tear up speakers pretty good. I toasted 2 JBL E140 speakers when a very low frequency sine wave was driven into them from a Halloween song. Completely melted the voice coils and separated the VC from the cone.
Conrad

Report message to a moderator

Previous Topic:	K200b/c guitar project
Next Topic:	Kustom K-200 PA

Goto Forum:

-=] Back to Top [=-

[ Syndicate this forum (XML) ] [

] [

]

Current Time: Sun Apr #d 21:05:59 EDT 2024

.:: Contact :: Home ::.