Home » VintageKustom.com » Comment Board » Oh no - it's another new guy
Oh no - it's another new guy [message #2260] Wed, 25 December 2002 22:19 Go to next message
LesS is currently offline  LesS
Messages: 477
Registered: December 2002
Senior Member
I am new to the website and just want to say hi & introduce myself. I’ve read most of the postings at least twice so I feel like I know you people already. I really appreciate all the good advice. My first band’s PA (1970) consisted of black Kustom 4x12 columns powered by a Carvin 140 watt guitar head; the guitar player used a gold Plush with 2-15 CTS’s. A band I was in in the mid 70’s used a Kasino PA head and large 1976-era Kustom speakers with separate horn cabinets. I currently play keyboard in an oldies band - “Atwood Express” in southern Connecticut. Even though I have a decent keyboard amp setup (225 watt Barbetta 32C and Motion Sound Pro3 rotary speaker) I still carry one or both of my Kustom K100C-8 2x10’s (one is black, one is gold). Although 99% of the audience does not pay attention to normal band equipment, it is hard to not notice a gold (or red, or blue, etc.) padded amplifier with a purple pilot light. The amps are the most attention-grabbing amps of the 60’s; so using these amps is very fitting for an oldies band. Even though the audience doesn’t know the specific history, the “look” of these amps takes them back in time. I only recently bought the two Kustom amps – my goal is to do the stuff from the website (3-prong cord, slave-out jack, change the filter capacitors on one), maybe try a pair of JBL K-110’s or E-110’s and then see if I can get the two Kustoms to sound big enough to be a suitable replacement for my Barbetta amp. (The K100C-8 small speaker enclosure (1,670 cubic inches) results in bass response down to only about 100 Hz, so this amp is not really well suited for keyboard use.) At some point I want to get two of the smaller PA columns (8” or 10” speakers) and convince the band to use them for our PA. We use a Mackie 450w per side at 4 ohms that would power the cabinets a little louder than the old PA heads would. Per the website the K100 head is designed for use at 8 ohms and will put out about 60 watts RMS. Both my K100C-8’s have 8 ohm speakers wired in series. So the amp is putting out about 30 watts at the 16 ohm load but could put out somewhere between 70 to 90 watts if I chose to risk running them in parallel (4 ohms). I know I saw at least one posting on someone successfully running the K100’s at 4 ohms but has anybody else been doing it? Thanks again for all the great advice, and I almost forgot - I Play Loud, too -Les Strickland LStrick115@aol.com
Re: Oh no - it's another new guy [message #2262 is a reply to message #2260] Thu, 26 December 2002 00:05 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Anonymous
Hey Les....welcome to the greatest bunch of guys (and Deb) on theplanet...they make owning these amps a matter of pride n joy...I'm really cranked to hear of you using the rigs on stage...just a thought for fun...take that gold 2x10, find yourself a gold 2x15 cab..add a second speaker jack to the amp and stack the combo on top of the 2x15...its the same width...makes an awesome looking stack...will give you the bottom end you want and still not be too loud..just be sure to use CTS or other efficient low wattage drivers so the little amp can move em..the 2x15 really isn't a bad load with its castors and what a statement on stage!..you can always use a seperate amp to drive the 2x15 cab is you need the volume..and yer right about the columns for Pa...I'm seeing more bands coming away from the huge PAs and going back to a basic backline of stage amps with a smaller PA handling mostly vocals and some instrument into the mix..I think it gives a more real, raw, and honest sound to the band...and gives us an excuse to pull more kustoms out on stage! Play Loud! ET
Re: Oh no - it's another new guy [message #2266 is a reply to message #2262] Fri, 27 December 2002 00:00 Go to previous messageGo to next message
BC
Messages: 583
Registered: March 2000
Location: Kentucky
Senior Member
Welcome Les! ET can tell you that three and a half years ago I would have been happy to have the plate off a Kustom cabinet....(Actually I would still probably get excited by that) Most of us are 40+ and had Kustoms way back when. Some are strictly collectors and others, like myself, are still trying to wear them out! My band regularly uses Kustom 2x12 ex8 columns for inside work and we use the 3x15 siren cabinets for outside. Besides the looks as you mentioned you will find that there is a lot of great tone in the old Kustoms as well. I am a bass player and use a variety of K100s, K200s and K250s depending on the size of the venue. The PA heads work great for keys as you have a minimum of 4 channels. Glad to have you around....tell us more Kustom adventures! BC
Re: Oh no - it's another new guy [message #2268 is a reply to message #2260] Fri, 27 December 2002 12:45 Go to previous message
stevem is currently offline  stevem
Messages: 4728
Registered: June 2004
Location: NY
Senior Member
Its safe to run your 100 at 4 ohms, Ive been doing it for 20 years. The only time I might worry would be if you play a 5 string bass or alot of low note keyboard sounds.Remember the lower the tone you pump into a speaker, the lower the ohmage goes. the reverse happens with higher tones. with six string guitar there is not much below 200 cycles, while a low b string on a 5 string bass is below 40 cycles. Try it for a while at 4 ohms fell the temp at the back of the amp it should not get much hotter than at 8 ohms. you can even use a electronic meat thermomiter to check the temp.
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