KUSTOMBASS Messages: 15 Registered: July 2007 Location: NL
Junior Member
Hey there! I've got a Kustom Kuestion.
Is it possible, without destroying the cabinet, to use a Kustom III bass head on a 4-12L speaker cabinet?
It's the III tolex head an a vinyl cabinet.
Well, that was my question.
stevem Messages: 4733 Registered: June 2004 Location: NY
Senior Member
Do you mean that you want to play bass thru the 4-12 cab, or just will the amp work thru the cab?
Yes you can play limited bass thru the 4-12 cab for light rehearshing, but I would not do it with 5 string bass as that low B string will push those speaker cones to their limit.
That head will drive down to a 4 ohm load, and that cab is most likly 8 or 16 ohms so your OK there also.
the 4x12 cab came stock from the factory wired for 4 ohms so it could get that 250 head peak rating as high as possible...the cab is a bit "floppy" wired that way, I rewired mine to 16ohms and it sounds notably better.
The cab will likely have Jensons in it originally..may have some CTS..regardless, those are guitar drivers and you'll walk em right out of their baskets if you are looking to play bass through them.
also, note that the cab has slots on the back...the little chrome ports up front were more in keeping with the trademark cosmetics..yeah, you'll get some reflex air blowing out of there, but the cab is slotted on the back to give those guitar 12s some needed air as well...through some eminence deltas or gammas in there and you'll have a cool bass rig..careful on trying the heavier Kapa series? I think that's their high end...tons of wattage, but the frame rim is so thick that the kustom studs aren't long enough to go through and leave thread for the nuts to tighten.
I have run my 4x12 cab with my 65 fender showman head and love it at the 16ohm wiring. I have also stacked a marshall jcm900 on there and it screams..that cab has a great full ness, while still rataining some openess in the middle tone due to the slotting on the back.. its a very enjoyable cab..better than the typical marshall 4x12.
KUSTOMBASS Messages: 15 Registered: July 2007 Location: NL
Junior Member
Thank for those replys! Ive asked a friend of mine (also a Kustom fan AND Kustom/Sunn/Ampeg collector ...) and he told me that those 4-12L cabs work pretty fine for bass, also with the matching Lead top. I can buy a Kustom III lead with 4-12L cabinet for a VERY reasonable price so i'm going to try it for bass.
The music i play is quite loud (vistit: juliemittens.nl).
I used to play with the '80's Kustom III bas with matching cabinet but i blew up the speaker and not long after that the top blew up (or something like that). I think there was something wrong with top so it blew up my speaker. I play really loud music but i never put my top over 6 or 7.
The sound of that top, man, it was SO warm and had a room-filling sound. I am looking for somebody to fix it if possible.
So. Well. See ya'll! Have a nice day!