How were 3-15's cabinets wired..........parallel or series/parallel? Everything that I have read indicates that (3) 16 ohm speakers can't be wired in parallel/series and that you can't get to a 8 ohm cabinet with 3 of them. So are these only usable as a pair on 400 series energizers and on the 200 series only 4 speakers can be use in the 2 cabinets, or one cabinet only with all speakers wired in parallel?
Emenince rep explain answer I was needing ....3 speakers will only work in parallel and can't be wired in series/parallel. Finally see the light now. Can't run all six 15's in a 2oo series amp.
stevem Messages: 4733 Registered: June 2004 Location: NY
Senior Member
Yes, that was how it was done, 3 16 ohms in parallel.
The 2-15 cabs where 16 ohms in parallel also for a 8 ohm load, this let Kustom offer a model with 2 2-15 cabinets and only then did the K200 amp model output its full 100 watts of clean power with that then 4 ohm load!
It was not until the metal face 250 head that kustom fitted a booster power anp to a speaker cabinet, they than started installing two 8 ohm drivers in the cabinets and at that point you could get a model with two 3-15" cabinets, or two 2-15s one of which had the added power amp!
Pretty cleaver those Kustom engineers. Seems like it was kind of a waste with the speakers though since most of the information that I have read indicates that stacking more than 2 speakers one on top of the other is not suggested. Would have made more sense to have stacked 4 speakers side by side in the cabinet. Weight probably was a factor if using 15's I image..........do you get a better bass response by using 15's instead of 12's?
stevem Messages: 4733 Registered: June 2004 Location: NY
Senior Member
To make a long story short, I have played through all different cabinets for Bass and own many 2-15, 3-15 and a 4-10 w/horn cabinet and also have built a cabinet with 2-15s and 2-12s.
That being said, for me a 15 driver is best for the average needed wave propagation for Bass guitar frequencys!
And if you play a 5 string Bass forget about even the best 4-10" cabinet carrying that low B string as it should be!
I also find that the cone response time of a 18" driver is too slow, its boomy, but not punch When I play in the horn band and we do our Tower of Power cover tunes you could blind fold me and I can pick out in 5 notes if you had me playing thru a 18" driver, or a 15 incher!
The only thing I have ever played thru were 15's so I didn't know how they compared to 12's. Have heard before that 18's really "boom" as you said but response was off a hair or two.
In negation's with a guy on Ebay over a 400 "stereo" bass amp. He wants 6 bills for it, I'm thinking more like 4, but really think this is the amp I've been looking for. Just bought 2 X 15 cabinet from G Center ($125) that they thought had original speakers in it. Now if I can find one more cabinet...that's a steal, I'll be set for my dream amp. Then its time to upgrade my Peavy bass guitar and get something with a narrower neck and better pick ups. Thinking something along the lines of the Fenders used back in the 60's.....white would be cool.
My 3-15's are good but the Delta's I put in it just don't have the sound I was looking for. Hoping that since this cabinet was designed for guitar and not bass, that the 2-15's will have more of what I'm looking for. I do realize that the speakers aren't broke in yet since I have only had the unit up and running about a month now and only get in an hour or two a night to play them. Hope the "brassy" sound soon diminishes. The two cabinets together with my 400 PA head do make an awesome sight I must say. Intimidates the boys with the suitcase amps!