PA questions... posted by n1ck

PA questions...

Posted on Jul 27, 2009 09:17 am
n1ck
student with too much free time!
Member Since: Apr 17, 2006

I've been asked to play a, very small, acoustic pub gig in about a months time. I normally borrow a friends PA when I play live, but his band is playing elsewhere on the same night.

At the moment I have two 250w speakers that I bought when I was living in the far east, and so thats all the information I have on them! I don't even know who they are made by. They sound OK though.

I don't, however, have a proper amp. I do have a very retro hi-fi amp.....! I've tested the amp with the speakers up to about the volume I'd want to be playing, and all seems OK.

On the back of the amp, with all the usual info (240v, 50hz etc) it says 390w....does this value have anything to do with the power output to the speakers?

The front of the amp has a meter that displays w/8ohms. When I strum hard this goes up to 40w/8ohms.....which is also the maximum on the meter, but the sound is not distorted.

So...my question....is the old school amp rated at 390w or 40w?! And am I going to blow up the amp/speakers/myself/audience?

The venue i'm playing is about the size of a garage, and will probably have about 30 - 40 people..

Thanks!

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Rob Stemple
The Czar of BS
Member
Since: Dec 31, 2007

Jul 27, 2009 08:15 pm

Wow! I have to do some research on the amp. But, it sounds like an old linear amp.

I take it that you are overseas from the Americas. I'd say England? 240V @ 50 hz, not to many other countries that I know of run that voltage.

Here in America, some old Crest amps had that style of meter on the front. Giving the output in watts @ an 8 ohm load.

I think that you will be fine with the amp and speakers that you have, giving the specs that you listed.

One thing that I would like you to do, is to take a ohm meter to the jacks of the speaker. It will not be an accurate reading, but it will be close. Just round off the number to the closest 4, 8, or 16 ohm reading.

This will give you some idea of the ohm load of your system is.

If your getting the desired level at 40 watts of output. I don't think that any damage will occur.

Can you post a picture of the amp here? That will help me to identify it for you.