HELP ME! I Need a Power Brake or a Hot Plate
Home > Home Recording Forum > Recording Techniques > HELP ME! I Need a Power Brake or a Hot Plate
Posted on Jan 26, 2011 06:43 pm
LedZepHog
Member Since: Jan 26, 2011
I'm expecting my Marshall JCM800 2203 100W head to come in any day now. I have had a 1984 Carvin 100W half stack for years, and I plan on using the 4x12 Carvin cabinet with my new Marshall head for the time being. The Carvin cab has Celestion speakers.
I ordered a THD Hot Plate so I can dime the Marshall and still get the power tube saturation at a reasonable volume. But visiting another web site the other day, I was told that the Hot Plate I ordered (16ohms) may be the wrong one for use on the Marshall 100W head with the Carvin 4x12 cabinet. WTF? This is exactly what the tag on the back of the Carvin cabinet says:
V412-C Celestion
IMP: 4Pw 280W
Fuse 5 AGC
Serial No: SW02911
Do I need to send back the 16ohm Hot Plate and order a 4ohm unit? That is what I have been told. Apparently, you take the 16ohms and divide by 4 speakers to equal 4ohms. Is that right? Someone please help me, because I'd sh*t a brick if I ruined my new amp right off the bat.
I'll probably keep the 16ohm Hot Plate, because I have a two year old Vox AC15...and I know I can use the 16ohm Hot Plate on it as the AC15 has only one 12" Greenback 16ohm speaker. But I'm totally in the dark about the Marshall head and my Carvin cabinet.
I've been playing since I was eight, and have about ten amps or so (all of them are combos except the Carvin half stack). I've never really paid much attention to impedence, 'cause I really haven't had to.
I pray somebody will take the time to write me back and tell me what I need to do. I know Marshall used to make a 'Power Brake', but not sure if they still do...that's why I ordered the Hot Plate attenuator. In any case, please help me solve my problem.
Thanks,
Mike
870-222-6350
[ Back to Top ]
Jan 26, 2011 07:22 pm Sorry Mike. But, your friend is correct about the ohm load.
If your are running the Marshall cab in the Mono configuration, then it will be at a 4 ohm load. Well, it doesn't matter if you run it in stereo either, being that is an 8 ohm load.
Jan 26, 2011 07:39 pm So in order to run a JCM800 thru my Carvin 4x12 cabinet (16ohm), I'm gonna need to buy a 4ohm Hot Plate?
If that is indeed the case...I'm perfectly fine with it...I just needed to know before I fire up my new toy. God forbid I fry something before the tubes even get hot.
Thanks so much for your input, Rob. I appreciate it alot.
Jan 26, 2011 08:25 pm Hey Rob....
A guy from THD just called and said the exact same thing you did. I'm gonna have one of the guys that work for me solder my Carvin cabinet in series-parallel; apparently that will allow me to run the Marshall JCM800 thru my Carvin cab. The THD Hot Plates are back-ordered, so I guess I'll have to wait six or eight weeks to get mine. Looks like my daughter will have to put up with the windows rattling for a few weeks....well, it's not like she doesn't play too.
Anyway, just wanted to say thanks for taking the time to help me. I noticed on your bio that you're a recording engineer. How cool. I bought an ADAT and a 24 channel Mackie mixer in the late '90's and thought I had conquered the world. Hey, "I'm a musician and a producer"...ugh, how many times have you heard that crap?.....hee hee. In my defense, I actually thought I was Jimmy Page there for a few years :) .
Send me some of your music sometime....I'd love to hear it. I like anything that swings. Have a good one.
God Bless,
Michael Doss
[email protected]
870-222-6350
Jan 26, 2011 08:32 pm Your Welcome Mike.
Sad to say that I am not a musician either. I'm a live sound engineer. So, I work concerts all around the Philadelphia area. And I'm also a bench tech. Doing repairs for a local rental company.
If you play out live anywhere in the Philly area, I'll have to catch with ya. :)
Jan 27, 2011 10:34 am I played a little juke joint in Reading about fifteen years ago. Wasn't my gig, though. I was there with my dad's annual WWII Navy reunion; we went every year. There was a good band playing at the hotel where we were staying, and I sat in for a few songs. (I had never heard of a grape crush before that night, we must have drank close to a hundred between us all; about 20 of us plus the band. Our bar bill that night was over $1000...yikes.) Anyway, the band asked me to come along to their gig the next night across town. Me and a couple of other 'kids' and 'grandkids' of the reunion group went and had an absolute blast. Their guitar player had a massive hangover (like I didn't) so I wound up playing the whole night, save the first two or three songs. He had a Nady wireless rig like mine, so I spent most of the time out on the dance floor; pickin' and grinnin'. Yep, I won't forget the time I spent in southeast Pennsylvania! Nice people and good times.
TTLY,
Mike.
Jan 27, 2011 10:37 pm Reading is a great little town. I've done plenty of shows there at the Silo, 1432 club, the Scottish Rite, and the Lincoln hotel.
I do the Berks County Jazz Fest every year there as well. If you ever stop in that area again, let me know.
