Driving a 4x12 with a battery powered amp

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blackstratblues
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Driving a 4x12 with a battery powered amp

Post by blackstratblues »



Wondering if my Marshall MS-4 would drive a 4x12, I plugged the headphone out into the cab but there was hardly much volume being generated. Opening it up to investigate, I found a resistor across the headphone terminals to pad it down. Once clipped out, the headphone out socket could now easily drive the 4x12, and the resulting tone left me somewhat shocked and amused at how usable it was. What do you reckon?

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Re: Driving a 4x12 with a battery powered amp

Post by robthemac »

blackstratblues wrote: Mon Sep 26, 2022 4:21 pm

Wondering if my Marshall MS-4 would drive a 4x12, I plugged the headphone out into the cab but there was hardly much volume being generated. Opening it up to investigate, I found a resistor across the headphone terminals to pad it down. Once clipped out, the headphone out socket could now easily drive the 4x12, and the resulting tone left me somewhat shocked and amused at how usable it was. What do you reckon?
If it sounds ok, that's probably about all there is to it! Not like you're gonna stress too much about wrecking the MS-4, right? Probably would be running it at the topic of its tolerance or higher.
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Re: Driving a 4x12 with a battery powered amp

Post by jeremyb »

LOL great stuff Warren!
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Re: Driving a 4x12 with a battery powered amp

Post by FuzzMonkey »

A variation on the theme:

"There's no creativity without vulnerability."

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Re: Driving a 4x12 with a battery powered amp

Post by Danger Mouse »

Sounds great!

Did smile at using a Gibson into a Marshall, while wearing a Fender t-shirt.
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Re: Driving a 4x12 with a battery powered amp

Post by murky »

Screen Shot 2022-09-26 at 6.14.18 PM.png
Screen Shot 2022-09-26 at 6.14.18 PM.png (244.97 KiB) Viewed 1637 times

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Re: Driving a 4x12 with a battery powered amp

Post by Bg »

Doesn't matter what your were playing through, another lesson in awesome tone, phrasing and feel :D Loved it!
So, is that low alcohol or no alcohol at all? mmmm, no alcohol, do you want to try it? Noooooooooo.

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Re: Driving a 4x12 with a battery powered amp

Post by Molly »

I once ran an Orange Micro Terror into a 412 at Gearfest. I think most were taken aback at how loud it was and how good it sounded. There's a YT out there where a guy does the same whilst doing an a/b with a Marshall ???? head. Modern Vintage something maybe. They sound close.

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Re: Driving a 4x12 with a battery powered amp

Post by jeremyb »

Less we forget....

Slowy wrote: That's the problem; everything rewarding is just such hard work. Regret takes much less effort.

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Re: Driving a 4x12 with a battery powered amp

Post by FuzzMonkey »

Molly wrote: Mon Sep 26, 2022 5:49 pm I once ran an Orange Micro Terror into a 412 at Gearfest. I think most were taken aback at how loud it was and how good it sounded. There's a YT out there where a guy does the same whilst doing an a/b with a Marshall ???? head. Modern Vintage something maybe. They sound close.
The Micro Terror is a great little amp. I always wanted to try a Tiny Terror.
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Re: Driving a 4x12 with a battery powered amp

Post by blackstratblues »

Danger Mouse wrote: Mon Sep 26, 2022 4:45 pm Sounds great!

Did smile at using a Gibson into a Marshall, while wearing a Fender t-shirt.
Ha! I had a laugh while editing the video :)

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Re: Driving a 4x12 with a battery powered amp

Post by blackstratblues »

murky wrote: Mon Sep 26, 2022 5:18 pm Screen Shot 2022-09-26 at 6.14.18 PM.png
Cool! Nuno is definitely one of those players that transcends the gear.

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Re: Driving a 4x12 with a battery powered amp

Post by blackstratblues »

Bg wrote: Mon Sep 26, 2022 5:29 pm Doesn't matter what your were playing through, another lesson in awesome tone, phrasing and feel :D Loved it!
Thanks BG!

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Re: Driving a 4x12 with a battery powered amp

Post by Slowy »

blackstratblues wrote: Mon Sep 26, 2022 4:21 pm

Wondering if my Marshall MS-4 would drive a 4x12, I plugged the headphone out into the cab but there was hardly much volume being generated. Opening it up to investigate, I found a resistor across the headphone terminals to pad it down. Once clipped out, the headphone out socket could now easily drive the 4x12, and the resulting tone left me somewhat shocked and amused at how usable it was. What do you reckon?
During the first lockdown I powered a 12' Celestion with a Fender battery powered mini twin. It gave a really satisfying weight for the volume.

Maybe there's no such thing as bad tone; just bad applications of tone.
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Re: Driving a 4x12 with a battery powered amp

Post by Molly »

Slowy wrote: Tue Sep 27, 2022 9:09 am
blackstratblues wrote: Mon Sep 26, 2022 4:21 pm

Wondering if my Marshall MS-4 would drive a 4x12, I plugged the headphone out into the cab but there was hardly much volume being generated. Opening it up to investigate, I found a resistor across the headphone terminals to pad it down. Once clipped out, the headphone out socket could now easily drive the 4x12, and the resulting tone left me somewhat shocked and amused at how usable it was. What do you reckon?
During the first lockdown I powered a 12' Celestion with a Fender battery powered mini twin. It gave a really satisfying weight for the volume.

Maybe there's no such thing as bad tone; just bad applications of tone.
There was a very capable 80s' style rock band playing the big outdoor stage at TT this year. Everything sounded great except the guitar. Hard to describe but though good, isuppose, it was tiny. I wondered if it was digital.

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