Please help me wire my guitar cab. (stereo/mono)

maddnotez · 15th January 2012, 05:44 AM

I was hoping someone here could help me out with my issue.

I'm having difficulty wiring up my 4x12 guitar cabinet. It has a stereo/mono switch and i think thats where my problem lies..

My 4x12 cab has 4 wires total from the input jacks, in two sets. Left and right, stereo/mono. I have Four matching 16 ohm speakers in the cab.

I started the wiring with the Positive from the mono (right) side of the input jack like in the diagram. I left the stereo (left wires) unhooked and completed the loop with the Negative from the same mono side as when I started. Followed the diagram to the t only there was that other set of wires from the stereo side of the input jack.

I figured I wont be using stereo so It wouldn't matter if the wires were left unhooked. So I switched my amp to 16 ohms, cab to mono and nothing....I think I could just barely hear my tubes distorting when I played, it did not sound too good.......

So my drummer wired it his way and got it working. He said it should be 8 ohm, the cheap-o meter said 10. Switched amp back to 8 ohms and it works.

I would like to get back in the cab if there is a more proper way wiring,
so please reply with any info you may have on this,

Thank you.

scott17 · 06:37 AM

If you have four 16 ohm speakers, you can:
wire 2 in parallel for 8 ohms, and wire the other 2 in parallel for 8 ohms. Then wire those two sections in series for 16 ohms
-or-
wire those two sections in parallel for 4 ohms, which is all speakers in parallel.

You cannot wire them for an 8 ohm impedance.

chris661 · 15th January 2012, 07:49 AM

What 'e said.

You can't connect all 4 speakers and get 8ohm.
A 10ohm DC resistance would indicate closer to 12-16ohm nominal impedance, so I'd leave your amplifier set at 16ohm while driving this cabinet.

Chris

maddnotez · 16th January 2012, 08:29 PM

Any diagrams floating around?

A few guys told me to just remove all stereo wiring from Jack plate and just run Series/Parallel from the Mono side of the cab.

Sound ok?

chris661 · 16th January 2012, 09:15 PM

Yeah, that'll do the trick.

Fairly sure that's what your drummer has done: the impedance measurement would suggest so.

15th January 2012, 05:44 AM	#1
maddnotez diyAudio Member Join Date: Feb 2011	Please help me wire my guitar cab. (stereo/mono) I was hoping someone here could help me out with my issue. I'm having difficulty wiring up my 4x12 guitar cabinet. It has a stereo/mono switch and i think thats where my problem lies.. My 4x12 cab has 4 wires total from the input jacks, in two sets. Left and right, stereo/mono. I have Four matching 16 ohm speakers in the cab. I started the wiring with the Positive from the mono (right) side of the input jack like in the diagram. I left the stereo (left wires) unhooked and completed the loop with the Negative from the same mono side as when I started. Followed the diagram to the t only there was that other set of wires from the stereo side of the input jack. I figured I wont be using stereo so It wouldn't matter if the wires were left unhooked. So I switched my amp to 16 ohms, cab to mono and nothing....I think I could just barely hear my tubes distorting when I played, it did not sound too good....... So my drummer wired it his way and got it working. He said it should be 8 ohm, the cheap-o meter said 10. Switched amp back to 8 ohms and it works. I would like to get back in the cab if there is a more proper way wiring, so please reply with any info you may have on this, Thank you.

15th January 2012, 06:31 AM	#2
scott17 diyAudio Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Jamaica, NY	If you have four 16 ohm speakers, you can: wire 2 in parallel for 8 ohms, and wire the other 2 in parallel for 8 ohms. Then wire those two sections in series for 16 ohms -or- wire those two sections in parallel for 4 ohms, which is all speakers in parallel. You cannot wire them for an 8 ohm impedance. __________________ Single-Ended Tube Amp Kit Last edited by scott17; 15th January 2012 at 06:37 AM.

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15th January 2012, 07:49 AM	#3
chris661 diyAudio Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Lancashire Blog Entries: 7	What 'e said. You can't connect all 4 speakers and get 8ohm. A 10ohm DC resistance would indicate closer to 12-16ohm nominal impedance, so I'd leave your amplifier set at 16ohm while driving this cabinet. Chris

16th January 2012, 08:29 PM	#4
maddnotez diyAudio Member Join Date: Feb 2011	Any diagrams floating around? A few guys told me to just remove all stereo wiring from Jack plate and just run Series/Parallel from the Mono side of the cab. Sound ok?

16th January 2012, 09:15 PM	#5
chris661 diyAudio Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Lancashire Blog Entries: 7	Yeah, that'll do the trick. Fairly sure that's what your drummer has done: the impedance measurement would suggest so.

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