Hoffman Amplifiers Tube Amplifier Forum

Amp Stuff => Tube Amp Building - Tweaks - Repairs => Topic started by: kagliostro on January 04, 2024, 02:36:08 pm

Title: Poors Mens question - HiFi Speakers Box used for guitar amp ???
Post by: kagliostro on January 04, 2024, 02:36:08 pm
I've read recently about Full Range Speakers for guitar use

and ...

Sometime happens that I can have under hand a single HiFi Box (because the other was broken), so I can recovery the speakers

Also recently I got a broken SS Bass amp that obviously has a Bass Speaker

My question is ...

Can I use the speakers of an HiFi Box (I consider the 2 way Box) or a Bass Speaker in junction to a Twitter as Speakers for a Guitar Speaker Box ?

This will save some money and to save money on doing something that is an hobby .....

Thanks

Franco
Title: Re: Poors Mens question - HiFi Speakers Box used for guitar amp ???
Post by: WimWalther on January 04, 2024, 03:12:19 pm
The first thing to know is that hifi speakers aren't designed for the sort of abuse that an electric guitar can dish out. They tend to be easily damaged being used this way.

But so long as the speaker is of the required impedance (4 or 8 ohms) and a sufficient power rating (watts) then it should work. Just watch the volume level.. and don't be surprised if it becomes damaged.
Title: Re: Poors Mens question - HiFi Speakers Box used for guitar amp ???
Post by: Latole on January 05, 2024, 03:52:13 am
Few hi-fi speaker I test with guitar have very low sensitivity
Title: Re: Poors Mens question - HiFi Speakers Box used for guitar amp ???
Post by: pdf64 on January 05, 2024, 06:16:42 am
Yes, a hifi speaker will be very quiet, turn up the amp and you’ll probably damage it. Plus it’ll sound bad.

Also with amps that have a lot of negative feedback, the weird impedance response due to high order filters in the crossover may possibly cause stability issues.

The bass cab should sound ok, provided the broken amp didn’t wreck the speaker with DC (common failure mode).
If it’s ok, maybe consider tweaking the cab, eg block off front port, remove the back panel.

Whatever, it’s all zero cost stuff to tinker with  :icon_biggrin:
Title: Re: Poors Mens question - HiFi Speakers Box used for guitar amp ???
Post by: EL34 on January 05, 2024, 07:22:22 am
I have been using 6 way Pioneer speakers in my setup for many years
I run stereo out of my Kemper into a 1000 watt (500 per channel) Crown power amp
A neighbor gave me two Pioneer 6 way speakers many years ago
They turned out to be very high quality speakers but only 150 watt

I tried to not blow them up
I got away with that for maybe 8 years
One of the 15 inch woofers blew up last month
I replaced both cabinets with Eminence 300 watt 15 inch woofers
They sound really good
But keep in mind that the Kemper is supposed to use full range speakers, not guitar amp speakers
You can turn off the speaker section in the Kemper and then use guitar amp speakers if you want to

I cranked them a few days ago and blew the crossover in the right cabinet
I still have to dig into them and see how to bypass that crossover
Not sure I even need all those smaller speakers, just the 15 inch woofers

Here's a couple images of the new Eminence speakers in the cabinets and the Kemper rig
Title: Re: Poors Mens question - HiFi Speakers Box used for guitar amp ???
Post by: EL34 on January 05, 2024, 07:27:47 am
If I can get away with using just the 15 inch woofers, I may chop the cabinets down to a smaller size
Cut off the bottoms, shorten the cabinets and put the bottoms back on
I'll mess with that when I have time
Title: Re: Poors Mens question - HiFi Speakers Box used for guitar amp ???
Post by: kagliostro on January 06, 2024, 02:38:54 am
Many thanks to All Friends


Franci
Title: Re: Poors Mens question - HiFi Speakers Box used for guitar amp ???
Post by: WimWalther on January 06, 2024, 03:48:37 pm
@EL34

I do not recognize those Pioneer units. In fact, I wasn't even aware that they sold a 6-way design.

What era are they? Are these standard US-export models, or some Japan-only thing that someone managed to import?
Title: Re: Poors Mens question - HiFi Speakers Box used for guitar amp ???
Post by: HotBluePlates on January 06, 2024, 08:16:56 pm
I have been using 6 way Pioneer speakers in my setup for many years
...
They turned out to be very high quality speakers but only 150 watt
...
... What era are they? Are these standard US-export models, or some Japan-only thing that someone managed to import?

Squinting at EL34's photo after opening in a new tab, and I see "CS-911A" on the badge.

Googling turns up this 1975 ad for the CS-911 (https://ia601500.us.archive.org/5/items/1975-advertisement-for-pioneer-cs-911-speakers/1975%20advertisement%20for%20Pioneer%20CS-911%20speakers.jpg), and an eBay listing for the manual (https://www.ebay.com/itm/134497353810) if you really want the poop.  Not much helpful free stuff online at the moment (though perhaps some other 1976-era ads in World Radio history if you go leafing through stereo mags).
Title: Re: Poors Mens question - HiFi Speakers Box used for guitar amp ???
Post by: WimWalther on January 06, 2024, 10:31:55 pm
Ok, so they're early-mid 70s stuff. Cool.

Back in the early 70s there were fewer export-only models, like the amazing PL-41 turntable - sort of a Japanese copy of the Empire 298 / 208 tables.

Anyway, that was the era where hifi had gone totally crazy, back when quadraphonic audio seemed like the way of the future.. with competing formats, like the Beta / VHS fight of the early 80s still to come.
Title: Re: Poors Mens question - HiFi Speakers Box used for guitar amp ???
Post by: EL34 on January 07, 2024, 06:25:37 am
@EL34

I do not recognize those Pioneer units. In fact, I wasn't even aware that they sold a 6-way design.

What era are they? Are these standard US-export models, or some Japan-only thing that someone managed to import?

Don't know
I did see some on a search with a asking price of $750
My neighbor gave them to me about 9 years ago

The model number is Pioneer CS-911A on the tags
I managed to baby them along all this time until last month when I blew up one of the 15 inch woofers
Title: Re: Poors Mens question - HiFi Speakers Box used for guitar amp ???
Post by: ShoemanGB on January 07, 2024, 04:29:58 pm
All I know is that if you had those back in the day ( I was in High School) you'd have been the coolest kid in school.
Title: Re: Poors Mens question - HiFi Speakers Box used for guitar amp ???
Post by: EL34 on January 08, 2024, 07:11:39 am
I could not have afforded them way back then.

I did work at a record store in the 70's
We had an audio sales room with Pioneer gear

Back then, you could get huge discounts on gear direct from Pioneer as an employee
My price was less than what the dealer payed for their items

I bought a Pioneer turntable,  Pioneer Cassette deck and a few other things while I worked there
I already had a Sansui amp and some Marantz speakers.