Risk of blowing speaker with 8 string? What amps do you use?

[scratchNdentPrestige]

When I was a teenager many decades ago, I blew out the speaker in my first guitar amp playing bass guitar through it. I replaced it with a PA speaker of some sort and used it for guitar and bass for a couple of years before selling it. I have heard of others blowing guitar amp speakers in a similar way over the years as well.

My concern now that I have an 8 string is that I could end up doing some harm to speakers in my guitar amps. I have few with 12" speakers, and some with 8" speakers (which I assume would be more easily damaged). Is this damage a real concern? Have any of you had issues with this?

I do have some bass amps, but I really want to use a guitar amp if possible. To be clear, I'm just talking about low-ish volume playing at home. I can't see me using an 8 string with my band.

Would love to hear what sort of amps people here with 8 or more strings are using, or any replacement speakers that are good for 8s as well.

 

[KnightBrolaire]

8 strings are totally fine with regular guitar speakers. I used to play my 8 strings through a 2x12 with V30s. As far as amps, I was using a 30w mesa f30 for a long time then I picked up a mk3 and some other amps (check my sig for the rest). All of them play nicely with 8 strings ime.

 

[Harry]

"To be clear, I'm just talking about low-ish volume playing at home. I can't see me using an 8 string with my band."
If that's the case, I seriously wouldn't worry about a thing.

 

[diagrammatiks]

Also with a guitar amp it’s not a big deal.

With a bass amp and a full bass tuned bass it can be a problem because the fundamentals are going to wreck the speaker.

On a guitar amp with guitar tubings even 8 string the fundamentals aren’t even reproduced.

 

[scratchNdentPrestige]

Thanks for the responses. I can set my mind at easy about using my guitar amps with this thing now.

 

[G_3_3_k_]

Also with a guitar amp it’s not a big deal.

With a bass amp and a full bass tuned bass it can be a problem because the fundamentals are going to wreck the speaker.

On a guitar amp with guitar tubings even 8 string the fundamentals aren’t even reproduced.

Bases can’t even reproduce the fundamental tones from their own low B. Longer scale length 8 string guitars are more able to reproduce the sounds. However, it’s more likely the lack of ability of a speaker attempting to reproduce some of those lower tones. Roll that stuff off with an EQ if you’re worried about it so the speaker isn’t attempting to do what it wasn’t designed for. If you still want those frequencies, there are crossovers and subwoofers.

 

[TedEH]

some with 8" speakers (which I assume would be more easily damaged)

The size of the speakers isn't really the concern. My proper bass cab is packed full of 8" speakers. It's more about the design of the speakers, the design of the enclosure, and what you're actually trying to put through them.

Realistically, a speaker doesn't care what "what frequency" you put through them. I'm not an expert, and I don't know the science behind it, but my understanding is that what does end up mattering is how strong that signal is. Lower frequencies take more power to amplify, and the cleaner your signal is, the more you probably want to hear the actual bass frequencies and not mostly higher harmonic content like you normally would with a guitar, so a bass is more likely to end up dialed such that all this low end content is making it to the speaker. What you want to avoid is defeating the physical limitations of the speakers, in terms of them either heating up, or moving too far, or whatever it is that happens when you push them too hard.

I would only be worried if you were playing without distortion, through an amp that's designed to allow that low end through without rolling it off, and has a big enough power section (output transformer?) to actually deliver that low end, and at high enough volume to get speakers moving.

8 string guitar into a guitar head? Probably with distortion? You're fine. Bass at home/low volumes? You're also usually fine. Just don't try to use a guitar cab for bass and try to keep up with a drummer or something -> Unless you're using two amps and only putting the high end through the guitar cab or something.

 

[NorCal_Val]

I use my old 2 ch. Mesa Triple Rectifier, and the 4x12 cabs I bought with it; one is 280w, the other is 360w.
They hold up fine under the low Eb on my M80M.

 

[never_2many_strings]

I've blown out guitar speakers with my 8s before, though they were crappy speakers, drop tuned guitars, and at high volumes. I use a bass amp now, and it works just fine. Mine (Gallien Krueger MB210-ii) has surprisingly good tone too.

 

[vick1000]

The guitar won't have anything to do with it. The power amp, enclosure, and speaker parameters will. Mainly a poorly matched enclosure and exceeding the power rating is what can damage a speaker. The amp won't care what you input, as long as it's instrument level. But of course more low frequency more often, will require more output and drive the output/ power section harder.