Marshall TSL, How Loud?

[_indica_]

I have a second hand marshall TSL100 head, I use it with a Hughes and Kettner 100w 8ohm Cab. I hadn't noticed using the amp by my self but its really quiet, don't get me wrong its loud with nothing else playing but compaired to my band It gets drowned out totally, thats with the gain and volume all the way on any channel. This isn't right? any idea whys its so quiet? I've tryed the head set to 4ohm and 8ohm.

cheers. Jon.

[Shingles]

Take the 'Mid' EQ control in your hand and rotate it clockwise.

[Wonks]

..I use it with a Hughes and Kettner 100w 8ohm Cab. ... I've tryed the head set to 4ohm and 8ohm.

You need to keep the output selection to 8 ohms to match the cab impedance otherwise you can damage the amp. On a valve amp with the correct amp/cab settings you'll get 100W into a 4 ohm cab and 100W into an 8 ohm cab (unlike with a solid state power amp).

What type of cab is it; 1x12", 2x10", 4x12" etc.? Open or closed back? Do you know exactly what speaker(s) are used and what their efficiency is?

Do you know when the power valves were last changed? And have you checked that there are 4 of them? (someone may have removed 2 for a lower output).

You may have a low efficiency speaker or worn out valves - or maybe a duff valve in the pre-amp section. Worth getting it checked out against a similar amp.

However, most speaker cabs sound relatively quiet if you are right next to them, but a lot louder if you stand further away. The higher frequencies are 'beamed' directly out the front of the speaker in an expanding cone shape so you don't get the full volume effect until you are several feet away. When rehearsing, it is often the case that you can hear everyone else but not yourself - and vice versa.

So try angling the cab up, or stick it on a stand, so that the sound is directed at your ears, not your knees.

And in the last instance, if the amp still isn't loud enough then eveyone else is probably playing far too loud! Turn it down. Massive back-line volume is not the answer to playing and sounding good at gigs.

[_indica_]

cheers for the help. the cab has 4 x 12“ Celestion speakers, thats all i know about it, with a solid state head its very loud, no problem. I'l look into the valves, they look quite old, there all there though.

[Sosabba]

Hi mate

Sorry to preach the obvious, but just in case:

1. Make sure you have the VPR switch out.

2. Are you using the FX loop at all? If so, try the loop level switch on both settings. Alos, with FX on the FX level know effects volume, but in the opposite direction so turn it counter clockwise for more volume.

HTH, and sorry if it doesn't!

Max

[_ Six _]

My TSL is LOUD! Even set at 50W. The VPR switch shouldn't affect the volume that much. More the headroom. But I have the combo 122. What's the amps history?

It might be worth getting it serviced by Marshall or a decent amp tech.

[Sosabba]

Resurrection ahoy!

[ef37a]

cheers for the help. the cab has 4 x 12“ Celestion speakers, thats all i know about it, with a solid state head its very loud, no problem. I'l look into the valves, they look quite old, there all there though.

Err? Jus a cotton pickin' there son! A 4x12 can be 4 or 16 Ohms. It cannot be 4 or 8!

And yes, that amp should be the loudest thing in the band.

BTW: Using a (good!) 100W valve amp with a speaker system of only 100W rating is sailing a bit close to the wind speaker damagewise. Some 100watter can deliver close on 200W of near squarewave.

Celestions are conservatively rated and so you are probably safe but 4xV30 would be even safer! (V30 are in fact rated at 60apiece)

Dave.

[_ Six _]

Resurrection ahoy!

Only just noticed the date on that. Why was it in my recent posts feed?

[Gadget13769]

Err? Jus a cotton pickin' there son! A 4x12 can be 4 or 16 Ohms. It cannot be 4 or 8!...

Nonsense, cow tipper!

I have two 8 Ohm 4x12s here in front of me.

[ef37a]

Err? Jus a cotton pickin' there son! A 4x12 can be 4 or 16 Ohms. It cannot be 4 or 8!...

Nonsense, cow tipper!

I have two 8 Ohm 4x12s here in front of me.

Quite. But it cannot be 4 or 16 Ohms, only 8 or 2 (and G help the transistors!)
Go look at a standard Marshall 4x12 mono/stereo cab.

Dave.

[Alfie Noakes]

But it cannot be 4 or 16 Ohms, only 8 or 2 (and G help the transistors!)
Go look at a standard Marshall 4x12 mono/stereo cab.

Dave.

If you wire 4x 16 ohm speakers in parallel you'd have a 4 ohm cabinet, and 2 ohm if you used 4x 8ohm speakers.
4x 16ohm speakers wired series/parallel would be a 16ohms cab.

I hope it hasn't taken him 5 years to find the impedance of his cab!