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Post subject: Will a blues junior drive 2 blues junior speakers?
Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2014 7:03 pm
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I have a dead BJ and I'd like to replace it but hate to waste the old BJ speaker and it's cab.
Can I stack them and drive both speakers ? Any negative results? Shorten tube life?


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Post subject: Re: Will a blues junior drive 2 blues junior speakers?
Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2014 7:16 pm
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The amp has sufficient power but the critical factor is the impedance of the speaker load -- the Blues Junior is designed to drive an 8-ohm load. Adding a second identical speaker in parallel halves the total impedance to four ohms. Wiring the same speakers in series yields sixteen ohms. Neither scenario provides the optimum situation for the amp's output tranny though likely no real harm will result. You may not care for the tone though. Ideally, two 16-ohm drivers wired in parallel would be the most efficient configuration.

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Post subject: Re: Will a blues junior drive 2 blues junior speakers?
Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2014 9:32 pm
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+1 Retroverbial

My preference with this amp, as far as sound, is 4 ohms (two 8 ohm speakers in parallel) as opposed to 16 ohms (two 8 ohm speakers in series). I often find that an impedance mismatch can produce a more pleasing tone than when matched. In fact, I routinely use many of my amps with a mismatched impedance, always using a lower impedance speaker load. Currently using my MB TA-15 with a Bassman 2x12 cab at 4 ohms, and the sound is better using the 8 ohm amp output compared to using the 4 ohm output.

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Post subject: Re: Will a blues junior drive 2 blues junior speakers?
Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2014 9:51 pm
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shimmilou wrote:
I often find that an impedance mismatch can produce a more pleasing tone than when matched.


+1

*Sometimes* that is the case.

I know whenever I play my TRRI with an added Showman cab, the amp sounds downright evil and snarky. OTOH the Showman amp doesn't seem to appreciate me adding a second cab. Weird!

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Will a blues junior drive 2 blues junior speakers?
Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2014 5:41 am
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You can get a Weber Z-Matcher and run whatever you want. It will match the impedance. I use one when I run my 74 Champ through my extension cabinets. The cabinets I gave now are two 16 ohm 1x12 cabs an 8 ohm 1x12. They sound great with the Champ.

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Post subject: Re: Will a blues junior drive 2 blues junior speakers?
Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 9:04 pm
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Glender wrote:
I have a dead BJ and I'd like to replace it but hate to waste the old BJ speaker and it's cab.
Can I stack them and drive both speakers ? Any negative results? Shorten tube life?


It sounds like you don't need a second speaker, just that you don't want to "waste" it.
If you want a new speaker for your new amp consider selling both of the stock speakers and use the money for a different speaker of the correct impedance.
If you don't want or need a different speaker, then just leave the new amp as it is, as it's wired properly with the correct speaker.

If you just have or want to run both speakers, then you can run either a parallel 4ohm or series 16ohm load. Most good tube amps can handle going 100% in either direction, so for an 8ohm out you can use either a 4 or 16ohm total speaker load.
Neither is what the amp was designed for to run at it's best, in both tone and electronic health. An amp built with parts that are not of high quality will show their inferiority when running a mismatched load.

If you want to say safest and best for the amp and tone, then just run the proper speaker load that the amp wants to "see" at the output.


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