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my first kustom [message #22285]

Sun, 01 February 2015 11:40

Bigshawn
Messages: 13
Registered: February 2015

Junior Member

Hi guys new member here. I have a chance to pick up a kustom 250 with a 3 15 cab. it works good ,but I was wondering what if any speakers are available to replace the originals. I was thinking of using the lightweight neo 15 inch speakers just to lighten up the cab. What ohms would I need and how to wire it up info would be great too. Thanks in advance Shawn

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Re: my first kustom [message #22287 is a reply to message #22285]

Sun, 01 February 2015 14:21

pleat
Messages: 1454
Registered: June 2004
Location: Belding, Mi

Senior Member

Welcome to the site. The 3x15 cabinet for the K250 series amps uses 8 ohm speakers wired in parallel. No telling after 40+ years what might be in the cabinet as far as speakers and maybe even some toys pushed thru the port holes.

pleat

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Re: my first kustom [message #22289 is a reply to message #22287]

Sun, 01 February 2015 14:46

Bigshawn
Messages: 13
Registered: February 2015

Junior Member

Yea 2 are cts and 1 is a jenson replacement. all are 16 ohms. the wiring appears to be newer. So it should still work fine until I replace them . And when I do replace them it should be with 3 8 ohm speaker correct ? Oh and thank you for your response

[Updated on: Sun, 01 February 2015 14:46]

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Re: my first kustom [message #22290 is a reply to message #22289]

Sun, 01 February 2015 15:04

pleat
Messages: 1454
Registered: June 2004
Location: Belding, Mi

Senior Member

Your cabinet may be the older 3x15 Kustom cabinet which would contain speakers that are 16 ohms each. Looking at the grill cloth, does it have silver threads running through the black grill? Sometimes the grills can be so dirty that the silver threads appear to be black. Removing the Kustom logo badge should tell you. Another way to tell what you have, looking at the side view of the cabinet, if the top is the same depth as the bottom of the cabinet it is for the K250 series amps. If there is a taper from top to bottom (viewing from the side) it is a cabinet that went with the older K200 plexi series amps.
In any event, loading the cab with some new lightweight Neo mag speakers will save your back when moving.

pleat

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Re: my first kustom [message #22292 is a reply to message #22290]

Sun, 01 February 2015 18:29

Iowa Boy
Messages: 767
Registered: June 2014

Senior Member

I think you should be running 16 ohm speakers and not 8 ohm since you have 3 15's. Two 8 ohms wired in parallel will give you a 4 ohm load. Three 16's will give you 5.33 ohms. Three 8 ohm speakers in parallel will be running your amp under the normal 4 ohm load recommendation. Check my math guys....am I right here?

As far as replacing the speakers......what instrument do you play? Eminence makes some very good Delta's that are 16 ohms and are reasonably priced. I didn't find much selection as to 16 ohm speakers out there so this was a good choice for me and the sound is very good and reasonably priced. I use my 3-15's for PA primarily and sometimes bass.
Jensen's have always been a good choice for guitar so I have been told.....but I like the Selenium's better.

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Re: my first kustom [message #22294 is a reply to message #22292]

Sun, 01 February 2015 18:41

pleat
Messages: 1454
Registered: June 2004
Location: Belding, Mi

Senior Member

Bigshawn posted that he is looking at a K250 amp and 3x15 cab. The 3x15 cabs for the K250 series amps use 8 ohm speakers wired in parallel.
The older 3x15 cabs for the K200, K400 series amps used 16 ohm speakers wired in parallel.
pleat

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Re: my first kustom [message #22295 is a reply to message #22294]

Sun, 01 February 2015 20:39

Bigshawn
Messages: 13
Registered: February 2015

Junior Member

So if I put in 3 new speakers they would need to be 8 ohm speakers wired in parallel to work properly with the k250 head as a bass cabinet ? or could I just replace 2 speakers with 8 ohm ones to get a 4 ohm load and just wire up those and remove the 3rd speaker? Then just block up the extra hole

it would save on weight too

[Updated on: Sun, 01 February 2015 20:45]

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Re: my first kustom [message #22296 is a reply to message #22295]

Sun, 01 February 2015 22:16

pleat
Messages: 1454
Registered: June 2004
Location: Belding, Mi

Senior Member

The K250 puts out 125 watts into a 3~4 ohm load. You can always keep the speakers in the cab but the amp will produce a little less output in power. I think you need to figure a end game plan for what you want to use the system for and how loud you want the system. You can always run a higher impdedance cabinet than the optimal cab without damage to the amp.
Removing one speaker and blocking off the speaker opening is a way to lighten the cabinet, but you do change the internal cubic volume of the cabinet. Again, what is the end result you want to achive? I'd think for most clubs, you can get away with just the two speakers. I'm sure that a 4 string or 5 string will make a difference on the low end.
Pleat

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Re: my first kustom [message #22297 is a reply to message #22295]

Sun, 01 February 2015 22:36

Iowa Boy
Messages: 767
Registered: June 2014

Senior Member

I'm confused about the issue of the K-250 head, I thought all of the older Kustoms were designed to operate at a maximum ohm load of 4 and not less. Pleat, could you elaborate on this please? Seems to me that you'd be running a chance of over heating the amp at less than 4 ohms especially at high volume.

Mixing different ohm speakers I know is not recommended especially in a parallel circuit. As to using only two 8 ohm speakers, you could remove the top speaker but think I'd just leave it and use it as a radiator instead. Seems to me that your best option is to go with 3 16 ohm speakers....your looking at $300 but you can use this cabinet also on the K-200 amp heads as well. Hopefully, Pleat can bring some light on to why Kustom would use 3 eight ohm speakers in parallel with a K-250 head.

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Re: my first kustom [message #22299 is a reply to message #22297]

Sun, 01 February 2015 22:43

Iowa Boy
Messages: 767
Registered: June 2014

Senior Member

Pleat will also agree that if you do go with only the two speaker combination that you need to turn your speaker grill upside down so that the bass ports are between the two active speakers on the bottom of the cabinet. I was told to do this with my cabinets and it did make a very big difference on the bass sound of the cabinets.

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Re: my first kustom [message #22301 is a reply to message #22297]

Sun, 01 February 2015 22:59

pleat
Messages: 1454
Registered: June 2004
Location: Belding, Mi

Senior Member

Yes, the older Plexi faced K200 and K400 amps want no less than a 4 ohm load but can run safely at 8 or 16 ohms. The difference would be wattage output. The Cabinets designed for the plexi K200 and K400 amps the cabs used 16 ohm speakers in both the 2x15 and the 3x15 cabs.

The K250 slant metal face amps and the power module cabinets, Kustom switched and started using 8 ohm speakers in the cabinets. I'm just quoting the Kustom speaker chart for all their cabinets. This pertains to the guitar and bass cabinets and the guitar and PA horn cabinets, the 302 PA columns used 12 ohm speakers.

Bigshawn thought about removing one speaker and blocking off the opening to make the cabinet lighter. With the speakers in the cabinet, two are CTS 16 ohms and one is a 16 ohm Jensen. If he uses the CTS speakers wired in parallel, he would have a 4 ohm total load. Again having a game plan to what is to be accomplished will the amp and cabinet will really help in advising some different options to get the most from the equipment and not break the back or the bank.
pleat

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Re: my first kustom [message #22302 is a reply to message #22301]

Sun, 01 February 2015 23:14

Bigshawn
Messages: 13
Registered: February 2015

Junior Member

thanks guys. I want to lighten the cab but still have the look but also want the sound to be good. I think I like the idea of flipping the grill . I am leaning towards getting 2 8 ohm neo speakers to place in bottom 2 spots and blocking off top hole. I will wire them in parallel to get the 4 ohm load and that will give me full power of the amp.

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Re: my first kustom [message #22306 is a reply to message #22285]

Mon, 02 February 2015 12:41

Iowa Boy
Messages: 767
Registered: June 2014

Senior Member

Pleat, what do you think about the idea of him blocking off the top speaker not just the opening but inside the cabinet as well? Your right about the air volume issue and I think he is not going to be happy with the sound he's going to get. Wouldn't this give him the sound quality closer to a 2-15's cabinet?

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Re: my first kustom [message #22308 is a reply to message #22285]

Mon, 02 February 2015 12:59

Iowa Boy
Messages: 767
Registered: June 2014

Senior Member

When you flip the grill panel you will have to re-drill the side middle bolt hole opening. Two or four of the bolts will not line up....the others will. Hopefully none of the bolts are so rusted you can't get them off.....if the bolts spins, use a small pair of vise grips to hold the top of the bolt while you loosen the nut. Its no fun pulling the grille cloth off to replace a damaged bolt. While you have the grille out, you might as well take it to the car wash and power wash it. Make sure you take the speakers out first.....lol

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Re: my first kustom [message #22310 is a reply to message #22308]

Mon, 02 February 2015 17:09

Bigshawn
Messages: 13
Registered: February 2015

Junior Member

Thanks . I haven't bought the cabinet yet from the guy. but judging from all this I may pass and wait till I find a 2x15

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Re: my first kustom [message #22312 is a reply to message #22285]

Mon, 02 February 2015 17:33

Iowa Boy
Messages: 767
Registered: June 2014

Senior Member

What kind of money is the guy asking? Personally, I have two of the 3-15's and two of the 2-15's cabinets; the 3-15's are impressive, but a bitch to haul around and as far as sound quality, my 2-15's definitely sound better. Of course the one has vintage Altec speakers and does it boom. Usually you can pick up a 2-15's cabinet for less than $300 and the amp head about $250 depending on the T&R color. Just make sure that you get a cabinet with bass speakers and not guitar......literature on this site will give the info you need to look for.

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Re: my first kustom [message #22328 is a reply to message #22312]

Tue, 03 February 2015 08:15

Bigshawn
Messages: 13
Registered: February 2015

Junior Member

The guy is only asking 375 for the whole set up k250 head and the 3x15 cab. Its a good deal

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Re: my first kustom [message #22331 is a reply to message #22285]

Tue, 03 February 2015 09:35

stevem
Messages: 4775
Registered: June 2004
Location: NY

Senior Member

You can use three 16 ohm drivers in parallel for a total 5.3 ohm load, or the same number of 8 ohm drivers in parallel for a 2.6 ohm load .
The inductance of the two impedance drivers is different so there will be a bit of a tone difference between the two set up's

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Re: my first kustom [message #22335 is a reply to message #22331]

Tue, 03 February 2015 12:38

Iowa Boy
Messages: 767
Registered: June 2014

Senior Member

Price wise it is a good deal. Here's a thought and this is what I'd do if I was you. Providing the amp is in good shape electronically......no popping, hissing, or crackling noise while idling (dead giveaway the amp has some issues); go ahead and buy it. The cabinet as it is is not what you want but you could try selling it separately or sell it for parts after of course you find your 2-15's cabinet. Handles, casters, bass ports, emblem alone should get you around $100......and you still have speakers to sell as well.

If your not interested in the equipment......I might be. Could you pass along contact info if your not?

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Re: my first kustom [message #22341 is a reply to message #22335]

Tue, 03 February 2015 15:12

Bigshawn
Messages: 13
Registered: February 2015

Junior Member

It is on Craig's list for Akron Ohio

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