Newbie Question - Connecting to 1936 cabinet

Connect the C30 to one stereo input otherwise you will overload the amp.

Have a great day, Eric

 

Hello barkingpumpkin,

I hope I don't dishearten you, but I'm not a huge fan of the 1936 cabinet. I find it starts to sound good when an amp is played through it very loudly. Otherwise it has a fairly somewhat nasal tone and can seem a bit harsh in the upper mids.

If you already like the cab with your Peavey Classic 30 though, it should do fine. The JP-10 is fairly capable of adjusting to different cabinet and speaker types. As long as the cabinet already sounds fairly good to you, don't let my personal opinion get you down.

In terms of what 2x12 cabinets I prefer--I find the Mesa Recto 2x12 to be the best cabinet I've played with a JP-10. The best 2x12, that is. I imagine the G-Flex 2x12 and Bogner 2x12 cabinets would also sound very nice.

Thanks for ordering a JP-10, barkingpumpkin. If you have any questions about the amp, feel free to email or call me.

 

PS--use a "speaker cable" to connect the cabinet to the head. Guitar cables have a thin inner wire, shielded by a braid. That thinner wire isn't capable of handling much current--not nearly as much as a speaker cable, which has two thicker wires in it instead (and doesn't require any shielding). Guitar cable can die on you when used as speaker cable.

If you don't have any speaker cables, talk to a local music store (one that sells guitar amps) and explain that you need a speaker cable specifically. They should hook you up.

 

I would second what Eric says about the C30 - it has a rather under-spec output transformer, and if you run the extension cab at 8 ohms you may well blow it. This means you can only use one speaker in the 1936 at once.

I don't like to dishearten you any more than James, but is that a very recent 1936? I've mentioned this a few times here, but it's worth repeating - there is a HUGE difference between older (up to JCM800) ones and newer (JCM900 onward) ones. The earlier cabs are meade of ply and sound good (even not too bad with the Celestion G12T-75s they came with, which were UK-made at that time). The recent ones are MDF and sound IMO lifeless, dead and 'honky'. No good, even with better speakers than the 75s (current ones are made in China and IMO sound terrible). There may be a period early in the JCM900 series where there is a 'transition' (still ply cabs maybe, and definitely UK Celestions up to the mid 90s), but I'm not certain.

If your has the stereo input panel it must be a JCM900 or later. It's worth checking what it's made from, and what the speakers are. BTW, there is some evidence that ditching that switching panel (or more importantly, the PCB and switches behind it) and rewiring the cab for mono with heavier-gauge cable properly soldered to the speakers (not with those little push-tags) may improve things.

 

Hi barkingpumpkin,

Changing the speakers out won't do that much good, I'm afraid. G12T-75s aren't bad speakers per se. Matter of fact I just demoed a JP-50 in Winnipeg using a 4x12 loaded with them, and it went over swimmingly. Made me think about picking some up again...

I've played numerous 1936 cabinets, and even the earlier plywood ones didn't sound good to my ears unless an amp was played very loudly through them.

Sorry...