Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

It used to be that a bass amp was designed to handle either 8 or 4 ohms. 4 being the minimum.

Lately ( the last year or two ), I've been noticing that 2 ohms has become more and more common. Is this recommended? I'll use Ampegs B5R as an example.

Ampeg is one of the only bass amps I have run across (I'm sure there are others, though) that allow you to run at 2 ohms. They've been doing that for a while now...Most only suggest running at 4 ohms. (2) 8ohm cabs is what I run.

It all depends on how it's designed. If it's a tube amp, it has to have the proper output transformer winding for 2 ohms. Even solid state amps can be designed to handle a 2 ohm load. Peavey amps have been designed this way for years.

Personally, I think running a solid state amp at 2 Ohms is asking for trouble. Sure, the manufacturers of such amps do this to show impressive power output figures, but to run a SS amp for an extended period of time at that low a load can overtax the output stage and cause a failure eventually. Stick to 4 Ohms and be happy.

If the thing is designed to run at a 2 ohm load, then it will run fine there. A 2 ohm load is much closer to a dead short than a 4 ohm load however. A transistor amp will make more power as it gets closer to zero, but there is less margin for error there, so thermal runaway could happen a lot quicker in one of these amps than something that runs at 4 ohms. A tube amp makes the same amount of power at 2 ohms as at 4 ohms, 8 ohms, 16 ohms, etc. as long as the transformer is wound in such a way that it is the proper load for it to get max power.

Peavy also makes some that run at 2 ohms ... for the most part you are safe with a 4 or 8 speaker load on pretty much any amp ...

GOOGLE

Our bass player uses an old Traynor SS 300W amp head from 1978 or 1979. It is designed to work with a 2,4,8, 16 ohm loads. Oddly enough, it has more power at 4 ohm load setting than at the 2 ohm setting. Works just fine for hours on either, adn has been since 1978 or 1979!

...Dean

Vintage Traynor gear is basically indestuctible, (as well as great sounding).

And made in Canada too!
I don't know about the current Yorkville stuff.

I love my Yorkville BassMaster 200 combo! It rocks!!

I love my Yorkville XS400 head!

Is Yorkville Canadian made?

All Toronto, Canada baby....

Amps running at 2 Ohms typically aren't supposed to sound as good as they do running at 4 or 8, weather they're designed to or not. Sure, you get more power but at a loss of tone. 4 Ohms seems to be a sweet spot.