Showman speaker options

Dennis Waltman · From: Wisconsin, USA

Iâ€™m looking to take a 85 watt 1965 Showman head with stock 8 ohm transformer and pair it with some speakers I own. Iâ€™ll either have cabinets made or try and source some good used cabinets. My intent would be single cabs for each speaker to keep things manageable to transport.

The speakers are:
A 15 inch Peavey black widow, 4 ohm
2 Weber 12 inch Californiaâ€™s (Cali12F) with cloth dome covers, 80 watt rated, 8 ohm each

Iâ€™m not real
familiar with impedance matching and would like to know if pushing the 4 ohm BW would be ok?

Also, is there an option to use both 8 ohm Calis at once in separate cabs?

Any input on options would be appreciated.

Thanks, Dennis

Godfrey Arthur · From: 3rd Rock

If the head wants 8 ohms going to 4 ohms will tax the amp.

You can't use two 8 ohms because it would either be 4 ohms:
8+8 in parallel = 4 ohm impedance or 8+8 in series= 16 ohms

Either way you're gambling.

You could get a single 8 ohm 15 or get two 4 ohm 12's and wire them in series to result in an 8 ohm load or two 16 ohm 12's wired in parallel to get an 8 ohm load.

Best to provide the amp with the impedance it wants to see rather than just put to use speakers you happen to have laying around.

Get another 4 ohm BW 15 and wire the two in series to get 8 ohms.

A dual showman used to be two 15's.

Or use just one 8 ohm 12.
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Chris Boyd · From: Leonia,N.J./Charlestown,R.I.

Dennis...Try it with just one of the Cali12F's ...if you don't like it, find a 15" 8 ohm speaker..I use an old 70's white ceramic EV SRO 15" 8 ohm and love it..
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Jim Kennedy · From: Brentwood California, USA

Been thinking of getting one of these impedance matchers: https://www.tedweber.com/gadgets/z-matcher

They match the amp and speaker from 2 to 16 ohms, either direction. One is 50 and one is 100 watts. I have a variety of speakers and amps in a variety of configurations. Seems this would eliminate the impedance mismatch problem.
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Tom Wolverton · From: Carpinteria, CA

I believe a 1965 non-reverb blackface Showman head usually has a 8-ohm output transformer, but some also had 4-ohm. You'll want to get the number off of the OT and check it with others. I believe there is an on-line source for these numbers.

I have a 1964 Showman head and I run it either thru a single 15" Telonics Neo (in a Rick Johnson cabinet). Or I often also run it with a single 12" TT speaker (in a different Rick Johnson cabinet). Both of these set-ups sound fantastic.

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Jack Hanson · From: San Luis Valley, USA

If you have a roadie, a lift truck, or a strong back, one of the best setups ever devised for the 8-ohm Showman head (as opposed to the 4-ohm Dual Showman head), is Leo's original Showman cabinet with the tone ring and a D-140F JBL speaker.

John Goux · From: California, USA

Does the Showman 8 ohms sound better than the Dual Showman 4 ohms? Why?
John

Tom Wolverton · From: Carpinteria, CA

I've owned both 4-ohm and 8-ohm heads and could not tell the difference in tone or power. (with proper speaker ohm match)
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Stephen Cowell · From: Round Rock, Texas, USA

If you parallel the 8's (makes 4) and then series that with the 4 you'll end up with 8ohms.
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Dave Grafe · From: Hudson River Valley NY

The Showman and Dual Showman are identical except for the output transformer impedance, Showman is 8 ohms, Dual Showman is 4 ohms. Yes they sound the same because they are the same.

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