Advice on using a Laney 120 Hardcore as a cab with a Little Mark III head

[Mark5152]

Hi all,

New to basschat and looking for some advice. I've always used combo amps but am now playing with more serious set ups and am looking at heads and cabs. I'm probably going for a Markbass standard 102HF cab with a Littlemark III head. I have an old Laney 120 hardcore combo that the transformer has failed. The 15" speaker is still good and is rated at 8ohm I believe. Can I use this as an additional cab with the Markbass set up I'm thinking of? I was think of a standard 151 cab instead of the 102HF, but as I've got the Laney seems a shame not to use it. Any views?

[Muzz]

If both cabs are 8 ohms, then the amp won't blow up, how it will sound is another matter entirely. The second cab will be taking much more than its thermal wattage rating (if it's rated to match a 120w amp) from the LM III, so it'll be the weak link, and you might easily drive it too hard.

The general consensus of thinking towards a second cab is 'another the same as the first', so the best two-cab solution would be a pair of 102HFs...

I ran a LM III for a good while with a 104HR, which was plenty volume-wise, and not too bad a lift for a 410 (it's a fair bit smaller/lighter than the HF)...depends on your approach to weight/size...

Edited June 18, 2021 by Muzz

[Mark5152]

Thanks Muzz, I wasn't too sure whether a 15" speaker might just be a standard part used in a range of amp combos and capable of withstanding more power than its allocated amp. Does that make sense? I take your point that it will be matched to more power with the LM III.

[Muzz]

No problem - cone diameter is no real indicator - of much, to be honest; it's more down to cab design - I've had/got twelves with much more low end than a lot of fifteens in the past...it's the rating of the driver that really matters, and 120w will be a bit of a weak spot when paired with a 400w cab...the 15 in that cab might be rated higher than 120w from the combo, but it's hard to say, and even then it's not likely to be in the 102HF ballpark...

[Mark5152]

Great to get your insight. Thank you.

[BassmanPaul]

Personally I doubt whether your Laney combo has a failed power transformer. I've not come across too many in my career as a tech.