Well this is really New Speaker Cab Day, but this cab also happens to have an amp in it.

I've been fishing around for a cheap and cheerful 2x12 cab (preferably empty) to house a couple of speakers that need a good home, but everything I saw was either knackered or expensive. In the case of one old Vox cab, it was both knackered AND expensive.

So I've just picked up very cheaply on Ebay a Fender Frontman 2x12 combo in almost new condition. I'm planning to replace the stock speakers with my own units (a Celestion Classic 80 and an RCF salvaged years ago from an old Simms Watt cab) and alter the wiring so the speakers can be plugged into a separate tube head — but if the tube head misbehaves in mid-gig I can just plug in the integral 'spare' amp and carry on. OK so it's solid state and the tone is rather on the brittle side, but a quick blast through the clean channel suggests it would get me through to the end of a gig.

I'm assuming that the stock Frontman speakers are by Eminence, but from rather low down the Eminence pecking order. Anyone know for sure? They are both 8 ohm and wired in parallel to give a 4 ohm load to the amp — but is this solid state amp unit going to complain (apart from a drop in volume which I doubt will be an issue) if it gets an 8 ohm load?

Many solid state amps that have multiple output jacks will show,for example,100watts@2ohms,50watts at 4ohms etc.When you hook up the 8ohm load you will increase the heat that the output transistors see.When you increase the resistance the power will drop and current will rise to some degree,equals more heat,whether or not this particular amp can take it I cant be sure,I would think so,but since you only intend to use it as an emergency back-up,I think you would be okay.

Many thanks, stokes. I was hoping that this amp would have multiple output jacks but, alas, as it stands the speaker cable is hard wired into the amp.

Yeah the less expensive ones usually do,but I dont think a 100% mismatch is unreasonable,should be okay using it occasionally.