Sonax 775 g (4*10), as portable sound system?

[Niemi]

First time posting.

Long time solid state and modelling user. Just picked up a sonax 775 g cheap. It is a 4.10 cab, like a cheap bassman, 50 watts and two channels, each with 2 inputs, reverb and tremolo.

I would like to use this as a small portable pa amp for small gigs with my singer songwriter wife, so we have less to lug around. I use a zoom g 3 for effects and pre, so does she, unless she uses an acoustic.

I am worried whether there is enough headroom. I was wondering if it was possible to uses the chassis and upgrade everything, stronger power amp, 4 channels with less tone controls, better speakers, etc.

I don't think anything like this exists, so wondering if this is extremely impractical.

Phil

[teemuk]

If you don't mind building a complete amplifier totally from scratch then yes, it's totally possible.

Practical?

If that's the issue then I'd walk to a store and buy a proper amp from the start.

[Roly]

Just one vocal?  50 watts will knock over "small gigs".  Two vocals?  Still do the job.  Add guitar, getting a bit iffy, add keyboards, drum kit and death metal kazoo and you're out of luck.

But that's not really what the problem is here.

Firstly this is a guitar amp and as such it will have rather different tone controls to a PA, they will tend to have a mid-band scoop which a PA won't, and killing mike feedback could be a problem.

The other problem with using a combo for PA is that it may be compact but it is also a lot less than optimum in terms of getting the sound out to the audience.  You will notice that many people use a PA with two speakers high on stands either side of the stage, and there are a number of good sonic reasons why this is so.  Unless you can get this amp up significantly high you will find the vocals won't project to the back of the room for example.

I don't think it needs a rebuild, I think it's just the wrong type of gear for the job.

But since you have the amp, give it a go at one of your gigs and see how it works out in practice.

[Niemi]

Thanks for the replies. After checking some other threads, I would wonder if efficient speaker replacements would be most helpful.

[J M Fahey]

Short answer: it's too large and heavy, too underpowered, the wrong kind of technology (tubes), the wrong EQ and controls, has the wrong speakers and cabinet type, etc.
You have an excellent *guitar* amp, tubed, with 4 guitar speakers, use it for what it is.

If size is yoir problem and want to spend little, get a used Keyboard combo, with at least 1 Mic (XLR) input, they work very well as mini PA.

Or get a small mixer (you can get 2 XLR input ones for peanuts) and a powered cabinet.

Something like this:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audio/kustom-profile-one-pa-system

[Roly]

After checking some other threads, I would wonder if efficient speaker replacements would be most helpful.

Chum, in this thread you now have about 100 years of performing and staging experience telling you it's the wrong box for the job - changing the wheels does not turn a sports car into a truck; changing the speakers does not turn a guitar amp into a PA (and JM and I have built and operated quite a few of both).  I totally agree with JM's advice.

[Niemi]

Thanks everyone.

Will end up using my old ampeg sound support mixer then