Query failed: connection to localhost:9312 failed (errno=111, msg=Connection refused). Does this product exist or did I just imagine it? (Impedance Switcher/Matcher) - Amps Discussions on The Fretboard
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UNPLANNED DOWNTIME: 12th Oct 23:45

Does this product exist or did I just imagine it? (Impedance Switcher/Matcher)

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Dave_McDave_Mc Frets: 2022
edited July 2023 in Amps
Hi everyone

I could've sworn this product existed a few years ago, but I'm struggling to find it anywhere now. An impedance matcher- say you have an amp with a 16 ohm speaker output and you want to plug into a 4 ohm cab, you could just buy a (fairly inexpensive) box about the size of an FX pedal which you plugged the amp into and it would switch the impedance for you so you could plug (from the box) into a speaker cab of different impedance. It meant you could plug any amp into any cab, basically- which would be pretty useful.

Did I just imagine this? I could've sworn someone like Palmer, Radial, Morley or someone like that used to make one. 

Thanks for your help

EDIT: Just thought to google it...   Apparently Weber does one (Z Matcher), but it's a bit of a pain and pretty expensive to get one from them since they're in the USA.
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Comments

  • andy1839andy1839 Frets: 2142
    There was one by AmpMaker called Box Of Matches.  But I think its long out of production.
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  • BigPaulieBigPaulie Frets: 733
    edited July 2023
    https://www.tedweber.com/z-matcher/

    Just noticed you already knew about this. As you were...
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  • Dave_McDave_Mc Frets: 2022
    edited July 2023
    andy1839 said:
    There was one by AmpMaker called Box Of Matches.  But I think its long out of production.
    Thanks, I'll take a look  

    BigPaulie said:
    https://www.tedweber.com/z-matcher/

    Just noticed you already knew about this. As you were...
    No worries, I'm thankful for any help. I posted the thread before I thought to look on Google! 30 seconds on Google found me the Z-matcher, lol, it's amazing how you don't think to try the obvious thing first! I was on all those other manufacturers' websites I mentioned for ages, looking up their old discontinued products to see if I could find anything...

    I suspect it's the Weber I was remembering- if I could get something at around £20 or so it'd be worth it even just to have, but at the price of the Weber (probably looking at £200+!) I don't think it's really worth it. Plus I came across at least one person online saying it affected the tone adversely...
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  • DavidReesDavidRees Frets: 293
    there is this fabulous little box from Palmer https://www.palmer-germany.com/en/products/signal-splitter-switcher/5088/cab-m?c=2129
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 69426
    The Weber one is actually unnecessarily complicated and expensive. What it contains is an auto-transformer with multiple impedance taps - the switching is not needed, you just need one jack per tap (possibly two on the 4 and 8-ohm taps if you want to drive two cabs) since you won't need to switch it in use once it's connected.

    I made one years ago using the output transformer from a Marshall solid-state 100W amp from the 70s - these had an autotransformer so that the 4-ohm amp could drive a standard 16-ohm Marshall cab (or two at 8 ohms) at the full 100W. I just mounted it in a box with three jacks.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • Dave_McDave_Mc Frets: 2022
    edited July 2023
    DavidRees said:
    Thanks- I came across that one, but will that actually do it? I might be being a bit dim, but that one only seems to let you plug into two cabs simultaneously. Maybe there's a secret hidden feature which lets you match/switch impedances for one cabinet that I'm not aware of...

    ICBM said:
    The Weber one is actually unnecessarily complicated and expensive. What it contains is an auto-transformer with multiple impedance taps - the switching is not needed, you just need one jack per tap (possibly two on the 4 and 8-ohm taps if you want to drive two cabs) since you won't need to switch it in use once it's connected.

    I made one years ago using the output transformer from a Marshall solid-state 100W amp from the 70s - these had an autotransformer so that the 4-ohm amp could drive a standard 16-ohm Marshall cab (or two at 8 ohms) at the full 100W. I just mounted it in a box with three jacks.
    Thanks :) Yeah it's seriously expensive... I came across a dealer in Germany which sells it and the price is getting on for where you could just buy another cab with decent speakers!

    I'm not sure I trust my soldering for anything "critical"! Pickups and general guitar electronics are one thing- not saying my soldering is up to scratch for them either, it's not, but as far as I'm aware I can't kill myself or any of my other gear with my ropey pickup and guitar electronics soldering- but anything involving high voltages or where I might leave something without a load if one of my solder joints failed is off the table for me, lol.
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  • Power-BeefPower-Beef Frets: 214
    edited July 2023
    Are these any good? They are adapter "thingies" that sort out the parallel and serial speaker connections.


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  • Dave_McDave_Mc Frets: 2022
    Power-Beef said:
    Are these any good? They are adapter "thingies" that sort out the parallel and serial speaker connections.


    Thanks, I think that seems to be more or less the same as the Palmer? It'll work if you want to combine two separate cabs but (as I said, unless I'm being dim!) I'm not sure it'll change the impedance for a single cab.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 69426
    Dave_Mc said:

    I think that seems to be more or less the same as the Palmer? It'll work if you want to combine two separate cabs but (as I said, unless I'm being dim!) I'm not sure it'll change the impedance for a single cab.
    No, it won’t.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • Dave_McDave_Mc Frets: 2022
    ICBM said:
    Dave_Mc said:

    I think that seems to be more or less the same as the Palmer? It'll work if you want to combine two separate cabs but (as I said, unless I'm being dim!) I'm not sure it'll change the impedance for a single cab.
    No, it won’t.
    That's what I figured, thanks :)

    I've got a feeling I combined in my head (probably due to wishful thinking!) the features of the Weber with the price of the Palmer...  =)
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