I own a Fender ’59 Bassman combo that I have modified with a switching jack so I can disconnect the internal speakers and route the amp’s output to an external load.
I am interested in buying the Fryette Power Load IR to use with this amp, but I need to be sure about the impedance matching. When set to 2/4, does the unit correctly and safely present a true 2-ohm load to the amp? Or is that setting more of an approximation between 2 and 4 ohms? Am I good to go with the 2/4Ω option?
Sorry if it’s a dumb question I just want to make sure it will operate reliably and without risk of damaging the Bassman’s output transformer before I proceed with the purchase.
Sorry for the delay – we have been at Guitar Summit '25
It’s not a dumb question at all. I think you are asking if there is some clever stuff going on or whether it’s just splitting the difference.
The PS-IR, PS-2A and PS-100 have all been fully tested using '59 Bassman. This amp was actually considered in its design. The 2/4 ohm mode on the Power Station is compatible with them.
The numerical ratings for amplifiers (2, 4, 8 and 16 ohms) are typically stated as “nominal”, which means average under typical operating conditions. That nominal figure is also frequency dependent (different for low vs mid and high frequencies). The DCR (DC resistance), on the other hand, is not frequency dependent but a fixed value.
In short, the DCR of the 2/4 ohm setting on the PS is about midway between a 2 and 4 ohm impedance-rated speaker and therefore more than safe to use. Hope that clarifies things.
everything’s crystal clear now and I actually ordered the PL-IR already! Greetings from sunny Barcelona!