Class 5 Into El84 Rack Power Amp

[razor]

Hi everyone

This is my first post, so thanks admin for what looks like a great and informative forum.

I was on the Marshall forum, and I think I got my question answered, but I thought I should get some (pardon the pun) feed back here. Basically I want to do the reverse of the bedroom secret.

I own a Marshall combo class 5.There's no 1 watt option switch , so I imagine it's an older one. Black tolex and gold grill.
I also have the Marshall el84 20x20 rack stereo power amp just sitting in a rack, and a 1960 4x12 cab.
A few days ago, my eyes went from the combo to the rack and back. After I repeated this process a few times I had one of those "aha" moments. my wife calls it a hamster on a wheel, but anyways.

I just had this brainstorm that if I can somehow direct the pre-amp out of the little Marshall and into the rack power amp and finally into a 2x12 or my existing 4x12, I may have more options if I wanted a larger sound..Don't get me wrong, the class 5 does okay, but with another guitar player playing an EL34 type amp , I can get washed out...
I'm actually happy that I have this rack sitting there doing nothing (for now).

Now someone on the Marshall forum suggested a Weber load dump out of the cab out and into the power amp, but someone hinted about the bedroom secret using the headphone out. No attenuation or load dumping device required.Now your thoughts? Please excuse me. I'm a bit of a lay-man when it comes to electronics.

Now, because it's not going into a cabinet can I just use a standard guitar cable between the head phone jack and into the rack power -amp? Also does it have to be half way?..I guess because it's a mono cable going into a stereo out it needs to be, so forget that..(layman here remember)

Finally, would you caution against doing this procedure, and just get a load dump between the cab out and power amp like someone else suggested?

I appreciate all your input(pardon the pun again) and thanks again for a great forum.

[P A U L]

Welcome to the forum...

You would use a TRS (stereo) to Y (¼/¼) mono out...

There should be more knowledgeable folk chiming in before too long.

[razor]

Good suggestion.Thanks! .Now my power amp does take one input if need be.It has a left and right, and in brackets under the left it says to use it for mono.
The main thing is I don't want to overload the power amp's input..I like that suggestion though..This way I wouldn't have to worry about keeping a mono guitar cable half way in the head phone out.

[ClassicRock88]

The Class 5's headphone out is a loud output and, as I understand it, too loud for mixing boards. If you plug it in to an external cabinet you can actually still hear the amp quite well. I would almost suggest using the headphone trick and plugging into an attenuator. Or just attenuate the amp down to board level and plug it into your power amp that way.

[razor]

^ Okay thanks for your input..I appreciate it.

[razor]

Delete

[P A U L]

Hey Razor, I actually found something that may be of interest...

http://marshallroadhouse.com/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=12222

also, the thread he's referring to:

http://marshallroadhouse.com/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=7505

[razor]

Wow Paul thank you very much! very interesting.