Can resistor substitute for a speaker to get desired Ohmage

[Zippy]

I tried my amp on friends cab which is 4 Ohms., I REALLY REALLY like the sound, it's much bigger, and has more bass.

My feeling is there is something else going on beyond load impedance. Are the cabs manufactured by the same company, and are they the same model? Do either of them have foam or glass wool batting in them? Are they both closed-back? Ported? Did you try both cabs in the same room, and in the same location in the room?

Now we're trackin'. I agree. It sounds like the main difference is the cabinet/speaker - not just the cabinet impedance.

[Firestorm]

As long as we're putting the right load on the right tap, physics says it shouldn't make a difference. Gerald Weber insists that it does, but says the higher impedance taps are the better sounding ones. More technically adept writers say he's full of it.

But considering that it's not possible to wire both 4 and 8 ohm cabs using exactly the same speaker (whether series, parallel or - in the case of 4x12 - series/parallel or parallel/series), different impedance speakers have to be involved. It's likely that the different speakers used simply sound different. It's also possible that the 4-ohm cab uses all parallel connections, while the 8-ohm cab includes series connections. That would make a difference. Series connected speakers sound looser at the bottom because they are less well damped.

In any case, I can't see how impedance alone would account for any change in the sound.

[Firestorm]

Double.

[VacuumVoodoo]

But considering that it's not possible to wire both 4 and 8 ohm cabs using exactly the same speaker (whether series, parallel or - in the case of 4x12 - series/parallel or parallel/series), different impedance speakers have to be involved. It's likely that the different speakers used simply sound different. It's also possible that the 4-ohm cab uses all parallel connections, while the 8-ohm cab includes series connections. That would make a difference. Series connected speakers sound looser at the bottom because they are less well damped.

This.
Also, in a 4x12 cab it's not very unusual to see - I meant "hear" - 1 speaker connected out of phase from the other 3, sometimes it's 2 vs. 2 speakers.

[Colossal]

As long as we're putting the right load on the right tap, physics says it shouldn't make a difference. Gerald Weber insists that it does, but says the higher impedance taps are the better sounding ones. More technically adept writers say he's full of it.

I've heard this same folklore/Internet hearsay and the notion is that higher impedance taps take advantage of more of the total winding in the OT, supposedly making some kind of audible difference.

[Blackburn]

As long as we're putting the right load on the right tap, physics says it shouldn't make a difference. Gerald Weber insists that it does, but says the higher impedance taps are the better sounding ones. More technically adept writers say he's full of it.

I've heard this same folklore/Internet hearsay and the notion is that higher impedance taps take advantage of more of the total winding in the OT, supposedly making some kind of audible difference.

Dan Boul made the same claim in one of his "Lunch With Dan" segments. I can't recall if it was the Ingrid one or one of his others, like the Empire. At one point he claims the 16R tap always sounds hotter (Better, he says) and will have more drive than the others, because you're using the full winding. I'm almost always using the 8R tap on any amp with my 1x12 cab and seem to do alright. Sounds 'hot' enough to me. A few of my OTs don't even have multi secondaries, so I guess 8R would be the hottest on those.

[VacuumVoodoo]

That's a misconception stemming from not understanding how a transformer works. We can put this internet myth to rest.
The only thing that may put some truth behind it is sectioning and interleaving of windings. Very often the 4 & 8 Ohm winding will be the last to be wound on the outside of the bobbin with the 16 Ohm section sandwiched between primary sections. This results in slight variations in capacitive coupling and stray inductance between primary and secondary. Depending on which tap is used this would have an effect only on the very high end of frequency range, not on mid or low end.
Above assumes correct impedance match, with 8R speaker on 16R tap the bets are off.

[Blackburn]

That's a misconception stemming from not understanding how a transformer works. We can put this internet myth to rest.
The only thing that may put some truth behind it is sectioning and interleaving of windings. Very often the 4 & 8 Ohm winding will be the last to be wound on the outside of the bobbin with the 16 Ohm section sandwiched between primary sections. This results in slight variations in capacitive coupling and stray inductance between primary and secondary. Depending on which tap is used this would have an effect only on the very high end of frequency range, not on mid or low end.
Above assumes correct impedance match, with 8R speaker on 16R tap the bets are off.

And that's why you're "Vacuum Voodoo"...

Thanks for the info, dude.

[Emetal]

Well we are splitting hairs now As a Metal guy that plays high gain music, my ears just love less Ohms, and there is also something about the feeling in my right hand while I play, the amp just sounds more direct, it follows my hand faster.. Ohh I don't know, I just love it