2x12 Eden cab trouble???

[Jahsteve]

Here's the deal...
I recently got a Music man 130HD-R head and am currently pairing it with a Eden Nemesis 212 cab (RS or NS 212 not sure).
i use an Gibson thunderbird studio (4 string).
Play mostly standard rock and some hard rock... pick 99% of the time...

At practice the yesterday i began getting a severly distorted and crackly sound out of the Cabinet but only when i picked the "E" string.
I immediaty thought i blew a speaker or something of that nature. After talking to a few people at work a few things came about the amp came to light. fi haven't been back to check out the amp fully since practice so in the mean time i figured i see what people thought.

1. Tubes, (currently using Ruby EL34's)
A. when were they last replaced? now i'd have to ask the guy i bought it from. In the musicman i believe the pre-amp tube is some sort of phase invertor? does the pre-amp/power tubes maybe need replacement?

2. Amp channels receiving to much input (i.e. clipping)
A. I am using the second set of inputs witht he "deep" knob engaged. (i guess it's considered the guitar channel, see attached picture). Has any one playing these amps had this issue?

3. Speaker/Driver choices
A. if i did blow a speaker any thoughts on a replacemant?
I was however thinking of moving to a 4x10 cab based on the type of music i play. Need more attack, punch. 2x12 seems sluggsih for hard rock. Any thoughts?

realize its a lot involved here. Thanks ahead of time...

[JimmyM]

all of those are distinct possibilities. i'd say #2 is the likely suspect (deep switch). you are probably just dialing in way too much low end for your speakers to handle. it takes way more wattage to amplify low end response than other freqs, and it sounds like you're slamming it with low end.

[Jahsteve]

thanks Jimmy... I figured it out. Moved from Channel 2 input 1 to input 2 and its fine. Not sure if something is wrong with 1... Either way could compression help with my "clipping and what not... i ahve read the article on compression here at talk bass and feel it could...