Bass Farts on certain notes

[A Rock]

My amp distorts when I play a D note but then is fine with other notes. Does the fact that distortion occurs on certain notes mean that my cone is ripped?

[Kenner]

What are you playing through?

[billfitzmaurice]

Originally Posted by A Rock

My amp distorts when I play a D note but then is fine with other notes. Does the fact that distortion occurs on certain notes mean that my cone is ripped?

It's not unusual for the driver excursion to be at a maximum, and therefore resistance to farting out at a minimum, at a certain note, with more headroom both above and below that note. It does indicate that you're probably at the limit of your speaker's capacity.

[CPplaysBASS]

For me last month, it was a C or C# and I thought that same thing and immediately starting looking for replacement speakers.

It turned out to be a very minor problem that I never heard anyone else mention ... the speaker connectors had oxidized and was creating some kind of interference just within the frequency range of the notes. I wish I could explain it better, but I'm not a techie at all and just relating what the repair guy explained to me.

I'm glad the tech I brought it to was honest, since I just told him I needed two new 10" installed, but he said he'd do a full diagnostic since he thought maybe it was an air leak or crack in the cab.

So I ended up paying $75 mostly for his time and a couple of shots of anti-oxidant spray, but that was better the the $200+ for replacing the speakers.

I've played through the cab constantly since then, and I have no problems whatsoever. Speakers are 100% fine.

That was just my experience ... it could be the speaker, crack in the cab, or what I mentioned. My bet though, not knowing any other details, is that it is not the speaker.

Edit: My speaker (or at least one of the 2X10's) was distorting even at very low "practicing by myself" levels, and never play at max volume so even though I was surprised that the speakers were shot ... which, of course, they were not.

[uglyrumor]

You may also want to check that the speaker is not tightened down so much that it is slightly warped and the voice coil is rubbing. A possibility.

[A Rock]

Originally Posted by Kenner

What are you playing through?

I am playing through an Ampeg 2x10 combo rated at 220W.
EQ was flat, Volume and Gain a little less than 50%.

Thanks guys!