Black Widow Speakers Good Speakers?

WINGS012345 · #1 03-31-2011, 12:01 PM

Hey, I'm picking up Peavey 2x15D cab. Its has the 2 15 inch BW speakers in it. Now giving that the speakers are in good sounding condition, which I'm told they are. Are they Decent speakers? I have a brand new pair of CELESTION 15" BL15-400 Bass speakers i bought for another cab. Just curious on your thoughts.

greenboy · #2 03-31-2011, 12:02 PM

For the period they came from they are good.

evilt70 · #3 03-31-2011, 12:04 PM

I have 2 of them that came in a Mesa Boogie cabinet I bought (for 200 bucks!!), and I think they sound great. They are damn near indestructible.

BigOldHarry · #4 03-31-2011, 12:08 PM

The whole "Black Widow" thing was a marketing ploy by Peavey to try to convince folks that they were putting high quality / badass sounding parts in their cabs. Were they good? I don't really know... I would be *very* interested to know the actual part history here - - I think its a safe guess that Peavey bought all of his drivers from a specialized company - Does someone here on TB have some backstore here?

As far as the comparison of Celestion vs. Black widow - I think I can safely say that the Celestion speakers were much more expensive, if nothing else. They do make fine guitar speakers, but for bass, I don't know.

greenboy · #5 03-31-2011, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigOldHarry

The whole "Black Widow" thing was a marketing ploy by Peavey to try to convince folks that they were putting high quality / badass sounding parts in their cabs.

Do some googling. You need to.

Quote:

I would be *very* interested to know the actual part history here

Do some googling. You need to.

Quote:

I think its a safe guess that Peavey bought all of his drivers from a specialized company

Wrong. Way off. Do some googling. You need to.

Webtroll · #6 03-31-2011, 12:25 PM

I've had 18" BW speakers and they sounded great. My listening habits have become more refined since then but I remember the 1X18 and 2X18/2X10 (with the crossover removed and the 10s disconnected) as some fine sounding cabs.

SundanceChile · #7 03-31-2011, 12:27 PM

http://www.peavey.com/media/pdf/manuals/80300801.pdf

Kevlar cone eh?

BigOldHarry · #8 03-31-2011, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greenboy

Do some googling. You need to.

Do some googling. You need to.

Wrong. Way off. Do some googling. You need to.

Well, aren't you the helpful one.

If I really *cared*, I'd do an exhaustive search on the history of Peavey speakers. As I have found most Peavey gear to be well beneath my standards, I'd just don't care that much.

But thanks.

greenboy · #9 03-31-2011, 12:30 PM

Big Harry. You said you cared:

Quote:

I would be *very* interested to know the actual part history here

But obviously you are not interested in the slightest or you wouldn't have spouted a bunch of incorrect and biased nonsense. You so often do this. How about not even posting a supposed answer unless it is fact-based.

brenner182 · #10 03-31-2011, 12:31 PM

uh-oh.

mndean · #11 03-31-2011, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigOldHarry

Well, aren't you the helpful one.

If I really *cared*, I'd do an exhaustive search on the history of Peavey speakers. As I have found most Peavey gear to be well beneath my standards, I'd just don't care that much.

But thanks.

Let me ask something then. Why do you bother answering in a thread where you have no knowledge in what's being asked?

greenboy · #12 03-31-2011, 12:33 PM

If you are going to say something as damning as "The whole "Black Widow" thing was a marketing ploy by Peavey to try to convince folks that they were putting high quality / badass sounding parts in their cabs" you really should corroborate that with a source, because there is even a book out about all this, and this forum also has a lot of searchables on the facts. I ought to sick one of the resident Peavey fans on you!

http://www.amazon.com/Peavey-Revolut.../dp/0879308494

BassBob1 · #13 03-31-2011, 12:40 PM

never played any kind of bass cab that had Black widows in it but the band i was in in high school used a pa that had 2 118s with black widows and they were great.

robb. · #14 03-31-2011, 12:41 PM

BW speakers are, and always have been, designed in mississippi by peavey. they still make BW speakers. they are very good. a lot of smart transducer engineers have gone through the doors there.

robb.

Downunderwonder · #15 03-31-2011, 12:42 PM

I read some history articles on Peavey's site out of curiosity once. Well worth a read. The "hard to break" reputation came about from a dedicated mindset to build stuff that way.

alexofc69 · #16 03-31-2011, 12:43 PM

My big metal rig back in the day was a GK800RB and a Peavey 2x15 cab with black widows. Yes, they did sound really good. The cabinet was a monster! You will be happy with it. My days of heavy gear are long over.

ack · #17 03-31-2011, 12:49 PM

Not sure if this'll help answer your question, but I replaced the stock 15" speaker in my practice amp (TNT130) with a new BW (#1502-4), and have had zero issues with it and it sounds great (especially when using my "sub-standard" US Peavey basses).

bassbrad · #18 03-31-2011, 01:02 PM

My favorite cabs have Black Widow speakers in them I have a 1x15, 2x15 and a 1x12. I can compare them to the EV 15L/ Mesa Boogie Black Shadow speakers that I have in identical 2x15 cab, the Black Widows are more dynamic and sensitive than the EV and handle power just as well. The EV speakers have a certain grunt to them or a low mid snarl where the Black Widows are more accurate sounding.

FWIW Black Shadow and Scorpion speakers are a proprietary design speaker system that allows quick, easy economical replacement of the basket assembly manufactured by Peavey.

BrickBatMansion · #19 03-31-2011, 01:04 PM

Just from my personal experience:

in 1996-97 i put a 4ohm peavey BW in a 1977 MUSICMAN 1x15 cab. Going on 15 yrs now, that is the best sounding, LOUDEST small cab i have ever owned. i use it on all small gigs. never had a problem with it. ive pushed it with a GK 800, '76 AMPEG SVT, MUSICMAN HD 130, SANSAMP RBI/CROWN and lately, a TC ELECTRONIC RH450. it sounded great with all these heads/rigs.

this cab/speaker combo out runs my EDEN 4x10, EDEN 1X15, AMPEG 4X12,PEAVEY BX 1X15 BW(!) and is almost as loud as an ampeg 8x10, just not as much "woof" underneath.

in fact, if i could find another of those early MM cabs, i would put a BW in it and be done.

jeff7bass · #20 03-31-2011, 01:04 PM

That’s what I love about Talkbass. Say something about a company and somebody from that company is likely to answer!
The cabs I’ve heard loaded with Black Widows sounded mighty and powerful and people swear by them. That’s all I know.
What I’ve learned from Talkbass though is the cab as a whole, not just the drivers, are what makes it worth the money.
I’ve also learned that speakers rated at a specific wattage might only perform at 50, 60, 70 percent of that wattage before farting are even tearing.
So the questions are;
1. What percentage of the Black Widow speaker is useful compared to say, an Eminence or Celestion in the same price range?
2. How many drivers are better regardless of price?

Let’s use a 15” driver as an example. Ok….. GO.