Fret Buzz or Need New Speaker?

swiggyswag · #1 03-26-2010, 05:25 PM

What is causing this noise? I think I might need a new speaker. What do you think?

Here is a video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acdy0T9LvoQ

lbwdog · #2 03-26-2010, 05:39 PM

The one note that's buzzing horribly sounds like something vibrating in sympathy with that frequency. Could be a handle, crossover, driver or any number of things including something in the room. Or even the cabinet itself.
I guess it could be a speaker going bad too.

swiggyswag · #3 03-26-2010, 05:45 PM

It does the same noise if I play an open E though also.

swiggyswag · #4 03-26-2010, 05:47 PM

It sounds like its coming from the speaker, possibly the back of it?

swiggyswag · #5 03-26-2010, 06:10 PM

Ok so if I put my foot like it is in the picture and press down a little it stops the awful noise? Would that mean that the speaker is moving too much or something or being overloaded or can't handle those notes? or something else. Also the screws are as tight as i can get them.

Rick Auricchio · #6 03-26-2010, 06:20 PM

The speaker is either shot, or there is an air leak in the cabinet. Try tightening all the speaker bolts, and check for holes/cracks in the cabinet.

swiggyswag · #7 03-26-2010, 06:27 PM

What would an air leak in the cabinet do?

swiggyswag · #8 03-26-2010, 06:42 PM

Checked the cab, no holes or cracks. I'm thinking it is the speaker. I was thinking about getting a new speaker anyways, so I guess Ill just do that. Didn't really want to spend the money but I guess I have to

Probably will sound really good though with a new crisp 15". Thanks a ton for the help.

lbwdog · #9 03-26-2010, 06:59 PM

Is that amp worth spending on? Really, I don't know.

Sundogue · #10 03-26-2010, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by swiggyswag

Checked the cab, no holes or cracks. I'm thinking it is the speaker. I was thinking about getting a new speaker anyways, so I guess Ill just do that. Didn't really want to spend the money but I guess I have to

Probably will sound really good though with a new crisp 15". Thanks a ton for the help.

Either get an exact replacement, or measure the internal dimensions of your cab and we can help you pick out a speaker that may work in that cab.

swiggyswag · #11 03-26-2010, 07:04 PM

Someone sent me this

I would estimate the usable internal volume at 1.75 cubic feet and I think your cab is tuned to about 55 Hz. The small internal volume will help protect against over-excursion, which is good considering the fairly high tuning frequency. The 8-ohm Kappalite 3015 will give you -3 dB at 72 Hz with a negligible upper bass bump. The 4-ohm Basslite C2515 will give you -3 dB at 71 Hz with a 4 dB peak at about 110 Hz, at about 1.5 dB lower efficiency than the 3015.

After I gave them the info about it.
What do you think?

vinxbass · #12 03-26-2010, 07:15 PM

It sounds like the frequency of the E string is causing the cabinet to vibrate. Possible air leak, doesn't sound like the speaker is bad. That amp doesn't leave much to be desired if I may say so.

Jaco who? · #13 03-26-2010, 07:22 PM

If i recall correctly, Oscar Schmidt is a division of Washburn, and are noted for OK cheap acoustic guitars, probably farm out the amp division stuff, and don't have real deep pockets to spend on custom drivers.

Try to eliminate the possibility of a loose brace or panel rattling someplace, it sure sounds like a sympathetic vibration to me. If not, you may find Alpha or Beta stamped on the back of it, in which case it would be cheap enough to get a 60$-70$ Eminence replacement.

swiggyswag · #14 03-26-2010, 07:32 PM

The cab is ported in the front, two 4x4x4 triangles, if that changes any ideas about a leak. I opened it up and all it has is a big sticker on the speaker saying oscar schmidt loud speaker lol nothing else. This is just my "practice amp" i would say. The drummer has a vintage acoustic 410 half stack I can play with at shows if I want. This was a gift to me so I haven't put any money into it, so I'm not complaining hehe. Should I take it into a different room and try it? I don't get it why it doesn't do it on all the notes on the fretboard only some and when I put my foot on the speaker it fixes the problem. Wouldn't the idea of me playing a different note the same strength and it not rattling something get rid of the idea that something is rattling in the amp? Thanks

swiggyswag · #15 03-26-2010, 08:06 PM

I may have figured something out. I was wondering something. The internal volume of this cab is extremely small imo. I was wondering. Is it possible when i turn the volume up alot (that's when it does this the most) the speaker is hitting the back of the cab and thats causing the noise? The depth is only around 9.5 inches and the speaker goes back a ways. If its hitting the back do you think its just vibrating everything too much?

Rick Auricchio · #16 03-26-2010, 09:17 PM

I wouldn't think the speaker would hit the back of the cab, if it's the original. After all, they wouldn't make the cab so small so the speaker would hit.

An air leak can still cause a problem even in a ported cabinet. Make sure the speaker mounting bolts are tight.

INTP · #17 03-26-2010, 09:19 PM

Sounds to me like sympathetic vibration of something in the cab. Maybe a loose brace or something in the amp section, a loose jack, etc. I could be wrong, but the foot on the speaker might be just dampening the volume so it doesn't happen, and it isn't necessarily the speaker that is the culprit.

I have a bookcase with a floating panel that vibrates like that with a C. It's hard to localize just listening to it, but if you move the amp away from the bookcase, it's easier to tell where it's coming from. You may have done this, but try moving your amp to make sure the buzzing does actually follow the amp and isn't something else in the room.