Need help with speakers.

bassbum · #1 09-28-2011, 08:23 PM

I have a 8 year old Fender Bassman 400 combo amp. For the second time I have blown one of the speakers in it. I replaced both about 6 years ago with Eminence Legend BP102's rated at 200 watts. One is blown again. There is a guy on local Craigslist selling 4 Eminence Basslite CA2010's for $75 each, slightly used. Those are rated at 150 watts. My question is should I just replace the one bad BP at about $85 or should I get two of the CA2010's at $150. The CA2010's are selling for about $160 new. Will the Basslites sound better that the Legends in this combo is my main question.

Sartori · #2 09-28-2011, 11:28 PM

Why don't you just get them reconed?

Also, maybe you should turn the volume or the lows down a bit when they start protesting.

bassbum · #3 09-29-2011, 03:53 AM

The first time the speakers went, I was playing in the worship band at church. It certainly was not a high volume situation. The second time, I let the youth worship band at church borrow it. Than may have been a different story. I have never had a speaker reconed. What kind of price range would I be looking at?

Sartori · #4 09-29-2011, 04:11 AM

Well, not sure, myself, as I've never blown a speaker.

I would think that getting a new cone put on would be cheaper than getting a whole new speaker assembly, though.

Also, high volume isn't the only thing that can blow drivers. Too much low end can also cause speaker damage if the driver isn't capable of handling it.

billfitzmaurice · #5 09-29-2011, 07:18 AM

What you need to do is double your driver count. Blown drivers are a sure indication that you don't have enough of them. As for output capacity, watts mean nothing, excursion and response mean everything. The BP102 has twice the output capacity of the CA2010.

bassbum · #6 09-29-2011, 08:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billfitzmaurice

What you need to do is double your driver count. Blown drivers are a sure indication that you don't have enough of them. As for output capacity, watts mean nothing, excursion and response mean everything. The BP102 has twice the output capacity of the CA2010.

I don't remember what drivers came with the amp originally, but are you telling me that the amp/driver configuration was bad from the get-go? I use this an expensive, over sized practice amp so I have no interest in adding another cabinet. It seems from what you are telling me is that the most cost effective way to go it to just get the bad driver repaired.

Sartori · #7 09-29-2011, 02:44 PM

Well, first you should figure out why you're blowing drivers when, as you say, you're not exactly using them at high volume.

What's your EQ like?

will33 · #8 09-29-2011, 03:14 PM

Using an oversized practice amp or playing in a church don't require a lot of volume boosting. If this is a combo, it could be that the cabinet is tuned really high. Thst could cause the drivers to unload if you're using a lot of bass boost. A pair of bp102's in a good cab would need a good deal of power and/or bass boost to send them to the great beyond.