Peavey Black Widow Speaker Magnet Question

JakesC · #1 07-29-2011, 05:45 AM

What is the best way to thoroughly clean out a speaker magnet? I have done the double sided tape. Is it worth trying a vacuum cleaner or air compressor or are those measures too risky for damage? Also if a magnet is defective, is there any way to test it, short of sending back to manufacturer?

nashvillebill · #2 07-29-2011, 07:05 AM

Unless it's physically been damaged, like big chunks broken off inside, how could the magnet be defective? It's not going to demagnetize itself on its own.

I don't see any problem with using an air compressor or vacuum either (just don't use a sandblaster on it).

JTE · #3 07-29-2011, 10:49 AM

I'd use a vacuum, but not an air compressor. You don't want to drive anything INTO the gap, and that's what I'd be afraid of with blowing something in there. Folding some duct tape so the adhesive is outside and wiping the gap has always worked for me (I was a Peavey dealer for about seven years in the '80s and did quite a few replacements of BW and Scorpion speakers as well as HF drivers).

John

5StringFool · #4 07-29-2011, 10:53 AM

I replaced the basket on the Scorpion in my TNT 130 and used the duct tape method. It worked out great, been about four years and still going strong.

nashvillebill · #5 07-29-2011, 11:05 AM

When I said the air compressor was OK, I was assuming the magnet had already been pulled off and the OP was just cleaning off the empty magnet.

For an assembled speaker, I agree an air compressor would not be good.

JakesC · #6 08-02-2011, 06:35 AM

Yes, would not attempt power tool intervention with speaker basket attached. Thanks for the replies.

MNAirHead · #7 08-02-2011, 06:54 AM

there are step by step instrucitons on the website.

BbbyBld · #8 08-02-2011, 10:28 AM

Fold a triangle out of masking tape (like a paper football). Keep using new ones until it comes out clean. Adjust the thickness to taste. That's the Peavey way. Masking tape has the right amount of stickiness without leaving residue behind.

From lots of personal experience, compressed air or a vacuum won't be very effective on anything but dust, and there's usually not a lot of that in there unless you have an older magnet structure with a missing foam filter.

Don't stick anything metal into the magnet gap.

If you want to store the magnet, clean it and use masking tape to cover the gap.