Problems with my bass stack

GreenEggsnHam · #1 09-25-2011, 11:26 AM

I'm hoping someone who knows more than I do about amps can help me here... I recently purchased a bass stack from I guy I found on cl. It was a carvin 115&210 with a peavy pro tour 450 head. I brought it home and it sounded pretty sweet. Plenty of volume for the kind of gigs I play (clubs, theatres). After owning it for about a month, I brought ONLY the 210 to my friends for a jam. We played for a couple hours, and I only had the thing up at just less than half. I noticed nothing wrong. I left it there for a bit and had a few more jam sessions over the span of two weeks, and when I brought it home, the thing sounded like garbage. It would hiss loudly at times, and isn't NEARLY as loud as it was before... Upon investigation of the cab it sais "200 watts" on the back, where my head puts out 450.. I'm wondering if the things completely busted.

cableguy · #2 09-25-2011, 11:39 AM

If you didn't notice anything while playing. (speaker farting or distorting) Sounds like someone may have been playing it too loud when you weren't there. That head most likelt puts out 450 at 4 ohms. The cab should be 8 ohms so the head wasn't at it's full power. Still a 2x10 can only do so much. It could have been pushed a little too hard.

GreenEggsnHam · #3 09-25-2011, 11:46 AM

Yeah I think I just put too much volume through... can anything be done to fix it?

Dustin Teel · #4 09-25-2011, 11:47 AM

Yes, you probably blew the speakers.

By using the 2x10 by itself, you actually sent it more power than when using it in the stack. When you hook up two cabs to a 450 watt head, each cab will get 225 watts, which is probably safe enough not to risk damage to the Carvin speakers, assuming you dont turn it on full blast or use some crazy EQs.

That head sends 300 watts into an 8 ohm load. If you had the volume at just less than half, that was probably more than the 2x10 could handle.

u84six · #5 09-25-2011, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenEggsnHam

I'm hoping someone who knows more than I do about amps can help me here... I recently purchased a bass stack from I guy I found on cl. It was a carvin 115&210 with a peavy pro tour 450 head. I brought it home and it sounded pretty sweet. Plenty of volume for the kind of gigs I play (clubs, theatres). After owning it for about a month, I brought ONLY the 210 to my friends for a jam. We played for a couple hours, and I only had the thing up at just less than half. I noticed nothing wrong. I left it there for a bit and had a few more jam sessions over the span of two weeks, and when I brought it home, the thing sounded like garbage. It would hiss loudly at times, and isn't NEARLY as loud as it was before... Upon investigation of the cab it sais "200 watts" on the back, where my head puts out 450.. I'm wondering if the things completely busted.

Did you confirm that it's not your amp by plugging in your 115?

Dustin Teel · #6 09-25-2011, 11:50 AM

Quote:

... can anything be done to fix it?

That depends what is wrong with the speakers. If they are hissing and quiet but aren't farting or distorted, that sounds to me like a melted voice coil.

You can replace a voice coil yourself without having to buy new speakers, but I would get an expert to look at it for you if you have no experience doing this.

Good luck

**B-string** · #7 09-25-2011, 11:54 AM

If it played fine for you and a week later it doesn't........who played it way too loud before you came back for it?
Could also have had a wire come loose from one of the 10"s in transport. Even if the amp head has a 1000 watts available, if you only turn it up loud enough to use 100 watts that will not blow a 200 watt cab!
( Copied and pasted from your duplicate post)

**B-string** · #8 09-25-2011, 12:03 PM

At 8 ohms it will put out 300 watts so at less than half on the master with input gain maxed before distortion you may have been close to 200 watts but that is very hard to know. The point is it worked fine for you.......left behind and NOW it doesn't. Start asking some questions where you left it.

walterw · #9 09-25-2011, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dustin Teel

...that sounds to me like a melted voice coil.

You can replace a voice coil yourself without having to buy new speakers,...

how the heck would you do that?

if you're talking about reconing, that would likely cost more than just replacing those generic carvin 10s.

Dustin Teel · #10 09-25-2011, 12:38 PM

Yes, I was talking about reconing. Given the price point on the Carvin's, you're actually probably correct. It may be cheaper to just replace them.

wounded horse · #11 09-25-2011, 01:46 PM

EQ is as much to blame for baked drivers as volume. Every bass player should watch what happens when you take a bass head with graphic EQ, set the bottom slider at -6dB and play bottom E at a lowish volume through a 2X10. Watch the cone. Now set the bottom slider to +6dB and watch the cone again. Mama, it's trying to get out the cab. The excursion difference is huge. Boosted low end EQ is what cooks drivers. If you need high volume levels and like boosted 30/40/60hz, you need more cabs. Simple as that. I wish I had a pound for every bass rig I've seen with a 300watt(ish) head, a 300 watt(ish) cab and a a grinning EQ. It won't last long.