replacement 15" speaker help

loner9 · #1 09-18-2010, 01:11 PM

Hello all,

I have an old (12yrs) carvin 15" speaker cab and the speaker sounds like crapola. I would like to replace it. I looked on some of the usual online music stores, and I can't seem to find good ones.

I'm pairing this cab up with a Markbass 800 head (500w at 8ohms.) I want an 8 ohm speaker that will handle around 500w.

Where can I find just the speaker from brands such as GK, Eden, Ampeg, and the other good ones i'm forgetting to mention? It seems all I can find are celestion or eminence and I'm pretty sure these are subwoofers for PA systems, not actual bass gutair speakers.

Also, since I'm replacing a 15" with another 15", can I assume that it will fit perfectly? Can I use the same crossover or does it need replaced too?

any help or thoughts appreciated,

thank you in advance.

JimmyM · #2 09-18-2010, 01:12 PM

good luck finding a single 15" that does 500w in a carvin cab.

rpsands · #3 09-18-2010, 01:14 PM

Eminence makes almost everything.

Not many 15" speakers will handle 500w realistically. The Kappalite 3015 is about the only affordable standalone model that will, and the 3015LF also but it requires a midrange driver for most uses.

No, you cannot assume that the cutout size for all 15's is the same. It is listed in the specs and you need to measure it - older woofers often had slightly smaller cutouts.

You'd do well to post the measurements of all of the dimensions of the cab (port size and depth, external dimensions, etc) as well as it'll garner better recommendations.

loner9 · #4 09-18-2010, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

good luck finding a single 15" that does 500w in a carvin cab.

why would that be? Keep in mind, im a bit ignorant of the construction aspects. Why would the cab itself matter, as long as the speaker fits?

loner9 · #5 09-18-2010, 01:24 PM

the cab is 21" tall (not including the port on the bottom)
18 " deep
23" wide

gonna get a pic up in a couple mins.

JimmyM · #6 09-18-2010, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by loner9

why would that be? Keep in mind, im a bit ignorant of the construction aspects. Why would the cab itself matter, as long as the speaker fits?

the cab construction makes all the difference. bass speakers are designed to work in boxes that are optimally designed for them, and ports need to be tuned to the individual speaker for best response. not only that, but most average 115 cabs won't let you put 500w worth of power into a speaker even if it can handle it, which, as rp said, there might be a very small handful that do. gone are the days of throwing speakers in boxes, unless you like to waste money buying speakers you think will work but don't.

will33 · #7 09-18-2010, 01:31 PM

If it's an old V115 or redline, they used carvin's speaker model the PS15C. The 'C' labeled it as a bass speaker but this is the closest replacement of what's easy to find on their site.

http://www.carvinguitars.com/product...product=PS15-8

Little newer model than yours but they use them in similair cabs. When I measured my old V115 it came in about 3.7 - 3.8 cu.ft. tuned roughly 50hz or so. That will work with a decent variety of emi speakers. I'd advise against using a beta15 though. I tried one as a replacement not knowing what I was doing and it didn't work well at all.

loner9 · #8 09-18-2010, 01:33 PM

rpsands · #9 09-18-2010, 01:34 PM

At that size you're on the border between a 3015LF and a 3015. I'd go with the latter if you want a standalone box without anything else to buy.

will33 · #10 09-18-2010, 01:35 PM

I should add that's it's shelf ported meaning the port is built as part of the cab. Not too hard to lower tuning as that means adding a strip of wood to make the port longer. Raising it would be a PITA trying to accurately cut it shorter inside the cab although the tuning probably shouldn't be raised much above 50 anyway. If your's is the redline series, I'd measure it before choosing anything other than the carvin replacement. I'm not sure if any real internal design changed between the V and the redline.

loner9 · #11 09-18-2010, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by will33

If it's an old V115 or redline, they used carvin's speaker model the PS15C. The 'C' labeled it as a bass speaker but this is the closest replacement of what's easy to find on their site.

http://www.carvinguitars.com/product...product=PS15-8

Little newer model than yours but they use them in similair cabs. When I measured my old V115 it came in about 3.7 - 3.8 cu.ft. tuned roughly 50hz or so. That will work with a decent variety of emi speakers. I'd advise against using a beta15 though. I tried one as a replacement not knowing what I was doing and it didn't work well at all.

yes, it is indeed a redline rl115 4 ohm 500w.

i just thought maybe i'd put something in it a little nicer than a carvin, no offense to carvin (i love their stuff, actually)

will33 · #12 09-18-2010, 01:40 PM

Yours looks like the V115 so you can use my measurements, they're plenty close enough. The kappalite3015 (non-LF) would be the best choice for a single speaker box like you have. Roughly twice the price but also twice the performance of the carvin replacement. It's much higher in sensitivity and longer xmax to boot. If you want something cheap and easy and have it sound like it used to, the carvin's like $70.

will33 · #13 09-18-2010, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by loner9

yes, it is indeed a redline rl115 4 ohm 500w.

i just thought maybe i'd put something in it a little nicer than a carvin, no offense to carvin (i love their stuff, actually)

The kappalite's are 8ohms but they play so much louder you won't notice a difference. Wouldn't be as limiting in a future choice of amps either.

loner9 · #14 09-18-2010, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by will33

Yours looks like the V115 so you can use my measurements, they're plenty close enough. The kappalite3015 (non-LF) would be the best choice for a single speaker box like you have. Roughly twice the price but also twice the performance of the carvin replacement. It's much higher in sensitivity and longer xmax to boot. If you want something cheap and easy and have it sound like it used to, the carvin's like $70.

what is xmax and sensitivity plz?

And thanks for all these great and fast responses!

rpsands · #15 09-18-2010, 01:50 PM

http://eminence.com/resources/data.asp

will33 · #16 09-18-2010, 01:54 PM

What year is your cab? I almost looks like a hybrid between the 2 models. The redline's were a couple inches deeper than the V series. The V series had a small pattern expanded metal grill though. Your grill looks like what came on the redlines but it doesn't look as deep and there's no red tweeter in it. The carpet on the redlines was pretty much black, less gray than the V's.

sensitivity = How much sound coming out per watt going in. Higher SPL will play louder with the same input as lower SPL. This varies with frequency though.

xmax = excursion. How far it can move back and forth before it can't put out any more bass and starts to distort.

Those are a couple of the 20-30 or so different specs there are to a speaker. How many watts it is and how big it is are in most cases the least important.

Search and read.

will33 · #17 09-18-2010, 02:02 PM

http://www.carvinmuseum.com/decade/i...dlineamps.html

Yours looks like a later '90's redline, before they started putting tweeters in the 15's. They were built a little deeper but also a little narrower than the V series. Real internal volume is likely real close between the 2.

loner9 · #18 09-18-2010, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by will33

http://www.carvinmuseum.com/decade/i...dlineamps.html

Yours looks like a later '90's redline, before they started putting tweeters in the 15's.

yup that's exactly right...i hope they put ME in a museum someday...

now if I were to buy the kappalite3015 (non-LF) speaker as suggested above, is that all I will need? someone in the review of this product said that i would need to get a mid-range driver for it. What does that mean? the speaker needs something else to make it work? The speaker itself is like 170 bucks , and I'll maybe need a "driver" to go with it? It has "driver" in the description! Is this reviewer nuts or am I missing something?

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/show...number=290-598

I was thinking a couple of twists of the ole screwdriver and this would be easy. Turns out to be more complex than I thought.

rpsands · #19 09-18-2010, 02:17 PM

You need to measure the cutout to make sure it'll fit.

But yes, that would be all you need assuming the cutout is right.

A midrange driver is a separate speaker for higher frequencies...with just the 3015, I don't think it's necessary. The 3015 will have better top end than the Carvin almost for sure.

loner9 · #20 09-18-2010, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by will33

http://www.carvinmuseum.com/decade/i...dlineamps.html

Yours looks like a later '90's redline, before they started putting tweeters in the 15's. They were built a little deeper but also a little narrower than the V series. Real internal volume is likely real close between the 2.

Yup that's exactly what I bought 12 years ago, the redline 600 head, and the 115 and 410 speakers.

Interesting note about this "600" head. Check out that link http://www.carvinmuseum.com/decade/i...dlineamps.html

...looks great right? Especially if you're new to the bass rig game (and I was back then.) It's is touted as a "bi-amp head" with 2 seperate amps in it each 300w.

What they DON'T say is that THIS IS ALL AT 2 OHMS, and the cabs are 8 and 4 respectively. I had to find out the hard way that this "full stack setup" was running only 180w into the 410 cab and 240w into the 115 cab max.

Bit of false advertising there, and I'll never forget 12 years ago bringing this rig to practice and my unmic'd drummer and guitarist (100w through a 412 cab) completely blew me away...I could barely hear myself above them , which for $1000 12 years ago, was a SERIOUS disappointment. And it wasn't bridgeable, either.

It was a hard lesson learned.