Someone help explain this to me please!!!!!

MikeCollatos · #1 02-27-2011, 06:13 PM

I was given a GK 8X10 Neo cab by a friend with blown speakers. I went out to GK's web site to order new drivers for it and they list at $139 each. That's $1112 for all 8 drivers. I can buy a brand new 8x10 Neo cab for $999 from guitar center with a warranty.

Can someone please explain why GK would sell the drivers for more then a brand new cab? I just don't understand GK's logic on this...

Obviously guitar center gets a deal on the cabs for the amount of cabs they sell but come on, a brand new cab for less then replacement speakers with a warranty.

I'm a die hard GK fan and have several GK rigs but come on...

tlr1293 · #2 02-27-2011, 06:24 PM

find different drivers...

jelwood · #3 02-27-2011, 06:27 PM

You will probably find that this is the case for most of their higher end cabinets. Most of their parts are pretty expensive, I don't know why. Perhaps it's because it actually costs them less when they have the assembly line going and assemble the cabinet that way than it costs to have the eight speakers set aside and not shipped in bulk? I am not a business major. But are all eight speakers really blown in the cabinet? You should check them individually and find out how many are really blown and what ones are still good. Also, tell your friend that he or she is a madman and that they must have been using one insane amp to actually blow a cab that takes 1.6k watts. Usually people just blow one or two, then they do in fact save a great amount of cash because they don't have to buy a new cab altogether.

allexcosta · #4 02-27-2011, 06:31 PM

A cab is a finished product, you're buying it all together and getting a discount. Replacement parts are a different story... Some printers cost 25 bucks with ink. The ink costs 25 bucks by itself...

MikeCollatos · #5 02-27-2011, 06:39 PM

Yeah they are all blown! I usually run sound for my buddies band but couldn't this one time. He got the bright idea to use the GK cab as a sub for the show because they didn't have any. From what I hear it didn't make it through three songs before the last speaker gave out. They are definitely all blown. Half were blown out so far they ripped the suspension and the coils out beyond the magnets. Two had ripped cones near the coil formers and the last two read open when reading with a ohm meter. Horn was also blown. I was hoping I would only have to put about 800 into it to replace the drivers but now I may just pitch it. He bought it used so he didn't have a warranty on it.

Anyone know what aftermarket driver has the same specs as the GK 10's?

BobKos · #6 02-27-2011, 06:46 PM

Send the drivers out and have them reconed. There are many good shops for this. They use OEM parts so you lose nothing in quality. Definitely check into it before you trash drivers or the whole cab.

Parts are more expensive because it is a completely different 'business' than the 'business' that made and sold the complete cab. There's an entire network in place to stock, support, and sell individual pieces to support products already in the end user arena. It costs money to keep that support network in place. I remember years ago when an average new car costed around $8K that it was estimated to cost around $50K to buy a new car across a parts counter unassembled.

MikeCollatos · #7 02-27-2011, 06:53 PM

I never thought about having them re-coned. I'll have to see if my buddy still has the drivers. Can they really re-cone them to GK specs? GK doesn't list the specs for their drivers how would they know the specs to even re-cone them? I like that idea and it probably would be cheaper. That's one thing I always liked about Peavey, they have field replaceable baskets on their BW series. I wish more companies did this.

bass_lord_mutha · #8 02-27-2011, 06:57 PM

Welcome to the world of replacement components, my friend!

Since Guitar Center is a GK dealer, maybe you should ask them for a sale price on the speakers and see if they can cut you a deal.

craig.p · #9 02-27-2011, 07:38 PM

This is a sealed cab, correct? If so, is it four individual (sealed) chambers or one big box?

tsunami1052 · #10 02-27-2011, 09:50 PM

Eminence Legend BP102

jelwood · #11 02-27-2011, 10:40 PM

Still can't believe all eight freaking drivers were done. What amp was powering that cab? Man!

JimmyM · #12 02-27-2011, 11:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jelwood

Still can't believe all eight freaking drivers were done. What amp was powering that cab? Man!

it wasn't the amp...it was the amp + trying to use a non-subwoofer cab as a subwoofer. i can totally believe it. the op's pal needs to learn about specific usage of cabs.

reconing is good but not as cheap as you might think. still, it should be cheaper than replacements. i don't know that i'd spend that kind of money to fix it, though.

**mikeddd** · #13 02-28-2011, 12:07 AM

Your friend is an idiot. Someone had to say it. "We need a subwoofer. Hey, this is a BASS cabinet. Bass is low frequencies, right? We can make wit teh big boomz wit diz here cab!"

Being that you're buying 8 drivers you might be able to get a discount. Email Leland at Speakerhardware.com. You lose nothing by asking.

iiipopes · #14 02-28-2011, 12:25 AM

Yes, with the separate packaging, shipping and other labor involved with parts, it is not uncommon with anything for the sum of the parts to cost more than the item itself.

Every few years someone does this with an automobile, and then with fake alarm reports that a $20,000 car costs $40,000 if you purchase it in parts.

Like posted above, your choices are purchase another cab or see if you can get a discount. I'd go for another cab instead, and see if I could get a discount on that.

baron665 · #15 02-28-2011, 04:40 AM

Look for 2 used GK 4x10s with similar drivers.
I would try to find any 2 matching 4x10 cabs, and sell the empty cabs.
You could also get 8 combo amps with 10s, and take the speakers out. But that would just be silly.

**mikeddd** · #16 02-28-2011, 05:15 AM

The BP102 on Speakerhardware is $60. $60 x 8 = $480. I would think you could get a discount for buying 8 of them. Considerably cheaper than buying a new cab. You're welcome.

billfitzmaurice · #17 02-28-2011, 06:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeCollatos

Anyone know what aftermarket driver has the same specs as the GK 10's?

There's the rub, and GK won't tell you. Your only alternative is to model various drivers yourself if vented. If it's sealed the choice is easy, either Alpha 10 or Legend B810

Arjank · #18 02-28-2011, 06:55 AM

If it's sealed go for the BP102.
They have great xmax and good TSP's for a sealed enclosure. And from what I heard from Sundogue they will not distort easily.

husky123 · #19 02-28-2011, 07:01 AM

This reminds me of a magazine article I read years ago.

They priced a Toyota Camry (or something like that) with each individual part. The Camry ended up costing hundreds of thousands to replace part by part.

billfitzmaurice · #20 02-28-2011, 07:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arjank

If it's sealed go for the BP102.
They have great xmax and good TSP's for a sealed enclosure. And from what I heard from Sundogue they will not distort easily.

BP102 lacks the midrange response that most players want, and in an 8x the added Vd compared to the B810 is moot. Even the Alpha 10 has plenty of Vd to handle 300 watts in an 8x.