"Wanna buy a REFRIGERATOR...cheap???"

Spanky123 · #1 02-22-2013, 05:12 PM

I bought a small, expensive amp with a 175 watt, 8 inch speaker. It is light and perfect for the auditions I have been planning on going to in order to further my musical career. It was an investment that I thought would be wise because of the detachable 300 watt amp and the utilty of having such a powerful, light speaker for getting around town along with my EUB and other gear.

The speaker sizzled two days after I bought it. I am not a headbanger. I am a jazz-oriented grad student and I have never fried an amp in my life. I never got it past practice volume.

Since I live in Australia, the excellent 3-year warranty...is worthless. No coverage outside North America. A new 8 inch speaker will cost me $230, not including installation. Installation is not cheap where I live. It will also take awhile to get here from the U.S. most likely.

Looking at my options, it appears that if I want to buy a speaker cabinet big enough for Madison square garden -- I'm in luck! Pages and pages of them on Ebay and the local trading post. All I will need to do is factor in the cost of hiring two roadies to accompany me on my jazz-cafe auditions. If I want to buy a small, light, high quality, 1x12 cabinet, it will cost considerably more than the regfrigerators.

I am just trying to find something to get by with while I save up to get my amp fixed and wait for the slow boat from L.A. to get it here. Any ideas?

B-string · #2 02-22-2013, 05:27 PM

Word to the wise, 175 watts of bass + 8" speaker can't be used in the same sentence like that with the speaker surviving.

Spanky123 · #3 02-22-2013, 05:51 PM

My understanidng is that the company discontinued the 8" model a couple of days after I purchased it. It sure sounded good while it lasted. I am concerned about replacing it, though, for fear of it blowing again and no warranty to protect it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by B-string

Word to the wise, 175 watts of bass + 8" speaker can't be used in the same sentence like that with the speaker surviving.

JimmyM · #4 02-22-2013, 05:55 PM

You can always turn down past the point where it won't blow

B-string · #5 02-22-2013, 05:57 PM

I can well understand. If you are handy at all maybe time to get a good 12" raw speaker and make a light weight cab to fit the head also?

B-string · #6 02-22-2013, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

You can always turn down past the point where it won't blow

That will be a pretty low point with an 8".

Spanky123 · #7 02-22-2013, 06:01 PM

Please see original post: "I never got it past practice volume." I don't think it fried due to getting pushed too hard, but I don't know why.

Meanwhile, now that the ever-so-wise with nothing better to do have had an opportunity to wag their finger at me, I really would like to know what others have done in similar circumstances.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

You can always turn down past the point where it won't blow

boynamedsuse · #8 02-22-2013, 06:02 PM

A 300W amp and 8 inch speaker is a recipe for equipment failure even with low volumes because of the low frequencies involved. (At low frequencies, a 300W amp would likely request more air movement and therefore excursion than an 8" speaker could produce for very long.) IMO replacing the 8" speaker would get you another couple days before the replacement speaker failed.

I would suggest a 2x10, 1x15, or good strong 1x12 to handle 300W even if you stay at low volumes. As a general guideline, the speakers should be rated to handle more power than the amp can produce.

Spanky123 · #9 02-22-2013, 06:22 PM

I think this is probably true. It is a reputable company, and I took advice on it from others here who had rave reviews. I really can't say for sure why it blew. I didn't do anything that the instruction manual warned about, and like I said, I never got it past practice volume.

Come to think of it, maybe I should ask them if they would let me swap out the broken 8" for a larger cab....

Quote:

Originally Posted by boynamedsuse

A 300W amp and 8 inch speaker is a recipe for equipment failure even with low volumes because of the low frequencies involved. (At low frequencies, a 300W amp would likely request more air movement and therefore excursion than an 8" speaker could produce for very long.) IMO replacing the 8" speaker would get you another couple days before the replacement speaker failed.

I would suggest a 2x10, 1x15, or good strong 1x12 to handle 300W even if you stay at low volumes. As a general guideline, the speakers should be rated to handle more power than the amp can produce.

bassgod0dmw · #10 02-22-2013, 06:23 PM

That stinks. Sorry to hear about your amp. Care to tell us what make & model we're discussing here?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spanky123

A new 8 inch speaker will cost me $230, not including installation. Installation is not cheap where I live.

Installing a speaker is probably the easiest thing one can do. It's easier than changing strings on your bass. All it usually takes is a screwdriver.

Spanky123 · #11 02-22-2013, 06:44 PM

Actually, I omitted it on purpose. I am not in the mood to talk to the company, or their pundits at the moment. I will most likely be in a more resourceful state of mind in a day or two. No biggie, just a little cranky from an expensive disappointment. I posted this to get some advice that wasn't directly related to the brand.

Meanwhile, I really would be interested in how I can improvise a solution while I am getting this sorted.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassgod0dmw

That stinks. Sorry to hear about your amp. Care to tell us what make & model we're discussing here?

Installing a speaker is probably the easiest thing one can do. It's easier than changing strings on your bass. All it usually takes is a screwdriver.

boynamedsuse · #12 02-22-2013, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spanky123

I think this is probably true. It is a reputable company, and I took advice on it from others here who had rave reviews. I really can't say for sure why it blew. I didn't do anything that the instruction manual warned about, and like I said, I never got it past practice volume.

Come to think of it, maybe I should ask them if they would let me swap out the broken 8" for a larger cab....

I have a feeling (as you may have) that the company received multiple complaints of driver failure even though the equipment wasn't abused, and that contributed to them discontinuing the 8" cabinet. It wouldn't hurt to ask if they would swap the failed cab for the new one. You might have to pay shipping, but it should still be cheaper than replacing the cab outright.

Spanky123 · #13 02-22-2013, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boynamedsuse

I have a feeling (as you may have) that the company received multiple complaints of driver failure even though the equipment wasn't abused, and that contributed to them discontinuing the 8" cabinet. It wouldn't hurt to ask if they would swap the failed cab for the new one. You might have to pay shipping, but it should still be cheaper than replacing the cab outright.

It is definitely worth a try. My guitarist is knowledgeable with amps. He is coming over on Sunday. If he has no better ideas, maybe I can recruit the repair guy to go to bat for me with the company.

JimmyM · #14 02-22-2013, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spanky123

Please see original post: "I never got it past practice volume." I don't think it fried due to getting pushed too hard, but I don't know why.

Meanwhile, now that the ever-so-wise with nothing better to do have had an opportunity to wag their finger at me, I really would like to know what others have done in similar circumstances.

ME-OWWWW!

RickenBoogie · #15 02-22-2013, 07:16 PM

I don't think many of us have had experience in this sort of circumstance. Most would be wary of an amp with 300 watts of power into a single 8" driver. Usually, amps with a 1x8 are in the 25 watt range. Your options, besides having the amp company replace the blown driver, are to find a proper bass cab, with at the least, a 12" driver. Realize that 300 watts can blow a 12 as well, and the volume level is only a small part of the equasion. It sucks you had to learn this the hard way, but at least now you'll be better prepared to avoid these problems in the future. Hope you work it out soon.

fdeck · #16 02-22-2013, 07:40 PM

Sure it's a blown driver?

Codger · #17 02-22-2013, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassgod0dmw

That stinks. Sorry to hear about your amp. Care to tell us what make & model we're discussing here?

Maybe a Genz Shuttle 3.0-8T and a STL-8. I could dig a rig like that.

OP, can you get Eminence drivers easily?

Spanky123 · #18 02-22-2013, 08:05 PM

No, I am not sure its blown. I am hoping it is fixable. However, I have checekd all the other possibilites that I know of. Everything is tight, nothing rattling. It is emitting a midrange humming sound. The vibration sound is too fast to be called a rattle or a buzz. It is a midrange hum when I pluck a note. It is louder on lower notes. It is not particularly loud if I do not EQ heavily and, frankly, with the rest of the band playing it may be unnoticeable. I don't want to go to auditions with it, though, because it will not withstand critical listening. I bought it to be an asset for auditioning purposes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fdeck

Sure it's a blown driver?

Spanky123 · #19 02-22-2013, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Codger

OP, can you get Eminence drivers easily?

I took a quick look online. I don't see an 8" eminence that can be easily bought here. I will keep it in mind, though. I am also wondering if I should call around to repair shops and see if they have a used 8" bass speaker.

Codger · #20 02-22-2013, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spanky123

I took a quick look online. I don't see an 8" eminence that can be easily bought here. I will keep it in mind, though. I am also wondering if I should call around to repair shops and see if they have a used 8" bass speaker.

A used 8 is going to be tough. Try to play the amp through a known good cab just to be confident of your suspicion regarding the driver.