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Ampeg Portabass

#21
I had a problem with the stock aura 10" a month ago. The screws holding the magnet to the frame backed out and it was causing a horrible rattle. The heads of the screw where under the glued spider, so I used liquid nails to bond it tight. Other than that, they have been good.
Lots of speakers work in 1ft3, but until I find a neo that sounds like the aura and takes more power, and mine croaks, I'm probably not going to mess with it.

The stock aura is under 2 pounds...the horn weighs more!
Wes
 
#22
Edward G. said:
The question is obvious and two-fold: How could such a deficiency get designed in the first place? and How could it proceed to market unchanged after it was discovered?

Is there a preferred replacement speaker, should the need arise?

I love my PB210; however, if a speaker ever fails, it would be an opportunity to upgrade them both. The package is perfect for me.
Click to expand...

There was a different speaker in the last run or so. Didn't sound quite as good, but you could hear it......

As for how it happened,....... the product folks listened to the wrong people, who happened to be really good acoustic/electric players...... Loudness wasn't an issue for them. But while they loved it, they were not a very large market.

However, the product folks kept insisting that the product was 'for" that market...... and wouldn't allow a change or addition. After a fairly short whie, the line got labeled, "Ok sound, no volume, cute but useless". After that, it could not be saved anyway, even if all newer products were killer.
 
#23
Aceonbass said:
The stock Aura Sound speakers are the problem I think. Even though they are neos, the magnet is small and the basket is stamped and not cast....and they DON'T like square waves. I would replace them with Emminence DeltaLites. They're rated at 250 watts program and 500 peak at 8 ohms. They have a cast frame and the magnet has cooling fins on it to help dissapate heat.
Click to expand...
Would eminence deltalites work for the pb-110 as well?

I have a pb-110 that I blew the driver within 20 minutes of playing thru at a rehearsal. I was probably pushing it too hard. For the last couple of years I have been using it as a living room rehearsal cab with a replacement driver from an old home stereo speaker. However, I would like to replace the driver with something that would properly suit the enclosure. Just not sure what.
 
#24
Jerrold Tiers said:
There was a different speaker in the last run or so. Didn't sound quite as good, but you could hear it......
Click to expand...

Maybe this is what I have, because getting sufficient volume has never been a problem. I don't play extremely loud, but I have to hold my own in a 7-piece with a pounding drummer, and it works decently for that in medium-size spaces. As far as the sound quality, when you weigh it against how small and light the thing is, it's actually pretty amazing.

Do you recommend any particular replacement drivers in the event of a meltdown?
 
#27
Edward G. said:
What is interesting is that when I bought this PB210 (through a Craigslist ad), the seller also had that exact amp to sell. Sometimes I wish I had gotten it. Maybe I'd have a different story to tell.
Click to expand...

I have used the 250head and the 2x10cab at rehearsals with my 4 other band members and it easily stood up to my drummer and 2 guitarists.

I have no issues with my little rig and although the amp is a backup head, I have no doubt it will be gig worthy also.
 
#33
You can use alligator clips connected to you speaker wire directly to the contacts on the tweeter. Your source can be your bass amp, or a home stereo. Goose the highs, and cut the lows as much as possible. You just want to feed it with a very little bit of signal. You might not even have to turn up the volume on the bass guitar if your amp has a little noise in it when cranked. Probably just turning up the high EQ will probably create some hiss, at least enough to hear the tweeter working at all. You can also use a AA battery to her it click when you touch the leads. Be careful!
Wes
 
#34
I just dropped a Swamp Thang in the bottom of my PB212 and it sounds wonderful with my Rebel 20. Ima take the Aura Sound Neo I took out and put it in my BDRI, as it was too dang heavy with the Swamp Thang. So...... I am not using it for bass any longer but a nice 2x12 for guitar with a tube head. It still weighs under 50 lbs., even with the 12 lbs Swamp!
 
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#35
One note about the OEM Aura 12" drivers that I KNOW Ampeg must have been aware of right after the fist units were sold---- They should have been recalled for being a fire hazard....They were probably proprietary just for Amepeg(their specs)---very inefficient, @ around 86db @1watt---200watt rating was a stretch.. what was killing them was the tinsel leads... because of the xMax--they were physically SHORTING because they could easily touch....I have seen 2 out of 3 that had done that... one burned completely on two, the other had scorched the cone and spider from arcing and the epoxy that held the tinsel lead to the cone was melted...Aura Sound is a miserable company to get info from on old products.... they had a great idea, but their service is terrible because they would go out of business every few years. Their last 12" was based on the pro-sound 18 design, 600watt new and improved, listed around $550....The one used by Ampeg was either an autosound model or custom made for Ampeg...not even in the same class at all..
 
#36
Jerrold Tiers said:
The porta-bass cabs are not "BAD".......... they sound pretty good.

Problem with them was VOLUME, or total lack of it.

You just have a basic problem selling a 250W amp that the speakers make sound like 60W....... or an 800W amp that the speakers make sound like 200W..... people liked the units, but they couldn't use the "system". For the few who just bought a PB250 or PB 800 and used it with other cabs, there wasn't much problem. But it was hawked as a "system", and as a "system" it was ALMOST a great "New York Taxi amp", if only it would have got louder.

if you like the sound, and the volume thing is no issue, go for it.......

And, the problem there was the speakers..... terribly inefficient... about 92-94 dB/1W..... If you have swapped out the speaker, that problem is history.
Click to expand...


For swapping out, Is the Eminence Beta12a speaker a good choice for the portabass, Or some EV old speaker. (Im in argentina and we dont have many speaker's options).

thank you,
 
#37
I have a PB210 and am happy with it, been using it steadily for years, upright bass in various rockabilly bands and electric in a Stones cover band where the guitarists and drummers are LOUD. Sure there have been occasions where I could have used a little more low end, but in the bigger venues you generally feel it from the PA subs anyway. If I have any issues with volume I use the tilt-back handle underneath to point it more at my head. I had the tinsel lead on one of the drivers recently snapped where it connects to the back of the wire connectors, I just soldered in a 1" piece of shielded wire and it has been fine since. I'm using it with a newer PF-500 head which sits nicely on top, I usually have the gain around 4 and the master at 5 or 6 so I'm probably pushing the cabinet pretty hard and that may explain the broken lead. If I could I would connect 2 of these, if I ever find another I may buty it and figure out some replacement speaker impedances that would allow me to use both (one cab at 4ohms and one at 16 maybe). Anyway add me to the people who are happy with this cab, for the price used and with the light weight and features like the wheels & handle on back and the tilt-back handle underneath, I'm very happy with it.
 
#40
Jerrold Tiers said:
The porta-bass cabs are not "BAD".......... they sound pretty good.

Problem with them was VOLUME, or total lack of it.

You just have a basic problem selling a 250W amp that the speakers make sound like 60W....... or an 800W amp that the speakers make sound like 200W..... people liked the units, but they couldn't use the "system". For the few who just bought a PB250 or PB 800 and used it with other cabs, there wasn't much problem. But it was hawked as a "system", and as a "system" it was ALMOST a great "New York Taxi amp", if only it would have got louder.

if you like the sound, and the volume thing is no issue, go for it.......

And, the problem there was the speakers..... terribly inefficient... about 92-94 dB/1W..... If you have swapped out the speaker, that problem is history.
Click to expand...


And if you sent 800 watts to the OEM Aura drivers, the magic smoke would leak out. The Eminence BP102's worked pretty well in them, but were a LOT heavier than the Aura's. That pretty much defeated the design goal of the cab.
Fortunately, technology has marched on, and there are neo drivers that allow some killer lightweight cabs.
 

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