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Ampeg Pr-410H problem

C

Cobaumu

Feb 27, 2009
16
0
#1
Hey all. This is my first post so please don't assault me. I recently traded my Peavey Classic 50 410 for an Ampeg SVT3 Pro with an Ampeg Pr-410 H cab (I obviously came up pretty hard on that one.) I've searched for these cabs numerous times but I only find variations like HLF or HX etc etc.

Needless to say, I brought it home and plugged it in. Everything worked fine. Played for maybe an hour with no problems at all. Brought it over to my band's practice space and set it up again. Played for a few minutes and everything was cool. I turned it off to do something, then when I powered it back on the cab wasn't working. It just made an extremely quiet version of what it should sound like, kind of like when you accidentally power on a tube head with no cab plugged in. It also made this really weird smell. There was no smoke to be seen, though.

It's not a problem with the head, either. Luckily we had another bass cab at the space, so I plugged the head into that and everything was fine.

Does anyone know anything about these cabs, or what might have happened to it?
 
#2
Sometimes using google foo is a great thing.

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That cab can handle 600 Watts and is 8 Ohms, the 3 Pro is at is zenith when driving a 4 Ohm load.

Worse case scenario you locked up your voice coils by clipping your head and sending a power spike to the cab. Talk to the guy selling his pr410H, buy it, and hook up both of them to the 3 Pro for a 4 Ohm load.

Also softly push on each cone to see if they still travel in and out, if they don't, take out one of the speakers and see if you can replace them ... I think these speakers are of a higher rating than the normal speakers used by Ampeg, talk to Jarrod Teirs (sorry if I butchered your name) or rbonner they should be able to answer any father questions you might have. Cheers.
 
#3
I seriously doubt you COULD kill a PR410 with a 3PRO........ At least you can't burn up the speakers with it unless the 3PRO failed in a very serious way, which it didn't, according to your statements.

If you DID manage it somehow, I think you would be fully aware to the fact that you had.... you would KNOW what you did.

Dunno about the smell........

Did you use the same cable with the other cab?

Possibly a wire fell off inside, or some such....... Or maybe someone before you had cooked it but good, and you just happened to be the one with your hands on the bass when it finally gave up.
 
#5
Thanks for the responses, folks. I did use the same cable, so it's not that. I know I couldn't possibly have blown the speakers, given their capacity vs. the head's output. I wasn't at full blast, either.

I did open up the back panel and take a look at it. There wasn't any visible damage or burning to the electronics. I did notice, though, that there was a light bulb. I think it functions as a fuse. Also, there were no loose connections anywhere within the cabinet. Is it possible that this light bulb thing is causing the problem?

And as for that cab that's being sold, it was sold in 2007, if that's what you're talking about.
 
#6
I'm thinking that light bulb is simply wired in-line with the cabs tweeter to protect it from overload. When bad, these bulbs usualy wont keep the speakers from working, just the tweeter.

If this was my cab, I'd use the Continuity or Ohm test function of a Multi-meter type electrical tester to find the problem without guessing. (they're available very inexpensively/Radio shack-large home center)

I'd first plug a known good speaker cable into the cab and take readings between the tip and side of that cables other plug end. (I'm guessing your tester wont show much of any change in its readings here)

Ok, now you need to simply follow and re-test the speaker wiring in its path through your cabs input jack, through its crossover (I think this is your problem by the way...) and then finally if necessary, testing at each 10" speaker individually (with at least 1 of each speaker wires disconnected !) to learn exactly where you suddenly start getting a much higher reading or not. If you should get an open reading at all 4 speakers, (highly unlikely) then they are all indeed bad.

For instance if you get a 0.000 reading between the power and ground where the wiring enters your cross over, and then the wiring that exits the cross over (going to your speakers) suddenly starts showing much higher readings, you've most likely found the problem.

Just as a final test in this scenario, you could temporarily bypass the cross over and tweeter, and connect the cabs plug-in jack directly to the 2 wires running to the 4x10 speakers. If they suddenly start working, your cross over is defective and either needs replacement, or if you dont mind not having a working tweeter (like me) simply preform a permanent Crossover bypass.

Theres acceptations with some other cabs, but on the typical 4x10 cab, that crossovers purpose is only for the tweeter function. If you dont care if your tweet works, you probably dont even need the crossover.

Theres no voltages in these test that will shock you. Just think of the flow of electricity like the flow of a river... and your simply looking for the dam here.

You do need to understand how to use an ohm meter but its very simple. Also make sure to ocasionaly touch the meters 2 test probes together to confirm its still working so you dont end up chasing your tail...

Here's a link with info about using an ohm meter: Invalid Link Removed
Here's lots more: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...ult&cd=1&q=tips+on+using+an+ohm+meter&spell=1
 
#8
Hey, ya'll. Know its been a while since the string about the Ampeg PR410H. I just bought one used. There's surprisingly little out there about this amp; folks usually are talking about the HLF. Any words of wisdom about this amp? I'm a bit worried about its weight and have some buyers remorse. Tell me its worth it! It sounds good with my GK 800RB amp, but gets a bit farty (for lack of a better term) playing the low B on my five string. I have the Master all the way up or at 9 o'clock and the gain about half way...so maybe that's just the limits of the amp at 8 ohms. Any words of wisdom would be appreciated.
 

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