Bass cab vibration problem

[bassistofdoom]

How can I get rid of bass cab vibrations/rattles that are loud enough to be as loud if not sometimes louder than the level i'm playing at? It's really annoying, and I got the cab a couple years ago.

It's at its loudest when I play an Low A on the E string, but not as much when I play an open A. There's nothing else really prominent like that anywhere else on the neck.

I've even taken it outside with a screwdriver and tightened up what I thought was rattling...low and behold, it still rattles

It's an old peavey combo (not the black widow version, the other speaker. Got it a couple years ago from a music shop that's no longer in town). I like the amp, I use it to gig sometimes when my big rig isn't necessary. Any tips on how to bring the rattling down by my self?

 

[lowfreq33]

Could be the speaker mounting screws are loose. Take the grill off and see.

 

[bassistofdoom]

I will definitely check that. Thanks

 

[69shovlhed]

retest by playing it with the head out of the cabinet first, to verify if its the head or the speaker.
i'd take the speaker and head out, glue or caulk all the internal seams. add some filler if it doesn't have any (leave a path from the back of the speaker to the port if it has one). put thin foam tape between the head and speaker where they mount to the cabinet. use t-nuts and machine screws to mount the speaker to the cabinet if it only has wood screws from the factory. if its made of crumbly particle board, aka mdf, (i hate that $#!+) soak the screw holes in superglue or some kind of thin glue that will soak into the board to hold it together. some speakers have 8 mounting holes but only 4 are used; i'd use all 8. also, make sure nothing is loose in the head.
i would expect peavey to use thick wood for their cabs, but if it seems kinda thin, adding an internal brace wouldn't hurt, either.

lastly, are you sure the speaker isn't blown?

 

[bassistofdoom]

"lastly, are you sure the speaker isn't blown?"

I will check everything you listed, hehee. But the speaker has been acting up lately. I'll be doing an open run the A and it just started distorting, back to normal, distorting. I was playing a very moderate level and the speaker starting farting out. I am beginning to suspect that maybe is blown. By the way, if the speaker is blown, would the DDT Compression light up more often? I know people own this combo and never talk about the DDT lighting up all the time (it lights up all the time even when playing at a 'home' volume). Could it be the amps last ditch effort to save the speaker kinda thing?

 

[bassistofdoom]

Btw, I'm not playing a hot bass. It's passive and I know many basses that are a lot louder than me

 

[bassistofdoom]

The DDT Compression (just incase you don't know what it is, you may or may not )

It's exactly what it sounds like, compression. It protects the amp and I think more so the speaker from being overworked. I have even adjusted the EQ to total flat (0) and after turning it up just the slightest bit, the DDT is lighting up like a road flare!!!

 

[69shovlhed]

The DDT Compression (just incase you don't know what it is, you may or may not )

It's exactly what it sounds like, compression. It protects the amp and I think more so the speaker from being overworked. I have even adjusted the EQ to total flat (0) and after turning it up just the slightest bit, the DDT is lighting up like a road flare!!!

i don't think the DDT can tell if the speaker is about to blow. it sounds like there may be something wrong with the head if the compression light is on all the time, even w/ the tone and volume rolled back.
on the other hand, if the speaker is shorting out, the ddt may sense too low resistance. if you have another speaker, hook the head to it and see what happens.