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Black Widow Speakers Good Speakers?

#41
I have had a Peavey 4x12 with Black Widows since 1981 ( it's a mid '70's I believe) and it's always been my outdoor cabinet. It's also my go to cabinet when I have been able to use 300 and 400 watt tube heads. I don't use it much now, but I won't get rid of it. I tried a while ago, I am glad it did not sell. Anyway, back on point...it's a solid, great sounding cab. I have always thought of the Black Widows as excellent speakers. These things are over 30 years old and not a dang thing wrong with 'em.
 
#42
jeff7bass said:
1. What percentage of the Black Widow speaker is useful compared to say, an Eminence or Celestion in the same price range?
2. How many drivers are better regardless of price?

Let’s use a 15” driver as an example. Ok….. GO.

:hyper:
Click to expand...
Compare the specs. They're available from all three sources.
 
#43
But, Bill, he said GO - that should compel others to do anything and everything for him, without him straining a finger or even a brain cell. GO!? - that's even worse than someone Double-Dog-Daring you, once you get on the internet!

a_christmas_story.jpg
 
#46
I bought my first Peavey cab a few months ago - a 115 BW. It is a monster, weighs a ton. But it sounds phenomenal ! Great, great lows, and still tight and articulate. And it will take a lot before farting (more than I`ve thrown at it, at least). I looooove the cab. And it was only $80 :hyper: I would easily pay x3 for it ! One of my all-time best gear deals, IMO.
 
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#47
greenboy said:
But, Bill, he said GO - that should compel others to do anything and everything for him, without him straining a finger or even a brain cell. GO!? - that's even worse than someone Double-Dog-Daring you, once you get on the internet!

a_christmas_story.jpg
Click to expand...

Actually that’s a part of it, albeit small part, wise guy. Since this whole topic is about BW speakers and how good they are, I’m frustrated by the fact that none of the speaker braniacs are offering up examples of speakers in direct competition with the BW’s as part of their arguments.
Example: “Well this speaker Brand X15 is better than the BW 15 because of this and that…”. Then a second guy comes along and says, “yeah well your specs are accurate but your interpretation of this and that is wrong because…”. This would be a helpful discussion. Without it, the whole topic is only about people and their personal experiences with the BW speakers. Still good, just incomplete.
Moral of the story, be helpful or don’t bother posting. When I’m posting about something I’m familiar with, I do it to help people, I don’t tell them to go read the friking manual. Kapeesh?
:spit:
 
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#51
I replaced the BW's in my 30 year old 215 (shallow) cab with 3015-HO Kappalites because Peavey said my cab was rated at 200 watts. That was fine for my 130 watt Centurion head, but I was now running a NeoPak 3.5 at 350 watts. I also lined the cab, and it sounds as sweet as it did with the BW's! If wattage isn't an issue, stick with the BW's!

X8
 
#53
I still own and gig a BW loaded Peavey 2 x 15 cab that I bought new back in the mid 80's. Both speakers have sounded great from day one and continue to sound great to this day. I've had no service issues whatsoever, and I've gigged this cab quite a lot. That's all I have to say about the Peavey Black Widow speaker series.
 
#54
used a same model 80s marhsall 115 cab with a new black widow and a vintage sidewinder, the sidewinder was more warm and vintage but it had a tendency to fart out if the bass was eq'd above 2, the black widow sounds less warm and vintage but seems perceptively louder and deeper, the cab was sold and when i found a new one i put the black widow in it because somebody put a blown out cerwin vega PA speaker in it, the black widow also responds to distortion better imo having a more neutral or accurate sound with less boom i guess
(now remember also that the marshall bass cab isn't the best design and i'm writing about sounds and not painting or sculpture guys, which is my forte)
 
#55
Of all Peavey products, I think the Black Widow speakers are the best. I still own an Peavey Classic 50 but it has a Gauss 15" speaker. I used to own a concert PA system and sometimes when a 15" JBL speaker blew up and I didn't have an original JBL kit around, I would slap in a Black Widow cone and voice coil which fit in a 2205 basket. I couldn't hear the difference. I also tested some Scorpion 12" speakers in some Claire Brothers S4 cabinets. They sounded different from the JBL 2202 speakers in the other cabinets, but I can't say they were inferior.
 
#56
When used in 2 TL606 with a Mark IV head and passive bass. I didn't like them. I then switched to a PLX1602 with the Mark IV preamp, and it was like night and day. Since I deal with GAS, I HAD to have 3015's. I A-B'd them, and was dissapointed. The 3015's are only marginally "better". I have waffled on which pair of drivers to sell, if either. That's my story.
 
#57
I really know next to nothing about the science behind speakers / cabs / amps. But years ago I did have a (brilliant) Peavey TNT 160 combo that an idiot drummer put his foot through in an argument. It was originally a Scorpion speaker and I replaced it with a Black Widow. Like others have said in this thread, it's a really easy swap to do - you only need a screwdriver. Anyway, 100% improvement in the sound, definitely sounded deeper with more top end. I've long since moved on to better gear but I have to say - I love me some Peavey gear, it's not 'beneath' anyone, just good value, dependable and tough as you're likely to get.
 
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#58
gbarchus said:
Of all Peavey products, I think the Black Widow speakers are the best. I still own an Peavey Classic 50 but it has a Gauss 15" speaker. I used to own a concert PA system and sometimes when a 15" JBL speaker blew up and I didn't have an original JBL kit around, I would slap in a Black Widow cone and voice coil which fit in a 2205 basket. I couldn't hear the difference. I also tested some Scorpion 12" speakers in some Claire Brothers S4 cabinets. They sounded different from the JBL 2202 speakers in the other cabinets, but I can't say they were inferior.
Click to expand...

Actually if I recall Hartley's story right, what JBL was doing in SR and MI drivers (pretty much the same back then) was very much a model for what they were trying to achieve when they first got rolling with the Black Widow concept - only with the added edge of easy field replacement baskets.

Back then driver blowing was common, but ironically I think BWs probably didn't blow that much. In fact, pretty much everybody seemed to drop Peavey compression drivers into some of the JBL PA designs, after blowing diaphragms on the JBL HF drivers over and over.
 
#59
Some of the newer stuff:

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And some of the older stuff:

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FWIW, I still use 1505-8DT Black Widows to this day, my favorite of the bunch and don't really plan on replacing them. They're loud, can take a pounding and actually have some mid response for a 15, sound good on the low half of this modern 15/6 stuff as well. Strong in the lowmids with enough excursion to take some bass/volume as well.

Not as good as the kappalites mind you but pretty high spec for their day, at least as common consumer stuff goes and actually they still spec as good or better than stuff some folks are selling now.



Yes, I like my Peaveys.....so much so that I don't even take the nameplates off.:smug:
 
#60
Back in the day I played through a Peavey 215 Black Widow cab, used it for several years. When I moved to Washington I decided not to take it with me, sold it for more than I bought it for.

That cabinet got put through the ringer, never let me down and I always got compliments on my tone. Not my taste anymore but it was a very solid piece of gear.
 

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