• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Black Widow Speakers Good Speakers?

#101
My 2 cents
I used a Hi-watt 100w w/4-12 cabinet sitting on top of a Leslie 122 for Synth (2600) & piano (CP70) amplification.
Didn't take to long to blow the 12's - Evans Music City repair guy said try & Replace with these Black Widows he had. 4- 12"
Noticed two things - much louder / better clarity / tighter bottom end. In the 70's there were not really a lot of full range options for portable key setups. Never blew them and that 100watt head had plenty of power - my ears still ring to this day but thats another story! -
AngryClay.jpg
 
Last edited:
#103
This lil setup will hurt your ears, literally! Under 400 invested.... Best ive seen next to fender and marshal, but thats just my opinion....
Amps get middy around 75% volume but 5 minutes and you dont notice cause your ears are ringing
FB_IMG_1500499938446.jpg
WINGS012345 said:
Hey, I'm picking up Peavey 2x15D cab. Its has the 2 15 inch BW speakers in it. Now giving that the speakers are in good sounding condition, which I'm told they are. Are they Decent speakers? I have a brand new pair of CELESTION 15" BL15-400 Bass speakers i bought for another cab. Just curious on your thoughts.
Click to expand...
 
  • Like
Reactions: Spectrum
#104
Back in the 80s, Eminence made the generic cheap stuff and didn't have a premium line. The premium speakers, that I can remember, were made by EV, JBL, and the Black Widow was right up there with them. The Black Widows big thing was that they were easy to recone by the user. You could buy the basket/cone assembly and just unbolt the old one and install the new one right onto the magnet. I didn't think that they sounded quite as good as EVs or JBL but, they were a cut above the generic stuff.
 
  • Like
Reactions: squarepeg
#106
I came here today because I saw this pair of Peavey SP2 below they sell near me. Loaded with 15" BW. Aren't they just beautiful? 2x200w (Just GAS-dreaming).

I intensively used a 15"BW in a Peavey TNT 300 combo for 20 years. Never had to complain, the neighbours did though. They said it was too loud, and we were rehearsing in a sub -2 concrete basement. Effective speaker I conclude :D. Sold it +15 years ago (2003-ish) for an ampeg when the amp blew off. 1980's Peavey TNT 300 owners

May all bass players be safe from Covid pandemy!

peavey sp2.png
 

Attachments

  • peavey sp2.png
    peavey sp2.png
    809.1 KB · Views: 91
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Mark71GTX, Bassdirty, DrMole and 1 other person
#108
I've owned quite a few 15s and 18s over the years and they were always dependable when used in the right cab and not overdriven. I had 3 failures it the past 5 years because of thermal damage to the voice coil (my fault). If they get too hot the voice coil "bubbles" and starts rubbing the inside of the magnet or core causing noise. I actually, very carefully ground 1 down and fixed it it (for now). The other 2 were to far gone.
Otherwise these are fantastic well engineered speakers. Any hate for them is sorely misplaced.
 
Last edited:
#109
jazzbass_5 said:
I've owned quite a few 15s and 18s over the years and they were always dependable when used in the right cab and not overdriven. I had 3 failures it the past 5 years because of thermal damage to the voice coil (my fault). If they get too hot the voice coil "bubbles" and starts rubbing the inside of the magnet or core causing noise. I actually, very carefully ground 1 down and fixed it it (for now). The other 2 were to far gone.
Otherwise these are fantastic well engineered speakers. Any hate for them is sorely misplaced.
Click to expand...
This is a classic case of too much thermal power, the older aluminum bobbins were dimensionally unstable under high heat and with differential thermal expansion where the VC expanded at a different rate than the bobbin, when the bobbin expands it can only go inward because it's held tight by the VC on the outside.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DrMole, Geri O and jazzbass_5
#110
bassexplorer said:
I came here today because I saw this pair of Peavey SP2 below they sell near me. Loaded with 15" BW. Aren't they just beautiful? 2x200w (Just GAS-dreaming).

I intensively used a 15"BW in a Peavey TNT 300 combo for 20 years. Never had to complain, the neighbours did though. They said it was too loud, and we were rehearsing in a sub -2 concrete basement. Effective speaker I conclude :D. Sold it +15 years ago (2003-ish) for an ampeg when the amp blew off. 1980's Peavey TNT 300 owners

May all bass players be safe from Covid pandemy!

View attachment 3799395
Click to expand...


Yikes. These just do not look right without the signature black Tolex (or whatever Peavey used) on the outside. It's just not the same!


I was a Peavey guy in my early days playing on the road. My weapon of choice was the 1820 cab with a MKIV head. Later on I got the Megabass head new, 86-87. I still have the Megabass head which still sounds great, but the cab is long gone.

Reflecting back now the cab was pretty generic sounding, but built like a tank. A tank that would get really loud. As BiAmping was the cool thing to do then, the cab amp marriage was perfect. The black widow (along with amp and cab) never ran out of gas or left me lacking. As a comparison, that Mega bass can push even some modern cabs pretty good, to the point they are struggling. The black widows never seemed to Struggle, and I have no doubt that cab was not treated with any respect.

I don't have one bad word to say and much respect for the peavey gear of that era. I dont think you could go wrong with those speakers.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DrMole, Bassdirty, jazzbass_5 and 1 other person
#111
So what's the word on getting a new Black Widow or getting one reconed/rebuilt?
I got an old Peavey 115 Combo today that I'm going to start working on. I'm guessing it's from the 90s, but might be early 2000s. Blue line under the control thing and the original Peavey logo. Says it was made in LOC-04 and Handcrafted in the USA.

At any rate, it's got a hole in the cone, the carpet has a greasy feel to it, some rips and smells like cat piss. Corner pieces are scuffed with surface rust and the top strap handle is gone.
The amp powers up and she makes noise but the speaker sounds like ass. It is getting a top to bottom freshening up. Going to either tolex it or just sand it smooth and bedliner the thing after cutting in some cavities for handles.
But that speaker has me concerned. I'd like to recone it if possible but it sounds like Peavey killed off their domestic manufacturing operations. Are the parts still available to recone it? Should I look at replacing it with something else? I'm not sure which speaker it actually has in it at the moment, other than saying it has a BW on the front.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bassdirty
#112
Ivy Mike said:
So what's the word on getting a new Black Widow or getting one reconed/rebuilt?
I got an old Peavey 115 Combo today that I'm going to start working on. I'm guessing it's from the 90s, but might be early 2000s. Blue line under the control thing and the original Peavey logo. Says it was made in LOC-04 and Handcrafted in the USA.

At any rate, it's got a hole in the cone, the carpet has a greasy feel to it, some rips and smells like cat piss. Corner pieces are scuffed with surface rust and the top strap handle is gone.
The amp powers up and she makes noise but the speaker sounds like ass. It is getting a top to bottom freshening up. Going to either tolex it or just sand it smooth and bedliner the thing after cutting in some cavities for handles.
But that speaker has me concerned. I'd like to recone it if possible but it sounds like Peavey killed off their domestic manufacturing operations. Are the parts still available to recone it? Should I look at replacing it with something else? I'm not sure which speaker it actually has in it at the moment, other than saying it has a BW on the front.
Click to expand...

The Black Widow replacement cone baskets are still available. Check the magnet for a label with the model of the speaker (1501 or similar) and see a Peavey dealer about getting its replacement basket. It comes with detailed instructions on performing the replacement. Stupid easy.

Invalid Link Removed

Good luck.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bassdirty and Ivy Mike
#113
First, I would encourage that you verify that the speaker is in fact the cause of your problem. A small hole generally won't cause the symptoms you describe but I don't know how small the hole is. If the problem is with the amp, you will need to factor in the cost of repair to your project.

I would also encourage you to verify exactly what speaker is installed because it's not uncommon to find that somebody took the BW out and put a cheaper or lighter weight speaker in. The BW replacement baskets are still widely available if that's what you end up needing.

The greasy feel is probably the polyolefin breaking down, some of the coverings did that. It is nasty to remove and sand to an acceptable surface for Tolex. If that's a particle board cabinet, it may be easier to simply make a new cabinet out of plywood than go through the most miserable job in the world. Yes, really.

New hardware is pretty cheap and available.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MAGUS®, Geri O and Ivy Mike
#114
Geri O said:
The Black Widow replacement cone baskets are still available. Check the magnet for a label with the model of the speaker (1501 or similar) and see a Peavey dealer about getting its replacement basket. It comes with detailed instructions on performing the replacement. Stupid easy.

Invalid Link Removed

Good luck.
Click to expand...
That's good to know. I'll go pull the thing and see whats what. Maybe I'll even find a date inside to clue me in.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Geri O
#115
agedhorse said:
First, I would encourage that you verify that the speaker is in fact the cause of your problem. A small hole generally won't cause the symptoms you describe but I don't know how small the hole is. If the problem is with the amp, you will need to factor in the cost of repair to your project.

I would also encourage you to verify exactly what speaker is installed because it's not uncommon to find that somebody took the BW out and put a cheaper or lighter weight speaker in. The BW replacement baskets are still widely available if that's what you end up needing.

The greasy feel is probably the polyolefin breaking down, some of the coverings did that. It is nasty to remove and sand to an acceptable surface for Tolex. If that's a particle board cabinet, it may be easier to simply make a new cabinet out of plywood than go through the most miserable job in the world. Yes, really.

New hardware is pretty cheap and available.
Click to expand...
It's a decent sized, ragged looking hole. Larger than a half-dollar.

Of course I'm not going to just order parts if I don't know what I actually have. That's why I asked about replacement parts, because if Peavey isn't making them anymore, I'd likely just look for a new speaker.

I'm 90% sure it will just get a bedliner coating. I don't want carpet on anything. Also, I may end up replacing some wood, because this thing freaking reeks!
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back