• 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.

Cab survey: Three questions

Moe Hickey

Moe Hickey

Feb 14, 2000
1,868
900
California
#1
I'd love to hear from as many TBer's as possible the answer to the following questions:

1. What cabinets are you playing through?

2. For how long?

3. What's your take/experience on speaker life?

I am playing through Ampeg SVTs : a 410HE and a 115. They're six years old. Fairly steady play. Used but not abused. I know sustain is a funciton of several things, including your strings and bridge. I don't slap and I don't play real loud so they're not driving hard. But at least to me the sound has deteriorated over time.

Im just curious how often you guys have switched out this part of your rig on the basis of your cabinet's longevity.
Thanks everybody.
 
#2
I've been playing through a Sunn 410H and a Peavey 115BW for about four years and three years respectively. Both bought used. Both have original speakers in them (as far as I know) and are functioning fine.

On the Sunn I've broken casters, blown a horn, and I need to get the wiring on the input jacks looked at, but as far as speakers I've had no problems with either cab.
 
#3
Unless they are are damaged, you should not notice a deterioration of sound with your 6 year old, lightly used speakers. My SVT 15 is an '89 & still going strong, i bought it used about 10 years ago.

What exactly sounds different than when they were newer? Is it possible the problem is with your bass or amp?
 
#5
Schroeder 410 "original"series:D ...bought new 5 monthes ago...no problems. Avatar 210 Delta:) ...new 8 monthes...no problems. Acoustic 361:hiding::D :D ...bought new 1970...Cerwin Vega 18" ...still in mint condition...works perfectly...no problems(though basically hasn't been played since 1973)...Peace...DAcat...:cool:
 
#6
1. Schroeder 1210 R

2. Oh 4-5 months

3. I think cabs can last a real long time. I think accidental puncture or too much power/ stress is more likly to wear a speaker out than time. IE deteriorating, molding ect.
 
#9
I have only experienced "deterioration" in two instances in my life.

One was when living in the Caribbean, when the "house" bass rig, with 2x15 cab, had speakers that were literally ROTTING from the constant high humidity. They even had green fungus-like stuff growing on them.

The other was with Hartke aluminum cone cabs. Worked GREAT in the Caribbean humidity, but the felt dust caps would eventually, with age, separate from the aluminum speaker cone, each speaker one by one, which would sound like a blown speaker. A cheap fix, but six of those buggers all did it to me within the same year. I personally steer away from Hartke aluminum speakers to this day, but if I ever moved back to St. Thomas, I'd buy them over EVERYTHING else because of the humidity factor. Bergantino, Accugroove, Epiphany, whatever, wouldn't hold up two years down there when compared to aluminum.
 
#10
1. SWR Goliath II Jr.

2. 13 years.

3. I was thinking that because the cab was that old, it must be time for some type of maintenance. Then I let a friend use the cab and he said it was the warmest cabinet he's ever played through.

Now, I'm not touching a thing. :)

LeonD
 
#11
Goliath IIs 4x10 cabs the old greyfront ones with the rear ports ... I've had them for maybe 8 or 9 years and they were used when I got them (one was a rental cab so I know it was well used). Both still sound great ... but lately my favorite rig is an SWR Henry the 8x8 about the best overall cab I've ever used with an Ashdown ABM 500 driving it.
 
#12
Eden D410T...13 years, just recently sold to a guy with an XLT who wanted a 410 stack. When I got the Acme, however, it was like night and day, tonally speaking (The Eden being night:p )
Eden speakers have a rep for being robust; actually I think any speaker will last a long time as long as you're playing clean (no effects) and you're using some kind of compression/limiting.
 
#14
whacker said:
Any chance you've been playing close to the drummer (or loud guitar for that matter) without hearing protection?
Click to expand...

I have been giving your post a lot of thought and thanks whacker. This in fact, may be my problem. My bass teacher was at our gig last night and sat in with the band and played through my rig. The cabs were fine and apart from making them sound like they never sound with me (he's in a whole other dimension the way he plays. Very humbling.) he thought they sounded great. And yeah, last weekend we played loud and the Friday night before I posted this we were scary loud and my ears are still ringing. We are now off for a month so hopefully I can heal a little and will reevaluate.
 
#17
Max said:
I have been giving your post a lot of thought and thanks whacker. This in fact, may be my problem. My bass teacher was at our gig last night and sat in with the band and played through my rig. The cabs were fine and apart from making them sound like they never sound with me (he's in a whole other dimension the way he plays. Very humbling.) he thought they sounded great. And yeah, last weekend we played loud and the Friday night before I posted this we were scary loud and my ears are still ringing. We are now off for a month so hopefully I can heal a little and will reevaluate.
Click to expand...

Sad thing is ears never truly heal back to what they once were after excessive damage to them. This deterioration is hard to notice for a lot of peole since it's gradual, but it's effects are still very real.

Thing is what rock bassist hasn't had their fair share of loud shows. ;) :bassist:
 
#19
I have a BLB 410 that I bought new in 1995. It's been through over 10 years of regular gigging and it's still going strong. I recetnly switched from an Ampeg SVT 3 Pro that I bought with the cabinet to an Eden WT550. I had been thinking about getting a new cabinet as well but when I plugged the Eden in, it sounded great. If anything, I may get a 1x12 for smaller gigs but the BLB isn't going anywhere right now.
 
#20
1) I just sold my Trace Elliot GP1215SMX combo with a Celestion 15" + tweeter, 10 years old, the 15" is like new, the tweeter has been hoarse for a few seconds once or twice. Played quite loudly actually.

2) Eden Nemesis NC210P combo, 4 years old, used & abused, no problems to report

3) EBS410, two cabs, one 4 years old, the other 1, no problem, but they get used way below their maximum output, both still sound identical.

The only aging issue I'm aware of is that on older speakers the foam suspension rings tend to fall apart after about 15-20 years. The result is a bad centering of the cone which usually creates more damage if not repaired. Changing the foam yourself is quite difficult, but there are companies out there that do it for you...
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back