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Can this cab be helped?

baddarryl

baddarryl

Oct 26, 2008
1,738
1,537
Cape Fear!
#1
Hi All. I have a no name cab equipped with an Eminence Delta 15a that I don't really care for the sound of. Kinda sloppy I guess. The cab is just a particle board box with no baffles, tuning, bracing of any kind and 2 simple ports on the front. Is this cab worth upgrading the speaker for? Can I modify it in anyway to get a punchier tone? As far as speaker upgrades what would be good with out breaking the bank? Or do I just craigslist it as I replaced it with a much better sounding Goliath II. I have thought though if I could make this sound good of doing it due to the obvious portability advantages over my 4x10. Thanks.
 
#5
Sell it and make the down payment on a decent cab. Too much speculation on what might make the cab sound marginally better....install this, add that, upgraded speaker, etc. It all adds up to wasted time, energy, and $$$ IMO.

Then again, you can do the mods and it might end up sounding like an Accugroove...but I wouldn't bet on it.

Riis
 
#6
Zooberwerx said:
Sell it and make the down payment on a decent cab. Too much speculation on what might make the cab sound marginally better....install this, add that, upgraded speaker, etc. It all adds up to wasted time, energy, and $$$ IMO.

Then again, you can do the mods and it might end up sounding like an Accugroove...but I wouldn't bet on it.

Riis
Click to expand...

That's kinda what I am thinking. Still, and interesting discussion...........maybe. :)
 
#11
Cabs are what they are. Either well designed, sturdy and good sounding or budget in 1 way or another. Basses you can modify. Amps can be tweaked. But the only thing that you can change in a cab is the speaker and that is limited by many factors. Nothing can be done structurally that will really improve the sound. And if its particle board, the target population for the cab when new was not professionals with ears and expectations of a great sound. Save your money.
 
#12
baddarryl said:
By 1/4 size, do you mean for that particular driver? Like its better for a PA cab or something? Defininitely getting the picture here. Good thing I paid almost nothing for it in a package deal. Whew!
Click to expand...

That particular driver, which works best in a 35 cubic foot cab, although it will give a usable result in eight. :eek:
 
#14
wow, i was going to say how the delta 15a was a good speaker and how authentic it sounds in my b-15 cabs, and that i thought the cab was way more at fault. now i can't without looking like a rube.

:D

oh, of course i can! i like it in my b-15 cabs a lot. sounds just like the cts 15 that ampeg used in the mid-60's. sorry john and bill...you guys have forgotten way more than i'll ever know about the technical side, but i'm going to have to disagree. i'm sure you guys could give me 100 reasons not to use it, but i can only give you one..sounds good to me. it's not a speaker i'd use for everything, and yeah, a $250 vintage jbl would sound better, but i like it.
 
#16
i got the deltas because i wanted the extra power handling so i could use one of those cabs with my old markbass head as a micro rig. i would have got something else had i known of something that might work better, but at the time i was clueless about gear and i took bruce michelli at fliptops' word for it. i was happy with it...until now :crying:

actually i am happy with it. but i've got that nagging feeling like i'm missing out. so john (apologies for a slight hijacking), what new speaker would you use instead? i don't know if i can bring myself to spring for vintage jbl's and i don't think a 3015 is the answer. the cabs are already pretty strong in the upper mids.
 
#17
well, a D or K140 would be my choice. and there are ALOT of guys that like Altecs in them, but i never liked them at all in them (way too much midrange honk).

perfect JBL K140's can be had for $125-$150. for less than that, you can still find original CTS 15's for $50. i sold a pair of perfect ones 2 years ago for $80.00.
 
#18
JimmyM said:
wow, i was going to say how the delta 15a was a good speaker and how authentic it sounds in my b-15 cabs, and that i thought the cab was way more at fault. now i can't without looking like a rube.

:D

oh, of course i can! i like it in my b-15 cabs a lot. sounds just like the cts 15 that ampeg used in the mid-60's. sorry john and bill...you guys have forgotten way more than i'll ever know about the technical side, but i'm going to have to disagree. i'm sure you guys could give me 100 reasons not to use it, but i can only give you one..sounds good to me. it's not a speaker i'd use for everything, and yeah, a $250 vintage jbl would sound better, but i like it.
Click to expand...
You like it because it sounds like the original, and if that's the tone you want all well and good. And with a low power amp it's a good match, as in a small cab it will have a big hunking 5dB response bump around 100Hz. But it comes at the expense of low end, which drops like a stone below that 100 Hz bump. If 50 watts or less is all you've got it's useful. But if you're running a modern amp with lots of power and EQ options up the ying yang you can use a modern high excursion woofer and dial in the exact same signature tone that is the Delta 15 and the like, or dial up fat bottom tones that the Delta 15 et al. are incapable of.
 
#19
bill, do you think a 3015 will end up being too high middy in those cabs? it's pretty strong as it is. i guess i could dial it out if needed but since the head's a baxandall, it might require less traditional eqing, no?
 

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