New Ampeg B115E breaks up - asking too much?

[YoMomma]

I wouldn't use that a standalone for a bass heavy tone on a club gig. I'd start with twice as many cabs and go from there.

oh yes, agreed! It has it's place, though. It's not my only cab.

 

[One Drop]

@JimmyM. Yes, I've decided to take this up with Ampeg support. On further inspection of the factory speaker, there is some small and uneven thing around that back of the mounting flange that I suppose might be called a gasket, but it's too small and in too poor condition to ever have a chance or be effective. I'll send them detailed pics, etc. If they **** me, I'm done with ampeg forever. We'll see...

@bassmanPaul: The speaker that I dropped in is a 15" from a 1975 Music Man 115RH Sixty Five cab. I've abused it for decades. BUT it has the expected paper/cardboard gasket on the correct (rear) side. To my surprise and thrill, it "fixed" my issues I was having with the original factory cab/speaker. Now it sounds great! But, I didn't pay money for a speakerless cab, I want Ampeg to make this right.

I'll keep ya posted...
-ym

Maybe you should have taken it up with Ampeg support before ranting with uninformed premises here first? How is a company supposed to do the right thing if never given the chance?

 

[nozhx]

So, what kind of speaker have the cab, im going to buy a B115e but with this notice i dont know what to do!....

 

[JimmyM]

Must be a used one since the B115e was discontinued a year ago. It's not the greatest cab Ampeg ever made, but it's not bad, and it's usually built fine. This, I believe, was a fluke.

 

[nozhx]

thanks jimmy. i have a sunn concert bass Mexican (with treble boost and distortion knob) and i want a good cab, sale me used for 3,000 mex pesos (like 230 dlls)

 

[AstroSonic]

I am skeptical that the kind of poor sound quality described would result from lack of a gasket between the baffle and driver flange. If the mating surfaces (baffle and driver flange) are smooth, the seal should have been adequate. However, if the surfaces were rough or the driver not tightened down, the reflex cab would not have effectively loaded the driver in the lower bass, resulting in very audible distortion from low notes at higher spl's. I would check with Ampeg that it had the correct driver. If so, then re-install, adequately tightened. If the driver is in-spec., the cab should perform as intended.

Also, keep in mind that the Micro VR is only rated for 150w into 8 ohms. At 'club' levels you are going to be running the amp into clipping a lot. To make this work, even with a fully functional B115e cab, a second B115e should be added. You would get mutual coupling and increased sensitivity, as well as a 4 ohm impedance, allowing the full output of the Micro VR to be developed.