Old cabinets

[tom dicus]

Here's a question not seen by me before.

Is it possible for a speaker to simply get old and need retiring?
My Peavey 1516 cabinet is 30 years old and sounding really raspy.
I posted a thread regarding this and wanting to put in a new speaker.
But I wonder why, after being well cared for all it's life, it would slowly start to "fade"?
I'm twice as old and I "faded" years ago, but I wonder if perhaps the paper in the speaker just drys up?
Does this mean the cabinet itself gets wore out?
Any thoughts?
Thanks in advance and have a great thanksgiving!

 

[Al Kraft]

Here's a question not seen by me before.

Is it possible for a speaker to simply get old and need retiring?
My Peavey 1516 cabinet is 30 years old and sounding really raspy.
I posted a thread regarding this and wanting to put in a new speaker.
But I wonder why, after being well cared for all it's life, it would slowly start to "fade"?
I'm twice as old and I "faded" years ago, but I wonder if perhaps the paper in the speaker just drys up?
Does this mean the cabinet itself gets wore out?
Any thoughts?
Thanks in advance and have a great thanksgiving!

There are true speaker experts who could give you a better answer, but I'll offer some observations. The materials in the speakers, surrounds, etc. can deteriorate over time, as well as simply reach the end of the fatigue life. Even well cared for speakers live in an environment that subjects them to air, UV, and other things that eventually take their toll on most materials. If a voice coil is run a little on the hot side just once or twice you can have deformation that will also result in the speaker having a shorter lifespan than it would have. Subjecting a speaker to an over excursion event can also significantly shorten the fatigue life of suspension components.

The cabinet itself is likely still solid...not sure about any crossover components. IIRC you could send it a bi-amp signal or go in full range, so i;m guessing there was a crossover of some type. If you really want to restore the cab, it might be worth having a speaker tech look at the two 8 " drivers and the single 15" one to see if re-coning or simple replacement is the best way to go. The tech could also check the crossover and jacks to see if your problem could be related to corrosion/wear on something, failing solder joints and/or electrical components.

Great cab by the way, albeit a bit heavy!!

 

[Bass_Pounder]

Is it loaded with a Black Widow 15" ?

If so, it's possible the foam in the speakers vent may have deteriorated and is gumming up the voice coil.

 

[abarson]

Nothing in the universe stays constant forever, except the speed of light, and even that can be called into question with the right recreationals. Everything ages and deteriorates, each at its own unique rate.

 

[tom dicus]

There are true speaker experts who could give you a better answer, but I'll offer some observations. The materials in the speakers, surrounds, etc. can deteriorate over time, as well as simply reach the end of the fatigue life. Even well cared for speakers live in an environment that subjects them to air, UV, and other things that eventually take their toll on most materials. If a voice coil is run a little on the hot side just once or twice you can have deformation that will also result in the speaker having a shorter lifespan than it would have. Subjecting a speaker to an over excursion event can also significantly shorten the fatigue life of suspension components.

The cabinet itself is likely still solid...not sure about any crossover components. IIRC you could send it a bi-amp signal or go in full range, so i;m guessing there was a crossover of some type. If you really want to restore the cab, it might be worth having a speaker tech look at the two 8 " drivers and the single 15" one to see if re-coning or simple replacement is the best way to go. The tech could also check the crossover and jacks to see if your problem could be related to corrosion/wear on something, failing solder joints and/or electrical components.

Great cab by the way, albeit a bit heavy!!

It's tremendously heavy!!
I appreciate your time and knowledge.
I would certainly like to speak with a tech except we are very limited here in Alaska.
Also, I poked a hole in the BW 15!!!!!
That's why I'm wondering about deteriorating paper as I just touched it ever so slightly!
So that needs replacing for sure.
Thanks again!

 

[BassmanPaul]

Nothing in the universe stays constant forever, except the speed of light

Actually I'm hoping our @agedhorse is working on a solution to that problem!

 

[Bill Whitehurst]

Over time paper tends to get brittle.
If you want to get by until you find a better solution,
I have seen holes in cones patched with Elmers glue
and newspaper, toilet paper or rolling papers.
Not a perfect solution, but better than a hole.

 

[agedhorse]

Depending on the environment and the materials, it's possible for the paper to deteriorate or the entire soft parts assembly to degrade.

If this is the case, if the 15" is a black widow model, a new basket complete with soft parts can be replaced. It's unlikely that the 8" can be economically reconed, but there are suitable replacements.

Before going down this road, I would suggest looking over the boxes closely to be sure they are worth the cost of upgrading, and be sure you are ok with the resulting weight,