Replacement 15' Speaker Question

[sticky antlers]

Hey all, this is my first post.

I'm running an Ampeg SVT 6 Pro through a mid-seventies Ampeg V-6B 2X15 cabinet, which has the amp putting out 1100 Watts at 4 ohms resistance.

Now here's the issue: one of the speakers in the cab just cannot handle the low, powerful frequencies the head is putting out. Whenever I crank the lows, the uppermost 15' cone begins to rattle. Now, I've opened it up and checked for physical causes, tightened all the screws, etc. Doesn't seem to have to do with volume as much as frequency. It's the hard lows that cause the rattle, which as far as my ear can tell is coming from the cone itself when it vibrates.

My theory is that I should just replace the speaker cone with a better one, one that can handle the head more comfortably. Does this sound like decent logic, or am I missing something?

And if so, any speaker recommendations?

I'm going to consult the FAQ because I'm not totally up on cab maintenance (haven't done it myself in years), but I'm pretty sure with my 2X15 cab BOTH speakers need to be rated at 4 ohms resistance for the overall cab resistance to be 4.

 

[nysbob]

That's not the case. You need two 8 ohm 15"s wired parallel for the cab to be 4 ohm.

 

[sticky antlers]

Thanks for the heads up. No matter how much I read about speaker wiring it all still seems a bit over my head!

 

[Joe Louvar]

Wiring Diagrams
Wiring Diagrams | Eminence Speaker

 

[sticky antlers]

Got it. I am now that much less stupid, so thank you.

Any speaker recommendations?

 

[will33]

Yes, two 8ohms = 4 ohms. If only 1 is causing problems, look into getting it reconed. If you need full replacements, you need to do both so they match. Eminence Beta 15's are a good fit for older Ampeg stuff.

There isn't much you coukd put in there that could survive cranking the lows under high power....gotta watch that. If you want it to sound like big bass, tey cutting uppermids/treble instead and/or rolling the tone knob down on the bass. It'll sound like more bass by comparison without such risk of speaker damage. A little bump in the bass knob is OK.

 

[sticky antlers]

that was my first instinct (just don't crank the lows!) but this guy is buzzing with my bass knob at about 12 o'clock. I don;t think I'm being ridiculous with it, just looking for a good fat tone without a buzz.