First time talkbass user here. Started gigging a little over a year ago and since then I’ve blown 2 speakers in my Hartke 4x10 vx, which I have paired with the Hartke HA 3500 head. I’m thinking about replacing the speakers in the cab with a better quality alternative over time when the wallet agrees. Is it worth replacing the speakers? Or should I just start looking into different cabs? If anyone has advice on what speakers would pair best with that cab while also being budget friendly please let me know. Mostly 90’s alternative and pop/rock is being played if that gives you any better idea of speaker preference.
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Speaker preference?
- Thread starter Alfredo3
- Start date
Replace the speakers in a cab with better ones is a guitar thing, it doesn't work like this with bass cabs. Think a bass as a system, where the enclosure and the speaker are designed to complement each other.
Calculate if it's worth replace the speaker by identical ones, and resell the cab. Then buy a better cab.
Also, you may want to understand what you did wrong to blow 2 speakers? In theory the VX410 is rated 300W at 8 ohm and the HA3500 outputs only 240W at 8 ohm.
VX410 | Hartke VX410 | Hartke
Hartke 410vx spec is actually 400 watts handling at 8 ohms, but the HA3500 can still output enough low end signal to destroy that cab. My assumption is the cab has simply been overpowered by over enthusiastic use.
Either find the same Hartke speakers to repair and listen for sounds of being overdriven (clicks, knocking, distortion) when playing and turn down, or buy a much higher rated cab (you'll still need to use your ears however). The VX was never a great cab.
Hartke 410vx spec is actually 400 watts handling at 8 ohms, but the HA3500 can still output enough low end signal to destroy that cab. My assumption is the cab has simply been overpowered by over enthusiastic use.
Either find the same Hartke speakers to repair and listen for sounds of being overdriven (clicks, knocking, distortion) when playing and turn down, or buy a much higher rated cab (you'll still need to use your ears however). The VX was never a great cab.
Economically better to replace speakers with exact replacements: look into getting HPF and when playing at high volumes if you want more Bass turn down mids and highs as opposed to increasing Bass
Watt power handing is only part of Speaker capability: Mechanical power handling may be even more important under stress
Even with 'Better Cab' HPF or Turning Bass down at high levels also try turning mids and high down with added volume to compensate is good practice
Higher quality Cab can sound better but may or may not be more immune to blowing
Watt power handing is only part of Speaker capability: Mechanical power handling may be even more important under stress
Even with 'Better Cab' HPF or Turning Bass down at high levels also try turning mids and high down with added volume to compensate is good practice
Higher quality Cab can sound better but may or may not be more immune to blowing
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This^^^^no speaker will hold up if its getting beat to death. Is the band "loud" so you are cranked up all the time like said?
If you're blowing speakers like that, it raises the question: Are you wearing adequate ear protection?
OP didn't mention excessive volume or Bass but most of us know what it takes to blow a woofer
I guess it is possible drivers are very low quality or defective or Amp is doing something
To OP if you believe you have not been stressing Cab with excessive volume and/or Bass for value conscience speakers check out Hartke XL, Fender Rumble and Markbas 58R 104 P
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Cabs are designed and matched to suit one specific type of driver and using anything else than the original drivers might lead to weird results.
That said though, I replaced the driver of my Ampeg BA 110 with a Celestion CF1025BMB and wow ! It turned my little humble combo into a wonderful music machine, so much that now, when I play at low volume, I always use this one now. Addictive sound but rather costly though……….
If like me, having the exact same sound is not a major concern, you could look for some second hand Eminence Alpha drivers. I often see drivers like these that get sold for little money in my area. Sound will be different and might need some EQ tweaking but the outcome might be rewarding. Just make sure impedance, max power and efficiency are similar to what you have.
That said though, I replaced the driver of my Ampeg BA 110 with a Celestion CF1025BMB and wow ! It turned my little humble combo into a wonderful music machine, so much that now, when I play at low volume, I always use this one now. Addictive sound but rather costly though……….
If like me, having the exact same sound is not a major concern, you could look for some second hand Eminence Alpha drivers. I often see drivers like these that get sold for little money in my area. Sound will be different and might need some EQ tweaking but the outcome might be rewarding. Just make sure impedance, max power and efficiency are similar to what you have.
By a long way, better to simply buy new cabinets. Unless you have a deep technical background, replacing bass drivers for 'better ones' is an expensive crap shoot, as pointed out above, an entirely different world than guitar speakers. It would not be real hard to buy new cabinets cheaper than four new replacement drivers.
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- Feb 12, 2006
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Speaker’s real world power mechanical handling decreases at low frequencies. This is a common way that speakers fail, especially lower quality speakers.
You are probably better off replacing the cabinet with one more suitable to your needs. Replacing drivers can quickly become more expensive than the cabinet is worth.
You are probably better off replacing the cabinet with one more suitable to your needs. Replacing drivers can quickly become more expensive than the cabinet is worth.
If the OP is young and strong there are PLENTY of 4x10 cabs for sale cheaper than buying new speakers. SWR's, Hartke, Markbass etc. at great prices and he should be able to find one that has power handling for that Hartke head.
The HA 3500 has a single control compressor which is pretty good at its lower settings at reducing damaging transient peaks. Also cutting sub bass with the 30Hz graphic slider will help protect the cab.
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Hey Alfredo, welcome to tallkbass.
Yeah, I think I would be looking at different cabs.
We run our own sound so usually we ask people in the crowd how the levels are and adjust accordingly. I understand people who don’t play regularly are less privy to understanding eq and levels but we do always like to ask the crowd specifically for volume purposes to avoid being too loud. That being said we are a very energetic band. I would say I’m not a very conventional bass player after switching from guitar. I’m still fairly new to the bass scene and how to properly play on the dark side so any advice is good advice.
So many better and lighter cabs out there that would put you Hartke cab to shame. These are mine. A 32 pound 600 watt at 4 ohms UL210 and a 26 pound 350 watts at 4 ohms UL112. Both are killer cabs.
Whatever you replace the blown speakers or buy a new cabinet, pay attention to everyone here who says you should drop the 30-Hz slider all the way down. I'd drop the slider next to it a few dB too. Cutting the extreme lows is the best way to protect the cabinet. And, believe it or not, cutting the low end often makes a bass more prominent in the mix.
The example you give is the MOSFET 3500. That's a DBX-based compressor. That compressor engine/chipset was discontinued before the HA3500 model came out and the replacement actually behaves differently. Otherwise, dropping the 30Hz slider may help a bit.
That's very interesting, and I've no idea how that affects differences between how the two compressors function? That said, surely both compressors can be set to reduce speaker damaging transient peaks?
