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Sunn 2x15 speaker replacement

MrPierre

MrPierre

Oct 22, 2012
169
26
www.fullblood.bandcamp.com
#1
Hi everyone,

After many years of loyal service, one of the speaker in my 2x15 Sunn Cab stopped working today as soon as I powered my rig. It was working fine last rehearsal a couple of days ago.

Wiring is in great condition and all solders point seems perfectly fine. The bottom speaker is still working perfectly but the top one is not moving at all.

Both speakers are JBL D140F.

So, I have some questions regarding all that since my speaker knowledge is pretty basic:

1- How can I test the defective speaker adequately to make sure is it really dead.

2- Is it worth it to have old speaker repaired? Is it possible? The cone seem to be in good condition.

3- If I have to replace it, should I replace both speaker or only the defective one?

4- What would be a good replacement speaker? I've always been extremely satisfied with its sound and I'd like to stay into similar sounding speaker.

If that relevant information, I use a Sunn 2000s head, a decent amount of fuzz and overdrive and I play in a loud band.

I've attached of photo of the speaker.

Thanks!
 

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#2
MrPierre said:
Hi everyone,

After many years of loyal service, one of the speaker in my 2x15 Sunn Cab stopped working today as soon as I powered my rig. It was working fine last rehearsal a couple of days ago.

Wiring is in great condition and all solders point seems perfectly fine. The bottom speaker is still working perfectly but the top one is not moving at all.

Both speakers are JBL D140F.

So, I have some questions regarding all that since my speaker knowledge is pretty basic:

1- How can I test the defective speaker adequately to make sure is it really dead.

2- Is it worth it to have old speaker repaired? Is it possible? The cone seem to be in good condition.

3- If I have to replace it, should I replace both speaker or only the defective one?

4- What would be a good replacement speaker? I've always been extremely satisfied with its sound and I'd like to stay into similar sounding speaker.

If that relevant information, I use a Sunn 2000s head, a decent amount of fuzz and overdrive and I play in a loud band.

I've attached of photo of the speaker.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
It looks like handwritten K140 on it. Seems like it may have been reconed/rebuilt already. From what I've read D140 parts are no longer available.
I think @agedhorse might be familiar with the situation.
 
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#3
No way to know for sure without doing a recone. If you use a qualified reconer, they will know which aftermarket kits are good (about 10%) and which are horrible (about 90%). I believe K-140 kits are still available through JBL, but I haven't ordered one for many years. You have to be an authorized JBL recone shop to acquire factory parts and you can not resell them, they are for installation only. When you see "factory" JBL re-cone kits in "factory" cartons, they are almost always counterfeit (including the box, the labels, the paperwork, etc.)
 
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#4
I didn't not pay attention to what was handwritten on the speaker before. I can try to get a better picture tomorrow.

If the label say D140F but its handwritten "K", would that mean it was reconed with a K kit?

I already knew that reconing them would be more or less a bad solution, because or the rarity of a good reconing kit. Unless a miracle happen and its only a minor/wiring problem I'm kind of thinking the best solution would be to simply replace the speaker (or both) with brand new one.
 
#5
A pro recone show would have no problem doing an excellent job with your speaker using either factory or known good aftermarket parts. Pros don't generally use the junk parts/kits.
 
#6
MrPierre said:
I didn't not pay attention to what was handwritten on the speaker before. I can try to get a better picture tomorrow.

If the label say D140F but its handwritten "K", would that mean it was reconed with a K kit?

I already knew that reconing them would be more or less a bad solution, because or the rarity of a good reconing kit. Unless a miracle happen and its only a minor/wiring problem I'm kind of thinking the best solution would be to simply replace the speaker (or both) with brand new one.
Click to expand...
I too use a 2000s. You won't get the tone you like with other speakers.

I suggest having both reconed. PM @agedhorse for a referral...or maybe he can do it.:thumbsup:
 
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#7
MrPierre said:
Hi everyone,

After many years of loyal service, one of the speaker in my 2x15 Sunn Cab stopped working today as soon as I powered my rig. It was working fine last rehearsal a couple of days ago.

Wiring is in great condition and all solders point seems perfectly fine. The bottom speaker is still working perfectly but the top one is not moving at all.

Both speakers are JBL D140F.

So, I have some questions regarding all that since my speaker knowledge is pretty basic:

1- How can I test the defective speaker adequately to make sure is it really dead.

2- Is it worth it to have old speaker repaired? Is it possible? The cone seem to be in good condition.

3- If I have to replace it, should I replace both speaker or only the defective one?

4- What would be a good replacement speaker? I've always been extremely satisfied with its sound and I'd like to stay into similar sounding speaker.

If that relevant information, I use a Sunn 2000s head, a decent amount of fuzz and overdrive and I play in a loud band.

I've attached of photo of the speaker.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

If you replace one of the speakers with a different type, you need to replace both of them....they should match so they work together. Before reconing the bad driver, I would check the cone on the good driver and do a bit of research...if it's a D140 cone, it's probably not be a good choice to recone the bad driver with a K140 kit.

Is it the oversized 2000S cab? I think some people have tried the Faital 15PR400 in that cab with good results. I have a pair of 15PR400s in a Greenboy Dually. It's a good sounding cab, but I like the mids of my EVM 18Bs better. The Faitals are really flat in the mids and the EVMs have a rising mid response. The Faitals take more power and go deeper in a much smaller box. Maybe @Rick James knows if the 15PR400 has been modeled in the 2000S cab.

A few years back, I had a JBL E120 that locked up in the gap, I went to a local store that deals in used gear and traded it for an E120 with an original factory cone. Cheaper than a recone, plus I had already reconed the driver once for the same problem, so I didn't think it was wise to recone again.
 
#8
I haven't come across a schematic for the 2000S cab, only the 200S. It's not a folded horn, it's a bass reflex with a negative taper port. It can be modeled in programs like WinISD as a 4.5 cu ft net bass reflex with 60 Hz tuning. It's not bad loaded with 15PR400, though they'd go lower in a larger cab with lower tuning, which I imagine the 2000S would be.
 
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#9
Get the speaker repaired/re-coned, and if you're doing one, it might be wise to have both done. IMO there isn't anything on the market that captures the same vibe as the old JBL speakers, yes there are drivers made today that are arguably better speakers but nothing that will reproduce or even come close to the JBL thing
 
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#10
primusfan1989 said:
Get the speaker repaired/re-coned, and if you're doing one, it might be wise to have both done. IMO there isn't anything on the market that captures the same vibe as the old JBL speakers, yes there are drivers made today that are arguably better speakers but nothing that will reproduce or even come close to the JBL thing
Click to expand...

I was finally able to purchase a JBL D130F for my Ampeg B-15N(C) the difference in tone quality and volume was astounding, even compared to the Altec 421-8H (series II) that I had in that cabinet. So, my vote is for the re-cone.

There was an Eminence Commonwealth, that was similar to the D-140's and was available in a 4 ohm version. Ampeg had Eminence make them 8 ohm Commonwealth's for the new Heritage B-15. I haven't heard them and they are apparently no longer available.

I got to see the Kingsmen at the Rivoli Theater in Muncie Indiana circa 1969. Norm Sundholm was playing a Gibson EB-0 or a EB-3 through a Sunn 200 S.
 
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#16
!. Disconnect the wiring from the speaker (remember which wire was where)
and use a meter to see if you get somewhere in the range of 6.5 to 8 ohms at the speaker.
If that is good and the cone moves freely, you may be OK.
If it is 0 ohms you have a short, rebuild needed.
If it reads infinity it is open. Check the lead from the connector to the voice coil.
It is possible for them to pull loose from loud playing.
(Go ahead and ask how I would know that.)
A good speaker shop can fix that in no time.
While you are in there you might want to check the wires to be sure you don't have one broken inside of the insulation and not showing.

2.Yes.

3. Your call.
Replacing or rebuilding both will make them more closely matched.
If the other is still good, it may well continue to be for some time.

4. There are other speaker that can work in that cab with varying degrees of success.
None of them will sound like JBLs.
 
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