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There's 2 Black Widows in our living room

catcauphonic

catcauphonic

High Freak of the Low Frequencies
Mar 30, 2012
6,221
45,710
Seattle WA
#1
Retired DJ of 30 years around the corner paid a neighbor i know $60 to "get these outta my house" plus 2 JBL main 15s with the folded horns. Apparently Goodwill ain't taking the big stuff right now. He called me.

With my housemates in a late spring cleaning mode in prep of a tenant switchover at the end of this month, they were all like "get these outta my house" which i fully intend to.

I got in touch with Ambika at the all-ages underground (literally) SpeakEZ basement venue where our current band played its first show in 2018, who was struggling with the same woefully inadequate 210 PA at the time Covid-19 hit.

She was stoked at the idea of a donation so is coming over in a truck at 630 to try em and hopefully 'get them outta my house.' Told her to bring their mixer and 1/4" speaker cables.

These are the infamous Peavy Black Widows!? Looking forward to hearing / feeling them later this aft.

I'm guessing that DJ's been retired for a few years now. Anything i need to know (like starting slow and low) with the volume in case they've been sitting unused for a bit? He said he used to set up in gymnasiums and the like of other venues (never a rooftop party, i asked.) They're in really good shape for their age >

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#4
BassmanPaul said:
I was expecting to see a loudspeaker and a big hairy spider!!! :(
Click to expand...
Sorry to disappoint, but Black Widow spiders are more glossy looking than hairy, although i believe it's because their hairs are few and fine so you can easily identify that red hourglass shape on their big round lower bodies :eek:
 
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#6
catcauphonic said:
Told her to bring their mixer and 1/4" speaker cables.

Anything i need to know (like starting slow and low) with the volume in case they've been sitting unused for a bit?
Click to expand...
Do not go lower than the impedance stated on the power amp that will be used. Aka do not put them all on one channel unless the amp can handle it.
Should be a dual channel pa amp with tops on one side, subs on the other. Or two separate pa amps with one amp having top left on a channel and right on the other channel, the other amp as sub left and right as above.

If not a pa amp you can use your bass amps if you have a cable with phone plug on the other side and do not plug in more than two cabs at a time.
 
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#7
OH MY LORD SWEET JESUS ARE YOU IN FOR A TREAT!

For fun, run whatever amp you are using into both Black Widow cabs for a 4 ohm load.

You will be amazed at how much highs those 18" Black Widows are capable of.

You are going to be amazed at the efficiency and clarity of those speakers.

Old school perfection.

Then, plug back into whatever cab you are using currently. Cry.

:)
 
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#9
HearNoStevil said:
OH MY LORD SWEET JESUS ARE YOU IN FOR A TREAT!

For fun, run whatever amp you are using into both Black Widow cabs for a 4 ohm load.

You will be amazed at how much highs those 18" Black Widows are capable of.

You are going to be amazed at the efficiency and clarity of those speakers.

Old school perfection.

Then, plug back into whatever cab you are using currently. Cry.

:)
Click to expand...
I ran a 1x18 BW-loaded bass cabinet full range and had all the highs I could ever want from it; I don't do click or sizzle, but I do like plenty of clank and juice, and never found that cabinet lacking. Chewed up as it was, I would have used it forever if somebody hadn't stolen it. Make sure they keep an eye on that one, and enjoy!
 
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#12
catcauphonic said:
Sorry to disappoint, but Black Widow spiders are more glossy looking than hairy, although i believe it's because their hairs are few and fine so you can easily identify that red hourglass shape on their big round lower bodies :eek:
Click to expand...

And not for nothing, and still speaking of Black Widow aesthetics. didn't/don't the Peavey sub-species of Balck Widows have an aluminum center dustcap?
 
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#15
You may not want to go to the trouble, but I recently refurbished a pair of Peavey 118 Subs. One weak component of these BW speakers is they had a small foam rubber screen in the voice coil vent, which after time turns to powder and can clog up the voice coil gap and cause failure. I pulled the magnets on both of mine , and - sure enough - the voice coil gap on one was full of black powder. I cleaned it all up, bolted the magnets back on and they work perfectly !
 
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#17
I used to use Black Widow speakers & changed out many baskets, in the '80s/90s. I don't remember ever having a chrome dome...

The ported cab, w/ Black widow will sound pretty good w/ a solid state amp, but, I used to have an 1820 cab & when I hooked it up to my Ampeg, it got all farty & sounded like voice coil distortion. I attribute it to the porting, moreso than the speaker, but something to consider...
 
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