Blown 15" 200 watt Celestion driver in a MKV Trace Elliot 1518 cab

[johnDeereJack]

Hi folks,

As stated the original 200 watt driver fitted in this MKV Trace Elliot cab is kaput so what I'd like is a recommendation for a replacement 15" driver please.

I realise my best bet would be to have the original driver repaired, and I'm going to look into that as soon as I get a chance, but if that's not possible what would be my best option?

I can't actually find any 200 watt 15" Celestion drivers so I was checking out Celestion BL15-250 but have since discovered they're no longer made. The alternative given is the Celestion TF 1525. Anyone have first hand experience of these?

There's also the Green Label Celestion BL15-300X out there but I'd only be running a 150 watt head through it. Would a 300 watt driver be worth considering as a replacement or would that be too much of a strain on a 150 head?

Cheers,
JDJ

[Dave Vader]

I've just replaced my drivers with the Celestion TF 1525, and they sound luvverly. I was after the BL as well, but the chap told me these were damn near identical. They sound great in my old cabs.
And as long as the wattage of the speaker is higher than the amp you'll be fine, won't blow anything.

[Mr. Foxen]

[quote name='Dave Vader' post='1151641' date='Mar 6 2011, 05:15 PM']And as long as the wattage of the speaker is higher than the amp you'll be fine, won't blow anything.[/quote]

That isn't really true, there are plenty of scenarios where you can blow a speaker that is rated higher than the amp, and being in a wrongly tuned box is one of them, when the speaker resonance and the box resonance are close together, the speaker can move quite far on not much power, and go past its limits.

[johnDeereJack]

Hi folks,

My initial plan is to take it to a wee company in town who have done some work for me previously and see if the original driver can be salvaged. It may just be that some wiring has come loose in transit.

(Yes, I bought it off the Dreaded Ebay and had it couriered up here! The seller assured me that the cab was in full working order before he shipped it and this may well have been the case but those lovely folks at City Link may have fecked it. Unfortunately I have no way of knowing who's at fault. In his favour the seller has offered a refund - minus shipping - if I can't get it repaired)

I've read a few threads on here and elsewhere regarding replacing bass drivers and I'm aware of the pitfalls involved in cab size/tuning V's replacement speakers etc.

Hopefully I can get the original driver back in working order cos they're really nice sounding cabs.

Failing that I'll whack it on ebay as spares/repair and see if I can get my £40 shipping back.

Cheers,
JDJ

[Mr. Foxen]

When you have the speaker out, just make a note of what it is, probably Celestion, and get in touch with Celestion, they may recommend a functional equivalent.

[stevie]

[quote name='johnDeereJack' post='1151634' date='Mar 6 2011, 05:07 PM']There's also the Green Label Celestion BL15-300X out there but I'd only be running a 150 watt head through it. Would a 300 watt driver be worth considering as a replacement or would that be too much of a strain on a 150 head?[/quote]
The power handling of speakers has gone up since your 200W Celestion was built. Thanks to improved adhesives, voice coil materials and cooling techniques, it's a lot easier to make a 300W speaker than it used to be. In fact, it's quite a good idea to have a speaker that will handle more than the rated output of your amp. It won't put a strain on your amp - it doesn't work that way. A 300W speaker will be just fine.