ctiza1 Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 I havn't added this post to bad mouth Mesa because I believe their gear is awesome (sound wise) but why do I seem to blow their cabs very frequently. I've managed to destroy 2 2x10's and 2 1x15 cabs in two years (all Vintage Powerhouse). The 2x10s both had torn cones and the 1x15 both had melted voice coils? When i originally bought the cabs they were rated at 600w each, now the new cabs are rated at 400w. Is it possible that the cabs were originally overated so Mesa have lowered the spec? Theres 3 amps I normally use 1. A Mesa Bigblock 750 (which hasnt got enough balls to damage any cab) 2. An Ampeg SVT7 and 3. An Orange Terror bass. The last cab that blew was been driven by the Terror bass with Gain on 1/4 and Volume on 1/2 whilst playing in drop D. The amp was set to 4ohm and i had connected the 1x15 with a 2x10. As for effects, I only use on occasion a Big Muff. I never disconnect leads without the amp being muted etc etc. Has anyone else had issues with Mesa? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0175westwood29 Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 Are you pushing alot of lows into the cabs? as even tho your below the rated wattage you could still be pushing the cab hard? andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctiza1 Posted January 18, 2015 Author Share Posted January 18, 2015 When the last one went my eq was pretty much flat (bass slightly boosted), we down tune 1/2 a step normally and i have a drop D tuner which I was using at the time but still not as low as a B on a 5 string. I must admit I do normaly drive the cabs well but not to the state where theyre being over driven Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0175westwood29 Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 [quote name='ctiza1' timestamp='1421620295' post='2663437'] When the last one went my eq was pretty much flat (bass slightly boosted), we down tune 1/2 a step normally and i have a drop D tuner which I was using at the time but still not as low as a B on a 5 string. I must admit I do normaly drive the cabs well but not to the state where theyre being over driven [/quote] nothing out of the blue there then, i drive my ashdown pretty hard fuzz, octaves and chorus all at once at some points and we tune down a whole step and drop c, are you using a tweeter? andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 [quote name='ctiza1' timestamp='1421620295' post='2663437'] When the last one went my eq was pretty much flat (bass slightly boosted), we down tune 1/2 a step normally and i have a drop D tuner which I was using at the time but still not as low as a B on a 5 string. I must admit I do normaly drive the cabs well [b]but not to the state where theyre being over driven[/b] [/quote] evidently you are as they keep blowing, the question would be: is the cause manufacturer error or user error? My hunch, given that you've done it multiple times, is that you're expecting the cabs to perform beyond what they are mechanically designed to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musky Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 The torn cones sounds like over excursion, which isn't related to the wattage of the cab. Most speakers are doing pretty well if they can handle 50 per cent of the wattage in the lows. It's the combination of power and bass thst causes the damage. Where the volume knob is doesn't tell you how much power the amp is putting out, and it's far from unknown for manufacturers to weight the controls so that they sound louder at low settings. Whether any of your amps do that I wouldn't know, but I've got to say it doesn't sound like you're pushing things too hard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctiza1 Posted January 19, 2015 Author Share Posted January 19, 2015 Thanks for the advice all, so whats the solution? how do i match up amps and speakers? when the cab blew I wasnt playing that loud? Is it possible that playing in drop D could cause this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Melted voice coils could incriminate the amp, putting out DC (a fault condition...). If things get fried, they are not always the cause, they're sometimes a symptom. Just a thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0175westwood29 Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 [quote name='ctiza1' timestamp='1421625853' post='2663485'] Thanks for the advice all, so whats the solution? how do i match up amps and speakers? when the cab blew I wasnt playing that loud? Is it possible that playing in drop D could cause this? [/quote] doubt it, but maybe if you are pushing alot of lows, of there are large spikes in the sound, i know first hand its hard to pick out a cab struggling thru dirt or fuzz, i have a hpf (high pass filter) thats doesnt let anything below 40hz go to my amp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.