wotnwhy Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 (edited) [b]EDIT: scroll down to see results! [/b] last week my cab started making a bit of a buzz on tones around D string 9th fret. the sort of buzz that drives you crazy and turns out to be a shelf on the other side of the room thats loose. but it wasn't it was coming from the cab, so i had a look round inside and couldn't find anything loose. then, as i was playing a note (so it was buzzing) i pressed one of the speaker cones and the buzzing stopped... uh oh over the last week the buzzing has got steadily worse (only been playing at solo practice volumes) and now there's just a sort of mild low hum behind all the notes. i would assume that i've blown it, but it's an 800w Schroeder 1212L and i haven't put power greater than 150w's through it... so is it something else? Edited March 4, 2009 by wotnwhy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubs Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 I'd be amazed if you've blown it at low practise volumes. What amp are you using? Have you tried it with a different amp to see if it's the amp and not the cab? I've blown a few drivers in the past and they tend to give a really dull or dead buzz/rattle with no definition of what you’re playing, and once they do go it’s permanent rather than an intermittent fault. Did you buy the cab new or used? How long have you had it? Is it under warranty? If it’s under warranty then just send it back. It may have taken a heavy knock and they voice coil might be misaligned with the pole piece or the magnet. I’ve had that happen to a subwoofer before and that might explain why it’s intermittent, but it would mean that you’d have to get the driver replaced or refurbished, but if it’s under warranty then it shouldn’t cost you anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delberthot Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Have you tried the electronics in your bass or even the battery if there is one? A farty note will cease to be farty if you touch the cone as you are stopping it from vibrating. I had a similar problem with a Behringer 4x10" alu coned pile of sh*te. At first I thought it was the speaker grill and ended up with dozens of beer mats stuck between the cab and the grill. It wasn't until after about 3 gigs that all 4 drivers decided to part company with the cab and disintegrate. Was it you that got the cab from SHX as a factory second as it were? I remember someone here did but don't know why it was. probably just the finish. I've been using my 1212L for a while now and I am probably one of the heaviest players out there. I give my basses a good hammering and have yet to hear or see the speakers do anything other than what they are supposed to. Its always possible that its a bad driver (if there is such a thing). The Speakon on my cab doesn't lock and after several months, including posting on Talkbass and emailing Jorg himself I have seen f*** all from his end. He did say that he had posted one to me as I had previously said that I would be happy to fit a new one. Not best pleased and not about to contact him again. Have you tried contacting him or SHX if that's where you got it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wotnwhy Posted January 20, 2009 Author Share Posted January 20, 2009 i'm certain it's the speaker as the buzzing is coming from the inner speaker only, and only stops when i press that speaker. the 150w amp was a Phonic PA head thing, never above jam or quiet gig levels. i'm now using a Hartke H500, which hasn't been above solo rehersal volume. the buzz is present when using either. i did indeed get the cab as B stock from SHX, only cosmetic impurities. i do believe it still came with warrenty though i'll have to go look back and check. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delberthot Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Yeah, should still have a warranty. If you've checked it with another amp and another bass then I'd get it checked out. May be something simple that's gone wrong. I've heard of people who thought that their cone was blowing only to discover that it was the cable that goes from the driver to the input bumping off the back of the cone. I've never had the back off my own one so don't know what its like back there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umph Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 i had a similar problem turned out it was the phase splitter in the amp gone wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wotnwhy Posted February 1, 2009 Author Share Posted February 1, 2009 well for those interested. talked to Jorg and he thinks the 150w amp could have blown it as it's too under-powered, and there's a replacement on it's way to SHX. what a chap! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 [quote name='wotnwhy' post='397176' date='Feb 1 2009, 08:09 PM']well for those interested. talked to Jorg and he thinks the 150w amp could have blown it as it's too under-powered[/quote] Well he's wrong! It could have blown the tweeter but it categorically could not have blown either woofer. No way José! Probably a defective driver, just bad luck. Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wotnwhy Posted February 1, 2009 Author Share Posted February 1, 2009 [quote name='alexclaber' post='397191' date='Feb 1 2009, 08:18 PM']Well he's wrong! It could have blown the tweeter but it categorically could not have blown either woofer. No way José! Probably a defective driver, just bad luck. Alex[/quote] hmm... i too was suprised by the response, but figured that Jorg probably knew more than me. but i'm pretty sure you know more than me too! so... would be suprised if it was a defective driver as it worked fine for a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
escholl Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 [quote name='alexclaber' post='397191' date='Feb 1 2009, 08:18 PM']Well he's wrong! It could have blown the tweeter but it categorically could not have blown either woofer. No way José![/quote] +1 A driver with a defect may well have worked fine for a bit, only to fail rather quickly in it's lifespan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-soar Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 Hi Tom, hope you get it sorted soon, are you sure you're not using the amp turned up tp 11 with distortion pedals? All the best Steve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wotnwhy Posted March 4, 2009 Author Share Posted March 4, 2009 Well, the problem is now sorted! The replacement driver arrived yesterday, and taking the old driver out reveiled the problem, behold: i can only assum a small part came unstuck, and then over time speaker movement tore the rest, which would certainly explain why the problem built up slowly. And on comparing the drivers i noticed the newer one was much more extensively glued: So maby i'm not the first one to have this problem? and finally, after removing the defective dust cap, i now have a spare 12" neodynium speaker, anyone got an empty 1x12 cab they want to give me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevie Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 (edited) [quote name='escholl' post='397248' date='Feb 1 2009, 09:01 PM']A driver with a defect may well have worked fine for a bit, only to fail rather quickly in it's lifespan.[/quote] I agree - and that's definitely a defective driver. I've come across the problem before. It's caused by one of two things: inadequate venting of the volume behind the dome, or inadequate gluing of the dome. Manufacturers like ATC use Araldite to glue their domes because they had the same problem in the early days. Fane had the problem at one time when they put a foam bung in the rear vent, which restricted venting and put pressure on the domes. It looks like the driver manufacturer has now found out about the problem and has strengthened the glue joint. I hope you didn't have to pay for the replacement. Edited March 4, 2009 by stevie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wotnwhy Posted March 4, 2009 Author Share Posted March 4, 2009 [quote name='stevie' post='425392' date='Mar 4 2009, 06:21 PM']I hope you didn't have to pay for the replacement.[/quote] not a penny! though i did have a bit of a 'mare getting the old speaker out as the screws holding it in had spanner heads as opposed to screwdriver. and i didn't have any spanners... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevie Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 [quote name='wotnwhy' post='425404' date='Mar 4 2009, 06:32 PM']not a penny! though i did have a bit of a 'mare getting the old speaker out as the screws holding it in had spanner heads as opposed to screwdriver. and i didn't have any spanners...[/quote] So, all's well that ends well. And you have a spare speaker. Not bad! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wotnwhy Posted March 5, 2009 Author Share Posted March 5, 2009 (edited) indeed, and it was a b'stock cab so it was cheap to begin with. pretty chuffed with the outcome to be honest Edited March 5, 2009 by wotnwhy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josh3184 Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 understandably! see if you can fit the extra speaker in the cab and get a 3x12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delberthot Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 Out of interest, is there a sticker on the back of the driver that tells you the manufacturer & model number? Assuming that it is an off the shelf driver. Always wondered what was in these. I think that they are Eminence drivers but could be wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wotnwhy Posted March 7, 2009 Author Share Posted March 7, 2009 the stickers are peeled off. but on the replacement one i got you could still make out some lettering, i'll have a look and let you know if i can make out a name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 I could be wrong but from the front it looks very much like a Celestion BN12-300S8 - does the back look like this? [url="http://professional.celestion.com/bass/pdf/BN12-300S8.pdf"]http://professional.celestion.com/bass/pdf/BN12-300S8.pdf[/url] Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delberthot Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 You need to get out more I have a cunning plan when I find out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wotnwhy Posted March 8, 2009 Author Share Posted March 8, 2009 build your own schroeder? i forgot to look last night. but i will find out. Alex, it does seem to look like that, just the wire mesh is brass in mine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delberthot Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 [quote name='wotnwhy' post='428568' date='Mar 8 2009, 01:38 PM']build your own schroeder? [/quote] Possibly :brow: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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