Trace Elliot combo / speaker wires

[nige1968]

My Trace Elliot 715SMC combo had a farty speaker so I've replaced it. But due to the money-accumulating time that elapsed between taking the old one out and putting the new one in, I cannot remember which wires went to which terminal on the speaker.

 

The amp has a white wire and a white wire with a black stripe.

 

Following research (internet and asking a mate), I've attached the white wire to the +ve terminal on the speaker and the one with the black stripe to the -ve terminal. However, I'm not 100% sure that's correct.

 

So have I done it right? It's just possible I may want to hook up a cab in the future so it may make a difference.

 

Thanks y'all.

Edited January 7, 2022 by nige1968

[BassmanPaul]

It's how I would have wired it but I would have performed a battery test to verify which terminal is the positive on the driver.

[obbm]

If you only use the combo on its own i.e. without an extension cab then it doesn't matter which way round you connect it.

[nige1968]

4 hours ago, BassmanPaul said:

It's how I would have wired it but I would have performed a battery test to verify which terminal is the positive on the driver.

There is a thing to Google, then.

 

4 hours ago, obbm said:

If you only use the combo on its own i.e. without an extension cab then it doesn't matter which way round you connect it.

 

That much research I managed, but who knows, my imaginary 80s throwback revue might need to play Wembley …

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

4 hours ago, BassmanPaul said:

It's how I would have wired it but I would have performed a battery test to verify which terminal is the positive on the driver.

That wouldn't tell you which wire was which. If anything the white wire is probably chassis ground, assuming there is a chassis ground. Being an older amp it most likely has a chassis ground, but that's not the case with many micro amps. 

Quote

If you only use the combo on its own i.e. without an extension cab then it doesn't matter which way round you connect it.

Quite right.

 

 

Edited January 7, 2022 by Bill Fitzmaurice

[nige1968]

6 minutes ago, Bill Fitzmaurice said:

That wouldn't tell you which wire was which. If anything the white wire is probably chassis ground, assuming there is a chassis ground. Being an older amp it most likely has a chassis ground, but that's not the case with many micro amps. 

 

 

Now you say that, I was sure I’d seen a (thin) ground wire when we took the old one out, but can’t see one there at all now. Hmmm. New canned worms. But the two wires with the speaker clips, mentioned above, are definitely the speaker wires.

Edited January 7, 2022 by nige1968

[Downunderwonder]

If it's like all the other Trace combos I have seen the speaker wires finish out of the cab at a regular 1/4" jack plug that goes into one of two amp outs on the back of the amp.

 

That being that case I would be confident your memory of an extra wire is faulty.

 

Further if that is the case, you can put the tip of that lead to 9v battery -ve and shaft on +ve it should make the speaker jump outwards. Probably need a helper as unlikely there's enough lead to be faffing with the battery while observing the speaker at the same time.

[TheGreek]

Try ringing Ashdown - they're in West Sussex too so you could drop it off and have them do the repair. Alternatively ask them for a wiring diagram.

[nekomatic]

As I read it @nige1968 knows which terminal is which on the new speaker, but not which of the wires in the amp to connect to them. 
 

If the amp has an output for an extension speaker then I’d expect a multimeter to show continuity between the wire that should connect to speaker negative and the sleeve of the extension out jack, no?

Edited January 10, 2022 by nekomatic

[Phil Starr]

Generally speaking the marked cable (black line) is positive but you can't be certain without testing. As you've been told it won't matter until you connect up a second speaker. Borrow a second speaker and try it, if the bass drops away then they are wired up so that one goes forward when the other goes back and they are cancelling. So long as the two speakers are fairly close the cancellation will be really obvious. Reverse the connection in the Trace and you should get the bass back. 

[Chienmortbb]

Many of us oldies will remember that those old figure of eight cables always had the +ve on the wire with the stripe.

[Phil Starr]

2 hours ago, Chienmortbb said:

Many of us oldies will remember that those old figure of eight cables always had the +ve on the wire with the stripe.

You saying I'm old John?  

[nige1968]

Ashdown came back to say that against all odds I’ve got it right and white is pos. Nonetheless I’ll do the external cab test as suggested to be on the safe side. Thanks everyone for the helpful responses.

[Downunderwonder]

2 hours ago, nige1968 said:

Nonetheless I’ll do the external cab test as suggested to be on the safe side.

Easier to do the battery test if you ask me.

[PigBass]

Hello @nige1968 I just checked my 7215 SMC combo and just as Ashdown have said for yours, the +ve is white and -ve is white/black. Hope that helps. 

Edited January 13, 2022 by PigBass

[nige1968]

18 minutes ago, PigBass said:

Hello @nige1968 I just checked my 7215 SMC combo and just as Ashdown have said for yours, the +ve is white and -ve is white/black. Hope that helps. 

 

Brilliant, thank you!

[Sparky Mark]

On 10/01/2022 at 18:03, TheGreek said:

Try ringing Ashdown - they're in West Sussex too so you could drop it off and have them do the repair. Alternatively ask them for a wiring diagram.

Ashdown are in Heybridge, Essex; not so far from Trace Elliot's old Maldon site.

Edited January 13, 2022 by Sparky Mark