Replacement speaker for Hartke 115 XL cab

[Guest]

The cab is fine I think the voice coil is coming apart, it buzzes at any volume or frequency. The cone is fine. I replaced it w/ an Eminence so I could keep working but it's not the same. The punch, transient Attack, is not there. I have a Trace Elliot AH 300 and a 410 XL on top. Can this be repaired or where can I buy a new one? The Eminence bolted right in. I play an Aria Cardinal Pro 2 CSB 380 

[Downunderwonder]

Check your polarity. The 15 could be fighting the 410 and losing badly.

[Guest]

My system was fantastic for decades!  Then it started Barking at me. I disagree with the polarity issue. Something came apart in the 15". Can it be fixed or can I replace it?

[Downunderwonder]

Do over time.

 

As I understand your OP you blew up the original Hartke 15 replacing it with an Eminence that is disappointing you.

 

I am saying the Eminence may be miswired. It's an easy thing to check if there are any 1/4" connections anywhere on either cab and you have a 9v battery and a spare 1/4" lead of any description.

 

The reason is 15" Eminence drivers tolerate a fair range of cabinet tuning, and "lack of punch" could easily mean the lows are on opposite phase.

 

To answer your query about fixing the Hartke 15, that's a definite maybe. You can get it reconed if Hartke are still in business selling the kits. Basically everything apart from the magnet and frame is replaced by an expert with the right tools and glue. It should be good as new and maybe 30% to 50% cheaper than binning it and buying new.

 

But I would sure take 5 minutes to check the polarity was good before doing anything else. With 9V applied to both cabs they should send their drivers in the same direction.

[Downunderwonder]

Bassman Paul must be late out of bed this morning. He would normally be telling you to abandon the 15 as 15 plus 410 = blown 15 very easily and it's a bad match.

 

He's right. But 300w of Trace really shouldn't blow a 15 paired with a 410 unless you give it an absolute bootful of bass. All the same it wouldn't be a bad idea to give it away and get another 410 because over time it will blow up again.

 

Or you might find swapping wires on the Eminence gets you where you want to be for free.

[BassmanPaul]

LOL

 

[BassmanPaul]

A quick question if I may, @Tjohnlee did you consider the impedance of the old and new drivers?

[Phil Starr]

First of all it sounds probable that the coil is gone but you can check your 15. Get a large glass or a bowl so you can push the cone in gently without any sideways pressure. If you hear scratching as you push the cone then the coil is rubbing against the side of the magnet and your speaker is effectively dead.

 

Double check your cone though, the glue line sometimes breaks where the cone joins the corrugated edge, at the point where the voice coil joins the cone or even the dust cap comes away. You can usually repair this with some latex based glue. As this is a Hartke is could be the aluminium centre coming away (less likely) so I'd look there too.

 

Any replacement speaker is not going to sound like the Hartke original, even if they are a good match for the cab the midrange which gives most of the character will be entirely different, maybe better or worse but certainly different. If only a Hartke will do then you need to look for a used Hartke of the same vintage. A replacement cab of that age will probably be less than the cost of a replacement driver.

[Downunderwonder]

Ain't no hearing no stink'n' midrange from a 15 when there's a 410 on top of it receiving the same signal.

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

True. But while the on-axis response of the 410 may be better the off-axis response of the 115 is better. Dispersion is inversely proportional to the width of the radiating surface, and you get comb filtering from a 410, you don't from a 115. Not only is mixing a 115 and 410 not a good idea, the 410 format is not a good idea. With the capabilities of today's ten inch drivers there's no question that even for high volume applications a pair of 210s vertically stacked is the modern benchmark.

[Guest]

Gentlemen. It's not a polarity issue, the 9V battery trick is the oldest in the book. the Eminence is fine. But a paper cone is not the same as .100" aluminum.  Fartk, sorry Hartke's  Transient Atack is what's missing! I set up to my drummer's right side and he noticed the difference and he is 90 to my left. I don't go through the PA  because this system will fill a good size room by it self. Not to loud but I can feel it. That all important down beat that makes people dance! I did the bowl trick and did not hear any scratching. The dust cover looks good and so does the corrugated edge. Any ideas what this rattling, buzzing could be? I've been told I have a unique sound with my system, Trace Elliot AH300, 410XL, 115XL. and my Aria CSB380. A lot of people have noticed the difference. Thanks T. P.S. The magnet is 8.5" across and 1.5" thick

[Balcro]

If you are genuinely in Freetown, Sierra Leone then you need to contact a Korg Distributor for Parts and Service. If Freetown is a euphemism, then try here:-

https://www.korg.co.uk/pages/repairs

[Guest]

Freetown Mass. USA.  Korg.co has new 15" Hartke speakers in stock for sale?

[Downunderwonder]

Ask Korg if the old cabinet tuning works for the new drivers. If not you could retune your old cab to suit and that would probably still be your best bet for the tonality.

[Guest]

I just want to know where to buy or have mine fixed. The transient attack, punch, of the Hartke 15" is missing with the Eminence. Not to mention the great look of 4 10" on top of 1 15" and the Trace Elliot black light. I don't want to buy a used XL 115 bass module and end up with the same issue. Can I buy a NEW speaker? Are they available? Who can rebuild mine? Help me my fellow bassists!   T.

[Downunderwonder]

Your cab has been superceded. There are no reconing kits on offer.

 

Option 1. Put the new model 15 in and either hope for the best and retune the cabinet as required or do some of your own research on that.

 

Option 2. Find a reconing shop and ask them if they have or can source the original driver reconing kit out of some secret stash. Best be nice about it.

 

You keep using the word fix. Ain't no fixing unless it is a simple separation of the dust cap or small tear at the surround of the cone that mates cone to the frame. You ruled those out already. So it requires a recone or binning. I already explained the recone process a little but sing out if you need more info.

 

You saw the film Snatch?

Analogous to 'fixing' a busted up driver.

[BassmanPaul]

13 hours ago, Tjohnlee said:

. Not to mention the great look of 4 10" on top of 1 15" 

Here I go: You'd be far better served if you put the 15 atop the 4x10. Then you could actually hear it's cries of paid as it fails

Edited December 3, 2023 by BassmanPaul

[tauzero]

14 hours ago, Tjohnlee said:

I just want to know where to buy or have mine fixed. The transient attack, punch, of the Hartke 15" is missing with the Eminence. Not to mention the great look of 4 10" on top of 1 15" and the Trace Elliot black light. I don't want to buy a used XL 115 bass module and end up with the same issue. Can I buy a NEW speaker? Are they available? Who can rebuild mine? Help me my fellow bassists!   T.

 

Leave the 115 unplugged and stand the 410 on top of it.

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

It might look cool doing that, but the unplugged 115 will become a passive bass trap. 😲

[Guest]

The new model 15??

[Downunderwonder]

2 hours ago, BassmanPaul said:

Here I go: You'd be far better served if you put the 15 atop the 4x10. Then you could actually hear it's cries of paid as it fails

This.

 

If the 150w of pure Trace grunt blew it once it will blow it again.

 

OP may not realise there are precious few North Americans on this forum. Odds of anyone here in his immediate four State neighborhood knowing where there is a good reconing shop for him, very slim.

 

I am not sure he has even done a battery test. Instead relied on 'I know I connected it up right when I did the job'?

[Downunderwonder]

13 minutes ago, Tjohnlee said:

The new model 15??

I forget the name but its all over the internet. Hydrive series innit? Similar size cab, higher power handling rating < big grain of salt disclaimer >, same style of aluminum cone presumably similar tonal qualities or at least as similar as you are going to find.

 

[Guest]

I just wanted some help you flips! Stand on top of it? flip you! My Trace Elliot, AH300, Made in the UK!  Pushes 300 Watts, not 150!  Yes, I am from THE United States of America, and I can't find a Hartke 15", that's 1 foot 3 inches, you convert it to sillimeters. That Korg link? Thanks for wasting my time. Kork makes keyboards, nothing about Hartke replacement speakers. The 15 on top? I have 2 words for you and they're not good morning! So, take your headphones off. stop trying to be Geddy Lee, or John Entwistle, or Steven Spielberg, and play with other human beings! Join a band! Play In front of PEOPLE! Stop with this basement stinky poo and help me out! T  

[Downunderwonder]

Dude, drop the 'tude if you want help. All advice has been given in good faith so far but don't expect that to continue much longer at this rate....

 

Your amp pushes 300w into two 8 ohm cabinets so dividing by two gets you 150w per cab. If you only took the 15 it would have been getting something like 180w but you never mentioned that case so never mind.

 

It's not on the forum to shop for you but I see the Hydrive series got another reboot as the Hydrive HL115. So try one of their spare drivers. Should be fairly easy to order.

 

I have told you what you need to do so over to you to find it. Sweetwater are helpful folks, try them and for forgiveness sake drop the 'tude. Substitute a few less letters into that f word. They might even help you to change ports on your cab to match the new model. I see Hartke have kept the same external size all through so should be a doddle.

[tauzero]

Have you tried contacting Hartke?