Help! Dead Trace 18" Speaker :-(

[cheddatom]

About a month ago in the recording studio, I started playing through my rig, and noticed it had lost it's usual "mammoth b*ll*cks". This was really dissapointing, but i've managed to add in some extra low end in the mixing stage.

Anyway, the loss of low end was because my TE extension cab is broken! It has 1 x horn, 1 x 10", and 1 x 18". It's only the 18" which isn't working. I unscrewed everything the other day, hoping that it would just be a dry joint on the back of the speaker. However, I can't get the speaker out of the cab!!

Any ideas?

[cheddatom]

I don't want to be a pest, I know this hasn't been up for long, but, I was hoping for some suggestions as i'm going to be working on it tomorrow!

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

Can you post some pics?

There are some very experienced & knowlegable people here, but I'm sure they may be better able to help if they could see how the speaker is mounted in that particular cab before suggesting how to get it out.

[Pbassred]

I can't believe it won't come out of the cab.

[paul, the]

I don't know why you can't get it out of the cab...

In case you need to replace:

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Eminence-Fane-18-inch-Bass-Sub-Speaker_W0QQitemZ130171842648"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Eminence-Fane-18-inc...emZ130171842648[/url]

Looks good value to me if you sold the spare.

[cheddatom]

Thanks for the replies, i'll take some pics after work, it still wont move!

[BOD2]

I don't know the cab you have or what you've tried already so excuse me if I'm stating the obvious.

If the speaker is "front loaded" you need to remove the speaker grill from the front of the cab, undo any fixings then pull the speaker forwards to get it out.

If it's "rear-loaded" then you need to remove the rear of the cab, undo any fixings then pull the speaker back to get it out.

It may have a foam sealing gasket between speaker and mounting/baffle board. This may have stuck to the board making it difficult to move. Ensure all fixings have been removed/undone then try to gently prise large a flat-bladed screwdriver between the speaker chasis edge and the baffle board.

Beyond that advice, I'm stumped.

[cheddatom]

Just to make it clear - I put the cab on it's back, took off the grill, unscrewed all the screws around the rim of the speaker, and tried to pull it out. I can even get my hand round the back of the speaker, as there are two large ports in the front of the cab. With my hand on the back of the speaker, trying to lift it up, it wont budge! I don't think it will be "rear-loaded" as it's covered with the nice plastic that Trace cabs are, and I can't see any screws.

[Pbassred]

I have never known a speaker that did not come out in the direction of the screws! I reckon that it was assembled before the paint on the cab was dry and it has literaly stuck in place. Can you get a screwdriver between the rim and the cab to split them apart?

[paul, the]

[quote name='cheddatom' post='87367' date='Nov 12 2007, 04:16 PM']Just to make it clear - I put the cab on it's back, took off the grill, unscrewed all the screws around the rim of the speaker, and tried to pull it out. I can even get my hand round the back of the speaker, as there are two large ports in the front of the cab. With my hand on the back of the speaker, trying to lift it up, it wont budge! I don't think it will be "rear-loaded" as it's covered with the nice plastic that Trace cabs are, and I can't see any screws.[/quote]

Did you disconnect it from the jack socket at the back? I'm not being condescending, I always forget the painfully obvious and then feel a narna when admitting it.

[paul, the]

Another numnum suggestion:

If you're pulling it out from the front(?) it might just seem very very heavy. I have an 18 and carrying the driver around just by its lip is murder.

[cheddatom]

I can't disconnect it yet, as I can't get it out to get at the wires. Eitherway, I don't think two wires would prevent me from budging the thing at all!

I thought at first that it was probably just really heavy, and I was being a bit of a weakling. However, I do normally lift the whole cab on my own, and I got our drummer to try who is the muscley type, and he couldn't do it either.

I didn't get chance to look at it last night, but we have a practice tonight, so no doubt i'll be trying to prise it with a screwdriver. I really don't want to damage it though!

[tauzero]

Can you slide a sharp blade in between speaker rim and cab front, and go round the speaker rim? It could be that the sealing gasket is well and truly stuck. Would do less damage to the speaker rim and cab front than trying to prise it up.

[cheddatom]

I've tried a sharp blade, but it doesn't slide between the speaker rim and cab, it just cuts into one or the other. Does this mean it's glued do you think? Is this common?

[Merton]

Nice baffle decor!

Trace speakers normally have a sticky sealing stuff, kinda foamy. It'll just be that the speaker has been held so tightly against that for almost 20 years now (probably) that it's well and truly stuck. I had similar fun with a Trace combo with a 15" speaker. Perseverance I'm afraid, and a sharp knife or screwdriver plus careful wedging

[cheddatom]

Erroneous! I actually bought it with the captain scarlet comics already on. I'll have another go with the craft knife and let you all know.