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Replacing Speakers in 4-15c bass rig [message #8769] Mon, 23 July 2007 15:06 Go to next message
tjallen29 is currently offline  tjallen29
Messages: 4
Registered: February 2007
Location: Elmira, NY
Junior Member
Hello All,

I have a 4-15c bass setup (200a head, 2 cabs w/ 2x15" each) and I'm getting some bad distortion from one of the cabinets if I turn the volume past 25% or so.

My questions is on replacing the speakers themselves. Can anyone suggest a good inexpensive replacement speaker? How many ohms (per speaker) would this cabinet take?

Thanks for the help!
Re: Replacing Speakers in 4-15c bass rig [message #8773 is a reply to message #8769] Tue, 24 July 2007 06:33 Go to previous messageGo to next message
stevem is currently offline  stevem
Messages: 4775
Registered: June 2004
Location: NY
Senior Member
Hi, since your speakers are 16 ohm models you do not have much of a choise.
Parts express has a model 290-419 Eminence made 16 ohm driver that list for around 96 bucks, and sells for about 25% less(you have to call them for the price) or you can send your driver out to a reconer like orange county speakers and in the end it will probibly cost you with in 10 bucks of buying a new driver.
What ever you do, do not ditch the original speaker!
Re: Replacing Speakers in 4-15c bass rig [message #8774 is a reply to message #8773] Tue, 24 July 2007 08:41 Go to previous messageGo to next message
tjallen29 is currently offline  tjallen29
Messages: 4
Registered: February 2007
Location: Elmira, NY
Junior Member
Hmm.. that's odd. When I posted this question I also asked the ohm rating of a couple of Kustom speaker cabs that were being sold on Ebay. They both responded saying that the speakers were 4 ohms. Could they be wrong or are they referring to the ohm rating of the cabinet as a whole?

Sorry, I'm still learning... Confused
Re: Replacing Speakers in 4-15c bass rig [message #8775 is a reply to message #8774] Tue, 24 July 2007 09:12 Go to previous messageGo to next message
C4ster
Messages: 686
Registered: June 2001
Location: Mukwonago, WI (Milwaukee...
Senior Member
Kustom used 16 ohm speakers in all of their cabinets except the 4x10 and 4x12 pa columns. Perhaps the later T&R rigs, 150, 250 etc, had other values but for the most part, 16 ohms is standard. That means that a 2x15 will be an 8 ohm cabinet. 2 cabinets in parallel will be 4 ohms to the amp. I think the majority of sellers on Ebay have no idea what they are selling and the ohmic value is something most people don't understand. The other possibility is a speaker change. 2 4 ohm speakers in series also gives 8 ohms. I bought a 2x15 cab from one of the VintageKustom guys on Ebay and the cabinet was 4 ohm speakers wired in parallel for 2 ohms. He was using it on a Peavey amp and it was rated at 2 ohms. I wired it in series and it is now an 8 ohm cabinet. My brother has 2 red 2x15's and 1 is 8 ohms and the other is 4. Both have JBL D140 speakers and he uses the 4 ohm to get the maximum wattage with 1 cabinet.
Re: Replacing Speakers in 4-15c bass rig [message #8776 is a reply to message #8775] Tue, 24 July 2007 09:26 Go to previous messageGo to next message
tjallen29 is currently offline  tjallen29
Messages: 4
Registered: February 2007
Location: Elmira, NY
Junior Member
So to clarify, if I were to get 2 8 ohm drivers and wired them in parallel, giving me 4ohms for the cabinet, I'd get the most out of the head? I only use one cabinet at a time for the most part and want to get the most out of it.

Or am I just better off sticking with 16 ohm drivers?

Thanks again for all the good info. Smile
Re: Replacing Speakers in 4-15c bass rig [message #8777 is a reply to message #8776] Tue, 24 July 2007 11:24 Go to previous messageGo to next message
C4ster
Messages: 686
Registered: June 2001
Location: Mukwonago, WI (Milwaukee...
Senior Member
If you use only 1 cabinet, then 2 8 ohm speakers is the way to go. The Kustom amp is designed to give 100 watts into 4 ohms. However, at 8 ohms the power output drops to 65 watts or so. The sound levels though, are in excess of the 35 watts you gain from adding the second cabinet. 1 cabinet is the biggest advantage. But nothing can beat the look of a matched pair of cabinets under a K200 head. OK, maybe 4 matched cabs under a K400 head. My son loves to use 2 3x15's under a K200 with a power amp just for fun.
Conrad
Re: Replacing Speakers in 4-15c bass rig [message #8778 is a reply to message #8769] Tue, 24 July 2007 12:43 Go to previous message
stevem is currently offline  stevem
Messages: 4775
Registered: June 2004
Location: NY
Senior Member
You could load 1 cab with 8 ohm drivers wired with a DPDT switch so that in one position the cab would be 4 ohm, and in the other position it would be 16 ohm and allow you to still pair that up with the other 8 ohm cab and have a 5.3 ohm load.
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