surfguy13

Hi folks

Been offered an Ampeg B3 (15" driver) in pretty damn good nick, probably from the '90s and made in the US. It also has a full flight case.....useful!

I was wondering if anyone has any experience of these combos? Never had any Ampeg kit and although this amp seems to suit my needs I wasn't sure if it was a good buy or if it's something to avoid?

Not so worried about whether it's a good/bad deal (£200), more about how well made these US 90s combos were and whether they're plagued with problems. Obviously I'll try it on the day and see whether I like it, and that'll determine whether I buy it or not, but any views would be most helpful.

Cheers!

Will's just bought my WOBO ABY box.....lovely guy to deal with, [b]dead [/b]straight and excellent comms!! Highly recommended!

I'm getting rid of a very nice Marshall 4x12 made in 1976. Proper ply job, not the modern chipboard rubbish.

I have all my photos on Photobucket which has gone AWOL so have been trying to get to grips with Flickr without too much success. I can't seem to find an IMG code on Flickr so this is the link to the 'set' in which you can see loadsa photos of the cab and a 1970 JMP 50 watt guitar head I'm selling too:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/90249200@N07/sets/72157632129566395/

The cab is all original bar some of the screws on the back and it sounds great. The G12 Ms are 55Hz so what Marshall describe as 'bass cones' and have the 444 code on the cones which are, I'm told, means they are Kurt Mueller cones whatever that means?!!!

The front and sides of the cab are very respectable but the back is a bit the worse for wear but......who sees the back!! It has a new set of Marshall castors and is ready to rock and roll.

I'd like what I paid for it which is £450 which isn't too bad when you consider new 4x12s are going for well over that. I'm looking for a bass cab to use with an old 1965 Selmer Treble and Bass head (50 watts) so happy to consider a 1x15 or 2x15 or possibly 10s in some format. This is to use in a garage converted to rehearsal room spec so don't need anything too massive and the cab needs to be either 8 or 16 ohms as those are the only options on the head. The other option I would consider is a bass combo but whether it's a cab or a combo I'd like something decent quality that sounds good.

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1354376329' post='1885359']
Good afternoon, Guy...

I have an old Fender Bassman Export 50w head and it's matching 2x15 cab; they go perfectly together. I have an Ampeg 4x10 also, which sounds very good, but the 2x15 brings out the best of the amp, to my ears. A lot depends, of course, on the style played (old school 'jazz'/pop/rock for me...); 'slapping' doesn't work so well (not that I 'slap', though... ).
Hope this helps.
[/quote]
[quote name='rogerstodge' timestamp='1354376666' post='1885363']
You will defo find the big heavy cabs are going cheap, i've just gone lightweight (markbass),
I put my 1x15 peavey and 4x10 GK on ebay and got £92.00 for both of them.. D'oh
[/quote]

I think that nails it! A 2x15 sounds more or less perfect and if it works with an old bassman head it should sound great with the Selmer. Luverly!

I can't believe that the peavy and GK cabs went [i]that [/i]cheap?! It just sounds crazy. I can completely understand why anyone would want to go lightweight, makes sense, but I wonder if you can get that old fashioned umphhh from a lightweight cab? I really do like the sound of an old 1x15 or 2x15 and I guess they would work well with a very old amp, particularly if you have the physical size and heavy-duty ply construction.

Thanks guys.....

[quote name='ripper' timestamp='1354357636' post='1885089']
Hi Guy, it's Gordon here ... following you around!

I've recently taken up the 4 string again. Some recent similar experience which may help you.

Acquired myself an old and dead Selmer 100watt PA head which I got working again (did it myself and very gratifying it was too .. only one electric shock!). I had a great looking old WEM Starfire 1 x 18 cab that I decided to convert to a 2 x 10 + 1 x 15, which I did, involving making a new baffle ... grill cloth off the original and onto the new one, etc. Quite a lot of work and not particularly easy ... sonic results ... Meh! It's not terrible, but also not really what I expected ... not enough bottom end. Will probably try porting it now to see if that helps.

Bottom line is I would take others advice and get something that is already built!
[/quote]

Hi Gordon

Good to hear from you!! Glad to hear you're getting stuck into 4 strings again, I have to say I'm really getting back into it again and loving it. The old Selmer head is great but I need 10" or 15" (or even 18") drivers I reckon, 12's don't seem to do it for me. I've sold the old EB3 and am using an old late 70s Martin 4 string and a 70s precision, just love 'em.

Hope things are good with you and thanks for the advice, yes, I will probably end up buying something that's already made but do fancy making or converting a cab!

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1354318395' post='1884903']
You might find it cheaper to snaffle one of the many used cabs that come up for sale on Basschat at reasonable prices. With many people (myself included) going over to light-weight kit, it's not hard to find something old and heavy - the weight shouldn't be an issue once it's in your music room.

DIY can be surprisingly difficult/expensive to get right once you start thinking about edge radius and a decent finish.
[/quote]
[quote name='Phil Starr' timestamp='1354357123' post='1885079']
I'd definitely go for an old 'fridge' type cab, a 2x15 or 8x10 (or 2 4x10's) as they are really cheap second hand and the biggest downside is moving the things, The upside is they are loud so using just 50W is still going to be enough for most situations. If they are just going to sit in a practice room then there is no problem. You may need to rewire to get the impedance right. Something like the Peavey 2x15 which sounds great is 4 ohms as the two 8ohm speakers are in parallel but wiring them in series will make the cab 16 ohms.

You are going to get an old school sound, you asked about the advantages of a new solid state amp then it will be more versatile and you have an infinity of choices depending upon your budget. I'd go for a fridge which you can sell on with little or no loss if you decide you don't like the sound. Or build a cab if you have the inclination, it is really rewarding. Don't buy tubes, you can use plastic pipe or thick cardboard tube of the right diameter, try carpet warehouses for the old cardboard tubes they are throwing out.
[/quote]

Thanks guys, that's really made my mind up!! I had thought an old 2x15 or 1x18 cab would sound good but I know little or nothing about old bass speakers. A lot of old 15 or 18 cabs are loaded with Goodmans and I wasn't too sure if these were passable speakers?

There are quite a few old cabs out there and because size/weight isn't an issue I'm going to go for a 'fridge' ......thanks for all the advice!!

[quote name='bertbass' timestamp='1354317783' post='1884897']
One of these, [url="http://www.vintagehofner.co.uk/selmer/speakers/spk15.html."]http://www.vintageho...ers/spk15.html.[/url] A match made in heaven.

I used a a pair of these with a metal clad T & B 100 in 1968, sounded wonderful. Mine just had Goodmans 18s in them though.
[/quote]

The link doesn't work for some reason - could you maybe re-try? Many thanks....

[quote name='voxpop' timestamp='1354303220' post='1884706']
I have a 65 amp Apollo head that also gives out 50 watts and their matching cab.
It's a simple 90 litre cab with two ports that have 110mm long 75mm diameter tubes that tune to 40hz. Tubes can be bought from wilmslow audio for about £10.
It has a celestion BL15-400x driver that is still available for about £70.

Get your saw out and start cutting.
[/quote]

I hadn't even considered the possibility of making a cab but......why not?! Can you buy empty 90 litre cabs? Appreciate the details for Wilmslow Audio, I'll check them out. Likewise the nod re the driver - again, haven't a clue when it comes to bass drivers!

Thank ya kindly sir!

Really nice to know that someone has used one of these old heads and has liked the sound. This head is totally 'as was' even the valves are original and it sounds wonderful with guitar and I'm sure it would sound really good with a dedicated bass cab but I was reluctant to spend a lot of dosh on a bass cab and find that it sounded rubbish.

I was thinking of an 8 ohm 1x15 to use with it so that's great advice.....thanks!!

[quote name='pikeman' timestamp='1354303050' post='1884703']
Until recently I had a Mk2 Selmer TandB which I bought new in the 60s. Great sounding amp. Plug you bass into input 1 on the bass channel. I used it with an Ashdown 8 ohm 1x15 and it sounded pretty good. The best cab I ever paired it with was a Trace Elliot 1510 cab but they're a bit hard to find these days.
[/quote]

Hi Guys and Gals

I'd be really grateful for some guidance on cabs for the above. I'm a guitarist that plays bass and have always used this old Selmer head for guitar but have recently been using it with a mid 70s Marshall 4x12 (G12M 55Hz drivers). The sound is OK'ish but not great.

I play bass for recording at home rather than 'out' and in a garage converted into a soundproofed rehearsal room. A cab is only going to be used in this environment so no humping around and no major issues with space.

Couple of questions; if anyone is familiar with these old Selmer heads which have 2 channels (one supposedly for bass the other for guitar) could I do a hell of a lot better buying a dedicated bass head and cab rather than continuing with this head? The big disadvantage of the Selmer is that it will only take 8 and 16 ohm cabs.

Whether or not I go for a dedicated bass head (or possibly combo?) I will need a cab and I really have no idea where to start. I appreciate that it's down to my personal preference but I kinda need a starting point as there are SO many different cabs out there.

Anyway, any advice would be warmly appreciated!!

Cheers

Guy

Is this for trade only? If you would consider a straight sale can you confirm what sort of money you would want?

Cheers

Guy

[quote name='julaj' timestamp='1350821825' post='1843787']
PM.
[/quote]

Replied!!

[quote name='johnbiffa' timestamp='1350741255' post='1842905']
Trade for a Sunburst 2000 TBird IV, in great condition with original case?
[/quote]

Hi Johnbiffa

Many thanks for the offer, appreciate it. I think I'm moving away from Gibsons due to the issues with weight and neck dive.

Cheers

Guy

A saturday bump for a lovely bass yearning to be played!!!

[quote name='johnbiffa' timestamp='1349873284' post='1831570']
Is this cherry faded to a walnut colour or an original walnut?
[/quote]

I'm pretty sure it's a walnut but I guess it could be a well faded cherry - the back of the neck is much more cherry than the body. I essence it looks like a clear lacquer over a lovely walnut coloured mahogany. Some of the 70s walnut finishes were truly 'orrible but this is quite nice.....

Another price drop bump....

I'll have these please! PM on the way.....

[quote name='Musky' timestamp='1348941914' post='1820017']
Looks like a very tidy repair. Great result!
[/quote]

[quote name='PlungerModerno' timestamp='1348952808' post='1820168']
Good effect on target. Nice outcome, it's awesome when an old friend comes around.
[/quote]

Yeah, it's great to get the old lady back up and running. My pure stupidity in the first place which made it 1000% worse but interestingly I not only have the speaker repaired and working but have also found and resolved the original issue that decided me to remove the chassis in the first place!!!

I was getting a slight noise on the decaying note, particularly with bass through it, a sound something like breaking glass that was irritating but nothing mega. Anyway, having been right through the entire amp and serviced the components on the chassis, tightened up bolts etc etc, not only is the driver repaired and sounding good.....the noise has gone!! Yesssss!

If anyone is bored as hell you might like to see the WEM naked and in all her glory.........

[url="http://s763.photobucket.com/albums/xx272/surfguy13/WEM%20Dominator%20Bass%20Mk%201/"]http://s763.photobucket.com/albums/xx272/surfguy13/WEM%20Dominator%20Bass%20Mk%201/[/url]

A big thank you to everyone who contributed to this thread....great result!

Well, having spent this morning giving the chassis a service and putting the whole thing! back together I'm very happy to report that the driver is working perfectly!!! Clearly nothing inside the coil was damaged and it sounds just as good as it always has.

[IMG]http://i763.photobucket.com/albums/xx272/surfguy13/WEM%20Dominator%20Bass%20Mk%201/WEMDominatorBassMk123.jpg[/IMG]

Thanks once again for all the advice and help and would still be interested in a 15", 16ohm driver if anyone has one spare?

[quote name='bertbass' timestamp='1348838519' post='1818934']
Do you mean the braided wires? If the braided wires have come adrift of the very fine single copper wires inside the cone, then yes you can fix it. Done it myself a few times.

I am assuming that the terminal end of braided wires are floating around on a broken bit of brown stuff that should be fixed to a spoke of the speaker. If this is the case it would be best to fix the actual speaker terminals to a bit of plastic or something and re-attach it to the speaker chassis. Hot melt glue may be your friend here or a nut and bolt or pop rivet.

Using a small craft knife, scratch away at the black stuff covering the end of the seriously thin wires inside the cone that attach to the braided wires. When the thin wires are exposed, push the braided wires back through the holes in the cone and solder to the thin wires. There may be some black stuff on the ends of the braided wires as well and this will need to be scraped off.

Once you've soldered the wires together, check that the speaker works and fill the holes in the cone to secure the braiding and cover any exposed seriously thin wire as well so that it doesn't move around and break again.

A magnifying glass and a strong light is very helpful in your quest.

I hope this helps. Good luck.

PS
I've fixed microphones capsules with broken voice coil wires in the same way. The things you have to do when you're poor!
[/quote]

Yes, the braided wires that go from the speaker terminals on the chassis (bolted to the frame) and into the cone itself. They appear to be VERY thin braided copper wires.

Right, I have (fortunately) a stand alone magnifying glass so got down to it and the fine braided copper wires that disappear int the cone (beside the coil) are still connected at the coil end. I can re-seat them with copydex OK. One of the braided wires has snapped mid way between the speaker terminal and where it disappears into the cone so, with much tentativeness, I have managed to re-solder the two pieces together! The other wire didn't break and is still connected to the terminal. This means that once I've glued the braided wires back in situ where they meet the coil I'm in business.

The ancient (bakelite?) bracket upon which the speaker terminals are located broke into 3 pieces and it looks as if it was previously repaired a long time ago so I have cleaned up the terminals, removed all the wires, and with the help of some credit-card thickness plastic for brackets I have managed to join the 3 sections together with areldite. So far it's holding fine.

So, once I've copydex'd the braided wires and repaired the very small hole in the cone I should be able to re-attach the terminal bracket to the speaker frame and........solder the speaker wires and the braided wires!!!!

Thanks for all the encouragement ......when I removed the chassis and had the terminal bracket hanging there in 3 pieces I assumed it was terminal ...sorry!....but if nothing else the speaker is getting a second chance and if it works then I'll be over the moon. I'll post a photo once it's assembled.

[quote name='Musky' timestamp='1348788923' post='1818415']
Good idea.

If the coil is fine you can use small patches of lens cleaning tissue glued with PVA to both sides of the holes to effect a repair, though if the hole are that small they probably won't make any difference.
[/quote]

I think the coil is OK but haven't got a PP9 to test it!!! It was working fine before I worked my magic and knackered it!! I think you're right, I can definitely sort the minor holes out with PVA, it's just those very thin wires that go from the terminals to the cone. If they haven't ripped right out, and it doesn't look as if they have, can they actually be re-connected to the terminals with solder. Showing my ignorance here!

[quote name='Musky' timestamp='1348781210' post='1818268']
You don't say what is wrong with the original Celestion. Chances are it can be re-coned or the coil rewound by [url="http://www.wembleyloudspeaker.com/"]Wembley Loudspeakers[/url].
[/quote]

I'm not sure if I dare admit to this but when removing the chassis today I underestimated how short the lead to the speaker terminals was and the bar on which the terminals are mounted (not sure what this is called?) broke in half and the two very fine wires to the coil kinda pulled out of the cone a bit, although not all the way!!! I assumed that this was not repairable? There are a couple of very small holes in the cone on closer inspection just to make it worse.

I might get in touch with Wembly Loudspeakers and see if there's any way the driver could be repaired - great if it could. I like the sound of the speaker so it would be worth doing. Thanks for the tip and if it works out I owe you a beer!!

[quote name='bremen' timestamp='1348753145' post='1817746']
Just realised the driver I offered is actually a Kappa pro LF-2 (low sensitivity, high power, extended LF), probably not at all suitable for a low power amp. But you're still welcome to try it.
[/quote]

Thanks again Chris.....PM'd

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1348752347' post='1817739']
Check the sensitivity. Need to know which Kappa it is.
[/quote]

Right, the sensitivity is 100.5 (means nothing at all to me!) and this is a link to the speaker:
[url="http://www.bluearan.co.uk/index.php?id=EMIEK15B"]http://www.bluearan.co.uk/index.php?id=EMIEK15B[/url]

I spoke to John at Bluearan and he reckons this is one of the only options?

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1348751725' post='1817727']
Not much point worry about watts on the speaker, sensitivity and the high output are the important bits. Valve watts are no different, jsut have a more limited passband, which helps the speaker even more.
[/quote]

That's [b]REALLY[/b] helpful as I was a little concerned about installing a speaker that had so much more handling capacity than the original (50 watts). Bit of a numpty where drivers are concerned and only ever think about them when they stop working!!!!

The Kappa isn't expensive, probably about £70 with postage, so if the extra handling capacity isn't an issue then may be worth a punt.