please help me with a speaker problem

frankyknuckles

I posted some speakers I sold on eBay. One of them arrived slightly damaged, the pictures show how the back cover has become dislodged, it looks like it took a knock in transit. The buyer is saying the speaker is not working and I do not disbelieve him, but I am trying to identify what the problem could be and if it is easily fixed before I issue a refund.

I clamped the faces of each speaker together with cable ties when packaging them. The buyers says that if he pushes the speaker cone it, it stays in and does not return to it's normal position.

What could be the problem? is it knackered?

http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i331/db3266/YJM100/E05978D1-D68C-4DE3-9AC7-C166A64DECF8_zpsik5rhja7.jpg

http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i331/db3266/YJM100/0031103A-67C1-445E-8925-FCC334390291_zpsurf2k79x.jpg

frankyknuckles

Do the plastics bits actually come off?

ICBM

The magnet has shifted on the frame and it's changed the alignment of the voice coil gap, which means that the coil will no longer move freely in it.

Dead unfortunately.

The package will have been dropped (or thrown) and landed heavily, and the inertia of the magnet will do the rest.

frankyknuckles

OK thanks.

It went on a plane, so yeah, I guess it was dropped or fell off the trolly or whatever.

HHwarner

Was it insured? Might be able to make a claim?

frankyknuckles

Yes. I did insure it. I've never claimed from Parcelforce before, but when I get the speaker back, I will be claiming.

ICBM

frankyknuckles said:

Parcelfarce

How sadly typical.

Good luck.

Actually, given the cost of the return shipping and the value of a second hand Celestion (even a decent one), if your buyer will accept a 50% refund for keeping the good speaker I would do that and just write it off. I hope you didn't pay extra for insurance since they're unlikely to honour it.

Cirrus

It's a bit of a catch 22, courier insurance. You get it for the event that it breaks in transit, but if it breaks in transit then you obviously didn't package it properly so they'll say it's your fault.

ICBM

In my opinion Parcelfarce's insurance is fraud. They will happily sell you extra insurance for items which are specifically excluded or limited in compensation value by their terms and conditions... like musical instruments. I'm not sure why this is even legal.

So if you are going to try to make a claim, make sure you don't mention anything about them being guitar amp speakers.

DartmoorHedgehog

Are the magnets not bolted on?  I've never taken the sticker off a Celestion speaker, but I fixed a 12" PA speaker with a similar problem (HH branded I think) by loosening the bolts and tapping the magnet back into alignment.  I assume Celestions aren't like this though, otherwise somebody like ICBM would no doubt have mentioned it already!

frankyknuckles

I will get the speakers (yes, he didn't want to keep just one!) back tomorrow. I'm having my guitar setup by Essex Amp repairs and I'm actually picking it up on Friday, I will take the speker with me and see if they think it can be fixed.

 

Agree about the PF insurance, i read all the small print and it seems there are many ways they can refuse a claim.

ICBM

DartmoorHedgehog said:

Are the magnets not bolted on?  I've never taken the sticker off a Celestion speaker, but I fixed a 12" PA speaker with a similar problem (HH branded I think) by loosening the bolts and tapping the magnet back into alignment.  I assume Celestions aren't like this though, otherwise somebody like ICBM would no doubt have mentioned it already!

Not on a Celestion.

With some other types you can sometimes do it, but from the amount of distortion in the frame of that one I would say it would be a non-starter anyway.

You probably have nothing to lose by putting the speaker face down on a hard surface, putting a piece of plywood or something on the back of the magnet and jumping on it though! It may just possibly push it back into alignment, if you're very lucky. The worst that can happen is that it's still dead .

I wouldn't sell it for any money after that though, even if it does work again.

frankyknuckles

OK, thanks. I'll treat it to a visit to the skip.