Only one speaker in 2x12 putting out sound - any ideas?

Loobs

I have a Zilla 2x12 with a Creamback and V30. Only the bottom speaker (Creamback) is putting out sound all of a sudden, but it works fine. The top speaker is whisper quiet. The wiring looks good, the speaker isn't ripped or blown. In fact, it hasn't even been gigged that much, though it has been used plenty at volume. Any ideas about what could be going wrong here? It's 8ohm and is seeing an 8ohm output from my amp (Traynor YBA-1a). 

JCA2550

Check that the little flat plug on spade connectors are attached to the speaker contacts correctly 

ICBM

If the wiring is definitely good and the speaker is not putting out sound then it is blown, whether you would expect it to be so or not.

If the wiring has push connectors, the simplest way to test if it’s the wiring or the speaker is swap the connections round. If the V30 remains dead, then it is.

Some speakers - particularly Eminence, which have the connections crimped not soldered - can develop a bad connection between the terminals and the cone braid, but Celestions are soldered so it’s less likely. If the speaker is disconnected, metering directly across the cone braids will tell you if this is the problem.

Loobs

Thanks, I'll look into this. It definitely puts out nowhere near as much sound as it did. Barely any. 

Loobs

It has push connectors that are also soldered. Would the other speaker still work even if this one has crapped out? 

ICBM

Loobs said:

Thanks, I'll look into this. It definitely puts out nowhere near as much sound as it did. Barely any. 

You're probably hearing the internal sound in the cabinet, especially if it's closed back. The un-driven speaker cone will move with the pressure in the cab, so some sound will appear to be coming from that speaker, although not much.

Loobs said:

It has push connectors that are also soldered. Would the other speaker still work even if this one has crapped out? 

Yes, if they're in parallel.

If it is dead, sometimes speakers just do that even if there doesn't appear to be any real reason it's blown - it will usually be caused by a manufacturing fault in the voice coil. I've come across a couple of Celestions like that - both UK-made, not Chinese ones. When dismantled to find out why, there was a cold solder joint where the cone braid joins the voice coil - unfortunately unrepairable without destroying the cone.

Loobs

This makes a lot of sense. The speaker was still vibrating when played...it's a convertible cab so I was able to open the middle panel...though no sound was coming from it. Just as well the V30 died because the Creamback sounds really good! 

Loobs

Ordered a new V30 anyway, let's see.