Changing Speakers

fretmeister

I want to change the speaker in my EVH 1x12 to something that will actually handle the amp at gig volumes.

The interwebz reckon the high wattage Creamback is a great choice, but....

How easy is it to do for a technically challenged eijit like my good self?

ICBM

How is the existing speaker connected - soldered wires or push connectors? (Most modern cabs use push connectors.)

Pish push connectors do at least have the advantage of not needing special skills to change speakers. A screwdriver to remove the back panel, and the speaker itself, is all you should need.

Things to watch out for: 

Sometimes the panel will stick and be hard to remove. If so, don't try to lever it out, you'll chew up the vinyl. Instead remove the jack plate and pull it from there. If it's really stuck even this may fail though… at which point it gets tricky.

Sometimes the cable is too short to easily get the panel clear of the cab without pulling against the speaker connections. If so, undo the jack nut and drop it inside the cab. (Don't lose any washers.)

You don't need to overtighten the bolts when fitting the new speaker. Firmly hand tight is enough, not "as tight as you can get it".

Be careful with screwdrivers near speaker cones .

fretmeister

Don't know what type of speaker connection it has yet - not taken the back off.

Do all speakers have the same mounting bolt holes then? I had feared drilling!

JMP220478

Im not sure about all brands - but modern celestions and most of the old ones seem to have same mounting holes

Cirrus

fretmeister said:

Do all speakers have the same mounting bolt holes then? I had feared drilling!

It's standard for modern speakers to have four holes, spaced equidistantly around the rim. So pretty much all speakers have holes that will line up with the bolt holes in the cab. Some speakers have eight equidistantly spaced, so you just line up any four.

There's only a problem if the bolts are permanently attached to the cab - sometimes there will be 8 bolts sticking up around the hole in the front baffle, and this is a problem if you only have four holes on the speaker. In those case you either get rid of four screws or drill four new holes in the frame. But in my experience, most cabs are designed so that you unscrew the bolts to change speakers, and it's really really easy.

ICBM

fretmeister said:

Do all speakers have the same mounting bolt holes then? I had feared drilling!

Usually, or close - some can be just annoyingly not quite a perfect fit though, and may need a bit of work to make them go - I usually prefer to file the holes in the speaker frame slightly rather than re-drill the cabinet, unless the difference is massive.

All Celestions and Eminences are interchangeable as far as I can remember - some Jensens are very, very slightly different but you can usually make them go by 'starting' the bolts with the speaker held a bit clear of the baffle and tightening them 'in rotation'… a bit naughty, and be careful not to distort the frame!

Be *really* careful if the cab has studs and nuts rather than T-nuts and bolts - it's very easy to drop the speaker in the wrong place and put a stud straight through the cone.

fretmeister

Thanks chaps.

I'll get one ordered.

EdGrip

It's easy-peasy - easier than a pickup swap. You'll be fine.

Jalapeno

Piece of cake for my Blues Junior upgrade (to a Cannabis Rex)

ecc83

A few comments on mounting variations. 

I am of course a "one trick pony" here but!...Prior to my first time at Bstars I had used M6 Tnuts and bolts for "industrial" speakers. I was therefore surprised to find that Bs used M5*, is this a guitar industry standard? The screws are all IIRC, about 30mm, round head with a star washer and a "crosshead" form. I do not say "pozi" because they are not, quite, but a Pozi #1 fits very well. 

In addition to the star washer will be found some clear green locking compound, a bit "belts and braces" but it is not that strong. If you want to use a locking material I find nail varnish to be the best, just strong enough but breaks out cleanly when needed. DO NOT put thread lock on the actual threads! It can run down into the fret and look nasty but worse it can make subsequent removal of the screw very difficult and if the T nut strips in the wood you have big trouble. 

*The HT-5 (10" model anyway, don't know about the MK2 12) and the HT-1 use M4 studs and nuts. These can be a PITA to get out and probably best left alone and just jack in another cab!

Lastly. "stripping" an S1 45 combo can be, err, Interesting! PM me if the situation occurs!

Dave.

ICBM

Yes, M5 (2BA in the old days, and whatever the nearest US thread equivalent is) is the industry standard for guitar-amp speakers.

I wouldn't bother with threadlock - the combination of a shakeproof washer and the tension produced as the speaker frame distorts slightly (it will, even if you don't compress it flat to the wood!) is plenty. If you want more, use Nylock nuts. I've never thought that green 'locking compound' was anything other than a warranty seal, to be honest - it has almost no resistance to undoing.