Bass cab volume and low-end loss

[bigchiefbc]

Last practice, about 2 songs in, I lost a ton of volume and all of my low-end. Total volume was way down, but I noticed that the E string was all upper harmonics and was much quieter than the D and G strings.

At first I switched my bass to passive mode to make sure it wasn't a battery, then I figured it was my amp, so I plugged my amp into my guitarist's cab, and BOOM there is all my volume and low-end, it sounded perfect.

So it's definitely the cab (a Carvin RL410T). I tried turning my amp up to about 5 (3 is usually where I run it for a clean sound, it's a non-master tube amp). No more volume, some distortion. I turn it up to 7, heavily distorted, still no more volume.

I brought it home tonight, took the grate off and examined each speaker individually. All 4 are bouncing when I put signal through it. When I gently push each one in, there's no scraping sound, and all 4 of them move easily. So none of them SEEM blown. I took off the back plate, and I don't see any burn marks or loose wires.

I tried my amp one more time through another cab, and it sounded perfect, tons of bass and volume.

I thought about just bypassing the crossover and going straight from the input jack to the speakers, but it's not all open wiring like my Avatar; it's all PCB-mounted jacks and components.

Any ideas here?

[D.o.S.]

Any ideas here?

I still have that 2x15.


No idea how to fix the problem, though.

[bigchiefbc]

Any ideas here?

I still have that 2x15.


No idea how to fix the problem, though.

15s are mud-butt.

Unfortunately, I have a gig on Saturday night. So I'm probably going to have to use my guitarist's backup cab. I have PA support, so that should be ok.

[Holy Schnikes]

I'd test those speakers using the 9V battery test but I'm not quite sure on the specifics of said test. At least that way you'll know definitively if a speaker is dead.

[AxAxSxS]

9v test really is just god for polarity determination and ensuring continuity and within the speaker. solder or tape leads to the contacts on the battery, if you want to get fancy add some alligator clips. disconect the speaker from the circuit in the cab and attach the leads. pos to pos and the speaker should forward. pos to neg and it should retract back in.

[jrmy]

Sucks man - if you want to borrow a 4x10, you could use mine...

[bigchiefbc]

I'd test those speakers using the 9V battery test but I'm not quite sure on the specifics of said test. At least that way you'll know definitively if a speaker is dead.

The fact that all 4 speakers are moving when I put signal through it pretty much makes the 9V test moot, doesn't it?

[bigchiefbc]

Sucks man - if you want to borrow a 4x10, you could use mine...

Any chance of me borrowing it before Saturday night?

[Holy Schnikes]

I'd test those speakers using the 9V battery test but I'm not quite sure on the specifics of said test. At least that way you'll know definitively if a speaker is dead.

The fact that all 4 speakers are moving when I put signal through it pretty much makes the 9V test moot, doesn't it?

Probably haha. That's just the most common first step I hear mentioned.

9v test really is just god for polarity determination and ensuring continuity and within the speaker. solder or tape leads to the contacts on the battery, if you want to get fancy add some alligator clips. disconect the speaker from the circuit in the cab and attach the leads. pos to pos and the speaker should forward. pos to neg and it should retract back in.

Probably do this.