30" speaker in a Ric amp?

Tube and solidstate amplifiers made by Rickenbacker

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jwr2

30" speaker in a Ric amp?

Post by jwr2 »

In the new Bass Player magazine John Paul Jones talks about many early amps that he blew up and killed ... one of them was a Rickenbacker with a 30" speaker ... :shock:
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tracy
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Re: 30" speaker in a Ric amp?

Post by tracy »

Yeah, I have three of those cabinets, only two have speakers and one of those speakers is defective. The one that is working sounds unbelievable. I recently met with Transonic designer Bob Rissi and he recalled that these cabinets were exceptional in their linearity. The speakers are fragile though. Put any kind of power to them and they're history.
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jps
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Re: 30" speaker in a Ric amp?

Post by jps »

Are those the EV 30" speakers they made back in those days?
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jingle_jangle
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Re: 30" speaker in a Ric amp?

Post by jingle_jangle »

Nowadays...carbon fiber cones...I'm thinking...

Last nite our bass player was playing his JG4003 through his newish Ampeg SS rig, which just received a second cab with a single 18 to go with the 4-10 that he already has. The difference is palpable. The drummer said, "I can feel you in my feet". This could become a song title, BTW.

So, what would a 30 sound like? (I remember my Transonic literature lists twin 15s or a single 30 as options...)

And, if they couldn't handle any power, then what's the sense?
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ken_j
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Re: 30" speaker in a Ric amp?

Post by ken_j »

In the mid eighties we had a 30" EV loaded in a 72 cubic foot cabinet that was used in the noise and vibration lab. .
"The best things in life aren't things."
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jps
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Re: 30" speaker in a Ric amp?

Post by jps »

Did you play your Rick though it? :shock:
jwr2

Re: 30" speaker in a Ric amp?

Post by jwr2 »

Madison or somebody else used to make a bass cabinet with a 24" speaker ...

the old amps didn't have much headroom in power wattage or in how much the cabinet could handle ...

these days if you want low end these speakers will give it to you !!!

http://www.cerwinvega.com/
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ken_j
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Re: 30" speaker in a Ric amp?

Post by ken_j »

jps wrote:Did you play your Rick though it? :shock:
I wish, but I didn't have a Rick at that time. I heard that the EV was only good from 60Hz and down, but I don't know that for a fact.
"The best things in life aren't things."
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tracy
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Re: 30" speaker in a Ric amp?

Post by tracy »

Well, you're right Paul, what was the sense? Apparently, back in the days before intelligently miked venues, you would normally use all three cabinets (!!) anytime you used the setup (which was supplied with a 200 watt transonic head) or risk blowing up a speaker. How inconvenient is that? These cabinets are HUGE! But it will rattle your tibia, femur and other sensitive body parts as well as allow you to be heard clearly several hundred yards away. And a note for the record: It's a cast frame 30" EV. I put 50 watts into it and all is well.
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kennyhowes
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Re: 30" speaker in a Ric amp?

Post by kennyhowes »

I plugged an SVT head into a Transonic 4x15" once. Holy moley. BOOOOOOOOM
jwr2

Re: 30" speaker in a Ric amp?

Post by jwr2 »

Sunn used to make a 4x15 cabinet ... it sounded absolutely awesome :!:
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tracy
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Re: 30" speaker in a Ric amp?

Post by tracy »

Wow! 4x15 transonic......I forgot about those!
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Re: 30" speaker in a Ric amp?

Post by chuck_king »

Good Lord. I thought the "30 inch speaker" reference in the RIckenbacker book was a mistake. You mean they really did make cabinets with 30 inch speakers? Amazing! What a thing to have. Are there pictures anywhere?
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Re: 30" speaker in a Ric amp?

Post by tracy »

I have a picture of all three 30"cabinets set up side-by-side if I can remember to post it the next time I run across my pix. I'm a bit disorganized (as Kenny has seen). My shop is like 10 pounds of potatoes in a 5 pound sack.
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