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Topic: speaker connections... |
Mike Kowalik
From:
San Antonio,Texas
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Posted 27 Dec 2013 6:14 am |
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I just picked a Peavey LTD400 off the Forum....I purchased it with out a speaker as I wanted to install a 1501 BW in it.
The speaker that was removed by the seller was the type that had the "blade" type connectors.
So my problem is that in trying to connect the BW I can't determine which speaker lead from the amp is positive and which is negative.....the speaker cable that plugs into the back of the amp and runs to the speaker is one color....unlike the factory cable which is different colors.
So how do I figure out which is positive and which is negative?
_________________
Cremation is my last shot at having a hot body...... |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 27 Dec 2013 6:52 am
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As long as it's one speaker, I doubt it matters.
I'd probably tie negative to sleeve, but I have nothing to base that on other than car habits: ground=negative.
Notice that the wires go only to the coil, the basket doesn't connect to anything.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 27 Dec 2013 8:32 am
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| Lane is quite correct, the speaker polarity makes no difference at all unless you're using multiple speakers or multiple amplifiers. |
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Mike Kowalik
From:
San Antonio,Texas
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Posted 27 Dec 2013 9:28 am
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Thanks guys....speaker is hooked up and the amp sounds great!!
_________________
Cremation is my last shot at having a hot body...... |
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Carl Kilmer
From:
East Central, Illinois
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Posted 28 Dec 2013 6:07 am
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Polarity does matter in which way the speaker cone moves.
That's why they're marked + and -. When connected right,
the cone moves forward, so the sound goes out the front
of the amp more. If reversed the sound would be pushed
more toward the back of the amp. Tip is + and ring is -.
_________________
aka "Lucky Kay"--Custom built Rittenberry SD10 3X5, Walker S/S, NV-112, and Hilton Pedal |
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Stephen Cowell
From:
Round Rock, Texas, USA
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Posted 28 Dec 2013 8:23 am
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| Carl Kilmer wrote: |
Polarity does matter in which way the speaker cone moves.
That's why they're marked + and -. When connected right,
the cone moves forward, so the sound goes out the front
of the amp more. If reversed the sound would be pushed
more toward the back of the amp. Tip is + and ring is -. |
What happens after the cone moves forward?
_________________
New FB Page: Lap Steel Licks And Stuff: https://www.facebook.com/groups/195394851800329 |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 28 Dec 2013 9:28 am
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Carl, we make a sine wave, spending as much time negative as positive, so the speaker spends as much time and effort sucking inward as thrusting outward. I REALLY doubt anyone can tell the difference between a note starting positive and one starting negative.
Here's an experiment: in a one pickup guitar, try reversing the two wires, that'll reverse the polarity of the input signal. I got $3 that says "no detectable difference."
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 29 Dec 2013 6:44 pm
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| Quote: |
Polarity does matter in which way the speaker cone moves.
That's why they're marked + and -. When connected right,
the cone moves forward, so the sound goes out the front
of the amp more. |
Nope, sorry. It doesn't work that way.  The speaker moves back and forth equally, just like a plucked string, and those back and forth vibrations generate a tone. As Lane says, and phase (polarity) change will be unnoticed, whether it's in the speaker, the pickup, or the amp. (As in the case of a Twin-Reverb, where the two channels are 180 degrees out of phase.) Only when using multiple amps or speakers can you notice a tone change due to the polarity (phasing) of the speakers. |
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Bill Duncan
From:
Lenoir, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 29 Dec 2013 7:11 pm
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I always believed polarity didn't matter either until a couple of weeks ago I bought a new Black Widow 1501-4 and installed it in a Vegas 400 without paying attention to the polarity and the thing had no volume.
When I say no volume I mean with a Vegas 400, 3/4 up, there should be some sound moving. I thought something was wrong with the amp. After fooling with it a while I swapped the speaker wire polarity and it worked as it should. It once again had plenty of volume.
I don't know the reason, only the results, but this is the way it went.
_________________
You can observe a lot just by looking |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 29 Dec 2013 7:24 pm
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| Bill Duncan wrote: |
I always believed polarity didn't matter either until a couple of weeks ago I bought a new Black Widow 1501-4 and installed it in a Vegas 400 without paying attention to the polarity and the thing had no volume.
When I say no volume I mean with a Vegas 400, 3/4 up, there should be some sound moving. I thought something was wrong with the amp. After fooling with it a while I swapped the speaker wire polarity and it worked as it should. It once again had plenty of volume.
I don't know the reason, only the results, but this is the way it went. |
I would wager a guess that you had bad, or barely any, connections that were "fixed" when you moved the leads to the other terminals. I doubt that amp was specially made to only accept the speaker with a certain REQUIRED way to connect the speaker, and all other amps could take them either way.
| Quote: |
| What happens after the cone moves forward? |
Depends on how far the cone travels. If it travels too far, it hits the wall and falls on the floor. 
_________________
Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 54 years and still counting. |
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Dennis Rehrig
From:
Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 29 Dec 2013 8:24 pm Speaker Connection
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YOU CAN USE A 9V BATTERY POS. SIDE OF BATTERY
WILL PUSH CONE FORWARD THAT WOULD BE POS. TERMINAL
ON SPEAKER |
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Peter Harris
From:
South Australia, Australia
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Posted 30 Dec 2013 3:21 am Re: Speaker Connection
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| Dennis Rehrig wrote: |
YOU CAN USE A 9V BATTERY POS. SIDE OF BATTERY
WILL PUSH CONE FORWARD THAT WOULD BE POS. TERMINAL
ON SPEAKER |
...and that was what I was taught, more decades ago than I can remember.. 
_________________
If my wife is reading this, I don't have much stuff....really! |
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 30 Dec 2013 3:26 am
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Polarity only matters if you have more than one speaker in the amp. Or if you are using a "stereo" setup with two speakers.
Just one speaker, it doesn't matter since it is an alternating current (positive and negative) signal that is being applied to the speaker.
The only reason a speaker is marked with the Plus and Minus is for multiple speaker hookups. |
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