Monday, 17 August 2015

Change The Speaker In A Guitar Cabinet Amplifier

The speaker grill sometimes needs to be removed before the speaker can be replaced.


Speakers in a guitar cabinet usually need to be replaced when broken. Some guitarists prefer to switch out the factory speakers for other brands or models. It is important the new speaker have the same impedance value as the original speaker. The new speaker also needs to be wired in the same fashion as the original. Failure to do both results in a change in the impedance for the entire speaker cabinet. This can cause the cabinet to not function properly when plugged into the amplifier.


Instructions


1. Plug in the soldering iron.


2. Remove the back panel from the speaker cabinet to access the speakers. Not all speaker cabinets have a back panel.


3. Unscrew the mounting screws that are holding the speaker in place. Hold onto the screws for mounting the replacement. You may need to remove the speaker grill on some models before you can remove the mounting screws.


4. Place the speaker face down. There are two wires connected to the speaker. Remember which wire is connected to the "+" connector and "-" connector.


5. Touch the bead of solder holding the wire to the speaker with the tip of the soldering iron. The solder melts to detach the end of the wire. Repeat this for the second wire.


6. Touch the end of the "+" wire and the end of the coil of electrical solder to the "+" connector on the replacement speaker.


7. Touch the tip of the soldering iron to where the wire, solder and connector meet. This melts a bead of solder that connects the wire to the replacement speaker. The solder hardens almost instantly once the soldering iron is removed.


8. Solder the "-" wire to the "-" connector of the replacement speaker.


9. Mount the replacement speaker into the cabinet using the mounting screws.


10. Replace the back panel and speaker grill if these were removed earlier.

Tags: replacement speaker, soldering iron, back panel, mounting screws, speaker grill