How do YOU break new speakers in?

[MusicManJP6]

Monsta-Tone and I have been discussing the subject of breaking new speakers in. I just bought a pair of 8 ohm Warehouse Guitar Speakers Veteran 30s (awesome V30 clones with an 'improved' upper mid range). Great speakers, but mine need to be broken in. They are bright and stiff at the moment compared to my nicely worn in Celestions V30s.

So.... how do YOU break speakers in? And how does the tone change once broken in?

 

[Riff Blister]

This is right off of the Celestion web site. I've used this method a few times. It seems to get you started at least, then just let time do it's thing.

"How do I break in my speakers?

Important Note! Before breaking it in it's advisable to "warm up" the speaker gently for a few minutes with low-level playing or background hum.

Break in a speaker with a fat, clean tone: turn up the power amp volume to full, and control the level with the preamp gain. Use a level that will be quite loud, but not painful in a normal size room.

Have the bass and mid up full, and the treble at least half. On your guitar, use the middle pick up position (if your guitar has more than one pick up) and play for 10-15 minutes using lots of open chords, and chunky percussive playing. This will get the cone moving, and should excite all the cone modes and get everything to settle in nicely. The speaker will continue to mature over the years, but this will get it 95% of the way to tonal perfection in the shortest time."

 

[MusicManJP6]

good info. clean playing at moderate volumes with open chords for 15 minutes... doesn't sound like long enough, but i'll see if i can try it!

 

[Riff Blister]

This is a timely post for me. Just a few nights ago I did an A/B with my two Mesa cabinets. One has high mileage the other one not so much. Both have the same V30s.
I was amazed at the difference! My high mileage cab sounded so much better. Nice and smooth, not harsh at all like the newer one.
It made me a believer.

 

[Old BF Shred]

Interesting topic! 8)
I've frankly never heard of a need to break in a speaker, but, as they say, you learn something new everyday!

I have only bought Celestion speakers, for guitar amps, anyway, and have broken them in the old fashioned way....I played the livin' S&#% out of them! :lol:

They did and still do work great, but maybe, next time, I'll "go easy on the gas pedal" and see if that makes a difference.

Thanks for the info!

 

[screamingdaisy]

120w orange amp. Volume up full, gain around half. I've broken in V30s a number of times and find they generally take around 7-10 hours to soften up and start breaking in, depending on how loud you can play them. After that, it takes around another 40 to 60 or so hours for them to fully break in. After that, they'll keep improving for a number of years.

 

[Riff Blister]

I have only bought Celestion speakers, for guitar amps, anyway, and have broken them in the old fashioned way....I played the livin' S&#% out of them!

I'm thinking too, that that's the best way. Hell, anything I cook in my Crock Pot always tastes way better than the stuff I nuke in my microwave! :lol:

I've been jonesing to try some Scumback speakers in that newer cabinet. They talk so highly about them on TGP forum. Scumback claims that they sound like a 20 year old speaker right out of the box. Hmmmmm....Really?

 

[lyman]

I take my pedalboard (with no guitar plugged in, or with the guitar vol. all the way down), put on all my pedals so it's a noisy, gainy, throbbing mess, and run that into a totally dimed solid state amp driving the cab. Leave it for hours and voila! I just use my solid state amp as not to waste tube life.

 

[MusicManJP6]

I just use my solid state amp as not to waste tube life.

Great, now i'm kicking myself for selling my Crate Powerblock!!

 

[carlsoti]

I've always done the "fat clean tone" thing, but I run a CD player into the input out in the garage. Leave it overnight, or for a weekend, if you choose. To keep neighbors or family happy, heavy blankets or comforters draped over the cabinet, with the cabinet turned face down, or put against a NON-shared wall helps.

 

[mefgames]

Not sure if this works for all speakers, but when I bought my Eden 210XST, I read that you could hook it up to your stereo, and let it play continuously for 8 to 10 hours at a medium volume. When I get new equipment, there's always that moment of indisgression of, "Let's see what this thing can do".

mike

 

[MusicManJP6]

I did the fat clean thing with the cab face down for about 15 minutes and then just played at a comfortable level for about an hour and it seemed to help. I tweaked my settings quite a bit as the Veteran is brighter (more presence) than the V30. I compared the two speakers before I called it quits and the Veteran just has more character, and is tighter with a more balanced tone. I love it!

 

[GIG4FUN]

Interesting read. Right.... Live and learn. I have stubbled over this since the interenet has been in my life and everytime I read it with doubt. I never thought I would take it seriously until now.

An asside...

I have a lot of used gear. Is it time to think about putting a few of my old cabs "down", or at least have that converstation about putting them in a home. hehehe

 

[madryan]

I've got a new Veteran 30 and an ET-65 in my main 212 and it's just starting to sound sweet. It actually happened about half way through soundcheck on Sunday morning (I play my Mesa DC-5 or my Orange Rockerverb in church :twisted: ) and it was weird... I turned around and turned up the treble because all the sudden the shrill top end got much less.

 

[MusicManJP6]

I've got a new Veteran 30 and an ET-65 in my main 212 and it's just starting to sound sweet. It actually happened about half way through soundcheck on Sunday morning (I play my Mesa DC-5 or my Orange Rockerverb in church :twisted: ) and it was weird... I turned around and turned up the treble because all the sudden the shrill top end got much less.

How long did this take from the time you installed the speakers? I've got my treble turned down to compensate for the top end for now...

 

[groovebelly]

Tower of Power pumping for hours on end through the cab... brought my 2x12 3/4 back cab to near perfection in about 20 hours... very noticeable difference vs. new cabs!

 

[Dolebludger]

OK, I never heard of this before -- breaking in speakers? BUT, I bought this '99 Nomad 55 2X12 combo amp three months ago, and it looks like it had never been played on. Well, as I have played on it regularly, I have found that I keep turning up the mid and presence knobs on all three channels to get the tones I like. When I first got it, mid and presence settings like I have now were just too harsh. Now, they are just fine, and may have to be moved up some. Maybe this amp was played so little before I got it, that the speakers are still in the "break-in" period?

 

[stev0griffin]

Fortunately, I'm running through a Marshall 1936 JCM Lead Series 212 from the early '80s. The speakers have already been broken in! :]

(Though I plan on getting an Avatar cab made so I can run both together... this 'breaking in' thing is actually pretty neat! Thanks for the info, guys!) :mrgreen:

 

[MusicManJP6]

I've done my best to put some good ol' playin' time in with my cabs and I can tell the speakers are loosening up. They are strarting to sound smoother and less harsh in the highs. I'm slowly bumping my treble back up...

 

[ev1ltwin]

dunno if there are any audiophiles in the building, but you need to do the same thing with new headphones (nice ones obv). in the case of headphones though, it's really easy and quiet. all you do is hook them up to a stereo overnight with loud music running through them. driving guitar speakers is a lot louder proposition lol. cheers for the suggestions about the guitar speakers