Slide on Speaker Connectors n' Cable

  • Thread starter Thread starter kojdogg
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kojdogg

kojdogg

bollocks redux!
Anyone know where you can get those slide on connectors for guitar speakers-so you don't have to solder them on- preferably ones which are part of a speaker cable with a 1/4" connector on the other end?
 
thankfully no... bad idea dude... especially for a speaker level signal... do the right thing and solder some up...
 
thankfully no... bad idea dude... especially for a speaker level signal... do the right thing and solder some up...

are you sure? it's just a way of maintaining contact. avatar uses them in their cabs and my carvin amp came with the speaker connected to the amp that way.
 
I may get slammed for this but here goes... Look at the obvious place-Radio Shack. They carry everything you described as wanting, speaker conectors, 16 gauge speaker wire, 1/4 inch mono jacks. You aren't likely to find them "ready made" so just get the parts and make your own. BTW the prongs on the speaker may be different sizes (supposed to prevent hooking speakers out of phase) and different brands of speakers have different size prongs, be sure to get a good fit or they will get loose from viberations.
 
no that's a very good idea d-p, but it likely involves soldering which i generally try to avoid for my own safety, the safety of my loved ones and of the community i live in.
 
are you saying you want a speaker cable with the slider attachments? ie Head - Cable - Speaker Cab? and are we talking 4x12 or like a 1x12 cab?

or are we talking about you fixing your combo?

-paul
 
no that's a very good idea d-p, but it likely involves soldering which i generally try to avoid for my own safety, the safety of my loved ones and of the community i live in.

Always solder speaker cables to their connectors. If you use the screw terminals in the connectors, a wire will eventually come loose and open circuit the speaker, or worse yet, short out the amp. If you use 1/4" speaker connectors with screw terminals, take the screws out and solder through the holes.

If you can't or won't do your own soldering, buy made up speaker cables. The money you save by making your own "iffy" cables will be far offset by the expense of a blown up power amp.

And yes, I have been there and done that.
 
thanks dudes. i'll get a tech to swap speakers for me. i just got a couple of new heads and a cab and am thinking of swapping a few different speakers into the cab to see what i like best, so i was hoping that there was a quick, easy and safe way to do this.
 
Anyone know where you can get those slide on connectors for guitar speakers-so you don't have to solder them on- preferably ones which are part of a speaker cable with a 1/4" connector on the other end?

I think people may not understand what you are asking.....you can get a box of crimp connectors and a crimp tool at Radio SHack for about $20....and make a cable with two of those at the speaker end and a 1/4" at the other end.
 
You can damage an amp if the speakers become disconnected. This is the problem with 1/4" phone connectors, and it is not improved with solderless connections.

Even back in 1963, the year my Ampeg B15N was built, they understood the need for secure connections, and that amp used a locking XLR connection to the speaker cab.

My latest amp, a Fender Jazzmaster Ultralight, has Speakon locking connectors and that's the way to go.
 
thankfully no... bad idea dude... especially for a speaker level signal... do the right thing and solder some up...

On the other hand, you do plug a speaker cable in to the cabinet. It isn't soldered.

Solder is a better connection but as long as the metal is clean and the connection is tight slide on connectors are ok.
 
You can damage an amp if the speakers become disconnected. This is the problem with 1/4" phone connectors, and it is not improved with solderless connections.

Even back in 1963, the year my Ampeg B15N was built, they understood the need for secure connections, and that amp used a locking XLR connection to the speaker cab.

My latest amp, a Fender Jazzmaster Ultralight, has Speakon locking connectors and that's the way to go.

I had an Ampeg B42X I used for guitar many years ago that had the locking XLR on the speaker Cab. Not a lot of power but it was pretty much indestructible, good small club amp.
Mostly you just need to have a solid connection from the amp to the speaker and don't let it run without a speaker for the load, Koj.
 
Not a lot of power but it was pretty much indestructible, good small club amp.
Mostly you just need to have a solid connection from the amp to the speaker and don't let it run without a speaker for the load, Koj.

The weakness of phone plugs is that someone can step on the cable and yank it out: there's no mechanical coupling.
 
I think people may not understand what you are asking.....you can get a box of crimp connectors and a crimp tool at Radio SHack for about $20....and make a cable with two of those at the speaker end and a 1/4" at the other end.
Thanks-- I'll definitely look into that.

Mostly you just need to have a solid connection from the amp to the speaker and don't let it run without a speaker for the load, Koj.
Thanks Tony-- I generally run the amp through a Weber attenuator first which provides a speaker load unless I'm jamming with other people or playing with a band.

The cable on my Carvin is really cleanly done-- a 1/4" right angle jack going to the amp part and a two "prong" connector encased in plastic on the other end which slides onto the speaker contacts snugly. I've pretty much just been using the Carvin as a speaker cab lately because it has a nice UK-made Celestion V30 in it, but I have an Ear Candy 1X12 and maybe another 2X12 coming so it would be nice to try out a few different speakers. I'd like to try out a Weber Alnico Blue Dog or maybe a Warehouse Black and Blue in the 1x12, but if which ever one I try doesn't work with my heads (an Orange Tiny Terror getting Jule modded right now or a Turretboard-modded 'Marshalized' Epi Valve Jr.), I'd rather not have to then get the speakers desoldered to remove them.
 
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