Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but it's always been my understanding that UNDER POWERED amps are what blow speakers. Counter-intuitive, but when an underpowered amp maxes out, it's sending a clipped waveform to the speaker, and speakers really really don't like clipped waveforms. So yeah, a more powerful amp will send cleaner audio to your speakers.

My B+W's are rated for something like 100w, I have 400w power amps for them, they're loud and clean all day long.

Mickey242 wrote: Fri Sep 09, 2022 6:59 pm Anyone know of a good replacement shock mount for a Audio-technica AT4033a?

Rycote InVision Universal Lite will hold my 4033, although I use it for my Blue Blueberry.

MoreSpaceEcho wrote: Tue Sep 13, 2022 10:25 am Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but it's always been my understanding that UNDER POWERED amps are what blow speakers. Counter-intuitive, but when an underpowered amp maxes out, it's sending a clipped waveform to the speaker, and speakers really really don't like clipped waveforms. So yeah, a more powerful amp will send cleaner audio to your speakers.

My B+W's are rated for something like 100w, I have 400w power amps for them, they're loud and clean all day long.

This is correct. I mean obviously if you send a ridiculous amount of power to a speaker it can blow it but the general rule that I was always told is to go for 2x power your speakers are rated for.

That being said, Samson-brand stuff isn't known for being high-quality, so you may not find this to be a significant sonic upgrade.

Guitar repair question: So the strap button on my Les Paul is stripped. But it's a little more to it than the old toothpick trick, however. As you can see in the pictures, the butt of the guitar and the strap button got smushed in. Probably got set down too hard smashing it in at some time. I'm sure it was like that years before I got it, and eventually the crooked button wormed around and got loose.

So there is a nickel sized recess in the wood now. I was thinking of glueing (wood glue? CA glue?) in a dowel and redrilling. I'm worried the recess is going to be a problem. If I drill fresh and put the smushed button back on the way it fits, will that likely be fine, or will that just contribute to it working its way out again. If I need to fix the recess, what do I do?

This guitar has plenty of dings, so as long as the end result is stable and can be colored black, I'll be happy.

VaticanShotglass wrote: Tue Sep 13, 2022 11:34 am This guitar has plenty of dings, so as long as the end result is stable and can be colored black, I'll be happy.

if this is "player-grade" I wouldn't worry about that recess at all and just do the wood glue+toothpicks & maybe get a new screw if those old ones have the threads gunked up.

Your strap is going to cover that recess & you'll never see it. From that photo it doesn't look like it's recessed deep enough to cause the strap to fall off or anything.

But if it's really bugging you, & you need a riser or something, just get a washer about that size and call it good.

If you really want to get it back to perfect though, yes, you'll need to carefully drill the area out & glue in a dowel rod and respray the area and start from fresh. Me, I wouldn't bother.

Garth wrote:

MoreSpaceEcho wrote: Tue Sep 13, 2022 10:25 am Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but it's always been my understanding that UNDER POWERED amps are what blow speakers. Counter-intuitive, but when an underpowered amp maxes out, it's sending a clipped waveform to the speaker, and speakers really really don't like clipped waveforms. So yeah, a more powerful amp will send cleaner audio to your speakers.

My B+W's are rated for something like 100w, I have 400w power amps for them, they're loud and clean all day long.

This is correct. I mean obviously if you send a ridiculous amount of power to a speaker it can blow it but the general rule that I was always told is to go for 2x power your speakers are rated for.

I guess what I'm wondering is -- does the 4-way speaker selector mean that 1/4 of the power output is going to each set of speakers? All the speakers stay on all the time. I need to look up the specs on the speaker switch but it has one stereo input (speaker level), 4 stereo outputs (for 8 ohm speakers) and some kind of imepedance-matching function/transformer.

Teacher's Pet wrote: Tue Sep 13, 2022 12:36 pm

Garth wrote:

MoreSpaceEcho wrote: Tue Sep 13, 2022 10:25 am Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but it's always been my understanding that UNDER POWERED amps are what blow speakers. Counter-intuitive, but when an underpowered amp maxes out, it's sending a clipped waveform to the speaker, and speakers really really don't like clipped waveforms. So yeah, a more powerful amp will send cleaner audio to your speakers.

My B+W's are rated for something like 100w, I have 400w power amps for them, they're loud and clean all day long.

This is correct. I mean obviously if you send a ridiculous amount of power to a speaker it can blow it but the general rule that I was always told is to go for 2x power your speakers are rated for.

I guess what I'm wondering is -- does the 4-way speaker selector mean that 1/4 of the power output is going to each set of speakers? All the speakers stay on all the time. I need to look up the specs on the speaker switch but it has one stereo input (speaker level), 4 stereo outputs (for 8 ohm speakers) and some kind of imepedance-matching function/transformer.

You should check what the specs say for that speaker switch. It probably has a maximum power rating if everything is running through a transformer.

Garth wrote: Tue Sep 13, 2022 11:54 am

VaticanShotglass wrote: Tue Sep 13, 2022 11:34 am This guitar has plenty of dings, so as long as the end result is stable and can be colored black, I'll be happy.

if this is "player-grade" I wouldn't worry about that recess at all and just do the wood glue+toothpicks & maybe get a new screw if those old ones have the threads gunked up.

Your strap is going to cover that recess & you'll never see it. From that photo it doesn't look like it's recessed deep enough to cause the strap to fall off or anything.

But if it's really bugging you, & you need a riser or something, just get a washer about that size and call it good.

If you really want to get it back to perfect though, yes, you'll need to carefully drill the area out & glue in a dowel rod and respray the area and start from fresh. Me, I wouldn't bother.

This is certainly player grade and a nice Japanese knock off (Burny). No idea what it is worth. I have another very similar in very nice condition, but this one gets the action. I'm not worried about the cosmetics.

I'll try the standard repair. I just got it in my head that the slant might make for more pull on the screw if the button tries to rotate with the strap, but if the button is moving around, I think you've already got problems, no?

twelvepoint wrote: Tue Sep 13, 2022 10:31 am

Mickey242 wrote: Fri Sep 09, 2022 6:59 pm Anyone know of a good replacement shock mount for a Audio-technica AT4033a?

Rycote InVision Universal Lite will hold my 4033, although I use it for my Blue Blueberry.

Well Thanks. I loved my Blue Blueberry's till they where stolen lol

Nate Dort wrote:

Teacher's Pet wrote: Tue Sep 13, 2022 12:36 pm

Garth wrote:

This is correct. I mean obviously if you send a ridiculous amount of power to a speaker it can blow it but the general rule that I was always told is to go for 2x power your speakers are rated for.

I guess what I'm wondering is -- does the 4-way speaker selector mean that 1/4 of the power output is going to each set of speakers? All the speakers stay on all the time. I need to look up the specs on the speaker switch but it has one stereo input (speaker level), 4 stereo outputs (for 8 ohm speakers) and some kind of imepedance-matching function/transformer.

You should check what the specs say for that speaker switch. It probably has a maximum power rating if everything is running through a transformer.

OK, the switch says:
Power Handling: 100 watts per channel peak, 100 watts per channel RMS

I guess we're already past that, the (old) amp specs say:
The XLS 202 delivers 200 watts per channel into an 8-ohm load

The new amp I was looking at is 350 watts per channel. So, too far past the max I guess.

Thanks for the counsel!

Now back to fantasizing about some kooky old cone tweeters or that crossover with built-in Sonic Maximizer Garth offered up...