Guitar Speaker Mounting Question - Compressed Speaker Gaskets, can they be replaced? Shimmed?

[tbonesullivan]

Ok, so full disclosure, when I was younger I was stupid, and didn't really know how to correctly mount speakers in a cabinet (rear mounted), so I just kept cranking own on the bolts until the frame was just about touching the baffle. Yes I know this is not the way. I took out all of those speakers years later and then let them sit unmounted for a month for the gaskets to "recover", however the foam gaskets never really came back that much. They are mounted again and there definitely is about 1mm of space between the frame and the baffle, but I wonder if maybe the gaskets should be replaced or shimmed, and if that is even possible. I can find gaskets everywhere online, but I don't want to screw up my speakers, which are some Eminence Texas Heat 16s that are nice and broken in now.

[hamerhead]

Is the frame bent at the screw holes? You could - carefully - bend/beat them back straight, slap on a new gasket and all is good. No shims - you really want the mating surface with the baffle to be as nice and flat as possible. Speakers will take a surprising amount of abuse before being FUBAR.

Also, a proper-sized washer between the screw and the frame (or them screws with the really wide heads) will help spread the pressure/tension/whatever at the hole and help keep things flat. And set the clutch on your driver to 'snug'.

No worries.

[tbonesullivan]

1 hour ago, hamerhead said:

Is the frame bent at the screw holes? You could - carefully - bend/beat them back straight, slap on a new gasket and all is good. No shims - you really want the mating surface with the baffle to be as nice and flat as possible. Speakers will take a surprising amount of abuse before being FUBAR.

Also, a proper-sized washer between the screw and the frame (or them screws with the really wide heads) will help spread the pressure/tension/whatever at the hole and help keep things flat. And set the clutch on your driver to 'snug'.

No worries.

The frames are fine and not bent at all. Avatar cabs use T-nuts with Phillips head bolts that are quite wide. So did Carvin at the time, which is where another set of speakers was installed at a time. I guess as long as there is some space between the speakers and baffle and they are stable, it's not a problem. I've been told that it's when there is direct contact between the frame and baffle that there can sometimes be issues.

I was surprised when I looked inside my Mesa combos, and they use these tiny nuts without washers on bolts inserted from the other side, and they don't even cover the complete mounting hole. They do seem to be held in place well though.

[HSB0531]

For gasket material, you want to use a closed cell foam gasket at maybe 3/16" to 1/4" thick depending on the firmness of the foam.  It can be the same width as the rim of your speaker ( 1/2" - 3/4" wide ).  Use foam gasket material with a adhesive backing and apply it around the edge of the speaker baffle cutout. As tbonesullivan said, use (4) T-nuts and speaker clamps. Use 1/4-20x1-2" bolts. This will allow for the 3/4" baffle, the gasket, and the height of the clamp.

Here's a place you can get the clamps:

https://usspeaker.com/homepage.htm

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-1-4-in-20-x-2-in-Combo-Pan-Head-Stainless-Steel-Machine-Screw-3-Pack-801611/204596478

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-1-4-in-20-Zinc-Plated-Tee-Nut-4-Pack-802301/204274194

 

 

Edited March 30 by HSB0531