Looking to replace the 15" in a cabinet I just bought and was looking for some recommendations on a speaker upgrade.
I picked up this cabinet, admittedly because it was purple. But it was good that it was small so I figured I'd take a chance on it. It fits great under a couple of my other amps so I hope I can get it sounding good.
It currently has a Weber 15" which sounds just okay. I'm looking for a full range guitar speaker. The cabinet is 19" x 19.5" internally and seems to be well made. I don't know 15's, I have hardly ever used them.
Any recommendations you have is appreciated. thanks!
In the 60’s and 70’s Fender used to put budget speakers in their amps, and then offer an upgrade to JBL’s. The JBL speakers were adapted from “full” range speakers popular in other audio uses in the 50’s and 60’s (pre “hifi” days).
For the 12” models it was the JBL D120’s (later k120) which were used by a lot of well known artists and while out of production, they remain fairly popular.
The 15” was a JBL D/K/130 for guitar and 140 for bass. They are LOUD clean and bright speakers. The 130’s are popular with pedal steel players, some blues players, and others looking for powerful clean sounds. The extended range and brightness makes them less ideal for higher gain where the distortion harmonics can get harsh and overly bright.
Chocol8 wrote: ↑Wed Dec 15, 2021 11:30 am
In the 60’s and 70’s Fender used to put budget speakers in their amps, and then offer an upgrade to JBL’s. The JBL speakers were adapted from “full” range speakers popular in other audio uses in the 50’s and 60’s (pre “hifi” days).
For the 12” models it was the JBL D120’s (later k120) which were used by a lot of well known artists and while out of production, they remain fairly popular.
The 15” was a JBL D/K/130 for guitar and 140 for bass. They are LOUD clean and bright speakers. The 130’s are popular with pedal steel players, some blues players, and others looking for powerful clean sounds. The extended range and brightness makes them less ideal for higher gain where the distortion harmonics can get harsh and overly bright.
Thanks @Chocol8 , I'll put a JBL 130 on my radar and see if can get a deal on one. The D's are vintage and I probably would stay away from that, I see a few K's but they're up there in cost, $400-500 for one on Reverb.
I've been considering a new 15" for an alternative to my JBL-D130F in my 1964 Fender Vibroverb and have been investigating, as well.
So - the Weber Michigan is an EV-12L clone, which is about as 'full-range' flat as you get. Very similar to the JBL's that @Chocol8 recommended. The JBL may have a hair more treble, if it is metal dome. I have personally heard and used them both. As amatter of fact, I have a 12" EVL from the 80's that I reconed in the 90's, with an EV OEM kit. It is in a Princeton open-back cab powered by my own 65w design. I find it a little dark compared to other speaker types. You have to run them a little brighter to cut, but they never fizz out.
If you are looking for more scooped with enhanced but not brittle highs, try the Eminence Swamp Thing. If you are looking for a less scooped, try the Eminence Legend 1518. I've owned the Legend and regret selling it. I'd like to try the Swamp Thing.
I've heard good things about the Celestion 'Fullback' 15", which from Youtube videos has it with a tighter bass than Eminence products, with a upper mid (2Khz) frequency bump. I personally would not buy this, as I have a plethora of British cabs to plug into.
Stay away from Alnico magnet speakers if you want a 'full-range' guitar speaker. The bass response is flabby and they are very 800hz centric.
Also stay away from anything labeled as a PA or Bass application. These will cut your treble response too much.
Hope this helps and let me know what you end up doing!
I have not used a 15", but the 1258s are great, and I have one in each of my amps. They are mid-rangey, but not excessively so, and sound good with both 6v6 and EL84 class A amps, with which I'm using them.
