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Topic: High end speakers |
Thiel Hatt
From:
Utah, USA
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Posted 22 Dec 2012 7:53 pm |
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| A couple of decades ago whenever high quality speakers were installed in a guitar amplifier they were almost exclusively J B Lansing or Altec Lansing. It that still the case? Or have others manufacturers entered the arena? I know Peavey came up with the Black Widow as an alternative in the Nashville series. From the vast sea of knowledge within the Forum, what's optimum 12 inch and 15 inch speaker replacements availabe today? Your input is always appreciated and respected. |
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Michael Hummel
From:
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Posted 23 Dec 2012 7:10 am
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You didn't mention the instrument you are interested in reproducing. I recently replaced the stock (10") Jensen in my Fender Princeton Recording amplifier with a Weber speaker. It turned the amp from a fingernail-scratching annoyance to a much more balanced sound for me.
I use this amp almost exclusively for 6-string guitar, but I'll bet if you check out Ted Weber's complete offering there's gotta be something in the lineup for 12 and 15" speakers for steel or pedal steel.
He has a lot of happy customers!
Mike
_________________
MSA Classic 5+4
Too many 6-strings and amps to list |
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Jim Pitman
From:
Waterbury Ctr. VT 05677 USA
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Posted 23 Dec 2012 7:19 am
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I used to prefer a 15" speaker for its' extended low range but for the last few years my preference is 12".
In my experience the upper range disperses better for a 12".
There are many great speakers to choose from now.
If you are concerned about weight, many manufacturers are offering a "neo" magnet type. This is a rare earth magnet material with a very strong flux per weight ratio.
I'm using a "Designed for Fender" Eminence, stock speaker (non neo) that came in my Blues Deluxe and really liking it.
I've found the single most important component for tone shaping is the speaker. It seems I can put this speaker in any amp and I like what it does for my PSG. I have a spare now in a separate cabinet I can simply run in parallel for use in a larger venue for the circumstance I can't mic the amp for any number of reasons. |
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Jay Ganz
From:
Out Behind The Barn
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Posted 23 Dec 2012 8:38 am
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Custom Jensen 300w 15" Neo. The best speaker I've had so far.
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Michael Hummel
From:
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Posted 23 Dec 2012 8:51 am
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I've not yet tried a neo speaker in anything I own, but there sure have been lots of positive comments on here about them.
I can't believe how small the magnet is in these pictures! The first use of "neodymium" that I recall was in Shure microphones. I guess they used them to make the magnets inside their dynamic mics smaller and more sensitive.
Mike
_________________
MSA Classic 5+4
Too many 6-strings and amps to list |
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Dave Grafe
From:
Hudson River Valley NY
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Posted 23 Dec 2012 10:09 am
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There have been several new entrants to the musical instrument speaker market, and many improvements that have reduced the weight of the magnet, but as of yet no other product can match the JBL D, K and E series speakers for extended range, smooth frequency response, low distortion and efficiency. In fact the JBL speakers can deliver more than twice the acoustic output per watt available from most of the competition. Much of this comes from the massive magnet structures used by JBL. These are the primary reasons that the JBL speakers have for so long been considered by many to be the professional standard.
That being said, some folks find the JBL clarity and extended high end to be "brittle" sounding, the lack of distortion to sound "sterile," and the weight of the magnet structure to be a final deal-killer. There are a number of threads here on the subject that can yield far more information than I can provide.... |
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Len Amaral
From:
Rehoboth,MA 02769
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Posted 23 Dec 2012 4:31 pm
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| Another wrinkle in speaker sound and projection is the cabinet the speaker is in. Put a nice speaker in small cab and then put the same speaker in a slightly larger deeper cab and it has a fuller sweeter vibe. IMO... |
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Thiel Hatt
From:
Utah, USA
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Posted 23 Dec 2012 9:12 pm
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Michael,it is true I did not specifically mention what kind of guitar, but since this is the
steel Guitar Forum I guess I just assumed. I play both non-pedal and pedal steel both the D10 and the 12 string universal. When it comes to amplifiers it is always easy to move up in quality but difficult to accept something of lesser. And speakers or a critical component in determining that aspect. Thanks for you input my fellow forumites. |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 24 Dec 2012 6:35 am
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| The JBL D130 was the first quality ("high power" @ 25 watts) speaker designed for music. In the late '40s and through the early '60s, it was king of the hill. But today, there are many speakers equally as good, or better. JBL no longer has a corner on the market. |
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Jim Palenscar
From:
Oceanside, Calif, USA
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Posted 24 Dec 2012 6:55 am
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| For the past number of years I've been using a Walker Stereo Steel setup that allows for 2 speakers and I use a D130 and a Peavey 1501 w a neo magnet. I find that each speaker offers what the other lacks. To my ears, the JBL is crisp and clear- perhaps even a bit on the sterile side and the 1501 adds a bit of color or character but not as clear as the JBL and the combination of the two is what I like to hear. Hal Rugg did that as well. |
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Philip Mitrakos
From:
The Beach South East Florida
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Posted 24 Dec 2012 6:48 pm
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Here is a simple way of looking at it ...
lets say you have been playing music in bars for the last 30 years
and you drink jim beam on the rocks at every gig...then some high dollar woman in a low cut dress comes in to the bar your playing at and buys you a drink and its from way on top of the shelf you never bother to look at because you drink jim beam
Now this single barrel whiskey she just handed you is aged 10 years and its the best whiskey in the bar ...you thank her for the drink and the great time she showed you in the parking lot during the 20 minute break and you come back in the bar and order a jim beam on the rocks...
so the point Im trying to make here is... that high dollar woman in the low cut dress that just bought you a top shelf burbon really did not care what kind of speakers you where playing your pedal steel thru...but she musta noticed the $300 cowboy boots and the $300 stetson cowboy hat ...
so to make a long story short if you aint playin thru JBL's.....well
nobody really cares.
but it's really important that you look like your playing thru JBL's |
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Kevin Hatton
From:
Buffalo, N.Y.
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Posted 25 Dec 2012 8:18 am
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| The new Eminence EPS-15C. Finest light weight neo steel guitar speaker I ever heard. Specifically designed for steel guitar. |
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