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Topic: Speaker Match for Tele & Steel |
Dan Hockstein
From:
Washington DC, USA
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Posted 5 Jan 2022 9:27 am |
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Just pulled the trigger on a used Milkman Amp 100, really extremely excited to get it going. Trying to set up a pedalboard rig where my pedalboard takes care of all duties except moving air.
I know after searching that some similar threads have popped up in the past but it seems like it's been a while and new product appears often.
Looking to load up a open/closed convertible 1x12 I have yet to purchase, to use for recording, an occasional "regular guitar" rock gig and doubling up on steel/tele for some psych-y country gigs. Would be open to neo/lightweight options. I know some of the more popular options, just looking to see if anyone's really stoked on what they have for similar applications or any suggestions in this circumstance. I'm not really willing to pony up for a vintage JBL - I know that's the obvious option.
For reference, I like the 15" JBL in my Webb for steel just fine, but really dislike the mid-scoopy thing it does for guitar. I like what the Celestion V-Type in my Ampeg combo does for midrange, but it clearly wouldn't hold up to an occasional unmiked bar gig. |
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Dan Hockstein
From:
Washington DC, USA
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Posted 5 Jan 2022 9:32 am
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Oh, also, since it's relevant, I'm using a Marlen S10 with a single-coil pickup, into a Sarno freeloader, into a Lehle VP, into 5-6 "cover the bases" pedals, into the Milkman.
For guitar, an MIJ '62 tele. I plan to get a Radial BigShot at the front end of the board to swap between the two. |
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Charley Paul
From:
California, USA
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Posted 5 Jan 2022 11:03 am
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| I would stick with either a JBL or a Jensen ceramic speaker. I’ve used a few neo speakers with steel, and it sounds fine. But once you bring a telecaster into the mix, the neo speakers are not my favorite. |
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Paul Sutherland
From:
Placerville, California
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Posted 5 Jan 2022 7:27 pm
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What's most important to you: Steel tone or Tele tone? What kind of tone are you looking for on steel? Super clean and sweet, or is a little bit of hair acceptable? Same question for the tele? Will you be using overdrive/distortion at times with the tele?
How important to you is the weight of the speaker in it's cabinet?
I've never found any substitute for trying various speakers out until one got my attention. That can get expensive fast.
Right now I'm loving the PF350 for steel, but it is heavy. It sounds pretty good for tele, but then I'm not much of a tele player.
_________________
It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing. |
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Michael Brebes
From:
Northridge CA
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Posted 5 Jan 2022 10:51 pm
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My favorite 12" speaker for both Tele and pedal steel is the EVM12L. Can't get any better than that.
_________________
Michael Brebes
Instrument/amp/ pickup repair
MSA D10 Classic/Rickenbacher B6/
Dickerson MOTS/Dobro D32 Hawaiian/
Goldtone Paul Beard Reso
Mesa Boogie Studio Pre/Hafler 3000
RP1/MPX100 |
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George Redmon
From:
Muskegon & Detroit Michigan.
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Posted 6 Jan 2022 3:28 am
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My new favorite 12" speaker that fits well with steel, guitar, dobro is the Celestion Copperback Neodymium 12". I was skeptical at first, but with the promise i could return it, if i didn't like it, i took a chance. Man i'm liking it more every time i use it. Super clean, handles pedals well, very lite weight. The Copperback Neodymium does sound a bit like the EVM12L, only without the weight. Just a dandy speaker, and 250 watts to boot.
https://celestion.com/product/Neo-250-Copperback/
I also loaded the Celestion Copperback into my newest Rick Johnson cab. The Copperback Neodymium weighs 5 pounds. I'm using a Peavey Black Widow 1501-4 Neodymium 15" speaker in my other new custom Rick Johnson cabinet. I'm using the Weber Neodymium speaker in all my other Rick Johnson cabinets, both 12" & 15".
If you don't really care for JBL's, i wouldn't really recommend the Weber Neodymium to you, and they to are rather expensive. But Weber does make several different types of speakers. Check'em out.
https://www.tedweber.com/speakers/neomag-series/
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John Ducsai
From:
New Hampshire, USA
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Posted 6 Jan 2022 4:27 am
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| Another vote for the EVM12L. |
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John Ducsai
From:
New Hampshire, USA
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Posted 6 Jan 2022 4:30 am
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| Another vote for the EVM12L. |
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Dan Hockstein
From:
Washington DC, USA
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Posted 6 Jan 2022 6:34 am
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| Paul Sutherland wrote: |
| What's most important to you: Steel tone or Tele tone? What kind of tone are you looking for on steel? Super clean and sweet, or is a little bit of hair acceptable? Same question for the tele? Will you be using overdrive/distortion at times with the tele? |
A little hair is fine, so long as it doesn't start really beating harmonics against each other - I'm playing mostly old school country, rock, and psychedelic rock music. I would rather the cab be able to carry chordal/rhythm tele work and also work well for steel, rather than the other way around. A lot of recording work will just be done DI out of the Milkman, is my thought. My Webb kinda sounds TOO precise to me a lot of the time (it also doesn't do my playing any favors - I'm probably the issue!) 
| Paul Sutherland wrote: |
| How important to you is the weight of the speaker in it's cabinet? |
I'd love to keep things light and easy just for load in/out purposes! But I'm young and can lift stuff - a 1x12 is not going to hurt me.
| Paul Sutherland wrote: |
| I've never found any substitute for trying various speakers out until one got my attention. That can get expensive fast. |
Yeah, I'm aware that turning to a forum for answers is never THE answer, but always nice to narrow down some options and get peoples' thoughts. The EV suggestion seems to be a good place to start, and I'm wondering if there might be some similarly built alternatives that don't weigh a ton, too. I'm not opposed to a JBL-style driver but would rather have a speaker that I KNOW can handle some dirt without sounding harsh.
| George Redmon wrote: |
| My new favorite 12" speaker that fits well with steel, guitar, dobro is the Celestion Copperback Neodymium 12". I was skeptical at first, but with the promise i could return it, if i didn't like it, i took a chance. Man i'm liking it more every time i use it. Super clean, handles pedals well, very lite weight. The Copperback Neodymium does sound a bit like the EVM12L, only without the weight. Just a dandy speaker, and 250 watts to boot. |
This is an interesting option I hadn't considered, and it looks like they make a 4 ohm version, which would also take advantage of the full 200 peak watts the Milkman is capable of, though I'd imagine most 4 ohm 150+ watt drivers wouldn't really flinch, especially with the tube smoothing out and slightly compressing the front end. I do really like the Celestion midrange thing, generally speaking. |
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Tom Gorr
From:
Three Hills, Alberta
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Posted 8 Jan 2022 12:47 pm
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Circa 2005 I bought a Nashville 112 replacement speaker from Peavey for use in a Heritage VTX 4x6L6 combo for double duty.
I now have it in a Music Man RP112 Sixty Five (2x6CA7 tubes) - also a hybrid, for double duty. Nice lightweight rig.
Up until a few weeks ago I was using a Eminence GB128 guitar speaker in the MM, which delivered gorgeous vibey clean guitar tones but not enough clarity for steel.
The N112 speaker is a better overall combination for double duty than the GB128. Definitely has the clarity that a country picker would want, yet isn't overtly ice picky, and doesn't scoop either. My optimal settings are very familiar to Fender players: TMB = 4.2, 6.8, 2.7; as a nice middle ground between E9 and C6 - so that should tell you a bit about how it is voiced.
Has a characteristic tone and lots of varied opinions on it for steel, I like it better for guitar than steel, but it gets the job done on steel. |
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