need help with speaker selection

Steel guitar amplifiers, effects, etc.

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Lane Cunningham
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Joined: 18 Mar 2014 7:27 pm
Location: California, USA

need help with speaker selection

Post by Lane Cunningham »

I am building a fender vibro champ clone but I am very overwhelmed by how many speaker choices there are out there. When I search the topic for replacement speakers it's always just guitarists that chime in. Anybody have any suggestions from a steel point of view? The only real idea I had was to move up to a 10" speaker instead of the standard 8".
Mike Schwartzman
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Joined: 22 Sep 2008 8:21 am
Location: Maryland, USA

Post by Mike Schwartzman »

Best of luck on the build. I have had good results with the Jensen Alnico 8" 4ohms. I've refurbished a few (Champs and Vibro Champs) for blues harp players with that speaker. It's pretty sweet after a break in period.
I've also had good results using it for recording purposes with 6 string electric guitar. It can sound a lot bigger than it is when close mic'ed.

It's kind of nice in the practice room with a little delay on it with pedal steel. Live playing...I couldn't tell you. Maybe one of the non-pedal players will chime in.
Emmons Push Pull, BMI, Session 400, Home of the Slimcaster Tele.
Alan W. Black
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Joined: 29 Jun 2015 8:07 am
Location: New York, USA

Post by Alan W. Black »

The eminence ragin Cajun seems to be very popular as a replacement for stock fender speakers in their more recent tube amps. The 10" is highly recommended to the super champ xd. Haven't gotten around to it myself. Lotsa tempting 10" by eminence, celestion, jbl.
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Ryan Lynn
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Location: Portland, OR, USA
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Post by Ryan Lynn »

I second Mike's opinion of the Jensen Alnico. Both the 8" and 10" sound great, you'll get a little more low-end response with the 10". I have the 8" in my 1973 Vibro Champ and it sounds amazing. I use my 1960 Champ lapsteel through it. Good luck with the build.
Sierra Crown U-12
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1976 Fender Deluxe Reverb
1973 Fender Vibro Champ

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