best 15" for twin Reverb

Karen Sarkisian · Post by **Karen Sarkisian** » 25 Aug 2017 4:32 pm

I'm second guessing selling my Twin Reverb head, but I did sell the speakers and cabinet so I am looking for a replacement speaker. Thinking 1x15 instead of 2x12s. what would be a good speaker for the twin head ?

John Neff · Post by **John Neff** » 25 Aug 2017 5:35 pm

I have a Weber California in my Vibrosonic, which is basically a Twin Reverb with 1 x 15". The Weber sounds good to me....not as good as the JBL K130 that I took out for fear of blowing it though...

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 25 Aug 2017 5:51 pm

I dunno what's best, but I find the Sica (a neo) and the Jensen Mod both sound really good.

Bart Maloney · Post by **Bart Maloney** » 25 Aug 2017 5:55 pm

I keep hearing great things about the Weber California. Thinking of putting one of the alnico ones in my twin reverb reissue. I would definitely listen to John. I'm a big fan of his tone.

Don Mogle · Post by **Don Mogle** » 26 Aug 2017 4:52 am

My amp tech highly recommended an EVM 15" speaker for my SF Twin for great clean sound and punchy bass response. I have both the EVM 15L and 15B (bass) and they sound great!

Other good (if not great) options would be the Altec 418B, EPS 15C, or Telonics.

I have my Twin here at home and I'm going to try a couple Altec 421-8H IIs to see how they sound. Some people swear by the Altecs with a Twin.

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 26 Aug 2017 5:27 am

I installed a JBL K-130 (4 ohm), to replace the original JBL D-120F's, in my AB768 chassis Twin Reverb. Made a major improvement for Pedal Steel. Today, if I were doing it I'd put in an Eminence EPS-15C speaker.

I was one of the EPS-15C field testers for Eminence and the first impression I got when I tried it was "this sounds like the K-130 I had in my old Twin Reverb". This is probably no coincidence since the EPS-15C was designed to be a direct replacement for the Peavey 1501-4 speaker and the 1501-4 was designed as a higher power replacement for the 15" JBL that Peavey originally used in the Session 400.

Jay Ganz · Post by **Jay Ganz** » 26 Aug 2017 5:38 am

Of course, if you want take advantage of the Twin's full wattage...you'd have to figure a 4 ohm speaker.
Most of them designed for steel guitar have the lightweight neo magnets.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 26 Aug 2017 8:55 am

I have a Fender Vibrosonic which is basically a Twin Reverb with a 15" speaker.
I put an orange frame Fender JBL 140D in it and really like it.

Tim Whitlock · Post by **Tim Whitlock** » 26 Aug 2017 9:05 am

Over the years I've tried many 15s in my Twin Reverb. My favorite is the Altec 418b followed by the JBL D-130F. There is magic in the top end of the Altec that I haven't found in any other speaker. I would like to try the EPS-15C.

Godfrey Arthur · Post by **Godfrey Arthur** » 26 Aug 2017 5:22 pm

I put a new Fender 15 in my Dual Showman Reverb combo open back cab (twin style) but this 18 years ago.

Guessing it was made for Fender by Eminence. I'd have to read the EIA codes to know.

You might be wanting a 4 ohm speaker for good use of your Twin head.

That narrows the playing field.

For some reason speaker makers have shifted and dropped models over the years.

The closest in a new 15 inch guitar speaker is a custom-built 4 ohm from Weber @80 watts. Takes about a week for them to get it done and shipped.

The California as John mentioned.

It's designed to sound like a JBL D130

Choose the aluminum dust cap option.

Ceramic speaker has more power over AlNiCo.

USD$119.00 is the basic price from Weber.

You can also get a raw JBL D140/E130 frame send it to Tone Tubby and have them recone/recoil it to 4 ohms and put in a hemp cone that takes a beating.

Tone Tubby does recones for many artists over the years, sending them their amp speakers for a make over.

They usually have the old raw frames already in stock so you don't have to go hunting and shipping back and forth.

I had TT recone a JBL E130 for a Leslie speaker that is bullet proof over the stock Jensen P15LL for tour use. They provided the E130 frame. Came to under $300.

Karen Sarkisian · Post by **Karen Sarkisian** » 26 Aug 2017 7:42 pm

Thanks for the responses. How about a single 12" ? Do they even exist at 4ohm ?

Godfrey Arthur · Post by **Godfrey Arthur** » 26 Aug 2017 10:48 pm

There are 4 ohm 12"...

But we must assume you're going to be just using ONE 12 inch speaker @4 ohms then?

These Jensen C12K 12â€³ 4 OHM (you need to specify a 4 ohm model if you're gonna use just one speaker) come stock in a new Twin. This will handle 100 watts. Jensen used to be made in the U.S. now taken up in Italy.

This EPS-12C is made for PSG @ 4 ohms 225 watts.
Heavy duty cast basket, venting on the Neodymium magnet.

USD$190

EPS-12C Front

Steve Sycamore · Post by **Steve Sycamore** » 28 Aug 2017 3:17 am

I haven't tried a JBL D-140 with a twin yet but will as soon as I have a chance. The D-140's are much easier to find for reasonable prices and in good condition than other vintage JBL's. They are also a much better tonal match for an older guitar with single coil pickups than a D-120 or D-130 in my opinion. They don't have the aluminum cone and don't squeal high frequencies if you have the tone controls set a bit off. In other words, they give a treble heavy amp a much larger sweet spot. No shortage at all on the high end. With that speaker my bass and treble knobs on the Nashville 400 are very close to flat. And I like a Mooney-ish aggressive tone.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 28 Aug 2017 7:14 am

I reconed my orange frame Fender D-140 and the recone kit I bought has an aluminum dust cover, sounds very good.

Alan Rudd · Post by **Alan Rudd** » 3 Sep 2017 12:18 pm

I have been wondering about a replacement speaker for my Twin Custom...has anyone tried a BW 1501-4 in one of these? It sounded great in my Steel King when I owned it.

Jim Cooley · Post by **Jim Cooley** » 3 Sep 2017 2:34 pm

Telonics makes a 12", 4 Ohm Neo speaker.

http://www.telonics.com/products/proaud ... osures.php

Chris Boyd · Post by **Chris Boyd** » 3 Sep 2017 8:46 pm

I use an EV SRO coffee can 15" from the 70's as my #1 in a Fox cab, but also have a Sica 15",a D130 F and an EPS15C.. '69 Dual Showman Reverb head (same as a Twin)

Lefty · Post by **Lefty** » 10 Sep 2017 8:41 am

Cast my vote for the Weber California (ceramic) or EVM 15L.
I have used both and they sound great, and you do not have to worry about blowing them.
One of those in a 1-15 cabinet and you will be set. Also it will be easier to transport than a twin or Vibrosonic reverb (ouch, my back).
Lefty

David Gertschen · Post by **David Gertschen** » 10 Sep 2017 7:49 pm

Weber will build you any of their speakers in a 4 ohm version, so that shouldn't be a problem...

Brett Lanier · Post by **Brett Lanier** » 10 Sep 2017 8:43 pm

Just my opinion but I don't think the JBL-esque speakers like Weber and Eminence sound nearly as good as a real JBL. The JBL's that I've had that sounded the best all had cones that moved quite a bit, rather than a thicker, stiffer paper cone. Altec 418-b's also sound really good.

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 11 Sep 2017 5:24 am

Old school here, for probably 20 years I had a JBL
D-130 in my 1970 Twin. The same one, never had an problem.

If I had to do it again I would chase one of those Emmi 15's, I believe it is called the EPS- 15C. Not easy to find though.

Godfrey Arthur · Post by **Godfrey Arthur** » 11 Sep 2017 5:30 am

Tony Prior wrote:
If I had to do it again I would chase one of those Emmi 15's, I believe it is called the EPS- 15C. Not easy to find though.

Parts Express has them in stock...

https://www.parts-express.com/eminence- ... m--290-801