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Topic: 15" Speaker in a Fender Twin: question, recommendations |
Cliff Kane
From:
the late great golden state
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Posted 13 Nov 2008 9:11 pm |
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I have a '68 Fender Twin Reverb that I am curious about putting a 15" speaker into. My Twin is a first year Silverface with the speaker baffle board that mounts from the front. Has anyone done this? I know that I will need to replace the baffle, but will a 15" speaker fit in the Twin's cabinet without any mods or too much trouble? I'm hoping that a 15" will have more focus and presence than the two 12" that are in it right now (blue label Fender speakers).
Also, any recommendations on speakers? I have heard that the JBL K130, Altec Lansing 418B, Weber California, and Weber NeoMag would be good choices.
Thank you,
Cliff |
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Chris LeDrew
From:
Canada
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Posted 13 Nov 2008 9:14 pm
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Hi Cliff,
I have a 15" Weber California that I can send to you if interested. Just email me and I'll reply with pics and price.
_________________
Jackson Steel Guitars
Web: www.chrisledrew.com |
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Lee Jeffriess
From:
Vallejo California
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Posted 13 Nov 2008 10:37 pm
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418B, Its life changing.
Lee |
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Dave Zirbel
From:
Sebastopol, CA USA
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Posted 13 Nov 2008 10:57 pm
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I have a Vibrosonic head in a first year SF twin cab. I made a baffle for a 15" I have an Altec 418B in there now. I may try a JBL. It should fit no problem but it needs to be off center to the left to clear the tranny. You can also make the screw holes in a place where you can rotate the speaker so the tranny doesn't touch the speaker frame.
Dz |
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Tim Whitlock
From:
Colorado, USA
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Posted 14 Nov 2008 7:49 am
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Hey Lee - What is the difference between the 418B and the 418A soundwise?
Cliff - I cut a 15" baffle to mount a JBL D130F in my Twin. Not a lot of wiggle room but it does fit and sounds great. I cut the baffle without the hole and set it in the cabinet so I could find the right placement for the speaker. The transformer ended up fitting between the spokes of the speaker. The baffle hole on mine is offset to the power tube side of the amp but I have seen them offset to the other side as well, which would probably be more balanced for carrying it. Make sure you use a good grade of plywood and not particle board for your baffle.
I just replaced the JBL with a new Weber Neo 15 and it sounds very close to the JBL, but maybe just a little smoother. Highly recommended. |
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Lee Jeffriess
From:
Vallejo California
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Posted 14 Nov 2008 9:34 am
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Tim, I don't know what a 418A is ??.
Are you sure you don't mean 421A?.
The 418B and the 421A are the same speaker they have the same voice coil and cone.
The only difference being is the magnet structure, 421 ferrite 418 alnico.
Also the 417C same thing in a 12'' frame.
Maybe the 418A is some kind of Hi Fi woofer.
The guys at great plains audio in OK city would know.
Lee |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 14 Nov 2008 11:15 am
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| I don't like the Weber "California" series, but prefer the "Michigan" because it has much better bass, and a smoother overall sound. Get the ceramic magnet series instead of alnico (unless you're just using it for recording). The ceramics are more sensitive and they have much better headroom. |
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Cliff Kane
From:
the late great golden state
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Posted 14 Nov 2008 6:32 pm
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| Thanks for the input, guys. Did the Altec 418B come in 4 ohms? |
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Dave Zirbel
From:
Sebastopol, CA USA
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Posted 14 Nov 2008 6:43 pm
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oops!  I hate it when that happens....
Last edited by Dave Zirbel on 14 Nov 2008 6:46 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Dave Zirbel
From:
Sebastopol, CA USA
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Posted 14 Nov 2008 6:45 pm
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I don't think Altec ever made a 4 ohm speaker. Just 8 and 16. As always, I can't remember who or where I heard that. Maybe from Great Plains Audio in Oklahoma. The staff there are all ex Altec employees and make replacements to original specs.
Great Plains Audio |
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Cliff Kane
From:
the late great golden state
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Posted 14 Nov 2008 7:08 pm
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Dave,
does your Vibrosonic want to see 4 ohms like my Twin does? If so, how well does the 8 ohm 418B work in it?
Thanks,
Cliff |
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James Morehead
From:
Prague, Oklahoma, USA - R.I.P.
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Posted 14 Nov 2008 7:34 pm
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| Cliff, you can run one 8 ohm speaker with your twin, and you will see a slight power loss, and you won't hurt your amp. Example-- if you are used to running the volume on 4 with 4 ohms, with 8 ohms, you might need to turn the volume up to 5. No biggee. If you have a pair of 8 ohm Altecs, you can run one as an extension speaker in parallel, and your amp will see 4 ohms. That will give you optimum performance from your amp. Hope this helps. |
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David Doggett
From:
Bawl'mer, MD (formerly of MS, Nawluns, Gnashville, Knocksville, Lost Angeles, Bahsten. and Philly)
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Posted 14 Nov 2008 8:38 pm
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| The Vibrosonic is designed for a single 8 ohm speaker. That's the only difference between it and a Twin, which is designed for two 8 ohm speakers in parallel for a 4 ohm load. For a guitar player who plays big rooms with the volume on 10, a single JBL 15 would be at great risk of being blown, and maybe a Weber too. But even if the amp is on 10, a steeler with a volume pedal will probably be safe, unless he attacks notes with his VP stomped. One nice thing about the Webers is that you can order any of them in 4 ohms or 8 ohms. |
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Dave Zirbel
From:
Sebastopol, CA USA
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Posted 14 Nov 2008 10:51 pm
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My Vibrosonic wants 8 ohms.
Dave |
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Bill Creller
From:
Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)
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Posted 15 Nov 2008 10:02 pm
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| I have a Vibrosonic Reverb with a 15, and was thinking just the opposite, trying two 12s in it The schematic shows a few different models,including the Twin, with the speakers being the only difference shown. |
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David Doggett
From:
Bawl'mer, MD (formerly of MS, Nawluns, Gnashville, Knocksville, Lost Angeles, Bahsten. and Philly)
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Posted 15 Nov 2008 11:22 pm
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| Bill, why would you do that? Vibrosonics are rare compared to Twins. Rather than converting a Vibrosonic to a Twin, why don't you find someone with a Twin who wants to trade for a Vibrosonic? Most steelers would much prefer a Vibrosonic, so it shouldn't be hard to find a trade. If it was me, I would put the Vibrosonic chassis in a head cab. Then you can use it with one or two 15s, or a couple of 12s, or anything else you want. |
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Cartwright Thompson
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Posted 16 Nov 2008 4:21 am
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Larry Rodgers makes great baffles for converting either way. I've got a D-130 in my '66 Twin. I switch back to a pair of D-120's once in a while until my back starts complaining. Either set-up is great for steel, just two different flavors.
Here's Larry's site:
http://www.naturdoctor.com/Chapters/Rodgers/BaffleBoards.html |
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James Morehead
From:
Prague, Oklahoma, USA - R.I.P.
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Posted 16 Nov 2008 7:04 am
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| Bill Creller wrote: |
| I have a Vibrosonic Reverb with a 15, and was thinking just the opposite, trying two 12s in it The schematic shows a few different models,including the Twin, with the speakers being the only difference shown. |
If you use a pair of twelves, You would need a pair of 12's that are 16 ohms to wire up parallel to make 8 ohms, or you could do it with a pair of 4 ohm twelves in series to make 8 ohms. If you have a 135 watt ultralinear, a pair of 8 ohms--one in the speaker jack, and one in the extension jack will get it done.
That's half the fun of it, experimentation. You could always switch it back to your 15".  |
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