The Steel Guitar Forum

I recently received a 12' and a 15" Eminence Patriot speaker and after considerable testing have come to the conclusion that this speaker is not for me.

These speakers are a bit too bright for my tastes and I'm looking for a more "full range" speaker to drop into this beautiful Tommy Huff cabinet that I just received.

I'd like to try a 15" JBL and was hoping to get a few
recommendations on which one is most suitable.

If there are other speakers I should consider I'd appreciate any suggestions.

Tks. in advance,

BobG

Bob , I'm using JBL D130's , 4 ohm ,in my Tommy Huff cabs. Sound great.
Ron

I suppose the D130 or D130f are the most revered among JBLs and they do sound good.

An alternative would be the K130 series of JBL's. They sound very nice, will handle more power and more forgiving of higher volumes. I've had a few of ea. and for my steel guitar apps., I would choose the K series overall in the JBL line. E's, not so much.

I don't have any personal experience with the Altec-Lansing line, but I hear the model that is equivalent to the JBL is also a nice alternative.

GD Walker of Stereo Steel amps has or had the option of D130's rewound or tech'd to his specs. and a lot of steel players are happy with those in the cabinets that he offers.

What amp are you planning to do this with?

If you have tube-powered amp any D, D(f) or K series JBL speaker will increase output, response, and clarity. The K series are most readily available and more durable than the D and D(f) models due to a slightly wider voice-coil gap.

If your amp puts out more than 50 watts per speaker forget the D series and go with a K model JBL.

If your amp delivers more than 150 watts per speaker go find an E- series unit. At 200 watts a K130 is going to get hot, warp the voice-coil, and burn out if you keep it up for long. The ceramic magnet in the K-series speakers adds several pounds per, but the wider voice-coil gap increases power handling considerably. I have an K130 and an E130 in my pair of 200w Randalls. The E130 always goes to loud shows, the K130 always goes to the studio.

If you must recone, the E- series cones fit all series' baskets.

I'd like to add a point. I blew a D130F with a Showman head. I didn't have it that loud, but for a lot of songs, I was running a distortion pedal. I think that had a lot to do with blowing out the JBL. I don't think they tolerate ugly square waves very well.

You might want to consider that Telonics neo 15 for sale here. Nice deal. (Not mine).

The Altec 418B is a fantastic speaker, similar to the JBL D- and K-130's. As a bonus, they are usually a little cheaper, and if needed they can be reconed with OEM kits by Plains Audio.

This one is listed for $125:
https://reverb.com/item/1346909-altec-l ... e-dia-cone

With 200 watts applied, a JBL K130 will produce 126 db SPL---louder than a jet engine!!! Why would anyone EVER need to play this loud?

I'll be using it with a Sarno V8 thru a Quilter Toneblock 200
I really appreciate all the feedback by the way.

Steven Paris wrote:With 200 watts applied, a JBL K130 will produce 126 db SPL---louder than a jet engine!!! Why would anyone EVER need to play this loud?

200 watts, cranked, through a K-130 would produce a speaker in need of a re-cone...
It will sound wonderful with your Quilter and Sarno, just don't hit it too hard. It is a very efficient speaker. Just because you have 200 watts at your disposal doesn't mean that you have to dime it. Your set up should work fine with medium to loud gigs.

Dr.
Z is using the new Emminence 15" speaker that is voiced to sound like a JBL.

John Billings wrote:Dr.
Z is using the new Emminence 15" speaker that is voiced to sound like a JBL.

EPS-15C ? Gawrsh that's a nice speaker.

Bob, as info I have a JBL K-130 listed in the for sale section.
Dave

Nobody has said it, so I will:

Telonics, Telonics, Telonics

If the Eminence is too bright, I doubt that you'll like a JBL. I used a pair of 12" Tone Tubby alnico hempcone speakers for about 10 years. You need to turn up the treble on your amp to get them to sound right. The highs are really smooth, not piercing. Expensive, though.

I used a pair of 12" Tone Tubby alnico hempcone speakers for about 10 years. You need to turn up the treble on your amp to get them to sound right. The highs are really smooth, not piercing. Expensive, though.

I just got a pair of ceramic 40/40 Tone Tubby's and they are great speakers, and cheaper than the alnico's.

I finally managed to blow up my beloved K120 jbl... . I was real attached to that speaker so I decided to try something different that is still in production and less expensive. Now if I can only find a power tube that will replace my NOS RCA blackplate 6l6's then I will be in business!!!

Dave..if you're looking for a current production tube, I've been happy with the 7581A (the 'A' is important!) from Tung Sol in my Twin. 35 watt tube..been using them since January, and liking them. dave