Black Widow 1203

Paul Sutherland · From: Placerville, California

I picked up a BW 1203-4 ohm off of Craigslist yesterday. $35 and the basket looks new. It sounds pretty good in my Milkman Mini. It doesn't have the high end of a JBL so I have to turn up the treble on the amp. But it's a good sounding speaker. And I certainly don't have to worry about blowing the cone out. Is this the speaker Paul Franklin likes and uses?
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It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing.

Ken Fox · From: Nashville GA USA

I may be wrong here but I seem to remember 1201 was the speaker he used. The 1201 was actually a PA speaker, as I recall. The 1203 was a guitar instrument speaker.

I tried to get a 1203-4 recently from Peavey. Mike Brown told me there are no more. I gathered the whole Black Widow line is gone. Hope I heard that wrong!
Some of the greatest speakers ever built IMHO.

From the Peavey website:

In Black Widow models 1203 and 1501DT, where the properties of a Kevlar impregnated cone might not be desirable, such as speakers designed for guitar use, a specially formulated paper cone (along with other Peavey engineered factors) is utilized to promote that distinctive tone.

1201-8 Black Widow
The 1201 is an 8 ohm, 12" Black Widow/Super Structure speaker intended primarily for sound reinforcement. Offering superior sensitivity and power handling in a 12" speaker, the 1201 utilizes a Kevlar impregnated cone for a smooth response characteristic well suited to vocals, stage monitors, and other compact applications. This model can also be used to provide outstanding mid-bass performance in a multi-way system.

kevin ryan · From: San Marcos, California

Hey Paul... I have been using 2x1201-8 for a few years.. They are terrific sounding speakers.. I do believe these are the ones that PF uses...

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

FWIW, there have been a few editions of the 1203. I don't know when they came out, first I heard of them was in Jeff Newman's Peavey DPC, Fex, 1203 112E BW cabs [see pic] stereo rigs which he used for many years until his passing in '07.

I got my first one around that era in 92 in a TubeWorks rig. These were designed for musical instrument use. They had a specially designed cellulose cone with a paper dust cover.

In later years, the 1203 was constructed with Kevlar impregnated cones and used in sound reinforcement applications. Further still, they were named 1203 Super and mfg.ed in 4 and 8 ohm models.

I believe they remained as sound reinforcement drivers through the change to the new frames.

So...even though they have gone through several changes and perhaps multiple uses, you got this one at a steal and long as it sounds good that's what matters.

I remember reading that PF used some BW 12's but I don't know which model or model era. Bear in mind that there have been a fair number of changes in several editions of those models as well including cones, dust covers and apps.

I've owned several of the paper 1203's and various editions of the older 1201-8's. Any of these can be eq'ed for a nice sound with steel guitar. I still use both. One week I think the 01's sound best, next week it's the 03. Next time a combination of the 2.

If I have to choose one to sell and one to keep, the 90's through early 00's paper 1203-4 would be the keeper.

BW 112E Peavey cabs.

Paul Sutherland · From: Placerville, California

I played the BW 1203 for two days straight. It sounds very good. Then just for reference I plugged my Milkman into a couple Mesa cabinets loaded with JBL K120s. There's something extra special about those JBLs. The JBLs have a sweetness and character that the BW seems to be missing. At least for now (like the next 48 hours), I'll probably leave the Black Widow in the amp.

Maybe I should try a 1201. I've seen on the web places where a new 1201-8 basket can be bought. I've got a magnet already.
_________________
It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing.

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