Hi Rick, hi people,

I can't get that stupid Traynor Guitarmate to sound good through its own cab. It sounded great through one of Rick's 4x12 but whatever speaker I install in it, it's always the same ratty sound. No depth, warmth, plus that annoying "sshhh" when the amp is pushed past 5. I have a high quality, hand-made, Weber speaker in it now. Buzzola.

I made sure the speaker is tight enough (not too tight!) and the baffleboard seems tight as well. Maybe there is a crack in the BB somewhere because when pushed, higher notes have a sort of "shattered glass" sound. There seems to be a problem where the notes are "restricted" in there dynamics.

I don't know what to do. I don't want to sink more dough in an amp that has no value. Maybe its just my ears or my guitar doesn't mate well with that amp. I swear it used to sound good. At least when I bought it.

Does anybody have any clue, since you Rick went over the electronical side recently, what could be wrong on the mechanical side? I'm going to take it all apart and check it all out even if I would prefer spending my time playing...

Thanks for ANY input.




(originally posted to old forum at an earlier date)

Hi, daphil

I recall hearing that sound from the speaker when I was checking it over. I tried the amp on a reference Fane 400 watt Studio 12L cabinet and it sounded quite good, no problems. I might suggest that you keep trying speakers, you should find a good match for it.

Maybe a Celestion?.



(originally posted to old forum at an earlier date)

Thanks Rick. It sounded good in your Marshall cab too.

I took the amp cab all apart and back together tightly, much better.

The Weber speaker I have is Pre-Rola 55hz G12H clone, down to the cone. It's nice but the tone is not there yet. I think this amp needs a higher wattage speaker to warm it up (it's really bright) and give it more headroom. A speaker which will add more body to the chimey, jangly sound. The Weber would be awesome in a multiple speaker config.

I put the Reverend Alltone back and while not as refined as the Weber, it is a bit warmer and handles bass better as its 50 watts.

The amp sounds better with the speaker compartment open. It's too boxy and beamy when closed.

I have a problem with modern Celestions. First, they are more expensive and they are now built (except for the Blue) in China. Seeing 150$+ for a speaker made in China makes me look around for alternatives. I know your a big Celestion fan. Actually, I can't compare the Weber to an original but it's sounds great and seems really well made. If you'd like to try it, let me know.

This is getting more fun. Sure learning a lot about speakers.

Now I'd like to try either a Jensen Neo 100 (neodynium mag, very light!) or some Eminence, either Legend 125 or Cannabis Rex.

I'll keep you posted




(originally posted to old forum at an earlier date)

Here I am again. I got some afterthoughts.

I suspect I would be better to give the Weber sometime to break in. There are a lot of mojo stories going around the net on methods for breaking in a speaker without playing it and would like to have your feedback on this subject. This speaker, or at least the one its supposed to reproduce, should be warmer than what I have now. I'll get in touch with Ted Weber about this. Beside the biting (to say the least) top end, I really like the tonal properties of the Weber. I wished it had a tad more headroom...

...Which got me into thinking, and that's dangerous. Instead of spending a fortune on speakers, why not modify the amp a bit?.

Headroom? I'd like to try a 12AT7 in V1, just to hear. This amp has a pretty mean overdrive when pushed and I'm not sure I want THAT much. I like a good grinding tone and then use OD pedals to taste.

As for brightness, I'm not really familiar with amplifier stage design but I hear it's possible to tailor a stage's frequency response by modifying bypass cap or some tonestack values. Could such an approach be used to tame the high end a bit?

Oh by the way, thanks Rick for giving ignorant souls like me the opportunity to exchange and learn from a guy like you.




(originally posted to old forum at an earlier date)

Well, we all learn from each other the way I see it. You may be surprised to know that almost ALL speaker components are now being made in China (except the paper cone), though they may be assembled in USA. I have this information directly from the President of a loudspeaker company which has a manufacturing plant in China. If you didn't pay a lot for your speaker, now you know why!

I have a Reverend All Tone 1250 speaker here in an open back Fender amp and I gave it a good listen. Here are my impressions:

-Very compact, light weight magnet

-Great bottom end, among the best I have heard for this size of speaker, very tight and defined and extremely efficient (meaning that the bass is very loud). Makes the amp sound bigger than it is.

-Lacks a certain midrange which I require from my speakers. This mid frequency is what makes the guitar cut through the mix and gives a fat "popping" sound to Strats. It's simply not there. I find this speaker thin sounding throughout the entire upper range of the guitar. My Celestions completely overpower it.

-Clear "HI Fi" top end that desn't warm up very well when driving the amp hard. The Celestions are MUCH smoother.

-Much more life than a standard Eminence from a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. The speaker is more responsive but, once again, the Eminence has a mid frequency that will make it cut through.

-Over all I find the sound too dark. I would use this speaker for Bluegrass Travis fingerpicking style where you want a good solid thumping bass and not too much mid. The owner of the amp is a top caliber jazz player and likes it very much for its big sound. It's also very lightweight and portable. It's well suited for clean playing and making the amp sound bigger, but it's not for me.



Please note that these are preliminary impressions and the speaker may sound different with another amp or cab or in a different context. I generally like to try a spekaer for several months in live situations before I get a complete picture. New spakers have a break in period of a year or two (or ten) before they sound their best, but generally this will improve the low end, not the top end.

BTW when I refer to Celestions I don't necessarily mean new ones. Celestions are the most inconsistent speakers I have ever heard and new Vintage 30's can sound like total garbage in the wrong cabinet. The same model of speaker can sound completely different depending on when it was made. The only way to be sure of getting a pair to sound the same is to buy them at the same time. I have recommended certain models in the past and have sometimes been horrified and sometimes delighted to hear how different the new speakers sounded from mine.




(originally posted to old forum at an earlier date)

Well, I'm not surprised in the very least when you tell me that most speakers parts are now made in China. Everything is! And we probably wont find much difference in quality. We're the problem often lies IMHO is in the quality control in assembly.

Your view on the Alltone is pretty accurate. In some amps it may sound thinner. The bottom end is huge, like you mentioned. In my application, I like this speaker and its darkness is an asset for me since my amp is very bright. It was made for Reverend's own amp design in the first place. The Alltone is very affordable, a great value but it's not the holy grail either.

That said, I gave the Weber some more time and it will be staying in the amp. It's modeled after an old bass cone G12H and it has mellowed and warmed up quite a bit after a couple weeks playing. The lows are deep, not necessarely loud or boomy. It just has a great texture, it's more refined than the Alltone which sounds a bit more generic. The Weber is power chord heaven and has a sort of papery, surfy sound when played clean which ,to me, characterises the "Celestion" sound. The transition between clean and dirt is nice. Maybe it's just me but it handles overdrive pedals better as well. It is twice the price af the Alltone...




(originally posted to old forum at an earlier date)

So, 5 months later the Weber C1230-55 is going out for a ...

...Mesa/Celestion Black Shadow 90! Sort of a stouter Classic Lead 80

The Weber is great but not good for a 1x12 application. I need more oomph and body, warmer highs, more headroom and volume.

Someone I know who has the same amp as mine has installed one and is really satisfied. I gotta try it, even if I despise anything with the Mesa name on it.

I feel like this is some sort of work in progress...

Excuse my ramblings!




(originally posted to old forum at an earlier date)