Speaker for 5E3

[panhead]

I'm looking at using either a Weber 12A125 or 12A125S for a 5E3 type amp that will use either 6V6 or 5881. I've also been impressed with the speakers that Eminence has been producing. Anybody have experience with either of these Webers or have any suggestions?
Thanks

[madison]

Alnico, in any event.

IMHO Red Fangs are outstanding.....if affordable.

[bluesbear]

Me, too, on the Eminence Red Fangs. I think they're the best alnico's made today... and compared to the alternatives, they aren't too expensive. But not cheap!
Dave

[labb]

If you want to save a few $ take a look at Warehouse Quitar Speakers. I have used 10" and 12" with good results.

[panhead]

If you want to save a few $ take a look at Warehouse Quitar Speakers. I have used 10" and 12" with good results.

I bought a 12" Carvin for 35 bucks, and it sounds pretty good in one of my amps, but this amp is for someone else who doesn't want to spend a ton of money, but is willing to pay around 100 bucks for a speaker.

[sluckey]

I put a Jensen P12N in my 5E3. Cost was $120 about 3 years ago.

[tommytornado]

If you want to save some bucks ($35+ship) and still get great 5E3 retro tone.  The Weber Sig Series 12S Ceramic matches up very well in the 5E3 circuit.  I have a buddy who ran through 3 $100+ speakers in his 5e3 and none of them sounded right..  I talked him in to the Weber Sig Ser 12S ceramic and he found the magic.  The 5e3 circuit is very bass heavy and to my ears speakers with 1.5" and bigger voice coils sound too muddy.  Speakers with 1" to 1.25" VC's seem to balance out the bass and treble better.  I'm sure the Weber vintage series alnico's sound great, but I doubt there's $70 difference in tone if you did a blind listening test.  FWIW..  local legend and ex of John Mahall's band, Buddy Wittington played through this 5E3 and said it was one of the best sounding rigs he's ever played through.  Also, I have the same speaker in my 5e3 homebrew as well. 

[FYL]

Anybody have experience with either of these Webers or have any suggestions?

The 12A125 is one of the best speakers for a canonical 5E3 clone.

[panhead]

While this is a 5E3 circuit, it isn't quite a clone. I'm using .047uF coupling caps rather than the 5E3's 0.1uF caps to reduce the boominess, I have bigger iron so the customer can run 5881's if he wants, and a 5AR4 rectifier. I may get similar sag from the 5AR4 when using the 5881's, but the 6V6's won't pull it down as much. I expect it to be less "brown" sounding than the original 5E3, so I'm not sure I need to use a brighter speaker to revoice the amp.

I should also add that I need about a 30 watt rating to handle the 5881's if or when he chooses to use them.

[FYL]

The 5E3 isn't that brown, even in 6L6 guise. You may consider a nice ceramic speaker such as the Weber 12F125, the Warehouse Veteran 30 (smoother and IMO much better than the ubiquitous Celestion Vintage 30) or the Tone Tubby San Rafael 12". All three sound real good in a tweed Deluxe.

[Manic]

the Warehouse Veteran 30 (smoother and IMO much better than the ubiquitous Celestion Vintage 30)

A buddy of mine and i did a shoot out...... brit made V30, a Eminence V30 clone and a warehouse V30 clone back to back in the same cab, amp, guitar cable, player......I liked the Eminence best then the real V30 then the warehouse least. It was one of the only times I got a chance to hear the same model speaker from 3 manufacturers. I enjoyed it thoroughly. All three speaker were broke in nicely. The ware house hurt our ears, to piercing.

FWIW C. Smith

[FYL]

Let me kindly disagree here : a double blind comparison between the Celestion and the Warehouse showed the reverse - same everything, equalized levels. But I'm not a big V30 fan.

[bigdaddy]

Speakers are the women of an amp. So figure that one out.

Everybody has their loves, likes and dislikes. No 2 people will agree and it's biggest change when it comes to sound/tone of an amp.

Any mid heavy speaker usually does not sound good in the typical 5E3, nor any amp without a tone stack but that goes with how you use the amp. As in at what volume you play it and do you use pedals.

[billcreller]

I used a Weber 12F125S in the 5E3, and have been using that model in everything.  But it may not be the sound for the music you like.  I did use one 10F125S also, in a little Supro clone.

[Vair_dude]

I blew out (2 different) Weber Sig speakers in my 5e3. I do have a tendency to drive things very hard though. I bought a Red Fang and I like it.

[Manic]

Let me kindly disagree here : a double blind comparison between the Celestion and the Warehouse showed the reverse - same everything, equalized levels. But I'm not a big V30 fan.

I agree.


Everyones ears are different. Soooo subjective.

We thought at the time, which was last week actually, that it was a reasonably level playing field.


About the weber sigs.... the 5e3x2 was my first build. It ordered it with alnico sig 12's. I beat the crap out of that amp live and studio. I loaned it out to a kid that plays indy. He beat the crap out it too. When My buddy had it I had 6L6's in it. I may have missed it but I never heard those speakers bloom. I couldnt tell or maybe I missed it. They may have broken in when it was out on lone. They have, I would guess around 150 hours on em by now.

Anyway they still work perfect. I think they are supposed to be a 25 watt speaker.

Speaking of speaker brake in time. I got one of those JBL eminence knock offs a COMMONWEALTH™ 12. I had it in My Bandmaster cab with a weber ceramic bluedog 50w light dope.....

....anyway long story short I played though it for 4 months, 6-9 hours a week at gig levels before it FINALLY broke in. I kept it covered because it was ripping My head off. I leaned My pedal board bag over it. Sometimes at outdoor showd I would uncover it. Still rippin My head off. After 3 months or so I thought about selling it. Around month 4 it broke in and really isnt much more obnoxious than the Weber and I dont cover it up any more.

Granted its 225 watts, 4 inch voice coil, over 20 pounds. lol what a beast!

140+ hours to brake in that speaker. WOW. I dont know I was a lil shocked it took that long.


FWIW C. Smith

[Vair_dude]

I'd like to go on record as saying I think Weber products are great. Maybe I had a bad run (I don't know). I was just stating that 2 different sig speakers blew in a 5e3 (standard 6v6 amp) and I had no problems with the red fang (with no changes what so ever in the amp). I don't know why the speakers blew but they DID.

[premiumplus]

It's expensive but I am really loving the Celestion Blue in my 5E3.  It's stock except for .02 coupling caps and a 275 ohm cathode resistor.  Really, really sounds superb.

[Manic]

I gutted My first build, the 5E3x2 with the Weber sigs. After loaning it out to the indy guy I mentioned in an earlier post, i just got around to gutting it and salvaging parts. I figured I had 2 working Weber sigs....



...not so much, as it turned out the amp was returned to Me with one of the Sigs blown. No biggie, I didnt like em anyway. I was going to sell the pair though....Oh well.


FWIW C. Smith

[mark_enger]

   im torn between a few speakers in my 5e3, 1960s jensen c12r, very nice sounding, punchy. a late 60s rola alnico, but ive went with the 1960 cleveland its a ceramic it just sounds the best, better than my cele g12h or what ever in my epiphone valve jr 1 12, you can pick up any of these on ebay for under 25$ and there worth it    mark

[Twanger]

12A125 by weber is a very good speaker, but it's pretty expensive, i also had great result with the jensen p12r... they seem to have improved in recent times compared to 3-4 years ago... it's eigther they improved or im loosing my earing and i cant hear their harsness anymore  .... wait a minute, should i really laugh about this ?? to late anyways!!!

John

[stingray_65]

I know tis is an old topic,
butI just recieved an Eminance Wizzard this week and was too excited to wait till I got a cab built for it and pulled the Weber sig series alnico from the 5E3.


WOW! hats off to Ted

His $35 ALNICO was hands down the winner over a $100 ceramic.

Now many would say it is apples and oranges comparing an ALNICO with a ceramic, but tone for tone and efficiency the cheap Weber is the champ