JBL D120F recone suggestions please

[jojokeo]

Hello,
I've come across an old JBL D120F speaker but it needs a recone (which is why I got it so cheaply). I'm looking for suggestions and/or advice. Weber offers the standard aluminum but also a paper and H dust caps/domes. Is the aluminum "too bright" therefore the paper cap would be the better choice? But, if I end up selling it will the value be the affected w/ the paper cap rather than if it had the standard aluminum one?

I'd llike to put this in a cab to use with a variety of amps for testing, playing, recording, etc... and as a contrast to Emminence and Celestion speakers that I have for doing this.

Weber's info from their site:
***Available with paper, aluminum, or the large H screen dome for more warmth.***

DOME DESCRIPTIONS:
Aluminum: Very bright, almost piercing highs akin to vintage JBLs. Good for crystal cleans, but avoid for even slight distortion.

Paper: High end is tonally between the other dome types, more piercing only under heavy pick attack. Good for brighter cleans and slight overdrive.

H dome (screen cloth): Allows the high end to be present but not overbearing. Good for warmer yet articulate cleans, but also moderate overdrive. 

[P Batty]

If you really want a contrast, stick with the aluminum.  Do you play a single coil Strat or Tele? Go with the paper or the mesh.  The classic JBL sound is pretty cool, loud and BRIGHT and clear, but not so good with overdriven or distorted tones. It's a great speaker to have in your collection, it will really give you an alternative sound, not just a little different tone.

[jojokeo]

Yes I play a single coil strat and humbucker strat the most. But also std Tele, dual HB Tele, LP, ES-175, etc...so every combination.
"loud and BRIGHT and clear, but not so good with overdriven or distorted tones" sounds a bit like a Heritage G12H Celestion I have in a custom Tweed Deluxe that's more like a regular Deluxe on steroids. Sounds great clean (V1 paralleled), but a bit fizzy on the high gain cascaded setting.

*Won't the speaker's value or desireability be less if it's not w/ the standard aluminum dust cap & in it's normal configuration?

[P Batty]

*Won't the speaker's value or desireability be less if it's not w/ the standard aluminum dust cap & in it's normal configuration?


Perhaps there are people who collect speakers for monetary gain, but unless it was NOS in a box I can't see much difference in value.

I may be wrong.  Value is in the eye (ear) of the buyer, not the seller.

[jojokeo]

Thanks p batty - I have no recent experiences to draw from for this speaker which is why all of the questions. I'm conflicted on something here hoping you can help?

These were reportedly used in early Mesa Boogie amps and those were the beginning of high gain amps as we know them today. Carlos' story of playing one in front of the shop, etc...and his searing lead tones were (and still are) amazing. I don't know if he actually played or recorded w/ a JBL but all I hear about them is that they are loud, clear, uncolored and bright but don't sound good w/ distortion.

Also I've heard that they are used w/ Dumble amps for great tones and those as we know have great cleans but GReat distortion tones as well!

I guess I don't want to screw up a great & original speaker by NOT going w/ the aluminum dust cap and if I go and sell it, I've reduced it's value and made it less desireable...kind of like drilling holes and doing mods on a BF Deluxe Reverb.

So there's the conflicting info - am I understanding this correctly? Lastly, the aluminum cap also was supposed to provide a little bit of heat dissipation so the theory goes and brightness to the upper mids & highs was maybe a by-product? Maybe if you reduce this character, then the speaker loses it's mojo and what it's supposed to be, therefore it's desireability and worth??

I greatly apprecaiate your time here on this w/ me.

[P Batty]

Well, my experience is from the 60's and 70's, when there weren't so many choices !  If you have an early one you might want to stick with the aluminum cap, especially if the paint on the frame  and the label look nice. Someone might want it someday for a BFTR, which did offer a JBL upgrade.  Most of the guys I played with used Fenders (BFTR, BF Pro, BFDR, BFSR, etc, but only the pedal steel players used JBLs- most of the guitar players used the stock Jensens, or went to an Altec 417, which was as efficient as a D120F but not quite so bright.  It had an aluminum cap but the cap was smaller. I think Carlos also used Altecs at times, although I think he may have used the 417 II which had a monstrous magnet.  The JBLs sound better in a closed back cabinet, IMHO, like the Showman. 

[jojokeo]

Well, my experience is from the 60's and 70's, when there weren't so many choices !  If you have an early one you might want to stick with the aluminum cap, especially if the paint on the frame  and the label look nice.

Yeah, it's the Orange Frame model from back in the day and is in really good condition (aside from the cone missing). Decision over: going w/ exactly what it's supposed to be - cloth surround & alum dome.

[HotBluePlates]

Hey Jojo... did you get your speaker reconed? How did it turn out, and whaddya think of it?

[jojokeo]

Yeah, Weber re-coned it & I played it briefly before boxing it up for a while. It sounded very punchy, clear, & powerful. I've had it installed the last couple months in an open backed Princeton cab w/ a 12" baffle. It sits along side another cab w/ a Celestion Blue. I have these hooked to an A-B pedal for going back and forth while playing various chassis amps & combos with. It's better than I thought it would be considering the negative info regarding distortion/overdriven playing. But, not as good or efficient or chimey or rich as the Blue. I can see how it would excel in a Fender amp and being pushed more than what I'm doing with it at home. I've been pretty gentle w/ it I guess you could say as I've been mostly using my 6ak6, 6dl5, & 6aq5 amps on it for practicing. Once in a while I'll connect an el34 or pp el84s, 6bm8s, and 6v6s too. I'm not sure if I'm going to end up keeping it or not in the long run? I may make an exception for this one because they are not easy to come by w/out paying an arm and a leg for one and one in this good of shape. I "store" my speakers in the garage rafters after bagging & boxing them to keep away any chance of pesky cone-chewing bugs and rust at bay. I like rotating & testing various speaker & amp combinations.