Any reason a Fender 5F1 Champ shouldn't work w/ a 12" speaker instead of 8"-10"?

[Dolmetscher007]

I'm about to build my first tube amp! I'm not using a "kit", I bought all the components and am using online layouts, schematics, and good ole YouTube videos. I know that the original 5F1 Fender Champ came with an 8" 4-ohm speaker. I will be building this amp as a stand-alone head + a one-speaker cabinet. I must admit, I have very little experience with speakers, but I would really prefer to go with a 12" Alnico speaker. I know that the speaker must match the impedance. The Output Transformer I bought has secondaries for 4-, 8-, and 16-ohms; so I know I need to use a 4-, 8-, or 16-ohm speaker. But as long as the speaker has the correct impedance and can handle the output (watts), is there any reason a Champ shouldn't be paired with a 12" speaker?

Also... if anyone has any recommendations for amazing 12" Alnico speakers for a 5 watt Champ... I'd appreciate any suggestions! Thanks guys!

[bmccowan]

Sure - a 12" speaker is fine. Amazing speakers? It's a matter of taste. I like Weber speakers, but that is at least partly because I liked dealing with Ted W. Still a good company run by his son now. Lots of love out there for Warehouse speakers.

[tubeswell]

+! for Weber speakers. I've bought and used heaps of their speaker varieties in my amps over the years.

I should say that for a SE 5W amp, I do find 8" or 10" speakers give a certain tightness which I prefer.

Although having said that, I built a 5F2A about 20 years ago which I threw an old low-efficiency well-used Alnico Goodmans 15W 12' into and it sounded* pretty damn good (if I may say so myself LoL). You just have to find a speaker that sounds good to you.


(*If you download the attached '.jpg file' and change the suffix to '.mp3' before you open it, you might be able to catch a soundbyte LoL).

[dogburn]

Count me as another fan of Weber speakers. I built an AA764 Champ for a cabinet housing a 12" speaker, and a Weber 12f150 sounded great with it - though it's ceramic, not alnico.

Then I got hold of an old Oxford alnico 12JB-66 and put it in there, and think it sounds great. It's low-power (don't know the rating) and produces loads of speaker breakup, makes for some really gritty Link Wray sounds and comes close to the torn speaker sound of the Kinks' You Really Got Me. However, that may not be what you're going for, especially if you are looking for more clean sounds.

[AlNewman]

I think larger speakers sound more better generally. 

[dogburn]

(*If you download the attached '.jpg file' and change the suffix to '.mp3' before you open it, you might be able to catch a soundbyte LoL).

No Stairway - denied!

But really - great sounds!