Tight Highs out of a speaker...How to get them out?

[Terry]

I just got a 15" speaker.  I like the over all sound.  It came out of a Conn organ but seems to be little played.  It seems a little tight and bright even though a 15"  Do you think I could blast music hrough it for a day to loosen it up?  Any other good ideas?

[rafe]

I'd just use it, if you like it, what kind of a cabinet is it in ? what are you powering it with? Roll off the tone pot ? Put a 4"x 4" piece of duct tape over the center (on the grill cloth not the speaker )
These are things I'd try maybe hang a towel over the front of cabinet .....

[tubesornothing]

I thought I read a thread on here about an alternative to a beam blocker - more effective.  Anyways, that might help.

A 12V AC transformer for 24 hours will break it in, if its that tight.

[Terry]

How do I go about the 12v thing?

[tubesornothing]

See if you can find an old battery charger.  Rip off the cover and use the transformer secondary windings before the rectifier.  Measure with your meter first to make sure is 12V ac.  Hook this up to your speaker.  Point it at the neighbors house for a little psy-ops

[Manic]

I'd just use it, if you like it, what kind of a cabinet is it in ? what are you powering it with? Roll off the tone pot ? Put a 4"x 4" piece of duct tape over the center (on the grill cloth not the speaker )
These are things I'd try maybe hang a towel over the front of cabinet .....

I have an Altec that I just love the overall tone of, but its a tad bright, especially at higher volumes.

rafe, I like the towel over the grill cloth trick. I figured out I like the towel better than a duct tape beam blocker. Something sounds "funny" with duct tape, to My ears anyway. More so at higher volumes.

Once I decided I like the cloth better, I removed the Altec, cut a piece of cloth big enough to cover the hole in the baffle board. Then took 3M spray adhesive and shot a ring of it on around the baffle right next to the hole for the speaker.

I laid the cloth over the hole. I made sure it wasnt to wrinkled. Installed the Altec. Took a razor knife and trimmed of excess cloth around the Altec.

It Rocks!

Tamed the highs just enough that I can point it at My head at a gig. Its usually about 6-10 feet behind Me on a amp stand. The center of the speaker is at about 3 feet off the ground. The stand tips the amp up/back a little too.

Ive been using 15 watt amps lately so I need a good clear, loud reference that doesn't blind Me with ice picks.
Amazingly enough the Altec or my Eminence Common Wealth JBL D120 knock off are NOT as harsh as either of My 2 Weber's. Weber no cloth. The Weber's are a 12F150 and a 30 watt Blue Dog ceramic. The JBL knock-offs both have cloth between the speaker and the baffle to tame the top end a touch.
The major difference is the JBL/Altec's have a higher resonant peak I guess. It's top end peek is high enough that it sound more pleasing, not picky like "normal" speakers like My Webers.

 I have actually struggled for years trying get top end I can live with in a live situation. Our band isn't SUPER loud but our drummer isn't a pitter patterer either, he hits em.  I usually end up to dark because the top end is painful. I have only been running all JBL/Altec for about 2 weeks now. Both have extra cloth added.

Been taking the little 15 watt 5879 EL84 amp the Thursday jam. A bunch of different player used it though out the night. The guys play the usual suspects for guitars, LP's, Teles and Strats.

Not much headroom with 15 watts. Perfect!

I put a 1x12 semi open back VJ cab loaded with the Common Wealth up on a bar stool about a foot away from the back wall. If your using that amp your only about 3 feet in front of it. Its small stage...

[Manic]

I know JBL's and the knock off aren't the most popular choice for most players but it did get the top end where I can stand to have some and not tear my head off with a beam of blinding top end death.I guess if JBL's are good enough for Dickey Betts...

 


Of course You can always put Your amp down on the floor and avoid all the beams. It will naturally sound way darker to YOU in the situation.

Here what I have run into a lot a shows. The sound guy runs the lead most channels including the lead guitar channel fairly flat. If My amp is on the ground it sounds dark to me compared to if it was point more at My head. Off axis is darker...

 So I pump the top end up  some to make up for it being on the floor, or on a drum case. Especially later in the night when My ears are shutting down I will tick the treble up...

But right off the bat you will run a brighter amp setting when its on the floor. Go ahead, get Your amp dialed in on the floor, then put it on an amp stand, point it at your head, at those same settings, and tell Me how You like that!

That's what the mic is "hearing", as well as the the front row(s) of the audience. ICE PICKS!!!
IF the amp is 15 feet or so?? behind You, its not to bad, You pretty much hear all the top end from that distance and its losing its tendency to be beamy.

Anyway...

So what ends up happening to me is, My tone out the front of house WAY to bright if My amp is on the floor.

It's sound like complete shit and isn't anything like what I'm hearing on stage.

The house guy at the last gig we played said I was kinda dark. I was like " no shit?" "yeah" he said.
Perfect, it sounded great on stage to Me basically no piercing treble and I could really hear what My tone sounded like with the amp point at My ears, up on a amp stand, instead of on the floor at My ankles.

I get to wind up that little ripper of a 15 watt amp plenty tight. It grinds very nicely for Me. Cleans right up with a turn of My guitar volume. I don't use much compression or FX really either any more now that I can wind up a tube amp instead of idling it. I used to always play a 40-100 watt tube amp. Just cant get ...em loud enough to really get em cooking. NOT EVEN ON THE FLOOR! Stadium and studio is bout the only place for an amp that loud.

I solo clean a lot and I have ALWAYS had a compressor in My arsenal and a lot of times a boost pedal to get some more muscle out of My Tele for solos. Now I look take a great feeling ride and look down and everything on My pedal board is off!!! LOL. ROCK!

Sorry for the long winded post but Ive had, like I said a real hard time getting some guitar tones that work for Me in a live band situation. I'm finally on track. I thought it might be information worth passing on.

Probably not though. ;)