Help me choose a speaker

[J M Fahey]

Never measured speaker distortion per se, but itīs a given.
In general best Guitar speaker cones are **thin** , thatīs universal, and ribbing, specially deep ribbing, where a cone section looks like corrugated tin roof is best.
All cones break up but ribbing guarantees it happening at all frequencies , in a controlled way.

FWIW a 12" Celestion speaker has 8 ribs, you might say itīs optimized for Humbuckers ; a Fenderish speaker (Jensen or Eminence) can have up to 22, you might say itīs optimized for much brighter single coils.
Celestion also uses thicker paper and larger voice coils (44 mm) than Jensen (N=38 mm ; Q=32mm ; R=25mm)
Since I had to import a ton of cones which will last a lifetime I had to choose *one* flavour, so got an 11 ribs cone, which covers both grounds acceptably.
As you see, there are A TON of variables to "cook" speakers in different flavours.

Some cone examples.
A couple do not match the expected ribbing, but consider the intended use: a Jensen made for a Hammond organ does not need "Telecaster highs" but robust midrange instead; I make an 8" "improved" speaker for typical 15/25W practice amps, and chose an unribbed and slightly thicker cone, larger diameter voice coil (25mm instead of typical 19mm) , substantially larger and heavier magnet, thicker plates, because typical complaint about practice amps is "they sound thin, buzzy, mosquito like" ... guys canīt believe the difference.

Late CTS/early Eminence from Ampeg V4B cabinet



Typical Celestion



Heavily doped Fahey G12



1947 Hammond Jensen A12




As a side note, all Guitar voice coils are very short, from same plate thickness to maybe 1 to 3 mm longer (tops) so they leave the gap all the time and distort.

FWIW an Eminence Legend (guitar) and an Alpha (PA) are "exactly the same speaker" as far as frame and magnet yet sound completely different: the Alpha cone is much thicker, sparsely ribbed (and extra thickness negates breakup), voice coil is 50% longer, double weight, look at both curves side by side: 2 dB less efficiency, but mainly the strong 8 to 10dB peak around 2500 to 3500Hxz is gone, so they have no bite.

Thatīs why you must never have to send your speakers to a "general purpose" reconer, heīll "improve" your "crappy" speaker by using standard Hi Fi or best case PA type components, and murder your guitar sound.

[uneumann]

I make an 8" "improved" speaker for typical 15/25W practice amps, and chose an unribbed and slightly thicker cone, larger diameter voice coil (25mm instead of typical 19mm) , substantially larger and heavier magnet, thicker plates, because typical complaint about practice amps is "they sound thin, buzzy, mosquito like" ... guys canīt believe the difference.

Lots to digest and think about - much appreciated, Mr Fahey.
Do I take your example to mean that you make an 8" speaker sound/behave like a 10" or 12" if you pick the right design and components?
Does anyone sell (in the US) an 8" that is worth using? Juan, do you have a distributor in the US?

[J M Fahey]

Lots to digest and think about - much appreciated, Mr Fahey.

Thanks

Do I take your example to mean that you make an 8" speaker sound/behave like a 10" or 12" if you pick the right design and components?

Yes.
Same kind of sound, recorded or playing with eyes closed can pas as a larger one, of course it wonīt push as much air as a 12" one but character is the same, just not as loud.

Does anyone sell (in the US) an 8" that is worth using? Juan, do you have a distributor in the US?

Not sure thereīs an off the shelf unit ; certainly Eminence or Ted Weber can make that if so asked.
Eminence would certainly a 500 unit lot or so.

Hereīs mine compared to the generic 8" one used by the thousands by Marshall in their small amps: 15W, 25W or stereo chorus 2 x 20W, also similar to what Peavey/Crate/Laney/etc. use.
Which manufacturers choose because they certainly provide a lot of bang for the buck, not because bang is loud but because the "buck" is minuscule, he he.

Since itīs impossible to compete against Chinese (or Orientals in general) on their own terms, I had to carve various special niches to survive, basically "what Chinese wonīt make", for various reasons.
This was one.

You can see mine is beefier, larger magnet, no ribs (on purpose), you canīt see thicker cone (although not as thick as a PA or Woofer one) nor way larger voice coil







Clearly a "mini 12" rather than a typical 8" he he.








FWIW Quilter amps makes a very compact combo with an 8" speaker and they chose an Eminence Alpha speaker.

But it goes too much the other way, WAY too thick a cone, too large VC (38mm vs my 25mm or generic 19mm), way too long winding , made out of thicker wire, too bassy and zero sparkle.
And they *have* to drive it with a 200W Class D amp or it wonīt cut it in a band environment.

Mine is intended for replacement in a 15/25W amp, and actually sounds louder than original, is warmer/beefier but *still* a Guitar speaker.

Again: many manufacturers can make it, no doubt, but they wonīt be interested in less than 500 (or even 1000) units per order.

Forum member Steve Conner used an Alpha (or similar) speaker and was happy with the warmer sound, but he mostly played at home or at rehearsals with it, once you have to fight a drummer itīs a different problem.

Speakers, like many other things, are always a compromise.
You win "here", you definitely lose "there".

Some colleagues find me "crazy" for getting into a completely different area (90% of it is "mechanical": cutting and stamping sheet metal in huge hydraulic presses, punching holes same conditions, spot soldering, cutting disks out of THICK steel, (6 to 12 mm), turning bar stock, galvanizing, magnetizing, etc.)
In fact I can do it only because I could persuade aftermarket car parts manufacturers to do jobs for me, using hundred of thousand dollars worth of machinery.