8" speaker opinions wanted

[genewiseman]

I built a champ 5f1 clone about 15 years ago and put a budget speaker in it. I also have a silvertone that I am getting ready to recap that I posted an earlier thread on. It is a 10xl so I assumed that it had a 10" speaker. I was wrong. It is an 8" too. It has a cheap radio shack speaker in it. I have an old bell pa with a pair of 6v6's that I use with 2 10" jensons. They are new speakers but I really like the way that amp sounds. You can use it to listen to cds and it sounds like an old jukebox and I can turn the tone down and it is a killer harp amp. Does anyone use the 8" jenson reissue speakers in small harp amps or is there a better choice?
Thanks a lot,
Gene

[Leo_Gnardo]

Just worked on a couple of Champs, one silver one black, both with recently installed Jensen C8R 4 ohm. Nice smooth tone, if anything a bit fatter in the low end and not so piercing hi end compared to the original speakers. Sounds great for harp or guitar, not at all expensive, gets my vote.

[genewiseman]

Thanks for the advice. How does the c8r compare with the alnico speaker?

[Leo_Gnardo]

Thanks for the advice. How does the c8r compare with the alnico speaker?

Honestly haven't done a side-by-side comparison C8R vs P8R but generally I find new alnico speakers to be bright to the point of brittle & brash. I'm sure that's good for some people, I'm just not one of 'em. Plus they sell at a premium price. If you're thrilled by zingy top end and have the $$$, you might want to consider the P8R alnico version.

A couple of my customers have traded out the alnico 8's they thought would sound better - because they cost more and/or reading reviews or sales lit, and swapped in ceramic magnet ones.

Jensen's MOD 8" speaker is a contender too, resembles the C8R a lot, but a bit cheaper yet.

I don't have much experience with the other brands & types of 8", Weber, Celestion, Tone Tubby etc. I'm sure others here will sound off about what they hear. (put hand up to ear smiley thing here)

[genewiseman]

I am always happy to spend less money for a better sound. Glad to hear that the ceramic magnet sounds the best.
Thanks again,
Gene

[eschertron]

I put a 8" Weber 'Blue Pup' into a silverface champ. I have no comparisons, but also no complaints.

[riz]

The Tone Tubby 8" alnico is killer in my Vibro-Champ. Took about 5 hours to break it in. I didn't like their ceramic as much.

[Paleo Pete]

Haven't used any of the new replacements, but I found a Gorilla practice amp with nothing but speaker at a yard sale, worth a try for a buck so I put it in my 74 Champ silverface. Beats the pants off the Radio Shack speaker I originally used, side by side with another Champ at a music store owner and I both thought the Gorilla sounded better than whatever [original speaker] the other Champ had in it. Gorilla speaker is still hanging in there and sounds great after being used since 2002. Quite often dimed...

Problem would be finding one, and it would probably be used. I Don't know if Gorilla is still even around. Did find out a while back they originally started as a speaker manufacturer. I was looking for info, wanted to know just what speaker it is in case I ever have to replace it, no numbers stamped anywhere. Apparently they made their own speaker too, not the usual CTS, Jensen, Utah, Emminence etc you find in guitar amps, which I had expected.

[J M Fahey]

Jensen speakers are very good ("are" meaning present tense, so I'm referring to the modern ones) but have been unfairly badmouthed by Ted Weber, a clear case of sour grapes.
To the point of making stupid claims such as: "Italians are metric so Jensen sized parts can't be mounted on them" , or referring despectively to the "Recoton speakers with a Jensen sticker on them" or "I won't recone them" , etc.

Fact is, they sound like a Jensen fresh out of the box, still slightly smelling of adhesives, not like a speaker which has been working inside an amp for 60 years ... nothing 60 years inside a working amp can't cure by the way

It's indirectly implied that they must be made by some Super Mario kind of Italian, over the kitchen table where the "mamma" has just been kneading some spaghetti, while the truth is that SICA, the Italian Factory subcontracted to actually build them is state of the art and then some:

https://youtu.be/ny-ZYiuoHp4

just as a reference about Italian speaker industry being among the best in the World (if not the best as a whole) , here's a visit to Ciare , who among other things do not "outsource" (buy) their cones from somewhere else, usually from China, but make them right inside the factory .
Oh!!! , "almost impossible to process" Titanium domes too:

https://youtu.be/saFF8eQK-Lc

while as it's widely known, Celestion, Eminence and all "boutique" makers (including Weber) buy them , mostly from China, with the exception that Celestion buys some from Kurt Müller (UK or Germany, although I wouldn't be surprised at all if they had also set up a China factory).

[Leo_Gnardo]

Jensen speakers are very good ("are" meaning present tense, so I'm referring to the modern ones) but have been unfairly badmouthed by Ted Weber, a clear case of sour grapes.

Yeh I noticed early 2000's Weber was grousing about the 'new' Jensen. My best guess is it went like this, mid-late 90's Weber was the up & coming thing, graduating from small family operation to having their speakers used and accepted by some amp manufacturers. Larger orders, respect, better cash flow, expanding biz, all the good things. Then Jensen swooped in and ate their lunch. Well that's the ball game! Both companies make lots of good speakers, listen & choose what you like.

I'll also put in a good word about Jensen's 8" Blue Pup. In those dark days when not much good was available in 8's, word was Weber's 8 was the closest in tone to the original speakers Fender used in black & silver Champs. And at a bargain price too. My ears and wallet agree.

I'd sure like to hear a Tone Tubby alnico 8. Their speakers tend to be on the mellow side, what with hemp paper cones. Should help tame that alnico "spike." Can't imagine it's anywhere near cheap though. FWIW I did repair a funky old "Criterion" Champ copy last week with TT ceramic 8, sounded very good indeed.

[genewiseman]

OK, I ordered the Jenson c8r. I replaced the filter caps in the silvertone 10xl yesterday. I realized that I need a lot of practice doing that sort of thing. I didn't think that I would ever get the old connections loose from the original canister filter cap. I am much better at soldering than desoldering. I am glad my work can't be seen without opening the amp up. It looks pretty cobbled together but there is no hum at all to the amp now. I should get the new speaker Wednesday. The radio shack speaker doesn't really have much low end to it and it is 8 ohms where the amp calls for a 4 ohm speaker. I will find out Wednesday evening what a difference the proper speaker will make. I've got my fingers crossed.
Thanks again,
Gene

[g1]

I didn't think that I would ever get the old connections loose from the original canister filter cap. I am much better at soldering than desoldering. I am glad my work can't be seen without opening the amp up.

It sounds like this is one of those cans that has the ground tabs soldered to the chassis, or does it actually have a ground wire connecting to it?
If it is chassis grounded, you usually need a much bigger than normal soldering iron to desolder & solder those connections. If you just solder them with a normal iron, you likely won't get enough heat for a reliable connection.
You said it was hum free, so it is probably ok for now, but something to consider for reliability or if you run into hum issues in the future.

[genewiseman]

It was grounded straight to the chassis. I left the can in there and put three separate caps on the reverse side of the chassis from the can. Getting the connections loose from the tabs on the can was my trouble. I finally cut the tabs loose from the canister. I think I got them grounded good. Hopefully if I have any trouble later on I will be a little better at this stuff when I break into it. Practice makes perfect I guess.
Thanks again,
Gene

[tedmich]

Eminence is waaay more Low tech than Juan's Italian companies (especially Ciare!) but as a result probably has many more decently paid employees

[J M Fahey]

I guess they also have higher production than all others combined.