16 ohm 12 for bass

basscooker · #1 12-21-2011, 10:06 PM

hey
i have a frankenstein/vintage redo tube amp that sits on top of two 1x12 cabs (jensen p12n) and love the tone, size and look of the rig. i worry (as i should with those ancient cones) about turning my speakers into confetti. the minimum load for the amp is 8. i know i'll see some tonal changes with new drivers, but i'm confident the sound will still be within my 'sweet' spot. the problem is i can't seem to track down anything with a decent xmax or freq response in a 16 ohm. is this the reality or am i just not looking in the right places?

christw · #2 12-21-2011, 10:13 PM

Have you considered creating/buying a series speaker cable and running two 4 ohm speakers?

basscooker · #3 12-21-2011, 10:28 PM

yeah that was my first easy fix, i'd just prefer to be able to use one cab occasionally.

christw · #4 12-21-2011, 10:39 PM

Does Weber not make anything close to what you need? Have you considered the Jensen reissue P12N or are they differently voiced than vintage? Or is this about upgrading to bass drivers?

seanm · #5 12-21-2011, 10:42 PM

Can't help you about the speakers... but I have to say that is one of the coolest rigs I have seen in a long time!

basscooker · #6 12-21-2011, 11:10 PM

weber? ok i'll look. it really is a concern of not having speakers designed for what i'm putting into them. it can't be good for those old flimsy (possibly 50 year old) paper cones to take the thunda im throwing out, but although it does sound good as is, i'm anticipating massive failure at some point.

about the rig, search the forums for my "ampro" thread for more info if your interested. you can make one... everything is pretty easily had on the evilbay- i just saw another of this exact same amp chassis last week.

coreyfyfe · #7 12-22-2011, 06:33 AM

Eminence delta 12B is available in 16 ohm, you can check out the specs here.

DaZombieWoof · #8 12-22-2011, 06:40 AM

Those Eminence 12's would be better than ones you have. Are they the grail? Not at all. Then again to use in existing cabs and not be obscenely priced they are great.

gerryjazzman · #9 12-22-2011, 07:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by basscooker

hey
the minimum load for the amp is 8.

I'm inferring from this that the amp will go to 16 ohms? If so, get two 8-ohm speakers. Run one on the 8-ohm tap, and run two in series on the 16-ohm tap.

As ChristW mentioned, you can get or make a cable that will let you connect the cabs in series. Or you can put a closed-circuit jack in one (or regular jack and a switch) that connects them in series.

basscooker · #10 12-28-2011, 11:52 AM

i think i'm going delta b. thanks. 1 ques, tho-- xmax 2.7mm? seems short. prob still way better than what i have, but still concern?

christw · #11 12-28-2011, 11:55 AM

My main concern is whether you've checked your cab's dimensions and if the speakers are well suited to it or not. My secondary concern is in speaker sensitivities. Those speakers might come seem a little quieter (not sure on how efficient the stock speakers were) but they'll probably kick some booty so long as they work well in those cabs!

Quote:

Originally Posted by basscooker

weber? ok i'll look. it really is a concern of not having speakers designed for what i'm putting into them. it can't be good for those old flimsy (possibly 50 year old) paper cones to take the thunda im throwing out, but although it does sound good as is, i'm anticipating massive failure at some point.

about the rig, search the forums for my "ampro" thread for more info if your interested. you can make one... everything is pretty easily had on the evilbay- i just saw another of this exact same amp chassis last week.

As far as those old flimsy speakers, guitarists love to overdrive amps just as powerful as yours into them. They'll take a beating, to a point. I've got a '66 Utah in my SB-12, '67 CTS in my B15N, seven '72 CTS SVT 10's, one '74, one '72 with a hole in it, and four '69's spread throughout my cabs, except for the one with a hole. They all feel flimsy but they make some big sweet sound. There's a Rola 12" back at my parents place that I used in a homemade 12 as a bass/guitar cab when I was about 15. All these speakers are old, feel flimsy, AlNiCo, and kick some serious butt! If they're old and really look like they won't hold up, I don't blame you. If you're being protective, indulge in the cool tone for a minute! It was made to be played!

I'd love to make a rig like yours. I just don't have the money. Plus I have vintage Ampeg fever and it'll probably never pass. I don't want to sell any of them and unless I do, I don't need more amps!

kraigo · #12 12-28-2011, 11:59 AM

It depends on how many watts you're putting through the rig and the construction of the cabs (size and tuning).

I totally agree that it's a great looking rig.

KO

basscooker · #13 12-28-2011, 12:13 PM

another concern is the not-so-hot cab material. its like 1/2 inch ply (maybe 3/8!). the ext dims on the cabs are 16w 17h 10d. and they arent cubes, there is some curvature to them at the top. also the rear panel is removable, so it doesn't stay very airtight. i'd be willing to bet (since the amp is only using 2 6v6gt's) that the deltas are actually overkill, but hey, it's not for anything but screwing around here at the house anyway

plugged the head into an 8 ohm 4x10 and it doesn't sound quite as nice, but its close. i can tell for sure, tho, that the spl on these orig speakers is much higher than the 10's i've got, but they're only like 91.

will33 · #14 12-28-2011, 12:21 PM

The deltas will handle the lower power amp fine. I'd still model your cabs to see what if any adjustments might help the lowend character but....not too many choices out there other rhan 8 ohms.

alecduncan · #15 12-28-2011, 12:49 PM

Man, that is a beautiful stack! All I have to contribute, unfortunately.