Replacement Speaker for an Acoustic 301 cab?

[D.M.N.]

I'm contemplating picking up an old unloaded 301 cab (a folded 18), and am wonder what people have put in these for speakers. I know they originally came with Cerwin Vegas, but I'm not sure which model. Also, feel free to recommend other (both vint. and newer) production speakers that would work well in this box. Price isn't really an issue, as it's just speculation at this point, just want to hear what people have to say, especially if you have replaced them before.

I'm not looking to use it solely as a sub cab, so a fuller range speaker would be preferred (I know they are inherently not heard up close, and people often say it's all low-end mud, but I have another cab to deal with stage volume).






Please note, I don't want to hear about the negatives of these cabs, I've heard it all before.

I don't have WINsd (the actual name escapes me, you know what I mean though), nor the internal volume of the cab, sorry.

[Stumbo]

Search is your friend.

[D.M.N.]

Right, I feel super stupid know. I'm usually so good about search too.......


However, after reading through some of those threads, none really got any conclusive answers. They mention Gauss, JBLs, and the Original I89 CVs. However, I'd like to know more about their characteristics in the cab, as well as other speakers.

[GrowlerBox]

Originally Posted by D.M.N.

Right, I feel super stupid know. I'm usually so good about search too.......




MODS CAN DELETE PLEASE.

Don't be too hasty -- I had a quick browse through the first half dozen or so threads and found nothing helpful.

If you could work out or find the internal dimensions, I'm sure one of the WinISD jockeys could do something for you.

[Stumbo]

You might to call some speaker reconers to find out if they have any reconed original CV's for your cabinet.

Btw, seems to me that back then, the cabs weren't designed exactly to speaker parameters so if you get a modern speaker that's close enough or even modify the cab a bit to work better with modern speakers, you may do better than putting in an original speaker.

Alternatively, I suggest looking at fEARful or Bill Fitzmaurice cabs that, in the long run, give you more bang for the buck -and save you a bunch of time and the possibility of spending your hard earned cash on something that really won't get you where you want to go.

[billfitzmaurice]

Originally Posted by GrowlerBox

Don't be too hasty -- I had a quick browse through the first half dozen or so threads and found nothing helpful.

If you could work out or find the internal dimensions, I'm sure one of the WinISD jockeys could do something for you.

WinISD doesn't work with horns.

[GrowlerBox]

Originally Posted by billfitzmaurice

WinISD doesn't work with horns.

Well, there you go. I did not know that. Goes with being a Mac-head, I guess.

If anyone knows anything about these horn-loaded cabs, Bill, it'd be you. Got any suggestions for our man here?

[billfitzmaurice]

Originally Posted by GrowlerBox

Got any suggestions for our man here?

Don't bother, it's not worth the trouble. If you really must have a horn modern designs half the size of the 301 will bitch slap it.

[GrowlerBox]

Originally Posted by billfitzmaurice

Don't bother, it's not worth the trouble. If you really must have a horn modern designs half the size of the 301 will bitch slap it.

I might have one of those.

[D.M.N.]

Originally Posted by D.M.N.

Please note, I don't want to hear about the negatives of these cabs, I've heard it all before.

Originally Posted by billfitzmaurice

Don't bother, it's not worth the trouble. If you really must have a horn modern designs half the size of the 301 will bitch slap it.

Yeah, I guessed I'd hear this a lot, which is why I added that bit in the initial post. You'd probably say the rest of my rig (Sunn 2000s rig) is too much of a bother too, Bill, that it's all out dated, but it's what I like, what I'm interested in. I don't want to hear about the it's negatives and how much infinitely better the newer designs are, I want to hear about speakers that work in the 301 cabs. I'd appreciate it if we kept on that topic. Thanks.

[GrowlerBox]

Another way to get some responses might be to find some contender drivers and throw them up for some lively debate. There's not likely to be a huge range of 18s that are available and affordable. For example, Eminence has a range of 18" drivers in their "professional" series, some of which are touted as suitable for horn-loaded applications. They tend to be the ones with the lower Xmax figures, however. JBL are sure to have a range, too.

[punkrocko]

Last summer I ran an Acoustic 371 rig with the 301 cab. I thought it sounded great, and worked well within the band context I was in. I also tried the cab with a SVT head and it sounded awesome too.

For my non scientific, completely uneducated, shot in the dark recommendation:
Peavey Black Widow

Reasoning:
Peavey has used that driver in a lot of whacky cab config’s over the years, and it’s never once tore a hole in the spacetime continuum.

[Oren Hudson]

Originally Posted by D.M.N.

Yeah, I guessed I'd hear this a lot, which is why I added that bit in the initial post. You'd probably say the rest of my rig (Sunn 2000s rig) is too much of a bother too, Bill, that it's all out dated, but it's what I like, what I'm interested in. I don't want to hear about the it's negatives and how much infinitely better the newer designs are, I want to hear about speakers that work in the 301 cabs. I'd appreciate it if we kept on that topic. Thanks.

With all due respect to top geru Bill, and to the others that offer up newer gear, I'm like you, I love vintage gear. My list includes a lot of "oversized" rigs including an Acoustic 371 rig (370 head + 301 cab.) In fact, I have two 301 cabs. One had a JBL in when I heard it for demo. Even though it sounded real good, I'm pretty much a purist and wanted the correct CV in it. I love that sound, so I found one and am real happy. I don't recall which JBL it was, but I probably can find out with a little research if you're interested in knowing specifics.

You don't mention what ohm head you might use, but the original CVs for the 301 are 4 ohm. Keep that in mind in your research. The CV's were CV 188L and 188EB rated @ 300 watts.

[Mr. Foxen]

Orange County Speakers were recommended as the place to go, since I'm in the UK, I mailed them to ask where to go for a speaker for mine:

Hi,
The Eminence Omega-Pro-18 would be your best choice. It comes in 8 ohm and 4 ohm also. A lot of the original Cerwin Vega speakers in the Acoustic cabinets were 4 ohm. Here is a link:
Orange County Speaker Repair - GLS Audio Wholesale: Eminence Omega-Pro-18 Subwoofer 800W RMS / 1600W Peak 25Hz-2kHz

One came up cheap locally, stuck it in my cab, good to go.

[RockBobby]

Why don't you call CV?

CERWIN-VEGA! Inc. Corporate Offices
772 S. Military Trail
Deerfield Beach, FL 33442
Phone: 954-949-9600
Fax: 954-949-9590
E-mail: service@Cerwin-Vega.com

[edbass]

How are you planning to incorporate the 301 into your current rig? In place of the 2000S cab or in conjunction with it?

[billfitzmaurice]

Originally Posted by D.M.N.

Yeah, I guessed I'd hear this a lot, which is why I added that bit in the initial post. You'd probably say the rest of my rig (Sunn 2000s rig) is too much of a bother too, Bill, that it's all out dated, but it's what I like, what I'm interested in. I don't want to hear about the it's negatives and how much infinitely better the newer designs are, I want to hear about speakers that work in the 301 cabs. I'd appreciate it if we kept on that topic. Thanks.

Please note that I was responding GrowlerBox. As to the 301 cab, they were as large as they were to make up for the deficiencies of the drivers available 40 years ago. Those deficiencies no longer exist, so neither does the need for a cab that large that only horn loads to 90Hz.
As for what will work best in the 301, that can only be determined by either loading it with every eighteen one can and testing them all, or by modeling the cab in a program like HornResp. Recommendations made without doing one or the other amount to no more than a guess, and, with horns being the complicated beasts that they are, probably an uneducated one at that. The above mentioned Omega Pro 18, for instance, is totally unsuited to the 301, having an Fs at least an octave too low for a good result.

[Bill Whitehurst]

I have a JBL in mine.
I think it's a 2242 something.
I got it because I found it locally at a great price and
felt I couldn't go too far wrong with a JBL.
I works pretty well and is way brighter than you'd imagine.

When those cabs were designed, it was all trial and error.
To their credit, they did a lot of trial and errror to come up with that design.
Sure they are big, heavy and don't do much up close,
but they have that vintage vibe and do project way out there really well.

[Mr. Foxen]

Originally Posted by billfitzmaurice

Please note that I was responding GrowlerBox. As to the 301 cab, they were as large as they were to make up for the deficiencies of the drivers available 40 years ago. Those deficiencies no longer exist, so neither does the need for a cab that large that only horn loads to 90Hz.
As for what will work best in the 301, that can only be determined by either loading it with every eighteen one can and testing them all, or by modeling the cab in a program like HornResp. Recommendations made without doing one or the other amount to no more than a guess, and, with horns being the complicated beasts that they are, probably an uneducated one at that. The above mentioned Omega Pro 18, for instance, is totally unsuited to the 301, having an Fs at least an octave too low for a good result.

How would the Cerwin Vega rate comparatively?

[CostaBass]

I have a old beat up 361 cab, I put just a regular Carvin Speaker in there and it sounds very comparable to my all original 361.