Replacement Speaker for Versatone

[R D Maynard]

I have a '68 Versatone amp that I use very little, partly because it's irreplaceable, but also because its Utah special-design speaker is quite fragile. I have an extra one, but its foam surround has disintegrated and I'm leery of having it reconed by just anybody. And I really doubt that the one that's in the amp will last much longer. If anyone here is has any familiarity with these amps, I'd appreciate suggestions for a replacement speaker. Power handling isn't really a consideration, since the output is 70w, tops. I've heard that JBL D-120's worked great in these amps, but they're no longer available. What's a good alternative?

 

[wagdog]

Sorry, I have nothing to offer but have you tried contacting Jack Casady? As a long time Versatone user he might have some insight on how to keep those unique amps operational.

 

[Wasnex]

I have a '68 Versatone amp that I use very little, partly because it's irreplaceable, but also because its Utah special-design speaker is quite fragile. I have an extra one, but its foam surround has disintegrated and I'm leery of having it reconed by just anybody. And I really doubt that the one that's in the amp will last much longer. If anyone here is has any familiarity with these amps, I'd appreciate suggestions for a replacement speaker. Power handling isn't really a consideration, since the output is 70w, tops. I've heard that JBL D-120's worked great in these amps, but they're no longer available. What's a good alternative?

If you can confirm the D120 works well, I suggest trying a clean used E120. One downside, E120s are heavy.

FYI when I was much younger I loaded a pair of E120s into a blackface Fender Twin and use it to gig with a cover band. The Twin is basically an 85W amp, with an open back cab. As long as I didn't crank up the lows, the E120s could pretty much take the full clean power of the amp without clacking the coils. So one E120 should be able to handle a bit over 40Ws. I was under the impression the output of the Versatone was closer to 25W; perhaps there is more than one model.

 

[hangman]

I have a '68 Versatone amp that I use very little, partly because it's irreplaceable, but also because its Utah special-design speaker is quite fragile. I have an extra one, but its foam surround has disintegrated and I'm leery of having it reconed by just anybody. And I really doubt that the one that's in the amp will last much longer. If anyone here is has any familiarity with these amps, I'd appreciate suggestions for a replacement speaker. Power handling isn't really a consideration, since the output is 70w, tops. I've heard that JBL D-120's worked great in these amps, but they're no longer available. What's a good alternative?

RD, I would find a qualified repair service that can repair the surround. What do have to loose? It's already disintegrated so it's useless as it is.
If you want to find one off of ebay/reverb, etc. the model number is Utah V12PXC2, but you probably already knew that.
The Utah speaker is part of the sound of the amp.
Good luck.

 

[Robal]

I have a '68 Versatone amp that I use very little, partly because it's irreplaceable, but also because its Utah special-design speaker is quite fragile. I have an extra one, but its foam surround has disintegrated and I'm leery of having it reconed by just anybody. And I really doubt that the one that's in the amp will last much longer. If anyone here is has any familiarity with these amps, I'd appreciate suggestions for a replacement speaker. Power handling isn't really a consideration, since the output is 70w, tops. I've heard that JBL D-120's worked great in these amps, but they're no longer available. What's a good alternative?

Did you find a good replacement for your Utah speaker in the Versatone? Did you find a good re-coner for it?