Vintage Ampeg SVT experts; Rola speakers?

Blimey...the last time i saw a couple of Rola speakers was back in the late 60's when I owned an Aussie made 60watt Goldentone BassMaster valve (tube) amp loll From memory they may have been marked Plessey-Rola as in the pic.

 

A first for me.

 

Speakers are not original to the cabinet....

 

Well..... Does the cab sound good ????
If it sounds good than just leave it be ...
The next thing you can do is replace the speakers a little at a time ...over time you can do it less painfully..
Just check ebay and buy loose speakers from time to time....

 

No, but I remember reading an article in the late 70s/early 80s that claimed the cabs were loaded with Rola Jensen drivers. Now I know that's BS.

 

My flat back SVT (72) has Square magnets, if that's any help. I'll get my brother to take pictures, since I leave it in his rehearsal room.

 

CTS alnicos till 74, Eminence ceramics thereafter.

 

These were in my 72 flatback



These were in my 75 B40 4x10





The 5810144 part number was common to all three, the B40 had the 580155-1 number stamped on both instead of the 6910001 number (there were two of each black painted and all silver in that cab when I got it). Don't know whose part numbers those are or what they may refer to.

 

Rola speakers are desirable on the used market.

There are UK Rola speakers, UK Rola/Celestion, and USA Rola speakers. US and UK Rolas were not the same. The same US parent company owned Jensen and some Rola speakers were identical.

I’ve come across ampeg guitar cabs with Rola speakers in them. Mid 70’s or later. Don’t know if these were replacements. You never know with ampeg what they might have done short term.

If it sounds good, it is good.

 

We should all be thankful they (and Jensens) weren't called Mutters.

ROLA Company | People | The Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments

 

Oy! You say somethin bout me Mum?!!!

 

Those screws just don't look original - they can't even be seated properly, and they are a danger to speaker cones - straight screwdrivers tend to slip off the screw head and through the adjacent cone. As others have said, there is no need to scrap these if the cab sounds good, although the defective driver should be taken care of.

 

Good eye. Original screws would be eight clutch head screws. They do tend go missing over time. My 72 had one screw from each missing and replaced with a flat head, they all had washers as well. Given 8 we’re missing I always assumed a speaker was out and the screws lost, but it was always a mystery to me.

 

Where the heck would you find one Rola speaker. Yet alone 8 of them lol.

I say turn it up

Someone at sometime made the decision to buy 8 of them.

 

Photos from my brother.

He says they're CTS and that it's actually a '73, so I was mistaken there.