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vintage sounding speakers for old B25 cab

boroman

boroman

Apr 27, 2009
374
149
boro
www.dustblow.com
#1
I'm looking for that old school CTS tone in my B25 2x15'' cab. Need to pair it with v4b (maybe svt?). I've been reading about Emimence Beta's and Delta's that sound similar to CTS. But which one? Or maybe there is a better choice?

BTW,
Is it safe to pair old SVT and the 70s 8x10 240w cab? I play mostly with a pick + fuzz pedal, turning it at "1" (but that is always too loud). Just wondering, because I've read mixed reviews, but always seeing one vintage head and one vintage cab at many shows. 've never seen the twins :)
 
#2
boroman said:
I'm looking for that old school CTS tone in my B25 2x15'' cab. Need to pair it with v4b (maybe svt?). I've been reading about Emimence Beta's and Delta's that sound similar to CTS. But which one? Or maybe there is a better choice?
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Delta's will hold up better to higher powers. I have a B25 with original square magnet CTS's but I only use it at home, mostly with a '67 Bassman 50.
BTW, Is it safe to pair old SVT and the 70s 8x10 240w cab?
Click to expand...
Only if you can keep the volume down. The SVT can easily blown one of those up - and then you can put modern speakers in it :cool: - big $$$ though :(. A V4B is about the right power for that old cab if you want to crank it.
 
#5
boroman said:
Is it a problem to place Deltas in B25? I mean basket, holes etc?
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Be aware there are two different B25's - front load (later ones?) and rear load (early ones?). And I have no idea how the delta's will line up - mine's a rear load so the cut-out diameter doesn't matter. In any case use blue loctite on the nuts, they vibrate loose real quick :( . Oh, and you'll not want to wire it to the stock 16 ohms (unless you have an old 16 ohms only B25 head), mine's re-wired to 4 ohms. Some (later ones?) had a switch for 16 or 4 ohms.
 
#7
No problem fitting either in my B25, I had a rear loaded cab. Between the beta and the deltas in that cab I much preferred the betas. More "vintage" sounding, the deltas have a bigger upper mid peak that made them a little more grunty but not as smooth. The betas just sounded warmer all around.

I bypassed the switch and went direct to the jack for 4 ohms. Definitely second the loctite on the nuts suggestion, had the nuts vibrate loose a few times with this cab. The nuts closest to the center of the cab were really close to the support brace and difficult to tighten.
 
#12
JimmyM said:
And the CTS's power handling is quite low. Good for 1964, not so good for 2014.
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When OC did mine they said the materials they use the power handling should be in the 150 watt range, not as high as the eminence but better than the vintage ratings at least. I'm not sure what exactly is different from the original speakers, and I don't have an original to compare side by size, but I have it in my B15 and it sounds very close to what I recall from my B15 that did have a stock speaker.
 

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