Need 12" speaker recs (and other mods)

Help!I'maRock!

Help!I'maRock!

Mediocringly Derivative
As you may have seen in the "I know what I want out of a new amp" thread, I have recently purchased a SF Fender Musicmaster amp. I'm going to have the typical problem of sounding great at home and not quite keeping up onstage. I play guitar in an original quartet here in NYC. We mostly play crummy clubs, but the one thing we do have going for us is that our drummer isn't your typical gorilla basher. At home, I would like to be able to plug in a bass at apartment appropriate volumes. It is after all, designed as a bass amp.

My main guitars for this band are my PRS Custom 24 with Dimarzio PAFs and a Fender 50s Classic Tele with an SD APTL1/Jerry Donahue set. Dirt comes from a Skreddy Hybrid Fuzz Driver -> GGG Red Llama clone.

Given that I'm looking for light and loud, I'm primarily looking at neo speakers. Ampwares lists the weight of the Musicmaster at 24 pounds and I'm not looking to add weight. The frontrunner is the Eminence Lil Texas, which is squarely in the Fender camp and has a 102db sensitivity. I've read a lot here about forumites feeling the sound wasn't right in the mids, and that the Jensen Tornado, though more expensive, was a better speaker. My only reservation is that the Jensen is rated at 98db.

I'm not expecting this amp to be as loud or as clean as my 40 watt 2x10 Allen Encore, which is loaded with 2 Eminence Ragin Cajuns. But if I can get something that starts to resemble it, I'll be very happy. I'm also open to other lightweight speaker suggestions, but I do have a budget of <$150.

Your thoughts are greatly appreciated. Thanks!
 
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The other guitar player in my last band played through a SF Musicmaster for most of our shows and it sounded great. I know he replaced the speaker and I can see what he was using, but I do know it was not a neo type so probably heavier than you are looking for.
 
I'm just guessing, but I would bet that the 4db difference in the 2 speakers you listed wouldn't really make any significant audible difference....but I have no real experience with those particular speakers you mentioned.
 
gtrjunior said:
I'm just guessing, but I would bet that the 4db difference in the 2 speakers you listed wouldn't really make any significant audible difference....but I have no real experience with those particular speakers you mentioned.
Click to expand...

Isn't a 4db difference significant? db is logarithmic, no?
 
I really don't know the science behind it, I was just speculating.
If I'm not mistaken the difference in a 100W vs. a 50W amp is something like 6db of volume( don't quote me on that) but if that's the case I wouldn't think 4db is that significant. But like I said I'm just speculating....I'm sure somebody has a more concrete answer
 
Lil Texas it is.

Though, I called Eminence and the rep recommended I do not play bass through the amp, ever. "Guitar speakers aren't meant to be bass speakers".
 
3 db is a just noticeable difference in volume. 4 db is one more than that.

I recommend taking out the resistor that's strapped across the the inputs of the amp, and installing a fuse (if either hasn't been done). The resistor acts as a high pass filter, which makes about as much sense in a bass amp as an open back cab, 12" alnico speaker and 12 watts. Lots of people mod the tone stack, but I'm fine with the way mine sounds, so I left that alone.
 
FYI, Eminence rates their speaker SPL a little different, so a 103dB Eminence will be about as efficient as a 98-99dB Celestion.
 
speakerjones said:
3 db is a just noticeable difference in volume. 4 db is one more than that.

I recommend taking out the resistor that's strapped across the the inputs of the amp, and installing a fuse (if either hasn't been done). The resistor acts as a high pass filter, which makes about as much sense in a bass amp as an open back cab, 12" alnico speaker and 12 watts. Lots of people mod the tone stack, but I'm fine with the way mine sounds, so I left that alone.
Click to expand...

Hey, look at that. These amps have no fuse. Well then, I guess I know what the first mod is. :ack:
 
gtrjunior said:
According to this snippet, a 3db change is about a 23% increase in volume....who knew?
I suppose it IS significant...
I'll bet there's a YouTube video with a demo!

http://www.soundmaskingblog.com/2012/06/sometimes-change-isnt-good/
Click to expand...

Yup - dB is logarithmic. One louder, is a bunch louder. Just like in linear/audio tapered pots.

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Been reading a lot about speakers lately. The new frontrunners are the Jensen Jet Tornado and the Warehouse ET-65. The Warehouse is half the cost of the Jensen. The Jensen is 3 pounds lighter than the Warehouse. Frankly, if I can find a "TGP used" 8 ohm ET-65 for $40, I'll live with the 3 pounds.
 
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