speaker replacement
Howsit Skip, so i got this 1956 Gibson GA-6 and the old p12r smooth cone (dated 1955) finally died. Ive been looking at the weber 12a125-0 ( supposed to be like a p12q) would this speaker be better than their 12a100. I like the tone of the old p12r will one of these speakers get me around the same tone? Or is there another speaker you would recommend? Im having hard time choosing.
I think the recone is what Im gonna do, when removing the speaker should I remove the chassis first ? Desolder the wires connecting the speaker with the solder vacume pump thing or just cut the wires as close to the terminal as possable? I was thinking to connect spade connectors to the wires so it would be easier to swap speakers in the future if need. Plus i already have a cannabis Rex speaker I wanted to try out in the amp. Would the connectors I think the size is .205 fit on the old Jensen ? The 2 wires connecting the speakers one is green the other black, I'm assuming the black is the negative and green pos? The insulation on the old wires do you strip them like modern wires or is there a special way to do it?
Hi Brian- I always think of speaker-swapping as being really easy, but there ARE some things to think about for the uninitiated.
Removing the chassis first is usually best since you want very bit of available room inside the cab to work with.
The speaker should be unsoldered, but that will require you to learn how to solder. Practice a little first. No, you don't need a vacuum pump, just heat up the connection until the solder flows and gently pull the wire out.
Spade connectors are handy for future speaker swaps, but if they are simply crimped on to the speaker wire they are prone to failure. Soldering them on is better.
I hate to see people talking about "green wire" or "black wire". The color of the wire is not the important thing, it's the "polarity" that we are really talking about. On amps with just one speaker it doesn't really make any difference, but on your GA-6 I would say black is "minus" and green is "plus".
Thanks Skip!
I noticed the 2 wires coming off the OT to the speaker are solid wires. Can I solder the stranded wire to it with the spade connectors or do i have to use solid wire and solder directly to new speaker ,would rather not solder to speaker cause its just temp. 14 awg wire is ok to use? wheres the best place to mount the OT, on the chassis?
Got it all together and running! I soldered 18awg wire to the original wire , crimped and soldered the spade connectors shrink tubed all connections , I mounted the OT to the chassis had to only drill 1 extra hole . The cannabis Rex speaker sounds good , a little darker and not as compressed as the p12r (to my ears any way) . I think everything came out real clean for my first soldering job, plus swapping speakers will be a lot easier now.
Hello Brian- Sounds good! The important thing is to work slowly and do the best job that your skill level allows. In general, stranded or solid core wire won't make a difference sonically but I would always use stranded in applications where there would be some flexing.
As always, I can't forget to mention that a little servicing would be a good idea on that old Gibson.......
Hello Brian- The good news is that there are TONS of excellent new speakers being made today......far more than were available 10 or 15 years ago. Reissue Jensen, Weber,and Eminence all make good speakers and many are very affordable. The bad news is that there are so many it is hard to choose! Some thoughts.....
I know everyone says "alnico", but I think many players would be better off with a ceramic-magnet speaker. They are cheaper and usually offer better bass.
One good idea is to have your old speaker reconed. A lot of pro players like Neal's Speaker Service in Sacramento CA. I think reconing is about $50, and you would have a great original speaker in the amp again.