Tweed Champ

[westchesterdave]

I unexpectedly received a '59 Tweed Champ for Christmas. It has a generic looking, ceramic magnet, replacement speaker and I have to admit I'm not crazy about the sound. Any suggestions for a replacement for the replacement? Are they 4 or 8 ohm speakers?

Thanks in advance.

[gmann]

Originally Posted by westchesterdave

I unexpectedly received a '59 Tweed Champ for Christmas. It has a generic looking, ceramic magnet, replacement speaker and I have to admit I'm not crazy about the sound. Any suggestions for a replacement for the replacement? Are they 4 or 8 ohm speakers?

Thanks in advance.

They were 4 ohm spkrs. I know Weber makes a 4 ohm, I have one in my blackface Champ.

[Shnook]

I have a newer Jensen 4 ohm in my '59 Tweed Champ. I like it. I recently played a '60 Tweed Champ with a little 8" JBL that sounded awesome. What guitars/tubes are you running?

[pbradt]

Originally Posted by westchesterdave

I unexpectedly received a '59 Tweed Champ for Christmas. It has a generic looking, ceramic magnet, replacement speaker and I have to admit I'm not crazy about the sound. Any suggestions for a replacement for the replacement? Are they 4 or 8 ohm speakers?

Thanks in advance.

4-ohm. I'd look into the 8-inch alnico.

[Rockledge]

My first amp was a 59 tweed champ. I had another 59 champ I bought at a yard sale for 5 bucks about 5 years ago, I refurbished it.

Honestly, if I had one that needed a replacement speaker I think I would find an old hifi like a motorola or GE and use the old alnico from it, providing it matched impedence. I used those speakers 40 years ago as replacements in low wattage amps and they worked great. They are likely more similar to the original alnico speakers than most of what you can find.
And, those old hifi systems are up for sale at yard sales and junk stores all the time, and more often than not the back has never been off of them and the speakers are pristine. The amps in those old things never put out enough watts to push them hard.

[pete kanaras]

Originally Posted by westchesterdave

I unexpectedly received a '59 Tweed Champ for Christmas. It has a generic looking, ceramic magnet, replacement speaker and I have to admit I'm not crazy about the sound. Any suggestions for a replacement for the replacement? Are they 4 or 8 ohm speakers?

Thanks in advance.

4ohm. many many many champs have suffered thru mid-life with replacement 8ohm speakers, because most people don't think about the impedance, they just think about size. you know, ya go to radio shack, get one the same size, pop it in and you figure that's that. but ya can't figure out why the thing sounds like absolute poo. but get a good 4 ohm in there, wind it up and you'll smile big time. an extra special treat comes your way when you make yourself a special rca to 1/4" cable and hook up your killer tweed champ to a multi speaker 4ohm cab. haha look out! it is shockingly loud and absolutely huge sounding. in a lot of ways it is the perfect electric guitar tone, because it's as close to a straight wire with gain as you can get. utterly mind blowing tone, and with a touch sensitivity no other amp can touch. it's as if the thing is connected to your central nervous system. enjoy

[Pietro]

A champ sounds awesome through a 2x12 or 4x12, too. No lie. Quiet, but great.

[lhallam]

Originally Posted by pbradt

4-ohm. I'd look into the 8-inch alnico.

I second this.

[mojoalb1]

Originally Posted by lhallam

I second this.

I'll third this. Weber Sig 8 in my homebrew, Alnico sounds great.

Al

[teleman1]

I have a Jensen Alnico special design 8" for my 57 Champ head. I use a Weber Z Matcher. That speaker was made for that amp. Sounds better thatn my Weber 8 Alnico.

[Rockinrob86]

There is something to an old 4 ohm in these though. I would probably buy a new one to get it running well, and then be on the prowl for a deal on some old stereo speakers.

[BluesForDan]

you got a tweed champ for christmas???

[Rockledge]

Originally Posted by Rockinrob86

There is something to an old 4 ohm in these though. I would probably buy a new one to get it running well, and then be on the prowl for a deal on some old stereo speakers.

Take a nine volt battery, about a foot of speaker wire, and a flashlight with you. The flashlight will let you see in the holes in the back of the cabs to look at the speakers, and you can briefly touch the 9 volt across the wire lugs to hear if the speaker reacts.