Edited to show C12K not C12N Sounds like it could be a nice punchy/smooth speaker. I'm considering mix n match with a G12H 30 anniversary I'm basically fed up with my Vintage 30s in my 4x12 and want something flatter in the mids and smoother/sweeter in the treble, but still retaining detail and clarity without ear fatigue. I like the bottom end of the V30.
I had a pair in a Fender Pro Reverb for a year playing blues and hard rock. I hated the high end. Using a Strat I lost the use of the Neck pickup because of the icepicks. Marshalls and Humbuckers with a closed back cab might be a different story. However...the reason I bought them in the first place was because I borrowed another guitarists open back ext cab that had these in it and they were just as you described, punchy, tight but with smooth high end. He had beat them for 3 nights a week for many years though. I tried to break mine in with the usual techniques but nothing ever worked. These were the "Special design" Made in Italy by the way. Cheers Eric
xcycle nailed it. All of the jensen reissues are fine speakers once broken in. The problem is do you play enough to break them in within a reasonable time period. I had P10r's in a kendrick amp that sounded harsh and tinny for about 6 months. I gigged every night with them and attended jams regularly, and they blossomed into incredible speakers with every bit of the mojo of the vintage ones. These speakers get a bad rap from some players, but slowly they are gaining acceptance as they get older and thus broken in.
Thanks guys --- so I need to break em in for a substantial period... damn! I was hoping the V30s would go that way but they've had plenty of time to settle in. The icepick tone is what I'm trying to avoid
Exactly! I have several C12N's and IMO, they are great. I actually prefer a speaker that takes longer to break in, I figure they will hold up better over the long haul. But then again, what some folks call ice picky, I call cutting through the mix well in a gig enviroment. Fresh ones at home/basement levels can be ear ringers, but they are damn durable. Trout
