JBL speakers not good for overdriven tones?

[_hi.fi]

Hi! I have to chance to get a JBL D120F for my '76 Fender Deluxe Reverb. I read that the JBL speakers are great for clean tone but not for overdriven tones. What's your opinion about that? I'm looking for a low gain (bluesy tone)...

 

[VigilAndy]

The D120s worked for Duane Allman's bluesy low gain. I love my E120s. I don't push them into speaker distortion but they work very well for preamp and power amp OD.

The D120s are very rare and the cones are old and fragile. Make sure you know what you're getting before you spend a lot of $ on them. If you have to get them reconed, they'll basically be turned into E120s, and the recone kits are hit and miss these days. IMO if you can get a good original D120, you'll have something pretty special.

 

[smolder]

Well... E120's are damn hard to push into breakup... you're ears may bleed first.

A D re-coned will become a K, not an E. E's are a big heavy ceramic magnet speaker. No factory kits available these days... but some of the re-covers are getting closer to matching the tone.

I love a good alnico (d or K) JBL with an overdrive. I do it all the time... like nearly every time I play.

 

[GuitarsFromMars]

Gigged for well over a decade with a TS-DR- and a D/K 120(whichever I had at the time). Great sounding speaker then, you might be better off with a K series, as it's still available.

E series tend to be brittle bright...YMMV

 

[_hi.fi]

Thanks for your answer! Another : do the JBL work well with overdrive pedals?

 

[GuitarsFromMars]

Thanks for your answer! Another : do the JBL work well with overdrive pedals?

In this case, I do believe it will. YMMV.

 

[smolder]

Thanks for your answer! Another : do the JBL work well with overdrive pedals?

Yes.

I don't like fuzz tones much with fenders, but that's not really what you asked.

 

[VigilAndy]

A D re-coned will become a K, not an E. E's are a big heavy ceramic magnet speaker.

My bad, Smolder. I probably learned that first reading your posts over on Rukind. Just botched it in translation!

 

[TimmyP]

A few of our 65 Twin RI have K120s in them. With the amp dimed, the JBLs sound much nicer than the stock Jensens. Can't compare them to anything else.

 

[bob-i]

The D120s worked for Duane Allman's bluesy low gain.

Dickie Betts used JBL but Duane did not.

 

[bob-i]

Thanks for your answer! Another : do the JBL work well with overdrive pedals?

I used JBLs in twins back in the 70s. They gave me unreal clean headroom and I used OD pedals. The JBLs (pronounced Jay-bull) didn't like it so much. I blew speakers often, mostly voice coil rub but occasionally the coil would short against the mag and go up in smoke. The 3" voice coils were unstable especially with OD tones which can approach a square wave.

 

[VigilAndy]

Dickie Betts used JBL but Duane did not.

I'd read that Duane used JBLs early with the ABB and then switched to Cerwin Vegas.

 

[SonicBoom]

I'd read that Duane used JBLs early with the ABB and then switched to Cerwin Vegas.

Correct. In fact, many other southern rock bands used them back then - Skynyrd, CDB, Marshall Tucker, etc.

 

[drbob1]

I've got a Pro Reverb with a pair of D120f (re-coned) and it sounds great with mid-hump overdrives like the TS808 or Klon. With the Cornish SS2 (which is a fuzz like overdrive maybe similar to the Bearfoot EGD) it sounds bright and buzzy.

 

[rayspang]

I bought a JBL 10" ( might have been a E110 if I remember) and put it my little SS Fender amp thinking I had the rig I'd always dreamed about. Back in the day, Fender/JBL was the bomb! Honestly, if I tried to overdrive it, things didn't go well if you know what I mean. I ended up replacing the speaker with the eminence that was designed for the amp originally. It sounded much better that way. This may not answer your question about the pedal but I'd guess you'd have the same result. By the way, I sold the speaker in a flash for what I paid for it. JMHO. So if you want to give it a try, I don't think you'll get hurt,

 

[SonicBoom]

I bought a JBL 10" ( might have been a E110 if I remember) and put it my little SS Fender amp thinking I had the rig I'd always dreamed about. Back in the day, Fender/JBL was the bomb! Honestly, if I tried to overdrive it, things didn't go well if you know what I mean. I ended up replacing the speaker with the eminence that was designed for the amp originally. It sounded much better that way. This may not answer your question about the pedal but I'd guess you'd have the same result. By the way, I sold the speaker in a flash for what I paid for it. JMHO. So if you want to give it a try, I don't think you'll get hurt,

Yep, JBL 10s were reputed to be pretty harsh. Just something about the 10s. I was thinking of buying some for my BFSR way back when but decided my CTS alnicos were just fine.

 

[ando]

the alnico JBL D120 in my princeton reverb sounds great clean or with a TS-808...the speaker when overdriven just sings...

 

[bob-i]

I'd read that Duane used JBLs early with the ABB and then switched to Cerwin Vegas.

None of the great tones Duane recorded were JBL. Remember he had a very short career and never really completely settled on gear. If Duane used JBLs it was for a very short time.

 

[Tone_Terrific]

I have used a JBL loaded Pro Rvb and it had some bite just where I like it. My pedals were fine but I don't use fuzz or anything that is buzzy.

 

[smolder]

None of the great tones Duane recorded were JBL. Remember he had a very short career and never really completely settled on gear. If Duane used JBLs it was for a very short time.

It is very well documented that Duane and Dickey used JBL's live in 70 and 71.