New 5E3 Speaker on the way - did I do the right thing?

[freaksho]

I have a Mojo kit I built a few years ago and used the amp with a band for the first time this weekend. The speaker that came with the kit is a Jensen C12Q. Sounds pretty good at low volume but once you get cranking into band volumes and decent breakup it got messy on the bottom (with a newer Am Std Tele).

So after doing a little reading here I just bought a new Jensen C12N off ebay. Will this speaker tighten up some of the flub? I can't afford to spend a lot on this right now.

 

[GrungeMan]

I think you'll like the C12N, it will add more bottom.
The C12N will tighten it up some-what but, the 5E3 circuit has a flabby bottom-end when pushed anyways.

There are several mods you can do to tighten it up but, it would not be a 5E3 anymore.

My favorite 12" with a 5E3 is the Weber 12F150-W at 25watts.

Keep on Rockin!

Grungy

 

[Puckman]

Subscribed. Interested in this as I'm looking for the ideal speaker for my 5E3 style amp.
Currently using a Greeback, which sounds pretty good in its own right.

 

[Trout]

I think you will find the C12N a tad dark, unless that is what you are looking for.

Having run the C12N, the Original Neo, the Tornado Neo and the newer Electric Lightning, the C12N moved to the bottom of my list.

The Electric Lightning easily blows the C12N out of the water on overall depth, and top end chime. The mid growl is very well balanced and really speaks volumes for rock & roll tone.

You might also want to hold off and wait for upcoming reviews on the new 50W Falcon that is being released the end of the month. This is another ceramic, a bit lighter than the C12N and utilizes the latest cone enhancements Jensen has been working on.

 

[Dale]

I have tried several speakers with my 5e3's (down to one I like really well now) over the years. The weber recommended above is a favorite of many, many folks. The C12N is a good speaker in it but need a fair bit of time to soften up to me. I liked the C-Rex for my tastes the most. It is what I am running in mine now. The Blue Dog (if not a Blue or another Clone) is liked by a lot of people as well. The Neomag Blue Webser sells is supposed to be a cross between the Alnico and ceramic tones. The one you have is liked by many as well. It is hard to nail down the one you will like, and I suspect you will be the only one who can.

 

[KissTone]

I have a Weber 12A150 in mine now, and it sounds great.

I've also tried the Weber 12A125A (also sounds great!) as well as a Heritage G12H (okay) and a Scumback (okay).

I'd like to try a Celestion Blue since so many like them, but I'm not in a big hurry (well, not until I get around to selling the Scumback, that is).

 

[mbratch]

The re-issue Jensen C12N will give you better headroom than the C12Q. I personally, though, found the new C12N to be harsh, even after having been broken in for quite awhile. It was in my Deluxe Reverb previously and I had the same issue there.

For my 5E3, the Weber 12A150 or 12F150 gave me a really nice sound without the harshness. I actually settled on a 12A125A because I wanted that vintage sound but less headroom versus the 150.

I haven't tried some of the other speakers that Trout and others have suggested, so I can't speak for those.

I did have a Celestion Blue in my 5E3 for awhile. It's a great speaker, but I prefer the Weber for no particular reason other than it suits my taste better.

 

[GenoBluzGtr]

I have had a few different 5E3s over the years, and all things considered, my favorite speaker for this amp was a WGS Veteran 30. It's a clone of the Vintage 30, but with a couple of small tweaks to tame the highs and balance out the tone. It really made the 5E3 circuit more useable for me.

Celestion Blues are great speakers for these amps as well, but the price is a negative on those.

 

[SLBlues]

How do you have the amp set up? Which input are you using? Are you plugging straight in or? Maybe changing the setup a bit will help out with the flubbyness. Someone with more experience than me may offer some suggestions along these lines. Probably will not make a huge difference but it may be enough to help out.

 

[Redfish]

I tried many in mine but I too like the Weber 12F150 best.

 

[freaksho]

How do you have the amp set up? Which input are you using? Are you plugging straight in or? Maybe changing the setup a bit will help out with the flubbyness. Someone with more experience than me may offer some suggestions along these lines. Probably will not make a huge difference but it may be enough to help out.

i have a Lovepedal Eternity and a tuner out front. going into Bright input 1. both Tone knob and Volume set to half (about 5-6), with Normal channel Volume at 0. i haven't really experimented with other inputs. the Bright channel seems like right choice, but maybe something could be gained from going into the lower input? would that work the power section more than the preamp at similar volumes? could i even get to the same volume with the lower input? i don't know.

anyway, i was happy with the character of the C12Q. it was just that it fell apart too quickly so i'm hoping the extra headroom of C12N will be all the improvement i need. we'll see.

i admit i'm intrigued about the other speaker suggestions but i really can't justify more that the $50 i spent on the new C12N. the 5E3 is just my temporary portable practice rig until we find a new permanent rehearsal space.

thanks for all the input.

 

[otaypanky]

I think you will find the C12N a tad dark, unless that is what you are looking for.

Having run the C12N, the Original Neo, the Tornado Neo and the newer Electric Lightning, the C12N moved to the bottom of my list.

The Electric Lightning easily blows the C12N out of the water on overall depth, and top end chime. The mid growl is very well balanced and really speaks volumes for rock & roll tone.

You might also want to hold off and wait for upcoming reviews on the new 50W Falcon that is being released the end of the month. This is another ceramic, a bit lighter than the C12N and utilizes the latest cone enhancements Jensen has been working on.

Yup ~ what he said

 

[SLBlues]

i have a Lovepedal Eternity and a tuner out front. going into Bright input 1. both Tone knob and Volume set to half (about 5-6), with Normal channel Volume at 0. i haven't really experimented with other inputs. the Bright channel seems like right choice, but maybe something could be gained from going into the lower input? would that work the power section more than the preamp at similar volumes? could i even get to the same volume with the lower input? i don't know.

anyway, i was happy with the character of the C12Q. it was just that it fell apart too quickly so i'm hoping the extra headroom of C12N will be all the improvement i need. we'll see.

i admit i'm intrigued about the other speaker suggestions but i really can't justify more that the $50 i spent on the new C12N. the 5E3 is just my temporary portable practice rig until we find a new permanent rehearsal space.

thanks for all the input.

Try turning Vol 1 up higher to see if that will help at band volumes. Try going up in 1/4 increments until dimed. May or may not help, it's cheap and quick. I third what otaypanky and Trout have to offer. They have a lot of time with 5E3's. Are you using the Eternity as OD or mostly boost?

 

[freaksho]

Try turning Vol 1 up higher to see if that will help at band volumes. Try going up in 1/4 increments until dimed. May or may not help, it's cheap and quick. I third what otaypanky and Trout have to offer. They have a lot of time with 5E3's. Are you using the Eternity as OD or mostly boost?

i assume Vol 1 means the Normal channel? i have some noise issues with single coils as it is. iirc using both volume controls increased hum? but maybe not - it was a while ago since i tried this trick. anyway, thanks for the reminder.


and i don't understand how some find the Jensen ceramics harsh on the top end while others say dark.