Speaker recommendation for a tweedy thing?

knuckleberryfinn

I sold a bunch of amps recently, and realised all I had left was a Champ. Foolish. But at least it's an excuse to build another one.

I'm thinking it's going to be a 5D3/4 (able to take 6V6 or 6L6). So, rich and tweedy, and up to around 25 watts. I play mostly swing and bebop stuff (or I give it my best shot) but do occasionally still get filthy.

What speaker would the kind members of the FB recommend? 

jellybelly

Cannabis Rex for anything tweedy, IMO!

ESchap

I built a 5C5 a while back, pretty much the same circuit, but with octals in the preamp rather than 9 pins and 6L6's in the power amp.  I found a Celestion Gold was excellent.   The Weber 12A125-A was really nice,  a bit less powerful and probably a bit more old school, but at 25 watt rating, it's pushing the speaker a bit.   I tried a few ceramics and didn't like them, seem to bring out the upper mids and make the amp more "shouty" than it is with alnico. 

Lebarque

Standard response: Celestion Blue

knuckleberryfinn

Blue is only 15 watts, so unfortunately can't use one. And I've had a Cannabis Rex a while back and while it was good I didn't love it. Then again that was a blackface amp. Aren't they dark in a tweed?

The 5Cx amps caught my interest @ESchap but I was wary of the octal preamp and PI. What are the tone and feel differences as compared to ECC83/2/1 valves?

ESchap

I've got converter valve bases for mine, so instead of the octals I can run the 12AY's and AX. In fact I can run any combination of octal or 9pin with the three preamp valves.  Main difference to my ears is the amp breaks up a little earlier (probably the extra gain in the PI) with the 9 pins and is a little brighter overall, still very nice.  However, it looses the woodiness and richer harmonics of the octals which I love for Jazzing ... dig in and the amp growls more with the octals.  A 15" speaker seems to accentuate the difference in the valves.

RiftAmps

Octals just sound better, period.

I vote for WGS Blackhawk or G12A as great high-wattage Alnicos.

knuckleberryfinn

Hmmm, you've both got me thinking about a 5C build.  But these speaker recommendations are a bit much - they're all over £200!  What about an Eminence Legend 1258?  (He says, hoping to save £150.)

  

RiftAmps

The 1258 isn’t an Alnico, but that’s not the problem. They just sound a little lifeless in Tweed amps.

If you’re ever over my way, you’re welcome to pop in and try my octal tweed lineup 

jellybelly

RiftAmps said:

The 1258 isn’t an Alnico, but that’s not the problem. They just sound a little lifeless in Tweed amps.

If you’re ever over my way, you’re welcome to pop in and try my octal tweed lineup 

I genuinely think the Cannabis Rex has a bit of that Alnico attack (once broken in) and isn’t an expensive speaker!

i am really interested in octal amps, I know almost nothing about them...

knuckleberryfinn

Thanks @RiftAmps. I'd love to. Not sure when I'll be over your way, but I'll certainly remember the offer.

I've put up a wanted ad, so I'll leave it to fate.