Need Speaker Advice for Hiwatt!

[flank]

ok guys..... i have a Hiwatt DR103 Custom 100 and its a pretty full and bass heavy amp, VERY warm and very smooth.......however sometimes its not lively enough, or its almost dull sounding to me.....and i have a big feeling its because of the MArshall cab and the speakers im using with it..... the cab is a JCM900 1960 cab and the rating on the back says it has 280 watt power handling which means it has the dreaded Celestion 70s in it which alot of people dislike, and i suppose i do also...... they just are dull and not lively or chimey for my liking

now, i will also be retubing the amp, so that should bring some life to it...... but i want to get some new speakers for the marshall cab...... however i dont have the scratch to dish out for new celestions......so im thinkin of goin with Eminence speakers, ive seen many people here who love Eminence and htink they sound equally as impressive as celestions (althoough different obviously) and they cost alot less.....

basically i want some speakers that are efficient and give good presence and loudness to the sound.....so i can cut through with the band........ i DO NOT want speakers that put out alot of bass...... i need tight defined bass with perhaps textured mids and bright chimey highs.....

the overall vibe i want to change about this amp is that i want it brighter and more lively..... more of a vintage 60s sound.....

of the celestion line id probably go with a mix of Gh1230s and Vintage 30s...... the overall sound i want is kind of that clucky raunchy tone that Pete Townshend has..... so i need some efficient chimey bright speakers to give me a loud rough clean tone for big defined chords

anybody that has any knowledge on Eminence or could give me some guidance or suggestions please respond.....

 

[Thames]

Re: Need Speaker Advice for Hiwatt!

Hey dude! Nice amp those Hiwatt DR103 Custom... id really like to own one someday..


Tubes : NOS or current prod ? I 'd suggest the new GT-12AX7M in there. Hiwatts came fully loaded with Mullards during the 60-70's... very full of tone! As for the power tubes, some SED (winged C logo, formerly Svetlana) would be a great match. If you go NOS, Mullard all the way!

Speakers : these amps came stock with Fane Alnico speakers, rated near 100w. Very very fine speakers, but way too pricey. The Weber replica of the old Fanes is the Thames model. Its a very fine speaker, but sounds rather dark, and is designed to be pushed really hard. If you're looking for chime, I'd definitely load the cab with some Weber BlueDog (ceramic are cheaper and sound great!!). You could also mix BlueDog/SilverBell, but in a closedback 4x12, the Bluedogs will definitely smoke!! :cool2:

Oooh man.. I wont imagine the tone you're gonna get with this!!!! :saeek:

If you want some Webers, email me I'll give you a special discount if you order 2-4 speakers....

 

[flank]

Re: Need Speaker Advice for Hiwatt!

arent Webers fairly expensive compared to Eminence?...... i realize that you get what you pay for..... but alot of people here said they dig Eminence just as much as celestion or other companies of the same quality just as much (especially sinec celestions are being made in another country or somethin i remember reading?).....and they do cost less, which is important for me cause im tight on the money right now......

 

[PUCKBOY99]

Re: Need Speaker Advice for Hiwatt!

Hello Hiwatt Brother!!!

I hear the Weber Thames are based on the Fanes, but they sure ain't much cheaper! I was also looking at the Eminence line...the "Red Fang"s & "Private Jack"s sound interesting as do the "Texas Heat" & "Swamp Thang".

http://www.eminence-speaker.com/eminence/pages/products02/patriot/patriotredcoatmain.htm

Right now, I'm using a Marshall 1966A 2x12 with Mojo's version of the G12H30/V-30 combo. They sound pretty nice w/my Custom 50, but you get the feeling it could & should be better.

Lemme know what you do....I'd be interested in hearing!!!!



***EDIT***
As usual, I'm late in posting. Jeff Swanson over at www.swansoncabinets.com also recommended the Weber Blue Dog/Silver Bell combo. He also makes a super sweet looking repro Hiwatt cab!!!! :13:

 

[Stevo]

Re: Need Speaker Advice for Hiwatt!

I totally agree with Thames on the Blue Dogs. If you have lots of bass but want the amp to be more "lively", the Blue Dogs will definitely bring out the mids and give more life.
I also like celestion greenbacks a lot, for the mid presence.

 

[sanrafael]

Re: Need Speaker Advice for Hiwatt!

I am surprised how little attention speakers get here. They are just as important as the head! Eminence speakers are well built in my experience, which is somewhat limited, but I do have one of their smaller speakers in a practice amp. I don't know about these names, but you might want to look at the Red, White and Blues for tight bass and a good top end.

 

[Thames]

Re: Need Speaker Advice for Hiwatt!

Flank, if you wanna try the Eminences, go for the RedFang.... :cool2:

Puckboy, the Ceramic Thames 12 is only 80$, my price is 72$, and lower for a quad.... the fanes are 150-200$ and up...

Either way, BUY AMERICAN!

 

[bvc310]

Re: Need Speaker Advice for Hiwatt!

Hey if you like Greenbacks, be sure to check out the the eminence GB12s. I have a pair of em in my modded peavey classic, and love them to death. They sound better then greenbacks at half the price. They are rated at 50 watts too which may be a bonus in your case, and have a tighter top end and are less muddy when overdriven then the greenbacks. Be sure to check em out. Kevlar3000 probably has some clips. Hes the wone who steered me to them and he loves em too. Good luck,
BRian

 

[PUCKBOY99]

Re: Need Speaker Advice for Hiwatt!

Puckboy, the Ceramic Thames 12 is only 80$, my price is 72$, and lower for a quad.... the fanes are 150-200$ and up...

Either way, BUY AMERICAN!

REALLY???? How do they compare to the AlNiCo's? Those are $180.00, right?

 

[flank]

Re: Need Speaker Advice for Hiwatt!

anybody got any experience with Eminences version of the Vintage 30?

 

[flank]

Re: Need Speaker Advice for Hiwatt!

and where would be the best place for me to get good prices on these Eminence speakers? i know Avatar Speakers has been mentioned many times........ how much better prices do they offer?

 

[bvc310]

Re: Need Speaker Advice for Hiwatt!

Avatars price is much cheaper than anywhere else. The price is $48 a speaker plus shipping for the GB12s M12s an V12s. Ive tried the V12s once in a cab at a small luthier shop(cant remember the name or id tell you to check it out) about a year ago and thought they were great, but I do not have enough experience with them to give a good review. Kevlar3000 is your man for eminiences, hes owned tons, PM him. His clips are on the avatar site for V12s so hes had to have owned them.

 

[Thames]

Re: Need Speaker Advice for Hiwatt!

REALLY???? How do they compare to the AlNiCo's? Those are $180.00, right?

You can feel the difference only when the speakers are pushed hard, near their limits. The Alnico version will compress and become fatter. The Ceramic will stay punchier and clearer.

Flank, the Eminence V12 (Vintage 30) dont quite have the same characteristics of a real V30. It has more bass and is darker. However, the GB12 is another great piece, it has all the qualities/characteristics of a great british speaker, but not as woody-sounding as the Greenback is. Anyway, I think the greenback should only be used in a 4x12 closed-back (marshall) that's where they shine IMHO...

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: Need Speaker Advice for Hiwatt!

anybody got any experience with Eminences version of the Vintage 30?

Yes and I love them. I bought them from Kevlar (thanks for breaking those in bro) and they just rock for what I need. V12's are the model number. Nice tight bass, but not overly heavy, smooth mids and highs. I've even got a Celestion V30 that I've put in my cab with annother V12 and prefer the sound of the 2 V12's together.

I'm really sold on Eminence for the money you pay. I've also heard nothing but good things about Weber, I just can't comment because I haven't owned any.

 

[kevlar3000]

Re: Need Speaker Advice for Hiwatt!

Looks like I am the Eminence man lol... Thanks guys. The GB12s are spectacular Greenback clones. I am also now loving the Eminence 122 Alnico 35 watters. I have one Cab loaded with GBs and the other with the 122s. The 122 are warmer and fatter, blusier if you will. The GB are classic rock all the way. If you hit my link the 122 are used in Invasion From Planet K and the GB are on the rest of the tunes. You can hear the difference. Avatar is the place tp shop for these, Dave is one of the nicest you will meet, he ships quick and is the best price going. Very pleased with his biz. I should also add that the V12s were spectacular in my old 5150 and am glad found good use for them. In terms of price vs performance nothing touches the Eminence stuff. ( IMO)