Vintage Jenson code question??

[jmv]

I opened up the back of my bassman the other day to find 2 jensons... cool. So, i wanted to find out more about them, and, among the several different letters and codes, i found "C12NA C8220-3". I tried to do some research, and according to the Fender Amp Feildguide, the C12N was a normal speaker for blackface bassmans... i also figured out that it was one of the highest rated jensons, which is cool, so i don't just shred them after cranking it for a while.... but does anyone know what the "A" after the regular C12N means?? I was told that these were rare speakers, but it doesn't seem that way... unless that A means something. Does anyone know anything, or can point me to anything, that could help me figure this out??

Thanks!!

 

[Lewguitar]

C12NA's are the standard 12" speakers for mid 60's blackface Bassman, Twin Reverb and Pro Reverb amps. I have a few of them...they were my favorite Jensen 12" speaker for a long time. Still are I guess. Don't know what the "A" designation means but I do know that every one I have is a C12NA. It's probably just a designation to denote that it's for a guitar or bass amp and not for some other use. The "N" series was the top of the line for Jensen: biggest magnet and voice coil and highest efficiency and most power handling. When Fender changed to Utahs I thought the amps sounded awful...plus the Utahs usually blew pretty quickly. I read somewhere that the 60's C12NA was Clapton's favorite speaker for a few years too. These days, I prefer Celestions, but take good care of that C12NA...you could probably get well over $100 for it on Ebay if the cone is original. Lew

 

[jmv]

Cool, thanks for the info, Lew... however, i don't plan on selling these babies....

 

[jeremy]

well the 220 code is for jensen but usually ive seen 6 number codes like 220510 which would be a jensen made in 55 (possibly 65, its only a one digit date) in the 10th week, so
220= jensen
5= year
10= week

 

[jmv]

oh, thats cool.... so mine were made in the 11th week of '66, if the code is 220611, correct??


And i have another question... if i wanted to take these jensons out, and kinda 'save' them, so i don't eventually blow them out, could i get a new speaker that has the same sound?? I seem to remember hearing that the reissue jensons weren't too hot, so would there be another option??

 

[jeremy]

webers baby. ted a cool guy too, lots of people on here have gotten stuff from him

 

[jmv]

Alright!! Thanks a bunch Jeremy and Lew!!

 

[jeremy]

no problem. im still thinking about getting a 12a150 from ted for my jcm