12" speaker for a 1950s amp?

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_DK

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I'm looking for an 8 ohm speaker for my 50s amp. The one I have right now is a 10" alnico. I believe it's Jensen, but the label's not on it. The amp is 12 or 14 watts. All tube, of course.
My question is, what would be the best speaker? Should I use a bigger one (12") for recording? What about wattage? If I choose a 60 watt, would it sound different? :confused: I'm thinking that if the amp is 12-14w, and I get a 60w speaker, wouldn't it be pushing the amp harder and make it sound crunchier? :confused:
 
The wattage rating of the [edit] speaker has nothing to do with how hard the amp has to push it. Any sonic differences will be from the speaker, not how hard the amp is working.

That said, the 15-watt Celestion Blue 12" speaker is a tone monster and might be a good choice. (It's expensive, though, at ~ $250 USD.) A 12" speaker is going to give you a little punchier bottom and low-mid than a 10" speaker, generally speaking. An enclosed cab will make it even more so.
 
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Zaphod B said:
The wattage rating of the [edit] speaker has nothing to do with how hard the amp has to push it. Any sonic differences will be from the speaker, not how hard the amp is working.

That said, the 15-watt Celestion Blue 12" speaker is a tone monster and might be a good choice. (It's expensive, though, at ~ $250 USD.) A 12" speaker is going to give you a little punchier bottom and low-mid than a 10" speaker, generally speaking. An enclosed cab will make it even more so.


I thought lower wattage amps broke up easier with lower wattage speakers. Seemed to be the case with my epi jr. thru a single 12 vs. a 4x12.
 
jonnyc said:
I thought lower wattage amps broke up easier with lower wattage speakers. Seemed to be the case with my epi jr. thru a single 12 vs. a 4x12.
No, it's the impedance of the speaker that affects the amp, not its wattage rating.
 
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