EVM-12L 200 Watt Classic Or 300 Watt Black Label - Worth It?

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soundchaser59

Reluctant Commander
I am ready to experiment with a guitar speaker that is a little more daring and in your face than the usual Eminence vs Celestion vs Weber vs Tone Tubby lines. Seeing as how the EVM-12L is so much easier to get than the JBL's are, I figured I would start asking people who have already used this particular EV speaker with Mesa or Marshall amps.

Is this an alnico type speaker? Or is it a neo? Or something else? Is there a marked difference (other than price) between the 200 watt Classic and the 300 watt Black Label "Zack Wylde" versions? What sound or tone differences/improvements might I hear in side by side with Weber Blue Dogs, Celestion Gold, V30, or even alnico Tone Tubbys?

I'm tempted to get one 16 ohm and try it with my Mesa (should be safe to test it in the 8 ohm jack), then if it really smokes the Webers and the Tone Tubbys, I would get another 16 ohm and put them both in a closed back ported 2x12. If not, I'd be tempted to just keep the one 16 ohm speaker in the 1x12 cab.

Is it worth it? Is it that much different or better? I will not be playing any real metal with it, but I dont think that should stop me from tone-questing after a great speaker that should be able to handle blues and rock and occassional OD/distortion as well as it handles whatever Mr. Wylde throws at it.

What say the people? For around $250 bucks it is an experiment I am willing to pursue if the speaker's rep is really that good......
 
i'm kinda interested in what the guitar players really think about this... not being one myself... i never understood why you dont see more guys do this... especially if you're interested in the amp distorting not the speaker break-up... for keyboard amps i've used lotsa different amps over the years most of them have had ev/jbl/altec drivers... and most of the guitarists i was working with loved them when i let them try it... in fact a couple of them were bought by them when i went to my next phase...
 
And what about these EV's on ebay that look super clean but they say it is from the 1980's, made by EV and labeled "OEM", etc...... as in original EVM-12L probably taken out of an amp like a Mesa.....

Are those worth looking at? I am not sure if something that old could have issues related to age? Or if something that old would still have an alnico magnet? I'm not sure when the ceramics came into popular use.

They are only about $50 bucks less than a new one. If you were looking for one of these speakers, would you stick with the new ones? Or would you jump on the OEM stuff (assuming it's mint or near mint, etc)??
 
I have 2 ev 12l's one in a mesa cab w/mesa head sounds great. I use the other as an extension cab so I can switcheroo. Tehy don't break up but they are puchy as hell (and heavy) lbs. They are "true" as far as gtr speaks go transducer than the speakers u mention. BTW I have a/b with blue dogs, eminence red fang, Jensen, black shadow, and that other celestion "mesa speaker" . THE ev is the cleanest and loudest (eficient) of all. I have even used one witha fender champ. If you want accurate reproductoin the ev or JBL is the way to go. my .02. excuse typos too much caffeine.

warning a 2x12 ;oaded with ev's is gonna be heavy, wear hernia belt.
 
if the old are only $50 les than the new... get the new... one advantage of a speaker like this is it is worthy of rebuilding if you should blow them... i know a guy that uses two spiders and treats the surrounds when he rebuilds them for guitarists... makes them way less effcient so they can spank them...
 
Got an original EVM-12L for $125 bucks mint. Cant wait! I'll put it in a 1x12 birch cab for testing!

Thanks for the help!
 
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