Off-the-shelf speakers for cheap combos - worth it? Phase Two...

[DIY Guy]

Hey everyone!

Loved the original topic thread. I did not know about the two basic camps of H-Fi speakers. Cheers!

I just thought a more current edition/deviation to this great subject might be warranted, as my 2007 Frontman-15 just recieved a new 1980's 10" Sony SS-C44.

Yes 10". Think "Champ 600". Which I never new existed until after. lol

This Frontman's new SS-C44 is "stiffer" than the previous 10" Sony SS-U230 and while it does sound a little brighter, it's mostly there because it seems to handle the Frontman's full 32W better.

This was kind of cool though, last week I finished building a super compact 410 cab, and put a little more energy into that SS-U230. After two coats of liquid electrical tape on the soft foam surround and an aluminum dust-cap made from Tuesday night's beer can, she's up to the task again. Better treble and more reasonable excursion!

So anyway, YES to home stereo speakers for guitar cabs, IF they're free...

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[blackcorvo]

Not exactly off-the-shelf, but my two main cabs use hi-fi speakers.

One is a 1x10 using a woofer off some generic cab, that the gym right in front of my house threw away many years ago, and I grabbed and got it fixed at a local speaker repair place:

The other is a 2x6 using speakers off an AIWA microsystem they threw away at work:

I also have a shoebox with a full-range 5-inch "ETM" branded "5EFR" model speaker, 25w 4R, that I bought to experiment with. Brazilian brand, seems to have vanished a couple years ago, but there's still speakers out there available to buy, and they're decently built.

[DIY Guy]

Great tones from both the cassette recorder and that headphone amp! As has been said, If it sounds good, it is good! I've no idea how bands like The Who could've tollerated standing in front of amplifiers that had to be loud enough for the venue, rather than the modern method of mic'ing little tone gods for further amplification into PA's in FRONT of the band. Of course Pete's mostly deaf now...
Yes I guess my cab's speakers are no longer "off-the-shelf". The more I learn the more I mess with things. Made beer can dust caps for the rest of them last night because it does sound better lol.

[DIY Guy]

I bequeath.

"Outside the Box" speaker sourcing is affordable fun, and even important but...

The Frontman 15G's Drive channel has now been modified, which led to the realization that none of my speakers make great "Reference Tone" material.

When any guitar rig with really odd equipment is extensively modified to compensate, swapping something different into the chain will likely render all prior mods obsolete. Lord help you if something has to be replaced...

With speakers being last in the chain and SO influential, they really do have the final say.

Sony home stereo speakers in both my 1x10 combo and 4x10 cab have required treble boosting and extreme EQ settings of everything with a knob just to get in the ballpark of pleasant....and now physical amp modification.

I'd been saving up to order caps, resistors, pots and such from Mouser.com but decided having one proper guitar speaker in the Frontman was actually more important (fun), so with fair deliberation I ordered the Eminence "Cannabis Rex 10" from NextGenGuitars.ca (Ottawa, Ontario)

wow. I'd no idea one speaker could sound so much more "complete" than a Sony loaded 410.

I am not worthy.

...and now the type of Tone Stack my Frontman might require to help the 410 along has suddenly dawned on me...lol

...but man is this amp heavy now!