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Post subject: Amp wattage as it relates to speaker wattage?
Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 4:20 pm
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Wondering please how the wattage of a specific amp relates to the wattage of the speaker you would want to place in the amp? For example I have a Fender 68 Custom Deluxe Reverb Vintage Modified (from hereon called a 68CDR..) and it is a 22 W @ 8ohms amp. It comes out of the factory with a 70W Celestion V type. If I want to swap out this speaker what do I need to look at in terms of the speaker wattage and why? Thanks.


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Post subject: Re: Amp wattage as it relates to speaker wattage?
Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 4:26 pm
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The speaker has to be able to handle at least all of the output wattage of the amp, and typically some margin for error, say 1.5 times the amp wattage rating.

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Post subject: Re: Amp wattage as it relates to speaker wattage?
Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 5:03 pm
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WHat are the tonal implications of using a speaker that goes much beyond 1.5 time the outage of the amp? For example what if I attach an 80W speaker to a 22W amp?


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Post subject: Re: Amp wattage as it relates to speaker wattage?
Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 5:14 pm
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Wattage has zero affect on tone. Wattage relates to power. All else being equal, you could use a 1000 watt speaker with no difference in tone. I use an 80 watt speaker on my 15 watt BJr, sounds great (Celestion G12P80).

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Post subject: Re: Amp wattage as it relates to speaker wattage?
Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 5:21 pm
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I notice that I really have to get my amp loud (too loud) in order to get its 'best' tone. I wondered if the power rating of the speaker has anything to do with this?


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Post subject: Re: Amp wattage as it relates to speaker wattage?
Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 6:14 pm
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That might have more to do with the sensitivity of the speaker. A speaker with a sensitivity rating of 103 db will require less power to sound as loud as a speaker with a 97 db rating (generally speaking). There is also the cone (ribbed or smooth) that can play a role in the tone and speaker distortion.

Some people like to be able to push the speaker to get speaker breakup, i.e. using a speaker that is close to the same wattage as the amp. I am not a fan of speaker breakup.

Of course, as you increase the amp volume, the tubes' distortion comes into play as well. Many tube amps will sound their "best" when cranked. :D

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Post subject: Re: Amp wattage as it relates to speaker wattage?
Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 6:25 pm
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shimmilou wrote:
Wattage has zero affect on tone. Wattage relates to power. All else being equal, you could use a 1000 watt speaker with no difference in tone. I use an 80 watt speaker on my 15 watt BJr, sounds great (Celestion G12P80).


+1

I have a pair of 75-watt JBL's wired to my 12-watt Princeton Amp. It's as tasty as a Fender rig gets.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Amp wattage as it relates to speaker wattage?
Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 8:30 pm
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If I recall correctly, Weber informs that their 25 watt speaker will break up earlier than their 50 watt speaker, with speaker impedance and power being equal. I was thinking of a Weber 10 hemp cone as an extension speaker for my Mouse battery amp for better bottom and clarity than the stock 30 year old 8" speaker. The amp puts out 5.5 watts into two ohms. The 50 watt Weber speaker can only go down to 4 ohms. The 25 watt can be made in a two watt version. Very nice. Since this setup is primarily for bass, a nice clean bass, the 50 watt with heavy dope would be a good set up. However, with just 5.5 watts into two ohms, the 25 watt with heavy dope might work out just as well but the 50 watt idea hangs on the 4 ohm impedance. I may be making more of it than there is. :shock: A guitar player might opt for the 25 watt with light or no dope for some earlier break up. If I play guitar through mine I have an EH Soul Food overdrive to create a much nicer breakup than overdriven transistors of the power amp. :D

I love playing with speakers to create tonal nuances. 8)

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Post subject: Re: Amp wattage as it relates to speaker wattage?
Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 9:53 pm
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I'm looking at one of the following 3:

Celestion Gold (70W)
ASW: Elegante (80W)
Weber 12A150 (50W)

I know these are easily well over a hundred bucks more then some of the popular ceramic models but when I think of the many years I will be using it. I think the money is well spent. Question is: Which speaker to buy?


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Post subject: Re: Amp wattage as it relates to speaker wattage?
Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 9:58 pm
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You just brought up another tone variable, ceramic vs alnico. Each will have a different type of sound. :o

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Post subject: Re: Amp wattage as it relates to speaker wattage?
Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 10:01 pm
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Yes I know that from here on it is all subjective. Ive listened to them all and I like the Alnico sound more.


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Post subject: Re: Amp wattage as it relates to speaker wattage?
Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 10:34 pm
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Mowgli77 wrote:
I'm looking at one of the following 3:

Celestion Gold (70W)
ASW: Elegante (80W)
Weber 12A150 (50W)


What source cited the Celestion Gold as being a 70-watt speaker?

http://celestion.com/product/6/Celestion_Gold/

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Amp wattage as it relates to speaker wattage?
Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 10:40 pm
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I've put the Weber speaker 12A125A into several DRRI. No dope. 20 watts. In the DRRI, this speakers sound pretty close to the correct vintage alnico Jensen's. I wouldn't go to 50 watt 12A150. Breakup maybe little too late. FWIW.


https://taweber.powweb.com/weber/12a125a.htm


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Post subject: Re: Amp wattage as it relates to speaker wattage?
Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2014 6:22 am
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Retroverbial wrote:
Mowgli77 wrote:
I'm looking at one of the following 3:

Celestion Gold (70W)
ASW: Elegante (80W)
Weber 12A150 (50W)


What source cited the Celestion Gold as being a 70-watt speaker?

http://celestion.com/product/6/Celestion_Gold/

Arjay


Typo. Im aware of it being a 50W speaker.


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Post subject: Re: Amp wattage as it relates to speaker wattage?
Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2014 3:06 pm
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Arjay, what yr is your Princeton?-I have one GIVEN to me, I'm guessing a '61, or maybe 62/63--brown tolex, wheat grill cloth, 2 inputs, 4 knobs (volume, tone, speed, intensity, for vibrato), 12 watts, Oxford 1014 spkr, output tubes don't match, one is a Sylvania (orig tube?)-it's in terrific shape, cosmetically & seems to wk fine, I've seen newer Princetons (vintage Blackface) which were way more beat up gng for well over $1000 @ reputable guitar stores, hv always wondered about hvg a good amp tech giving it a tune-up, retube, rebias.....wd it be a good amp for fat lead tone & what wd be a good spkr replacement (10")? 'with an efficient spkr, wd it be a loud 12 watts?


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