Importance Of Amp Speaker? - Deluxe Reverb

[afountas]

I don't know much about amp speakers, and because of this I never changed the speaker in my Deluxe Reverb Reissue (it has a Jensen C12 8ohm).   I am considering swapping it now but was curious about how important people think making this change is?

So, on a scale of 1-10 (10 = most noticeable): how noticeable will the change in tone be if I swap to a i.e. Weber Blue Dog.

Also, what is your opinion of the Web Bue Dog speaker?  Any suggestions on other speakers?  (also considering the Celestion Blue)  ... looking for a trey tone, and something good for lower volumes.

Thanks in advance.

[Jkendrick]

I immediately swapped out my stock speaker in my silverface for a Weber California and it was a huge difference. I recently swapped that for Steamboat Hemp 100 and it was another huge change. I'd say it's definitely very noticeable. I still liked the cleans of the Cali better but the OD tone could be harsh and the Hemp 100 is much better and still a nice compromise on the cleans.

[Heady Jam Fan]

Definitely possible to make a big change in that way. It really depends what speaker you start with and what speaker you switch to.

The Weber Blue Dog is good. Its not quite as loud as a Celestion, which is either good or bad depending on your needs. It also has a bit less bass. This is in part due to the fact the Ceramic version has a 40oz magnet (though some people say the 50w version has a 50oz magnet - I'm not sure). I prefer the bass response from ceramic-magnet speakers with a 50oz magnet. I'm not certain of the Alnico Blue Dog would also have the same difference in bass compared to Celestion. Its hard to speak on behalf of the Blue Dog because Weber has so many options. A low power handling paper cone Blue Dog is going to be bright (maybe too bright) and snappy, but add features like higher power handling, hemp cone, pre-rola or heavy dope, and the speaker could actually become very dark. Trey usually runs through speakers with far more power handling than he needs - I would suggest using at least the 50w version in case you turn the amp up (you want to keep the speaker from distorting).

Likewise, most people find the Celestion Blue works beautifully in a Deluxe Reverb despite the power-handling difference: the speaker is rated to handle 15w, but the amp is rated to put out 22w. While the speaker doesn't usually blow, it might be more prone to distort. So the Celestion Gold might actually be a better choice both in terms of power handling and adding a bit more warmth for a small 1x12.

There are a lot of other good 1x12 speakers. I'm not a huge Eminence fan, but their Red Fang is pretty good and a lot cheaper than other Alnico speakers (its clone of the Celestion Gold). I also really like V30's, but some people have trouble with the upper midrange especially in a smaller 1x12 cabinet. But its cheaper because its ceramic, which is punchier in the bass than Alnico, but less chime when played clean.

[Hoody]

I've had alnico blue dog, v30, cannibas Rex, and c gold in my 66 blackface dr.

I wouldn't use a v30.  I love v30's but not in that amp.  The blue dog is great, and so is the c gold.  I'd recommend a 40/50 watt blue dog. 

The Rex is good too as it darkens it up a bit.  But I'd say loses too much of the amps character, but it's a solid good option.