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Hi guys ,
I'm just about to start building a DELUXE 5E3 for my TELE ,and can't decide what speaker I should be getting . Is there a big difference between the Jensen vintage Alnico ( say P12Q/R ) and Ceramic ( C12Q/R) other than the price and that 1 dB on the Alnico ?
Thanx in advance
SUSO

hey there
i have very limited expertise, especially with the exact speaker models you list, BUT, but i couldn't help but chime in on this one: recently i have been "speaker rolling" with some '50s and '60s 12" jensens.....although i hate to contribute to the hype, in my personal A/B speaker experiments( 2 different jensen p12ts, and 1 unknown 12" alnico motorola branded speaker, versus a '60s jensen c12r), i have to admit that the alnicos have a much more pleasant, round sound with my small all-tube guitar amps(orange tiny terror, epiphone VJ)....the ceramic speaker i have, which is pristine cosmetically, just seems way too good at producing ultra high frequencies....it has bass, and mid, but the highs are just obnoxious and piercing; again, just my hack opinion. i do have an early '60s ceramic jensen 15" that i am pretty happy with...
maybe its the cone paper, or spider design, or voice coil, or deeper profile, rather than the magnet, but i could definitely hear the difference in side-by-side comparisons.
i should also declare that i play stratocasters, and use no effects aside from reverb- so the tones i am looking for, clean to mild breakup, are not cool with my ceramic jensen. the high end boost with a C12 may just be the ticket with a humbucking guitar pickup(but i doubt it).
and of course, IF you are processing your guitar sound heavily, then this treble issue may not be a big concern
cheers
also the C12R has a slightly deeper profile than the comparable alnicos. maybe that cone profile contributes in some way also.

I'm just about to start building a DELUXE 5E3 for my TELE ,and can't decide what speaker I should be getting . Is there a big difference between the Jensen vintage Alnico ( say P12Q/R ) and Ceramic ( C12Q/R) other than the price and that 1 dB on the Alnico ?
Thanx in advance

The most obvious difference is going to be tighter, punchier bass from the ceramic magnet.

The magic of the AlNiCo is how it compresses when pushed hard. But the modern Jensens aren't real clones of the vintage ones and have higher wattage handling, so pushing one hard enough to compress with a 5E3 may be hard.

The Q is generally considered more ideal over the R for a 5E3. The 5E3 is a inherently dark sounding amp and the Q is a brighter speaker that (vintage-wise) had a much fuller tone.

There are other options. People love the sound of the Vox-style AlNiCo's in the 5E3. The Vox was the first speaker ever specifically voiced for guitar and compliments the the tonal curve of the 5E3 well. You do give up some of the that "cheap," lo-fi tone and grit of a Jensen speaker. The currently Celestion Blue reissue has also be designed a little more for modern tastes...louder and brighter than originals and really helps give some volume and brightness to the 5E3.

If you were in the States, I would say to take a look over at WeberVST. Weber was the first to put out clones of the vintage Jensens (the 12A125-A would be the closest thing to a vintage P12Q) and tries harder to be truer to the originals than the modern Jensen reissue. He also make hybrids...want the brightness of a Q cone and the big bottom end of a P12N...that's the 12A150-T...need a smooth coned P12Q for a more raw, explosive lo-fi blues tone...12A125-O. he also makes a Celestion Blue style speaker...Blue Dog. Tons of variations. Normally, I wouldn't recommend weber to a European poster, but with the dollar so low, it could be an option.

Picking between the Jensens, I would go P12Q. But the Celestion Blue, Weber 12A125-A or Weber Blue Dog are all speakers I would also buy.

Hi,

You could try Weber Signature series speakers. Great bang for the buck.

https://taweber.powweb.com/weber/

If you know what tone you want (clean, rock, blues....), that can help us.

Cheers!

I got the Weber signature, but may haved made a mistake by getting the ceramic. I'll let you know how it is after I get this finished. (Actually re-finished...I had this amp prototyped two weeks ago, and decided to put it in a different combo cabinet).

Thanks guys for the feedback , I'd love to go for something like a Celestion blue or a Weber Bluedog, but I'm kinda tight on my budget . I'll be going to the US in June ( my wife is from KC,MO ...family holidays ) , and since the US$ is so low , i would love to get one of those Tone Tubby's ; I've heard nothing but good stuff about 'em . Any opinions ?
Cheers .
SUSO

again, if you don't need power(less than 20 watts), go with a "vintage" speaker; ebay is full of old Rolas/Jensens/Zeniths etcetera that are perfect for 5-15 watt guitar amps, and they cost ten bucks versus 250.

I paid 35 dollars US for the Weber Signature ceramic.
As of now, I'm really happy with it, and it's not even broken
in.
It depends on what sort of tone you're looking for.
I would describe it as ZZ Top "Tush"!

hmm, i just took a gander at the Weber site. their prices do indeed seem pretty reasonable! maybe i'll purchase one, after i blow up one of my underpowered vintage jensens.
but cobalt is going up, must buy now!