speaker choices for a 5e3

I guess a jensen would going original but what are some others that you have put in you like better? And how about a 15 vs a 12?

There are sooo many speaker options out there, it depends what tone/volume/overdrive level you are shooting for.

I've tried in a 5E3 clone I had:

1. Jensen P12N - brighter than I expected, but it worked well with the tweed circuit. A little spitty in the treble registers at max volumes, even after a few weeks use.

2. Weber P12N - warmer and smoother than the Jensen, tho I did find it to cut less onstage unmiked with a band. The breakup was alot creamier.

3. Weber Alnico Chicago - quite the kicka** sound, cleaner, clearer and louder than the Weber P12N. Not as bright as the Jensen, but you could crank the amp's tone knob and it sounded great.

4. A friend had a Celestion Blue in his 5E3. Wow! Bright n clear, LOUD and a more aggressive upper-mid that the Webers/Jensens lacked. A very good sounding match for the 5E3, but the british "crang" wasn't my tonal choice.

5. I briefly ran my 5E3 thru a Weber P15N, but in a pretty crappy open back MDF cab, and it was uninspiring.

IMHO, 5E3s benefit from a slightly brighter speaker - In retrospect, Webers C12NQ hybrid (now called the 12F150T) would be excellent. I have one of these in my Tone King and it totally transformed the amp.

HTH!

Trevor

Is there actually a place in TN called Melvis?!?

Big Jimmy, I think you and I might have PM'ed before about this. My 5E3 with the EV 200-watt 15 is being delivered today. I am taking it for its first gig this Saturday night. I will let you know how it works out... let me just say this by way of advice: When the builder took this amp to a jam to test it out, every player that heard it wanted to know all about it, and he got three new orders from guys that night. That should tell you that the 5E3 with a 15, when built right, can really grab a player's ear. How much more will it grab the attention of a good crowd at a gig? Best of luck with your search, and remember, this builder's prices make Fender's plastic junk look even more overpriced than it already is.

when i first got my 5E3, i ran a Weber P12N (12A150), but found (as in the above post) it didn't cut enough, tho it was extremely creamy. swapped it out for a Weber P12NT (12A150-O) and, perfecto! more twang and chime, with no perceptible loss of bottom end. this model is apparently voiced for Teles. you can read about it in the Guitar Player speaker shootout that's all over the web.

Gospelpicker, at the moment mine will be a home use only. But in the future who knows. I am kind of leaning towards the 12. But am still undecided. Plz let me know how you like yours when and that may help. How much did that speaker run you?

I guess a jensen would going original but what are some others that you have put in you like better? And how about a 15 vs a 12?

A 15" would be interesting. I've got a Celestion Blue in my 5E3 and it sounds great, closest thing I've heard to the orig. P12R that was in it.