5e3 what Jensen speaker would you pick

[andyEvans692]

Hi all ..

Was looking at a speaker swap for the 5e3 (currently C12n ) , in the uk a shop has Jensen on a special so im swiping out my ceramic in my 5f1 to alnico , and thought that it might be worth doing the same with the 5e3 ... thought it would be a nice upgrade and a little more authentic ..

with the 8" there isn't much to pick from , so going from C8r to P8r ..

But with the 12" in the 5e3 there is more choice P12n , P12r , P12Q .. the p12n is still a fair bit more expensive than the other two , is it worth it , does it do that early tweed tone well ..

I know that the weber is a popular choice for the 5e3 but these are not stocked in the uk so plan was to stick with the Jensen

any thoughts would be great , thanks. ..

 

[Dacious]

If it must be Jensen P12Q.

 

[VintageSG]

If it's Hotrox, then typically, they drop the prices a month after I buy. Every. Smegging. Time, or so it seems

In the Jensen range, the MOD series are worth looking at. The 12-35, like its 10" brother, is an absolute joy in a band mix. A little bass light, but punchy as a retired journeyman middleweight boxer drinking punch from the bowl. Really nice at low volumes too.

I was an unashamed MOD fanboi, until one fateful day, I did a build with a 12" speaker. My Origin 5c, 10" combo amps and 10" cabs have Jensen MOD speakers, and I'll not be changing them out again. They suit my ears. Then came the Jet Falcon 50W 12"

I reasoned 'It's a Jensen, it's a model range up from the MOD, it can't be bad' It isn't in the least bit bad. I can use the cabinet as an extension cab or mackle a chassis into it. Whether it's being fed by a Champ-a-like, my Cub 10 or my Jet City JCA20H, it delivers. Zero flub, handles my unnatural love of fuzz and is about as harsh as a kitten sleeping on a velvet blankie. On the rare occasions I go 'metal'-ish, I can go full Fast Eddie and still have plaque on my very British teeth. Frankly, I can't get a bad sound from it unless I feed it so.

There's an Alnico variant, the 40W Blackbird P12 too. May be worth looking at.

Bit of a swerve.

 

[tshoe71]

I have a P12Q in mine and enjoy it. It matches the wattage needed for the amp and was used historically in other Fender 5E3’s.

 

[Trenchant63]

P12N!!

 

[68goldtop]

Hi Andy!

Hi all ..

Was looking at a speaker swap for the 5e3 ... with the 12" in the 5e3 there is more choice P12n , P12r , P12Q ...

Of the three, I personally like the P12Q best. It's what I have in my ´57 Deluxe RI and I see no reason to change it.
It sounds great clean or overdriven.
The P12N will be a lot louder/tighter - more akin´ to your C12N. Might be a good choice if you need more volume/punch for playing out. For home/studio-use, I'd go wit the P12Q.

cheers - 68.

 

[2L man]

P12Q sound great to me when I can't play loud often. Tornado 100, Blackbird 40, P12N and Blue sound very good when I can play loud but of those I would buy another BB40 because it sound sweeeeet.

 

[schmee]

P12Q is a good choice. P12N also for more bottom end and less breakup at higher volumes..

 

[Matt Sarad]

I have used a 12" MOD for a dozen years.

 

[Chicago Matt]

The P12Q Jensen is the period correct speaker but Jensens today aren't what they were in the 1950s. I really like Weber's take on that speaker, the 12A125A. With some research, you will find that it's an extremely popular choice for a 5e3, for good reason IMO. I've tried 5 other speakers in my 5e3 and the Weber 12A125A is the one that has stayed. If you decide to go this way, take advantage of Weber's free break-in service. The speaker smooths out beautifully when broken in.

https://www.tedweber.com/12a125-a/

 

[Bob Womack]

On my commissioned build I went with the Weber Vintage 12A125 12” AlNico speaker, 20 watts, lightly doped.

Bob

 

[Wally]

I know that the P12Q is listed in the “Dating Fender Amps” article as an OEM speaker in the vintage 5E3…as is the P12R. In me personal experience, I have never seen an OEM P12Q in a vintag3 5E3….in the ones I have owned or worked on. Maybe the Q was used in the late ‘50s. As for modern Jensen’s, I have heard them; but I don’t hear vintage tones there. The P12Q in particular has a muddled midrange.
The best speaker I have heard in a real 5E3 was a vintage P12P……which Fender never used. If I had an empty 5E3, I would want to hear the Alessandro GA-SC59. For a less expensive option…the Eminence GB-128 would work well.
If you were local, I have an ‘as new’ modern Jensen P12Q that could be had for little money. I don’t care for it at all…..nor did the owner of the amp in which it came…new from Fender. The label sells it, imho.

 

[SnidelyWhiplash]

The OP stated that he is in the UK. Weber isn't an option, unfortunately.

 

[68goldtop]

Hi!

... As for modern Jensen’s, I have heard them; but I don’t hear vintage tones there. The P12Q in particular has a muddled midrange...

I totally understand that not everybody likes the "modern" Jensens, but due to the severe lack of vintage Jensens (or Webers) on this side of the great pond I'm trying to make do with what I have

Here´s a recording I did with my ´57 Deluxe RI with the "new" P12Q - I didn't think it sounded THAT bad:

Tweed Deluxe Jam by Sounds like home

Tweed Deluxe Jam - Hi! This is a short jam recorded with my Fender 57 Deluxe and a Gibson Melody Maker. Only effects used were a reverb-unit up front and a Weber 'mini mass' to keep the neighbors happy ;-) #singersongwriter #indierock #FenderDeluxe

soundclick.com

cheers - 68.

 

[PI Mullard]

The P12Q Jensen is the period correct speaker.

The period correct speaker is the Jensen P12R.

The power rating of the original P12R was too low to survive extended periods of full blast overdrive. Remember that distortion was considered a deficiency, you were not supposed to hit the input too hard. (The circuit was designed for a low gain 12AY7 in v1, low output instruments and microphones were expected for clean Jazz tones.) Enter the 60s and the era of loud rock music; As pickups got hotter, guitar volume was set to full blast and v1 was substituted with a 12AX7 for the purpose of making the amp louder, what happened was that the amp was turned into a beast of distortion that eventually became the signature sound of heavy rock of the 70s.

When the original speaker blew (there aren't that many left) it was typically replaced with the slightly more powerful P12Q (even though those were also too weak according to modern standards). Hence the confusion that this speaker is supposed to be the original 5E3 speaker, a misconception that gets frequently repeated on guitar forums. The Fender Amp Field Guide is great, but it's not complete and facts are not always correct. (Having said that, nobody knows if there were amps that left the factory with a P12Q in the event the P12R was out of stock, still the spec was P12R.)

Today we understand that we ideally want speaker power handling to be twice the power of the tube amp to be on the safe side if we intend to crank the amp for maximum distortion. The contemporary Jensen reissues can safely be used in a 5E3 (the P12R reissue survives 25w).

The 5E3 distortion is famous, but medium output clean tones are wonderful too. If you want to explore its full capabilities, the Jensen P12N is the legendary king of cleans. The P12R is also a very nice jazz speaker. The popular P12Q is a good option for single coil overdrive.

 

[Kev-wilson]

I have a Jensen P10r in a cab I use with a Deluxe Micro and it sounds pretty sweet to my ears.

I couldn't find a Weber speaker over here as they appear to be like rocking horse droppings

 

[Chicago Matt]

The period correct speaker is the Jensen P12R.

The power rating of the original P12R was too low to survive extended periods of full blast overdrive. Remember that distortion was considered a deficiency, you were not supposed to hit the input too hard. (The circuit was designed for a low gain 12AY7 in v1, low output instruments and microphones were expected for clean Jazz tones.) Enter the 60s and the era of loud rock music; As pickups got hotter, guitar volume was set to full blast and v1 was substituted with a 12AX7 for the purpose of making the amp louder, what happened was that the amp was turned into a beast of distortion that eventually became the signature sound of heavy rock of the 70s.

When the original speaker blew (there aren't that many left) it was typically replaced with the slightly more powerful P12Q (even though those were also too weak according to modern standards). Hence the confusion that this speaker is supposed to be the original 5E3 speaker, a misconception that gets frequently repeated on guitar forums. The Fender Amp Field Guide is great, but it's not complete and facts are not always correct. (Having said that, nobody knows if there were amps that left the factory with a P12Q in the event the P12R was out of stock, still the spec was P12R.)

Today we understand that we ideally want speaker power handling to be twice the power of the tube amp to be on the safe side if we intend to crank the amp for maximum distortion. The contemporary Jensen reissues can safely be used in a 5E3 (the P12R reissue survives 25w).

The 5E3 distortion is famous, but medium output clean tones are wonderful too. If you want to explore its full capabilities, the Jensen P12N is the legendary king of cleans. The P12R is also a very nice jazz speaker. The popular P12Q is a good option for single coil overdrive.

Nice post! Thanks for the correction about the P12R. I should clarify that my Weber 12A125A is a 30 watt speaker, although it can be ordered in a 20W version. A stock 5e3 is rated at 12 watts. At least that's my understanding. I wouldn't want anyone to think that a12A125A would be in danger of blowing in a stock 5e3. Indeed Fender uses a Celestion Blue rated at 15 Watts in their "Edge" 5e3. And it is supplied with a 12AX7 in V1(not the 12AY7 the circuit was designed for). In any event, the great sounding Weber has survived the better part of 10 years of gigging band volume with no problems.

 

[JRapp]

Vintage P12P, P12N, or the Rola equivalent.

 

[Tom Hicks]

I have a Gibson GA6 (sorta a 5c3 clone) with a Jensen P12R, date code March 1958, that sounds good for blues and rock.

 

[NTC]

v1 was substituted with a 12AX7 for the purpose of making the amp louder, what happened was that the amp was turned into a beast of distortion that eventually became the signature sound of heavy rock of the 70s.

It is a beast of distortion with a 12AY7.

Sorry, I have no input for the OP.