No one has mentioned the Electro-voice EVM12-L as an alternative. Same category, with massive magnet, huge powerhandling, and high efficiency. I have several, I took them out of my Twin, 'cause it was too dang heavy, but both my DR's sound great with them. Similar to the JBLs, without the icepick. Plus, you can throw anything at them, everything pinned to 10, with pedals at full blast, and they just don't seem to mind at all.
JBL 120F 12" Speaker.. Worth the hipe?
- Thread starter teleman78
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LostGonzo85
Tele-Afflicted
A few years ago I purchased a '71 SFDR w/JBL K120. At the time, I also had a bone-stock Deluxe Reverb Reissue.
The '71 sounded sooooooooo much better, and I was curious if it was the amp or the speaker that made the '71 sound so much better.
So, I swapped the two speakers. The DRRI with JBL speaker sounded just like the '71 SFDR with the JBL. The '71 SFDR with the DRRI speaker sounded just like the stock DRRI.
Conclusion - my JBL K120 is simply a GREAT sounding speaker! I put it back in my '71 SFDR and I still own that amp. It sounds awesome both clean and with my RAT.
I put the DRRI back to original and sold it.
One of the best-sounding amps I've ever heard was a SF Princeton (non-reverb) retrofitted with a JBL K120. It sounded unbelievable. Very clean, very multi-dimensional, but never harsh. Also incredibly loud. I also got to use a BF Deluxe Reverb with an original D120 at a show and thought it sounded great as well - again, not harsh at all, even when the amp was pushed. Probably not the best speaker for insane amounts of gain, but it sure cuts through a stage mix. I have older Weber Californias with aluminum dust covers in my Blackface Pro Reverb. Granted, there are obviously significant design differences between these and the JBLs, but they do seem to capture some of that magic.
BobbyZ
Doctor of Teleocity
Try a few JBLs if you can they might work for you or not. Sure some famous players used them but who cares! Famous players used all kinds of stuff including illegal things. So really did they always make the right choices?
Try things for you self if it sucks sell it. (gear not the illegal stuff stay away from that)
Try things for you self if it sucks sell it. (gear not the illegal stuff stay away from that)
Agree with BobbyZ.
My E120 sounds great in my Allen Encore 1x12. I like clean and bright.
I also like Jensens for this application.
My E120 sounds great in my Allen Encore 1x12. I like clean and bright.
I also like Jensens for this application.
mabley123
Friend of Leo's
I had 2 E120's reconed in Hemp at A Brown Soun several months back and love them. They also love pedals.
Im running them through 2 x 1 x 12 TS806 Ported cabinets From TRM. Mine are 100% 3/4in 13 ply Baltic Birch.
Theyre also 3pc modular backs so I can also run them, Ported, Semi Open, Open or Sealed. And then combine the 2 cabinets.
The E120 is 3db more efficient than an EV 12L.
I sent 2 perfectly good coned E120's for the recons.
If you don't have JBL's laying around its best to buy Blown 1's and send them to ABS.
You can find blown 1's for 50-80 dollars.
I use mine in a Metro GMP45 and a 69 Dual Showman.
I also have an Old Sound City Cabinet 4 x 12 with E120's. Talk about Heavy. 200+lbs.
The JBL's and EV's also work best in the Proper sized cabinet.
Cone is 200 + 40 Shipping.
An E130 is even more impressive. Cone is 240+ Shipping.
I like a combination of 1 x E130 With HC x 2 x 1 x 12 E120's With HC and 2 x 2 x 10 Fane AXA10 Alnicos. It is also the Perfect eveness db wise between speaker cabs.
1 E130 = 105db. 2 E120's = 105db and 2 x 2 x 10 Fane AXA10's = 104+db. So they are all evenly matched and no 1 overpowers the other.
But I mainly just run 2 x 1 x 12 E120's and use the Ported cabinets as designed.
Im running them through 2 x 1 x 12 TS806 Ported cabinets From TRM. Mine are 100% 3/4in 13 ply Baltic Birch.
Theyre also 3pc modular backs so I can also run them, Ported, Semi Open, Open or Sealed. And then combine the 2 cabinets.
The E120 is 3db more efficient than an EV 12L.
I sent 2 perfectly good coned E120's for the recons.
If you don't have JBL's laying around its best to buy Blown 1's and send them to ABS.
You can find blown 1's for 50-80 dollars.
I use mine in a Metro GMP45 and a 69 Dual Showman.
I also have an Old Sound City Cabinet 4 x 12 with E120's. Talk about Heavy. 200+lbs.
The JBL's and EV's also work best in the Proper sized cabinet.
Cone is 200 + 40 Shipping.
An E130 is even more impressive. Cone is 240+ Shipping.
I like a combination of 1 x E130 With HC x 2 x 1 x 12 E120's With HC and 2 x 2 x 10 Fane AXA10 Alnicos. It is also the Perfect eveness db wise between speaker cabs.
1 E130 = 105db. 2 E120's = 105db and 2 x 2 x 10 Fane AXA10's = 104+db. So they are all evenly matched and no 1 overpowers the other.
But I mainly just run 2 x 1 x 12 E120's and use the Ported cabinets as designed.
Crobbins
Friend of Leo's
My 1972 Twin. I like them.
J. Hayes
Friend of Leo's
That's why guitars and amps have tone controls in them....
I have a DRRI that's 7 or 8 years old but I have an old JBL on board that's probably closer to 45 or 50 years old and it sounds absolutely wonderful. The amp came alive when the JBL went into it, it became louder and cleaner and I now use it for probably 95 percent of my gigs. My pedal steel amp is a Randall Steelman 500 which has a 15" JBL in it. The speaker in the DRRI came from an old Standel amp. I have it's twin in a '82 Fender Stage lead 1-12 solid state amp.
Someone mentioned the EV speakers. I have a pair of 'em in my MusicMan HD-212 One Fifty and I'm thinking at some point that I might move the JBLs to the MusicMan and put the EV into the DRRI, if it'll fit. The magnets are very large in those babies.....JH in Va.
Another option for JBL type tone and lighter weight would be a Weber Neo 12. You can get it with or without the metal dust cap.
jipp
Friend of Leo's
quick question. did JBL make a 10" version of the D120, D130 with the dust caps and all?
chris.
chris.
Abu Twangy
Friend of Leo's
"quick question. did JBL make a 10" version of the D120, D130 with the dust caps and all? "
They did--the D-110
I remember seeing "It's a Beautiful Day" in concert 1971.
The guitarist had a SF Super Reverb with four D-110s. Killer loud even at 6. Made me want to throw away my SF Twin.
They did--the D-110
I remember seeing "It's a Beautiful Day" in concert 1971.
The guitarist had a SF Super Reverb with four D-110s. Killer loud even at 6. Made me want to throw away my SF Twin.
SheldonP
Tele-Holic
"quick question. did JBL make a 10" version of the D120, D130 with the dust caps and all? " They did--the D-110 I remember seeing "It's a Beautiful Day" in concert 1971. The guitarist had a SF Super Reverb with four D-110s. Killer loud even at 6. Made me want to throw away my SF Twin.
You beat me to it. I had a Super Six with D110s. Great sounding amp, but quite possibly the most impractical combo amp ever built.
Abu Twangy
Friend of Leo's
SheldonP
Tele-Holic
It was top heavy, awkward and moving it around was pretty much like lifting 2 twins at the same time. I did one gig with it and then it lived in my practice room for two years until I traded it off for Marshall 2203 head.
jipp
Friend of Leo's
thanks guys yeah i bet that would of been a beast to move. the cool factor off the chart. chris.
Wrong-Note Rod
Poster Extraordinaire
in answer to the original question -
No, no guitar products are EVER worth the hype anymore.
No, no guitar products are EVER worth the hype anymore.
Fret Wilkes
Friend of Leo's
I don't believe that the NEO-12s are available anymore. They are not listed on the site.
I had two and they did sound great except for the voice coil rub in mine. I returned them for ceramic Cali-12s.
strat a various
Friend of Leo's
I've used several JBL speaker for years. It is true that they are very wide range speakers, so the high end can be piercing. With certain kinds of distortion, the highs can become fizzy. What many armchair experts are forgetting is that this is really only an issue with an un-mic'd speaker. When you put your sm-57 in front of your speaker, it should be off-center, not dead center. It will get a little sound from the dust cover, but properly mic'd, mostly the the beaming highs from the center of the speaker will miss the mic. At concert volumes, a good sound man can get a beautiful tone from JBLs. Similarly, a talented recording engineer can easily find a sweet spot to mic a metal domed speaker in a studio.
For smaller venues, where the direct sound of the amp is heard through the mix, I like to aim the amp up at me. I hear it clearly and most of the highs smack me before filtering out to the audience. The farther you get from the amp, the less high frequencies are a concern. Bass tones travel further with less volume drop.
With aluminum capped JBLs, either you like them or you don't ... everyone's ears are different, as are their tastes.
For smaller venues, where the direct sound of the amp is heard through the mix, I like to aim the amp up at me. I hear it clearly and most of the highs smack me before filtering out to the audience. The farther you get from the amp, the less high frequencies are a concern. Bass tones travel further with less volume drop.
With aluminum capped JBLs, either you like them or you don't ... everyone's ears are different, as are their tastes.
jipp
Friend of Leo's
my chair has no arm rests. pout. heh. i do ubt ill ever need to mic a amp tho. but i think a eq pedal would do the same yeah?
chris.
chris.
chris m.
Doctor of Teleocity
I've always been intrigued by the JBL hype, but several things keep me from seeking one out, although it would be great if one fell into my lap:
1) the whole re-coning thing
2) the price (including the re-coning price)
3) the weight
I used to play hard rock and metal and there are certainly a lot of guys that like the super clean speaker as a platform for accepting a high gain signal, including me. And guys that want to play crystal clear with zero distortion obviously would gravitate towards a super clean speaker. Joe Bonamassa likes EVs, too, so there's a blues-rock guy with the same approach. I have had EVs in a couple of amps and really liked them-- for what I do I feel like I can never go wrong with an EV. But that doesn't mean I feel like I have to go out and buy them...I'm not super picky. As long as the speakers are not el cheapos I can usually get a very satisfactory sound out of them as long as everything else is good stuff. I also really love the CTS Alnicos that came in my vintage Super Reverb, they seem to be a perfect match for that amp. If I blow one of those I think I'll probably look into getting it re-coned.
In general, though, if I blow out a speaker and have to buy one, I usually tend to go for the more neutral speakers vs. the very colored speakers. For example, ceramic Celestions instead of alnico Celestions. It's nice that the ceramic ones are usually cheaper and louder, too. That said, I think there is a wide range of choices available by manufacturers such as Eminence that would satisfy all but the most picky players. There are so many other aspects to the signal chain to get right, although speakers are certainly one of the most important if not the most important things. I put a Red Fang alnico Eminence into my Musicmaster Bass amp because it was recommended by my amp guy. I really like how it sounds, but like I said, I guess I ain't all that picky. Switching speakers is an even more expensive hobby than switching pickups, I guess.
1) the whole re-coning thing
2) the price (including the re-coning price)
3) the weight
I used to play hard rock and metal and there are certainly a lot of guys that like the super clean speaker as a platform for accepting a high gain signal, including me. And guys that want to play crystal clear with zero distortion obviously would gravitate towards a super clean speaker. Joe Bonamassa likes EVs, too, so there's a blues-rock guy with the same approach. I have had EVs in a couple of amps and really liked them-- for what I do I feel like I can never go wrong with an EV. But that doesn't mean I feel like I have to go out and buy them...I'm not super picky. As long as the speakers are not el cheapos I can usually get a very satisfactory sound out of them as long as everything else is good stuff. I also really love the CTS Alnicos that came in my vintage Super Reverb, they seem to be a perfect match for that amp. If I blow one of those I think I'll probably look into getting it re-coned.
In general, though, if I blow out a speaker and have to buy one, I usually tend to go for the more neutral speakers vs. the very colored speakers. For example, ceramic Celestions instead of alnico Celestions. It's nice that the ceramic ones are usually cheaper and louder, too. That said, I think there is a wide range of choices available by manufacturers such as Eminence that would satisfy all but the most picky players. There are so many other aspects to the signal chain to get right, although speakers are certainly one of the most important if not the most important things. I put a Red Fang alnico Eminence into my Musicmaster Bass amp because it was recommended by my amp guy. I really like how it sounds, but like I said, I guess I ain't all that picky. Switching speakers is an even more expensive hobby than switching pickups, I guess.
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