Older Eminence speaker ?

[SnidelyWhiplash]

There's an older Eminence speaker for sale near me for a decent price. According to the code, it's circa 1986. Was just wondering the model & if it would suit a Fender amp???

Any help/ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

[corliss1]

That model number is listed as an Eminence bass speaker built for Peavey. Could sound alright for guitar, or maybe not.

 

[red57strat]

I contacted Eminence about a speaker that I ended up with in a cabinet that I bought. They got back to me pretty quickly with a good amount of detail.

 

[LostGonzo85]

I contacted Eminence about a speaker that I ended up with in a cabinet that I bought. They got back to me pretty quickly with a good amount of detail.

I'll second this recommendation. A while back I emailed them asking for a spec sheet on the OEM Fender "Special Design" 10". I received a prompt reply that included a scanned copy of the original spec sheet from 1995, so it wouldn't surprised me if they had specs on the speaker you're looking at.

 

[Wally]

Hmmm…Eminence has changed their mind about the amount of info they will release on EOM speakers. At one time not long ago, they would not give more info than handling capability and maybe what current speaker closely resembles the OEM specs.

 

[LostGonzo85]

Hmmm…Eminence has changed their mind about the amount of info they will release on EOM speakers. At one time not long ago, they would not give more info than handling capability and maybe what current speaker closely resembles the OEM specs.

Maybe they only released the specs on the V1030 to me because that model seems to be discontinued.

 

[Wally]

Maybe they only released the specs on the V1030 to me because that model seems to be discontinued.

Could be…

 

[schmee]

Hard to say. If it's a bass speaker it may be a bit warm on the top end. But some aren't also.
It looks a lot like the Emi speakers my Red Knob Twin had in it, which I loved. Dust cap, Ribs, about the same magnet size.

 

[W.L.Weller]

When I emailed Eminence about an 80s OEM speaker the (incredibly) prompt reply informed me that their database only goes back to 1989.

Test it out, unless the voice coil is open, you're not going to hurt anything. And none of us can listen and decide whether it's the right sound for you.

 

[LostGonzo85]

Hard to say. If it's a bass speaker it may be a bit warm on the top end. But some aren't also.
It looks a lot like the Emi speakers my Red Knob Twin had in it, which I loved. Dust cap, Ribs, about the same magnet size.

Yeah, nothing about the appearance indicates that it's particularly specialized for bass the way modern speakers are. Might be ok for guitar. Several years back, I needed a replacement speaker in a pinch to replace one that had developed a VC rub in a Deluxe Reverb, so I ran over to Music Go Round and snagged an Eminence-made, blue label 12" that probably came in a Fender solid state combo from the 80s for like $25. It was... serviceable. Got me through a few gigs. Kinda bland and flat, not too much sparkle, 75W power handling but not terribly efficient.

What's considered a decent price? The Emi Legend 12s and the Fender-badged gold/brown label "Special Design" 12s pop up frequently for around $50-65, so unless this one's really a steal, might be worth holding out.

 

[schmee]

Yeah, nothing about the appearance indicates that it's particularly specialized for bass the way modern speakers are. Might be ok for guitar. Several years back, I needed a replacement speaker in a pinch to replace one that had developed a VC rub in a Deluxe Reverb, so I ran over to Music Go Round and snagged an Eminence-made, blue label 12" that probably came in a Fender solid state combo from the 80s for like $25. It was... serviceable. Got me through a few gigs. Kinda bland and flat, not too much sparkle, 75W power handling but not terribly efficient.

What's considered a decent price? The Emi Legend 12s and the Fender-badged gold/brown label "Special Design" 12s pop up frequently for around $50-65, so unless this one's really a steal, might be worth holding out.

I think a good price is $50 for a similar guitar speaker, but today... maybe more. But OEM all black Emi's often go quite low. Even $35. Bass speakers seem to go low or not sell at all. And 12" doesn't seem a common Bass speaker size. It seems they often are 10" or 15" more commonly.

 

[LostGonzo85]

I think a good price is $50 for a similar guitar speaker, but today... maybe more. But OEM all black Emi's often go quite low. Even $35. Bass speakers seem to go low or not sell at all. And 12" doesn't seem a common Bass speaker size. It seems they often are 10" or 15" more commonly.

Right, that's what I've seen too. The OP didn't share the asking price. $35 - maybe worth it. Anything more, I'd skip it.

 

[SnidelyWhiplash]

I reached out to Eminence & they just got back to me. It was made for Peavey & it is for guitar. I was considering purchasing it just to try it, but I don't really need it. If I bought it & it didn't work out, it would probably be hard to move locally. Shipping a speaker nowadays is just too cost prohibitive.

The seller wants $30, btw...

 

[W.L.Weller]

Is it a 10" or 12" speaker? $30 for a working speaker when a current production Celestion Seventy 80 is $95 + shipping...

Then again, I have a shelf full of speakers I don't have places for, so I might not be the right person to listen to.

Speaking of the shelf, and shipping costs, many 10" speakers will fit nicely in a USPS Large Flat Rate box (12" x 12" x 6") which is $22.80 to any US destination. I've decreased the extra speaker count by 3 this year.

 

[SnidelyWhiplash]

It's 12", 8 ohm.

 

[Wally]

Did Eminence give you any idea as to what current Emi offering is similar? They usually will share info as to what current speaker is comparable. If it is something like a 1258, it would be worth $30..imho…Ommv.

 

[SnidelyWhiplash]

Wally,

The gentleman at Eminence just gave me the basic info that I've already provided. I think they are in the business of selling new speakers, not worrying too much about one that is almost 4 decades old. I feel lucky he responded at all...

 

[Wally]

Wally,

The gentleman at Eminence just gave me the basic info that I've already provided. I think they are in the business of selling new speakers, not worrying too much about one that is almost 4 decades old. I feel lucky he responded at all...

I fully understand the business that Eminence is in. I have bought speakers from them for 30 years, now….and was a dealer for quite a while. I suppose things have changed since Anthony Lucas went to his new job??? Anthony was good to deal with.
Perhaps I have a way of putting my questions forth so that I get more info? Hmmm… “I have just acquired this speaker…(example you gave him)..and am wanting to buy an Eminence with similar specs…efficiency, frequency response, etc. to pair with it. What would you suggest?”
that way,meh could maybe sell a new speaker. IF the Emi person got snide with me, he runs the risk of losing a long term customer.

 

[Bass Butcher]

Eminence is legally prohibited from giving full specs for OEM third party speakers, as that is tied to a contract. Not just Eminence, that is a business requirement in general. For speakers like these Tony would give a ballpark power handling based on V/C diameter.
It isn't a bass speaker, although they do the job for bass guitar fairly well. it is an off the shelf 75w rms Eminence Legend 1258 guitar speaker, as Wally correctly guessed. When Eminence got these '50 watt' speaker contracts they used their off the shelf 75w. This also applied to the Fender version that replaced the Jensen 50w. It will do the 'American sound' for guitar just fine or work as an FRFR and these are rock solid reliable. Definitely worth 30 if no cone damage, that is about the average price for them.
Peavey speaker list - 70777051 12820S SPEAKER STUDIO PRO 40/50/60 REPLACE WITH 0777104

 

[telemnemonics]

Yeah I have Emi speakers I love and Emi speakers I would not take home from the trash.
Appearance means zero, they make all sorts of totally different speakers that look identical.
I had a quad of mystery Emi's I think I got like $10 each for after a long wait.
I have a quad I paid $175 for new from the amp maker who stopped using them and had a pallet load, but I got to try them in a cab first.

IMO bass speakers totally suck for guitar and cannot be fixed with EQ.
YMMV