Vintage Jensen p12p info needed

[Fender-guy]

I’m looking at buying a pair of vintage Jensen p12p speakers. I just wanted to know if they will work well in my 63 bandmaster 2x12 sealed cabinet? Google searches say these are 16 watts, 25 watts and somewhere in between. The bandmaster is 40 watts. The replacement speaker options for this is the c12n, c12q and p12n. I read that the 12p is similar to the 12n.

 

[Dacious]

Mmmmm, 40 watts into vintage P12s, probably running close the the wind. If you use moderate volume and not too much drive you're probably OK. I'd say check the cones carefully. They are able to be reconed and coiled.

 

[Wally]

I have found the P12P to be a great speaker in a 5E3 Deluxe type of amp. Imho, it is not applicable in that Bandmaster unless the amp is never turned up. I personally would find a higher capacity speaker for the amp and not risk those speakers in that amp. I hold those P12Ps to be more valuable than some very good modern speakers that would be better applications in your amp. Ommv....but There is a reason why amplifier manufacturers moved to higher capacity ceramic speakers when amplifier power output increased. Those Jensen’s were not up to the demands put upon them by the larger tweed amps, so they are not up to the demands that the larger amps of the ‘60’s could put upon them, either, ime.

 

[Fender-guy]

These need to be reconed and probably new voice coils anyway. Just sucks because they are just a step down from the recommended P12N so that’s why I figured they would work. I never push the amp anyway but just incase someone did, I wouldn’t want to blow these.

 

[Wally]

Fender Guy, I don’t know where that speaker chart comes from; but here is what I consider to be the definitive guide for OEM speakers in Fenders. fender did not use Alnico speakers in 1963 in any amp other than the 5F1 Champ, Ime. A 6G7/6G7A amp would have had ceramic Oxfords or ceramic Jensen’s in it. The AB763 would have had Oxford, Jensen or Utah ceramics. The last Bandmaster to have Alnico P10s in it would have been the 5E7, and the original ‘59 Bandmaster I had conforms to the info in this link.
http://www.ggjaguar.com/fendamp3.htm
That said, if you run the amp only for cleans at lower volumes, those P12Ps would be usable, imho....and if they are or need to be r3coned, their value is somewhat diluted anyway. Play and enjoy!

 

[Fender-guy]

Yeah I thought it was weird that they would list a alnico(p12n) as a replacement for the stock ceramic Oxford or Jensen speakers. I’ve never seen any bandmaster with this type of alnico speakers. Thanks guys, just wanted to confirm. I’ll keep searching for the proper c12n or the c12q

 

[slider313]

I've seen '63 and early '64 blackface Bandmaster cabs with a pair of alnico Oxford 12L6's and the rare AA/AB763 blackface 1x12 Vibrolux with the same speaker. These are similar to the P12P.

I had a pair of '61 P12P's reconed at Weber, about 10 years ago, with their 12A150W cone and 50 watt voice coils. They sound very good and would work well in a closed back Fender Bandmaster cab.

 

[SnidelyWhiplash]

I have a couple of reconed P12Ps. From what I understand, Fender never used them in an amp. They were oem for the Gretsch 6120 amp. I wouldn't use them for the application that the OP describes. That being said, they do sound great in a tweed style Fender. You have to be aware of cab depth, though. The magnets on these are huge.

 

[Vermoulian]

Wow, I have a P12P in an old Ampro cabinet, and I rarely see them talked about. Nice to see that other people have and like them. I love mine but I would be very afraid to push it very hard. If you have one that's already trashed, and you need to have it rebuilt anyway, that's one thing, but there are lots of newer speakers that sound good and can handle plenty of power, so I would not re-cone one or replace the coil on a speaker that was otherwise functional just to use it with a higher-powered amp. It's a historical artifact as it is. I applaud the OP's decision to look for the C12N or C12Q, which are by the way also fine sounding speakers.

There's a clip of me playing through the P12P in the "Teles and VOXES" thread.

 

[Fender-guy]

I have a 73 Traynor ygm-3 rated at 20 watts. I’ll put a p12p in that and for the bandmaster I found a match pair of mint 34th week of 1963 c12q’s. Those are in the mail now!

 

[Fender-guy]

 

[Wally]

Here is the only P12P I have at this time....16 ohm from a Bell&Howell unit. Dig the 1/4” jacks for the connections...and what about the frame???

 

[ScottTunes]

Here is the only P12P I have at this time....16 ohm from a Bell&Howell unit. Dig the 1/4” jacks for the connections...and what about the frame???




View attachment 717420

How about that 1/4" connector!!! Looks like Jensen numbers... Never seen a beast like this!

 

[Wally]

How about that 1/4" connector!!! Looks like Jensen numbers... Never seen a beast like this!

Not just “that 1/4” connector”….there are two of them.

 

[ScottTunes]

I have a 1958 Jensen P12P, which I believe was reconed... It doesn't sound quite right to me... It could possibly just need breaking in... It's in a '61 Vibrolux (with '63 cab) right now... I much prefer the Lil Tex that was in it previously. Great amp, not such a great speaker (the P12P, that is).

 

[Wally]

I have a 1958 Jensen P12P, which I believe was reconed... It doesn't sound quite right to me... It could possibly just need breaking in... It's in a '61 Vibrolux (with '63 cab) right now... I much prefer the Lil Tex that was in it previously. Great amp, not such a great speaker (the P12P, that is).

If it is a blue frame Jensen, I’ll give $45 and shipping….and you can tear the cone up before you ship it so I am not stealing it from you. I have the reconer To make it correct.

 

[ScottTunes]

If it is a blue frame Jensen, I’ll give $45 and shipping….and you can tear the cone up before you ship it so I am not stealing it from you. I have the reconer To make it correct.

Ha! I'm sometimes generous... But not that generous! ;-)

 

[ScottTunes]

Definitely looks good, though!

 

[ScottTunes]

Looking at it in these photos, it may be the original cone! I also forgot the S at the end of the model number - P12PS. S'posedly more like a P12N than P12P... Although I don't know the specs for any of them...

 

[Wally]

Yeah, Scott, I was having a bit of fun there…since you talked it down, right!?!?
I don’t think it is an original cone. I could be incorrect, but The non-original gasket would make one wonder. It is also very clean. A look at the spider might give a clue.
imho, the only things that make an old speaker especially valuable would be the connection to a particular vintage amp and/or the Sonic qualities that a player would desire, and the first of those two has More weight than the second. Since Fender never used a P12P or a P12PS, the value of those Fender tweeds does not drive the value of this speaker.