# speaker suggestions for a Trinity Tweed Deluxe build



## vadsy (Dec 2, 2010)

I recently built a Trinity 5E3 Tweed Deluxe and now I'm trying to figure out what the best speaker to put into it would be. I'v been reading about the Trinity suggested Tone Tubby but also am considering Jensen's and Weber's. I would like to know what kind, if any, experiences people here have had with various speakers in these, or this, amp(s).


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## LowWatt (Jun 27, 2007)

vadsy said:


> I recently built a Trinity 5E3 Tweed Deluxe and now I'm trying to figure out what the best speaker to put into it would be. I'v been reading about the Trinity suggested Tone Tubby but also am considering Jensen's and Weber's. I would like to know what kind, if any, experiences people here have had with various speakers in these, or this, amp(s).


Traditional would be from the Weber 12A125 line which is modeled after the old Jensen speakers Fender (and many US manufacturers used back in the day), but lots of people have tried different style speakers in Tweed Deluxes with great results. Neil Young has a Celestion Greenback in his I think (and 6L6 tubes), many boutique makers put in a Celestion Alnico Blue too. Tone Tubbies sound awesome in them and add to the creaminess. Lots of choice out there, and being such a low powered amp you can pop in almost any 12" 8ohm speaker you can find. What do you want it to soundlike?

FWIW I've used a Weber 12A125 in mine, but I want my amp a little thicker and with more grind so I think I'd like to try it with a 12A125A which has a little less headroom and isn't as bright.


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## Scottone (Feb 10, 2006)

I have a Tungsten Cortez (5E3 Clone) that I picked up on the emporium and I've been very impressed with the speaker in it (Weber made Tungsten T12Q). May be similar to the speaker mentioned by LowWatt.

You can buy these directly from Tungsten Amps and he will ship by USPS to cut down on charges at the border. I actually had to buy one from him since the one in the amp was damaged during shipping.


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## bcmatt (Aug 25, 2007)

I think you could use the characteristics of your cabinet to help you decide. If the cabinet lends itself already to being sort of bassy, you might want to avoid some speakers with a really strong low end. If the cabinet is rather thin sounding, maybe you want a speaker with a strong low end. Same with highs that you are noticing. Do you have any speakers already to try with it?

That being said, I tried mine with a Celestion Alnico Blue, and I can't imagine any better... but it's not like it is WAY different than some other speakers I tried at a fraction of the price.
Alnico seems ideal. This might be a nice one:
http://www.wgs4.com/content/BnB


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## vadsy (Dec 2, 2010)

LowWatt said:


> Traditional would be from the Weber 12A125 line which is modeled after the old Jensen speakers. What do you want it to sound like?


To ask and answer a question, even though Weber is in the running for me (I have to figure out the doping) why not just a new low wattage Alnico Jensen? As for the sound, I play a Tele 98% of the time and I'm just looking for bright twang and spank from the amp, I play a mix of bluesy rock to twangy country and up to just clean with delay and reverb all out. I like your suggestion of the Celestion Alnico Blue as well, I'm going to check it out.



Scottone said:


> I have a Tungsten Cortez (5E3 Clone) that I picked up on the emporium and I've been very impressed with the speaker in it (Weber made Tungsten T12Q). May be similar to the speaker mentioned by LowWatt.


Thanks, I'm going to read further into this one.



bcmatt said:


> I think you could use the characteristics of your cabinet to help you decide. If the cabinet lends itself already to being sort of bassy, you might want to avoid some speakers with a really strong low end. If the cabinet is rather thin sounding, maybe you want a speaker with a strong low end. Same with highs that you are noticing. Do you have any speakers already to try with it?
> 
> That being said, I tried mine with a Celestion Alnico Blue, and I can't imagine any better... but it's not like it is WAY different than some other speakers I tried at a fraction of the price.
> Alnico seems ideal. This might be a nice one:
> http://www.wgs4.com/content/BnB


I'm actually building two cabs right now, both same dimensions based on the Trinity prints, one out of plywood and one out of pine, so I'll have a chance to compare bass and highs, plus it never hurts having an extra cab around. Just to try it out I'll throw in a Cannabis Rex I have but I would really like to stick with an Alnico based speaker on this amp, I'm definitely going to check out the Celestion Alnico Blue.


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## WCGill (Mar 27, 2009)

Second the Weber 12A125A.


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## vadsy (Dec 2, 2010)

WCGill said:


> Second the Weber 12A125A.


So I'm getting a pretty clear idea on how the Weber's are popular with this amp, what do you have to say about the doping that they offer. What amount, if any, is a good way to go? Also, the 12A125 and the 12A125A, what's the main difference, thickness and bass response? If I'm already playing a Tele with single coils this might be a better idea? How does the 12A125-O (which is currently for sale on this forum) fit into the comparison between these speakers?


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## LowWatt (Jun 27, 2007)

vadsy said:


> why not just a new low wattage Alnico Jensen? As for the sound, I play a Tele 98% of the time and I'm just looking for bright twang and spank from the amp, I play a mix of bluesy rock to twangy country and up to just clean with delay and reverb all out. I like your suggestion of the Celestion Alnico Blue as well, I'm going to check it out.
> 
> I'm actually building two cabs right now, both same dimensions based on the Trinity prints, one out of plywood and one out of pine, so I'll have a chance to compare bass and highs, plus it never hurts having an extra cab around. Just to try it out I'll throw in a Cannabis Rex I have but I would really like to stick with an Alnico based speaker on this amp, I'm definitely going to check out the Celestion Alnico Blue.


Good choices all around. The reason most vote against the current made Jensen vintage style speakers is that the company that took over the Jensen name doesn't make their reissues with all the same parts as the original company. Weber's Jensen style speakers are much closer to vintage Jensens. Having said that, the Jensen branded stuff isn't bad, just usually very bright and taking a long time to break in. If you've got a Cannabis Rex, might as well try it, but it may be too rich and dark for your tastes in this circuit (or perfect for you if you like creamy distortion). The Alnico Blue will add some chime to the amp and while it won't turn it into a Vox, it'll take it just slightly in that direction. It's a really nice sound.



vadsy said:


> So I'm getting a pretty clear idea on how the Weber's are popular with this amp, what do you have to say about the doping that they offer. What amount, if any, is a good way to go? Also, the 12A125 and the 12A125A, what's the main difference, thickness and bass response? If I'm already playing a Tele with single coils this might be a better idea? How does the 12A125-O (which is currently for sale on this forum) fit into the comparison between these speakers?


Doping is very much a personal style question. The less you have, the more open and free the speaker sounds. The more you have, the more stable the speaker is without issues like cone cry. Personally, I'd say if you mainly go clean chords go with none. If you use a lot distortion and like to play leads above the 12th fret, get a medium amount. If you're like me and do a bit of everything, go with a light doping.

I bought the 12A125 because I was playing against a drummer in a 4 piece band with it originally. That speaker gave me just enough headroom to be loud and not totally distorted and kept my tone bright enough that I cut through. It was perfect for thos needs and it sounds awesome. Now that I just use the amp as my main home amp and for recording (it records beautifully), I think I'd prefer to get some speaker distortion mixed in with it's tube distortion and I'd like a thicker tone that doesn't need to worry about cutting through a full band, just sounding as good and as full as it can. I hope me working through my logic helps show you the difference, but basically 12A125 = more headroom, brighter. 12a125A = earlier breakup, fuller. 

As for the 12A125O on the forum, that's StevieMac's I believe. Ask him point blank about it and how it compares. He has more speaker experience than me and he's a total stand up guy. He's always been honest in all my dealings with him.


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## Furtz (Nov 27, 2010)

I've been really favouring Eminence speakers the last few years. Great bang for the buck. I think the Cannabis Rex is a good substitute for the Tone Tubby at a fraction of the cost.
You can get them here. http://www.loudspeakers.ca/


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## Guest (Dec 29, 2011)

WCGill said:


> Second the Weber 12A125A.


Another vote on the Weber. That's what I have in my Mission 5e3 and it sounds pretty glorious.


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## StevieMac (Mar 4, 2006)

LowWatt said:


> As for the 12A125O on the forum, that's StevieMac's I believe. Ask him point blank about it and how it compares. He has more speaker experience than me and he's a total stand up guy. He's always been honest in all my dealings with him.


Thanks *LowWatt*! Perhaps I can chime in briefly here...

First, I don't believe there's any "right" speaker for an amp. There may well be a "right" speaker for each particular owner however. That probably explains why speakers regularly get swapped when an amp simply changes hands. With that said, determining the best speaker for you will depend on what you're looking for from the Trinity. Others here have noted some of the sonic distinctions between the 12A125 and 12A125-A and both are excellent speakers in a 5E3 in their own right. In my opinion, the 12A125-O actually sounds closest to an original Jensen P12Q. There's a warmth to it that the others don't quite capture, though it breaks up relatively early as well, so that's also a consideration. I believe the Tungsten T12Q is spec'd similar to that one.

If you're looking for other characteristics however (e.g. headroom, apparent volume/efficiency, low end/midrange/high end improvements, etc), there may be better choices. Not sure I can comment much on that without knowing _exactly_ what you're after... 

Steve


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## vadsy (Dec 2, 2010)

LowWatt said:


> Good choices all around. The reason most vote against the current made Jensen vintage style speakers is that the company that took over the Jensen name doesn't make their reissues with all the same parts as the original company. Weber's Jensen style speakers are much closer to vintage Jensens. Having said that, the Jensen branded stuff isn't bad, just usually very bright and taking a long time to break in. If you've got a Cannabis Rex, might as well try it, but it may be too rich and dark for your tastes in this circuit (or perfect for you if you like creamy distortion). The Alnico Blue will add some chime to the amp and while it won't turn it into a Vox, it'll take it just slightly in that direction. It's a really nice sound.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


This is some fantastic input, very much what I was looking for in a lot of ways. I plan on using this amp without pedals and use the natural overdrive of the tubes and speaker to get a nice tone, I wanted to simplify in many ways when I decided to build this thing, not saying at all that I don't use pedals elsewhere. I like bright, I like natural breakup and I like full and so reading what you put up the better bet for me might very well be the 12A125A. Thank again for the break down. 





StevieMac said:


> Thanks *LowWatt*! Perhaps I can chime in briefly here...
> 
> First, I don't believe there's any "right" speaker for an amp. There may well be a "right" speaker for each particular owner however. That probably explains why speakers regularly get swapped when an amp simply changes hands. With that said, determining the best speaker for you will depend on what you're looking for from the Trinity. Others here have noted some of the sonic distinctions between the 12A125 and 12A125-A and both are excellent speakers in a 5E3 in their own right. In my opinion, the 12A125-O actually sounds closest to an original Jensen P12Q. There's a warmth to it that the others don't quite capture, though it breaks up relatively early as well, so that's also a consideration. I believe the Tungsten T12Q is spec'd similar to that one.
> 
> ...


I fully and completely agree with you on the "right" speaker talk, I know I've swapped things in different amps I own several times to find a tone I'm happy with. I was about to PM you regarding the sale you have as well just to pick your brain a bit about this stuff knowing you have a lot of experience with speakers and such. So when you go on to mention "other characteristics" in regards to the 12A125-O, are you saying some of these are lacking in comparison to the 125 and 125-A? Is it so similar to the vintage Jensen that newer speakers have been refined a bit more? Thanks for the input.


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## StevieMac (Mar 4, 2006)

Simply put, anything in the 12A125 series will work well with that amp and will generally sound like a P12Q, though each imparts it's own distinct "flavour". The series is mostly regarded for it's vintage likeness to that speaker however and, as such, isn't terribly efficient and can't provide the same apparent volume, headroom, or dynamic range that other speakers can...if that's what you're after. A Weber Cali (like the JBL D-120F it's based on) is much more efficient for instance but has a relatively flat frequency response (no real spikes) and thus doesn't "colour" an amp's inherent sound as much. In contraxt, many Emi speakers merely spike particular frequencies that make an amp appear "louder" to us but don't have as much overall dynamic range. 

Not sure if any of that helps...


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## vadsy (Dec 2, 2010)

StevieMac said:


> Simply put, anything in the 12A125 series will work well with that amp and will generally sound like a P12Q, though each imparts it's own distinct "flavour". The series is mostly regarded for it's vintage likeness to that speaker however and, as such, isn't terribly efficient and can't provide the same apparent volume, headroom, or dynamic range that other speakers can...if that's what you're after. A Weber Cali (like the JBL D-120F it's based on) is much more efficient for instance but has a relatively flat frequency response (no real spikes) and thus doesn't "colour" an amp's inherent sound as much. In contraxt, many Emi speakers merely spike particular frequencies that make an amp appear "louder" to us but don't have as much overall dynamic range.
> 
> Not sure if any of that helps...


It does, thank you.


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## washburned (Oct 13, 2006)

StevieMac said:


> Simply put, anything in the 12A125 series will work well with that amp and will generally sound like a P12Q, though each imparts it's own distinct "flavour". The series is mostly regarded for it's vintage likeness to that speaker however and, as such, isn't terribly efficient and can't provide the same apparent volume, headroom, or dynamic range that other speakers can...if that's what you're after. A Weber Cali (like the JBL D-120F it's based on) is much more efficient for instance but has a relatively flat frequency response (no real spikes) and thus doesn't "colour" an amp's inherent sound as much. In contraxt, many Emi speakers merely spike particular frequencies that make an amp appear "louder" to us but don't have as much overall dynamic range.
> 
> Not sure if any of that helps...


.....but those spikes and other artifacts are what gives a speaker its flavor. I remember running JBL and EV guitar speakers and the sterile sound is what drove alot of us to Celestion and other manufacturers.


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## StevieMac (Mar 4, 2006)

washburned said:


> .....but those spikes and other artifacts are what gives a speaker its flavor.


Yep, exactly. That's why it's great to play around with different speakers. I'm at a point now where I can pretty much choose the speaker I need to best complement a particular amps inherent characteristics. A LOT of time has been spent getting there however...


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## parkhead (Aug 14, 2009)

does jensen make speakers ? I thought they make Frisbees ...
the current Jensens sound best in a 35L rubbermaid trash can 



pat


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

parkhead said:


> does jensen make speakers ? I thought they make Frisbees ...
> the current Jensens sound best in a 35L rubbermaid trash can
> 
> pat


Yes they do... I am running an old C12N in my SF Deluxe.. that I really like. It's out of a Leslie 125 ..


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## brimc76 (Feb 14, 2008)

I tried a Weber 12A 125A in my Lil Dawg 5E3 but ended up changing it for a Weber 12A 150T with light doping as recommended by Andrei at Yellow Cab Amp, and I like it.


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## vadsy (Dec 2, 2010)

brimc76 said:


> I tried a Weber 12A 125A in my Lil Dawg 5E3 but ended up changing it for a Weber 12A 150T with light doping as recommended by Andrei at Yellow Cab Amp, and I like it.


After all of the input from folks here and reading around the web on the topic of 12A125 vs. 12A125A I was leaning towards the latter with some light doping. How did you find your 12A150T compare to it, or how different was it?


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## brimc76 (Feb 14, 2008)

The 12A150T has a bit larger magnet on it and has more ribbing than the 12A125A. It is suppose to be a smoother breakup than the 12A125A and for me it sounded just as advertised. I wanted a smoother breakup and to be able to turn the volume up a bit more before I got to that point. I can get a bit more volume before it breaks and the breakup is more what I wanted. I ended up using the 12A125A for my Trinity Tramp build and I love the set up.


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## vadsy (Dec 2, 2010)

Well, I'm a little torn as to what to get, everyone here has helped out huge with suggestions and descriptions and a fair amount of knowledge imparted, but in the end its going to be a decision that will have to be based on personal taste after hearing a speaker in the cab(s) I build with my guitar plugged in and cranked. It looks like I can't go wrong with any one of these Webers mentioned and I think the Celestion Blue might be worth a try, regardless of how I like anything I know I'll try more than one just to compare and hear the differences. I think I have to pick something up from the suggested list in this thread that I can get my hands on quick, start with that and move on to the next. Thank you one and all, Happy New Year!!!!


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## WCGill (Mar 27, 2009)

If you're leaning towards the Celestion Blue, a Weber Blue Dog might be just what you're looking for, nice-sounding speaker, as is the Silver Bell alnico also. Pricey, but cheaper than the Blue.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Could you use a *4 ohm* Weber 12" AlNiCo. I'd have to go look at the exact model I have available...but it 4 ohms for sure.

Cheers

Dave


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## vadsy (Dec 2, 2010)

WCGill said:


> If you're leaning towards the Celestion Blue, a Weber Blue Dog might be just what you're looking for, nice-sounding speaker, as is the Silver Bell alnico also. Pricey, but cheaper than the Blue.


Thanks again for the suggestions, I actually kept coming across these two as I was reading about everything else suggested to me, I'll keep an eye out for them but I do think it would be nice to also compare different manufactures as well as speaker characteristics. I'm thinking of starting with a Celestion Blue and a 12A125A but if something similar pops up at a good price I'll have to pull the trigger.



greco said:


> Could you use a *4 ohm* Weber 12" AlNiCo. I'd have to go look at the exact model I have available...but it 4 ohms for sure.
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Dave


Thanks for the offer Dave but I do need something in 8 ohms.


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