User Comments
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and critiques of our products. With permission, we have also listed the
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AlNiCo Plus Blue Dog-- 12", 1-3/4" VC, 30 Watts, Ribbed Cone, AlNiCo 'Plus'
8A100-- 8", 1" VC, 15 Watts, Straight Cone, AlNiCo
8F100-- 8", 1" VC, 15 Watts, Straight Cone, Ceramic
8A125-- 8", 1 1/4" VC, 20 Watts, Ribbed Cone, AlNiCo
8F125-- 8", 1 1/4" VC, 20 Watts, Ribbed Cone, Ceramic
AlNiCo Sig 8-- 8", 1" VC, 15 Watts, Straight Cone, AlNiCo
AlNiCo Sig 8S-- 8", 1" VC, 15 Watts, Ribbed Cone, AlNiCo
Ceramic Sig 8-- 8", 1" VC, 15 Watts, Straight Cone, Ceramic
Ceramic Sig 8S-- 8", 1" VC, 15 Watts, Ribbed Cone, Ceramic
AlNiCo Sig 10-- 10", 1" VC, 15 Watts, Straight Cone, AlNiCo
AlNiCo Sig 10S-- 10", 1" VC, 15 Watts, Ribbed Cone, AlNiCo
Ceramic Sig 10-- 10", 1" VC, 15 Watts, Straight Cone, Ceramic
Ceramic Sig 10S-- 10", 1" VC, 15 Watts, Straight Cone, Ceramic
10A100-- 10", 1" VC, 15 Watts, Straight Cone, AlNiCo
10A100T-- 10", 1" VC, 15 Watts, Ribbed Cone, AlNiCo
10F100-- 10", 1" VC, 15 Watts, Straight Cone, Ceramic
10A125-- 10", 1 1/4" VC, 20 Watts, Ribbed Cone, AlNiCo
10A125O-- 10", 1 1/4" VC, 20 Watts, Smooth Cone, AlNiCo
10F125-- 10", 1 1/4" VC, 20 Watts, Ribbed Cone, Ceramic
10A150-- 10", 1-1/2" VC, 25 Watts, Ribbed Cone, AlNiCo
10A150T-- 10", 1-1/2" VC, 25 Watts, Ribbed Cone, AlNiCo
10F150-- 10", 1-1/2" VC, 25 Watts, Ribbed Cone, Ceramic
10F150T-- 10", 1-1/2" VC, 25 Watts, 'Q' cone, Ceramic
AlNiCo Blue Pup-- 10", 1 1/4" VC, 20 Watts, Ribbed Cone, AlNiCo
Ceramic Blue Pup-- 10", 1 1/4" VC, 20 Watts, Ribbed Cone, Ceramic
AlniCo Silver Ten-- 10", 1 1/4" VC, 20 Watts, Ribbed Cone, AlNiCo
Ceramic Silver Ten-- 10", 1 1/4" VC, 20 Watts, Ribbed Cone, Ceramic
12A100-- 12", 1" VC, 15 Watts, Straight Cone, AlNiCo
12F100-- 12", 1" VC, 15 Watts, Straight Cone, Ceramic
12A125-- 12", 1 1/4" VC, 20 Watts, Ribbed Cone, AlNiCo
12A125O-- 12", 1 1/4" VC, 20 Watts, Smooth Cone, AlNiCo
12F125-- 12", 1 1/4" VC, 20 Watts, Ribbed Cone, Ceramic
12A150-- 12", 1-1/2" VC, 25 Watts, Ribbed Cone, AlNiCo
12A150T-- 12", 1-1/2" VC, 25 Watts, Ribbed 'Q' Cone, AlNiCo
12A150W-- 12", 1-1/2" VC, 25 Watts, Ribbed Cone, AlNiCo
12F150-- 12", 1-1/2" VC, 25 Watts, Ribbed Cone, Ceramic.
12F150W-- 12", 1-1/2" VC, 25 Watts, Ribbed Cone, Ceramic.
AlNiCo Blue Dog (30 watt)-- 12", 1-3/4" VC, 30 Watts, Ribbed Cone, AlNiCo
AlNiCo Blue Dog (15 watt)-- 12", 1-3/4" VC, 15 Watts, Ribbed Cone, AlNiCo
Ceramic Blue Dog-- 12", 1-3/4" VC, 30 Watts, Ribbed Cone, Ceramic.
AlNiCo Silver Bell-- 12", 1-3/4" VC, 30 Watts, Ribbed Cone, AlNiCo
Ceramic Silver Bell-- 12", 1-3/4" VC, 30 Watts, Ribbed Cone, Ceramic.
15A150-- 15", 1-1/2" VC, 30 Watts, Ribbed Cone, AlNiCo
15F150-- 15", 1-1/2" VC, 30 Watts, Ribbed Cone, Ceramic.
Ceramic California 10-- 10", 2" VC, 60oz Ceramic, 80 Watts
AlNiCo California 12-- 12", 2" VC, 40oz AlNiCo, 60 Watts
Ceramic California 12-- 12", 2" VC, 60oz Ceramic, 80 Watts
Ceramic California 15-- 15", 2" VC, 60oz Ceramic, 80 Watts
Ceramic Chicago 10-- 10", 2" VC, 60oz Ceramic, 80 Watts
AlNiCo Chicago 12-- 12", 2" VC, 40oz AlNiCo, 60 Watts
Ceramic Chicago 12-- 12", 2" VC, 60oz Ceramic, 80 Watts
Ceramic Chicago 15-- 15", 2" VC, 60oz Ceramic, 80 Watts
Ceramic Texas 10-- 10", 2" VC, 60oz Ceramic, 80 Watts
Ceramic Texas 12-- 12", 2" VC, 60oz Ceramic, 80 Watts
Ceramic Thames 10-- 10", 2" VC, 60oz Ceramic, 80 Watts
AlNiCo Thames 12-- 12", 2" VC, 40oz AlNiCo, 60 Watts
Ceramic Thames 12-- 12", 2" VC, 60oz Ceramic, 80 Watts
15A200-- 15", 2" VC, Bass Woofer, AlNiCo.
15F200-- 15", 2" VC, Bass Woofer, Ceramic.
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10F150
Richard Tompkins
Amp: 1965 Epihone Galaxie 17 watt all tube
Guitar: Les Paul Standard & Fender American Tele. LP has Seymour Duncan Seth Lovers. American Tele has Fender Texas Specials
Effects: Fulltone FD2, Chandler Digital Echo(an old one)
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz, Country
Comments: First off, this amp is only used for small 100 person clubs
and recording.It has no tone controls(good thing!)the guitar,amp
and speaker is what controls the tone. This speaker replaced the
old CTS that was in it and there is no comparison!! No Bull!!
What used to be a so..so. little tube amp is now a poor man's
blackface deluxe, the speaker is that good ... very touch
sensitive and smooth....but with the 6AQ5 power tubes in this amp
it can be very chimey at the same time with either guitar...odd?
it did neither of these things before I changed the speaker and
I had done nothing else to the amp....and I have to confess to
being a relentless amp fiddler and trader and buyer and etc. etc.
Plus I've been doing this since 1959(what an old fool I am !!)
Suterlin Musical
Amp: Fender Vibratone / Leslie 16
uitar: N/A
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: (4 Ohm model) This is the best I have ever heard a 10" Leslie 16 sound. First off, most of the time the
speakers have been replaced with an 8 ohm speaker which is not the spec. 4 ohm is the factory
spec. I have seen the original 10 replaced with a 12 to get "more" sound, but with this direct
bolt in, there is no need for cutting or destoying the original baffle. The sound projection
and tone are quite impressive. As a retired Fender tech, I highly recommend this set-up.
Thank you Mr. Weber !
Doug Miers
Amp: Fender Vibrolux reworked by Dan Torres
Guitar: Late 50's Telecaster, Gibson ES-335 w/pups hand wound by Tom Holmes
Effects: Teese Wah, Clone-clone chorus
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz
Comments: The Weber speakers replaced the Naylor speakers that I had been
using. To me, the best way to describe the 10F150s to tell you that
they remind me of a good gospel choir. Balanced but very present
mids and highs with alot of chest. I hear alot of tonal colors
that I never heard with the Naylors. The speakers have a nicely
detailed mid range and the highs are never brittle. These speakers
respond to the differences between the 2 guitars I use most often,
but "stay within themselves" which means I don't have to change
settings on the amp when I switch guitars. I hear the difference
in the woods and I can change the response by changing my touch
-much more than before. The guitars now have their own voices
without losing the voice of the amp, something the Naylors didn't
allow. I'm very pleased and would buy them again without
hesitation.
Eric
Amp: SF Super Reverb, BF'ed, new filters, MV removed by Uncle Spot.
Guitar: Fenders. Tele w/HD Super 90, wired Esquire-style, Stock '84 Squire Strat
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Rock, Country, Surf
Comments: I bought this Super with two of four Alnico CTS speakers buzzing badly. Initially, I replaced them with Jensen RI C10R's, but they were way too harsh and ice-picky for my taste (especially at higher volumes).
Then I got these to replace the Jensens. Wow!! They are really loud, and they ballance out the sound quite a bit. The huge magnets on these 10F150's are almost obscene! In fact, they made the Jensens look downright silly in comparison.
Bottom line, these speakers did exactly what I wanted. The super now has a great balance of highs AND lows, and as much PUNCH as you want. Did I mention that these speakers are very loud? Four of these would probably be too loud and bassy in a super, but if you're amp
is too bright, try one or two of these babies! These speakers never sounded too harsh in any setting! They seem to say, "Bring it ON!!!" when you reach for the volume knob!
worth every penny!!! But, I do have a couple negatives (sorry Ted): 1) I really wish that
the terminals were the type found on CTS speakers, with two at 90 degrees. 2) The Weber
Ferromax sticker is kinda funky. It is reminiscent of the Fender "blue label", but it looks
cheaper, somehow. HOWEVER, those are just two VERY minor details. It just means Weber puts
more effort into making fantastic speakers, rather than cool stickers. Still, it seems like
speakers this good deserve a better sticker.
10F100
Bill Rogers
Amp: Homebrew
Guitar: Strat
Effects: None
Genre: Blues
Comments: I was lucky enough to win the C10R a few months ago. The only amp I have with 10's
is a Super Reverb. I put the C10R in the SR to break it in. Just recently I took
my home brew 15 Watt head (think tweed deluxe with 6BQ5's) and A/B'd the C10R still
mounted in the SR cabinet with one of the original CTS Alinco spkrs. I left all the
settings the same on guitar and amp as I switched, and went from clean to mean. The best
word I can think of to describe the C10R is "clear". Great bass. The clean tone
sounds are crisp and well defined, not quite as warm as the CTS, but definately
not a harsh speaker with this setup. The distortion is not as "blended" as the CTS,
but sounds great. The CTS Alnico does generate a cool phasing effect at some settings
that the C10R does not. Just a great all round 10" speaker.
Mike Tremante
Amp: Fender Pro Jr w/Deluxe RVB OT, no -fb, .68 & 25uF cath bypass caps, .001uF coupling cap
Guitar: (2) Strats, ASAT, PRS. Strats have Texas Specials
Effects: Flange, Echo, wha wha (all overdrive comes from amp)
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz
Comments: This is the ideal speaker for this amp...with the Strat especially,
the mid position between middle and treble pickup has the sweetest
grind you can imagine when volume on the amp is up (5-7) and the
volume on the guitar is backed off. But when the guitar is cranked
it just sings, with more definition than the Celestion I had
in there. Very smooth response without favoring any particular
frequency through the entire range of the guitar with more
character than any others I've tried in there probably due to the
sizzling, not too bright or brittle high end, not overbearing
midrange and solid not boomy or mushy low end. This include the
stock speaker (Eminence? ceramic, which is a decent speaker), a
stock Ceramic 10 from a SF Princeton Rvb, a stock Ceramic 10 from
50 watt Music Man Combo, an old Ceramic 10 from a BF Super Rvb,
and the 50 watt Celestion I mentioned before (G10S). Sounding
better than the Celestion to me is particularly impressive,
because I've always found Celestion Speakers able to fill almost
any need I've had in the past for a guitar speaker. I'll put in
an order today for a C12R to replace the Vintage 30 in my modded
Princeton...
Akbar Anwari
Amp: '63 Brown Princeton, stock
Guitar: Guild Roy Buchanan (tele), Guild Nightbird
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: When they say 'tweed tone', they aren't kidding.
A definite improvement over the Oxford, Eminence, JBL, EVM and genuine Jensen
speakers I've tried with this amp. The speaker breaks up just enough with the
distortion of the amp to give a real smooth solo tone without any annoying
artifacts. Highs are rounded, no 'icepick in the forehead' with the tele.
The bottom end is solid without getting mushy in any way. This is what I
imagine a Jensen would have sounded like new. Clean, again, a very smooth
tone for Jazzy runs. I can't imagine a better sounding speaker for this amp.
John Templeton
Amp: '64 Tremolux w/NOS 6V6's
Guitar: RI Strat w/Vintage Duncans
Effects: None
Genre: Blues
Comments: They were beyond expectations. Louder than original Oxford 10L5's.
Gave my BF a very 'tweedy' tone. At low levels they are crisp with great
resolution. Turn up the power and they fatten up nicely and really come
alive. A great Blues speaker. I'm sold on the one piece straight cone.
I think I'll replace the VST P12Q in my Deluxe Reverb with a VST P12R.
J. Bardsley
Amp: Deluxe Reverb with 5881s into a tweed 2x10 cabinet.
Guitar: '95 Ric "John Kay"
Effects: none
Genre: various
Comments: Very open, neutral, uncolored. Great detail, louder than most
10s. Nice distortion, but makes you want to back off and listen to the
clean sound too. Reminds me of the Kendrick 10, which I like alot, although
this C10R seems more like a real Jensen 'R'. Everything else being equal,
I can now see the big difference between an AlNiCo (10A100) and a ceramic
(C10R).
Mike Milligan
Amp: 73 Vibrolux Reverb
Guitar: '60 Strat
Effects: TS-808
Genre: Blues
Comments: Stronger than original. Cooperated with TS-808 well. Nice midrange.
More bass than original. No harsh highs. Very nice with reverb on.
Joe P.
Amp: BF Bandmaster with 2-10 cab (instead of 2-12)
Guitar: RI Strat
Effects: none
Genre: Rock
Comments: Louder than 10A125. More highs. Not as clear overall as 10A125. Punchy,
stiffer attack. Celestion-like.
AlNiCo Blue Pup
Jeremy Lewis
Amp: THD Plexi 2x10 combo. 50 watts with EL-34's
Guitar: Old strats and modded epiphone Les Paul with Seymour Duncan Anitquities
Effects: None used (not needed with these speakers)
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz, Surf
Comments: Complex chimey warm and aggressive. These speakers are vast improvement over the originals...
This amp is designed after a Marshall 50 watt Plexi and these speakers are incredible through
it. They break up just right and are perfect for british and american blues and rock. My amp
sounds like a fusion of a marshall and a vox now.
Chuck Schilling
Amp: Laney LC-15R with NOS JAN Phillips 6BQ5 power tubes, NOS JAN GE 5751 preamp tubes
Guitar: 2000 Am Std Fat Telecaster, 2000 Warmoth rosewood Telecaster, 2000 Rickenbacker 360 V12/64
Effects: POD 2.0, Danelectro DanEcho, Ibanez TS-9 TubeScreamer
Genre: Rock, Country
Comments: This speaker is definitely as advertised! The Blue Pup is bright without being harsh, warm
and yields a sweet, singing, chimey sustain. Don't drive it too hard though - it responds
best to slight/moderate overdrive and a gentle attack. This is NOT a speaker for heavy
grunge/metal; rather, I'd recommend it for players looking for a warm, articulate and subtle
tone, and PARTICULARLY to fingerpickers.
Scott Swartz
Amp: Various custom built heads including 2x6V6, 2xEL-84, 2x6L6
Guitar: 62 RI Strat, Guild Bluesbird
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Rock, Country
Comments: I used these speakers in a custom 4x10 open back pine speaker cab
that is slightly larger than a Bassman, and powered it with several
different heads. Overall, the other user comments and Weber description is
fairly accurate, with the speaker having good bass, chimey treble and nice
crunch when turned up. I did notice that the frequency response of the AlNiCo Blue Pup
works best in conjunction with relatively flat tone control designs like
typical Marshall or 5F6A Bassman. The combination of these speakers with an
amp that has Fender Blackface tone controls was too bright and nasal, due to
the huge midrange dip of the BF tone control. I guess this shouldn't be too
surprising, since the speaker is designed to sound British, but I think they
might be a little bright in a Super Reverb for instance, unless the tone
stack was modified. I should note that I use vintage style pickups, ie not
overwound, which also effects the total sound. These are very efficient
speakers and with the 4x10 cab, an amp with PP EL84 or 6V6s putting out
10-15 watts is VERY LOUD, certainly enough to compete with a loud drummer.
With the right amp driving them, they will certainly give you the British
sound.
Joe Pampel
Amp: 5E3 Deluxe
Guitar: SG, Strat, Tele
Effects: None
Genre: Rock, Blues, C&W, Jazz
Comments: Great warm, clean sound. Bright and clear with good bottom end.
Amazing overdrive, brings out thick, rich harmonics from the amp. My recommendation
for anyone who wants British crunch and chime in a 10".
Randy Countryman
Amp: '62 Fender Concert w/all NOS RCA's
Guitar: '73 LP Deluxe w/Gibson '57 classics
Effects: Fender RI Reverb w/NOS tubes
Genre: Blues
Comments: Very smooth from top to bottom. Harmonically rich. Adjustments
were needed to get the top left speaker to fit (transformer was moved).
Big improvement over the stock Oxfords. Wait time for the speakers was
long (over 3 months), but response from VST was always excellent.
12F100
Ken
Amp: Crate VC508 tube 5 watt with 8" speaker
Guitar: Tele with VanZandts
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comment: Weber's C12R in use with Crate's VC508 5 watt amp 8 inch speaker. I just disconnected the 8 inch speaker and ran the wire out to connect to the 1x12 speaker cab straight to the C12R speaker.
And brothers I've seen the light!! The 5 watt Crate had no problem at
all pushing the C12R. In fact, with this speaker I've backed off all
the amp settings to half, and now I have plenty of volume and tone to
play with at my liking. I can play very clean to overdrive just from
the guitar's pickup volume easily. Even my tone settings on the guitar
I have backed off. Man, I have beautiful sounding bass... bass... bass...
all I want at the touch of my tone settings. The beauty is I'm in
charge of how much bass I want not the speaker. Conclusion the C12R
is loud, very full sound without the overkill in bass. The highs and
lows are very clear, with clean tone clarity and all the crunch just
waiting to kick in at the touch of the guitar's volume. The C12R
speaker is an all around winner that lets you be in charge of the tone
you want to bring out of 'er.
Bill Fuentes
Amp: '64 Deluxe Reverb
Guitar: '54 Custop Shop Strat w/Texas Specials
Effects: TS-808
Genre: Blues, Country, Rock
Comments: I ordered this speaker after seeing other glowing reviews about it
and it's ability to handle more than it's rated power load. I replaced the
stock Oxford with this speaker. The bass response improved, as did the
overall tonal spectrum of the amp. I run the amp at about 5-6 so it doesn't
really get that dirty. The bass does get muddy when cranked, but it's the
amp not the speaker (I think). The combo does have a beautiful chime with
the Strat. The amp is now a piece of art and one heck of a player and
conversation piece.
Andy Ruhl
Amp: 64 Deluxe Reverb
Guitar: Ash Am Std Strat, G&L ASAT
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: It's amazing how different 2 speakers can sound with the same cone!
I put the C12R in the Deluxe Reverb after having the P12R in there a while.
The differnce is striking. The C12R has more bass, efficiency, and headroom.
This is actually more of what I would consider a "blackface" sound than
the P12R. The P12R really compresses and distorts, the C12R is less
forgiving (less compression) and has more bass and overall more balanced
tone. It still crunches very well at high volume, but not quite in the
same league as the P12R. Here's the bottom line: If the Deluxe Reverb is
your only amp and you have to decide between these two speakers, get the
C12R. It does clean better and still gets nice drive. If you use the
Deluxe Reverb as your drive amp, then the P12R is better by far. Just for
fun, I stuck an original C12R in my amp to compare. The old Jensen has
an oreo cookie sized magnet compared to the Weber. It isn't even close.
The Weber has it all over the Jensen. The Jensen breaks up a lot sooner.
I was very afraid to blow the Jensen though. Once again, the Weber VST
speaker withstood my merciless pounding in an amp that puts out more
power than the speaker is rated for. Good job on this one. This is a
killer speaker!
Mike Milligan
Amp: 72 Deluxe Reverb
Guitar: '60 Strat
Effects: TS-808
Genre: Blues
Comments: Very clear and clean. Tight highs. More low end than original.
Bright. Much nicer when I turned off reverb. Lots of bite and crunch when
I turned up the amp to 5. With TS-808 very warm and overdriven. Increased
mid punch with amp cranked.
12F125
Mark Webber
Amp: Mission Soulkicker. 5E3 Tweed Deluxe w/bright/boost switch
Guitar: Fender Strat, Cort JTriggs, Robin Ranger. Strat has VanZandts, Cort has DiMarzio H. from Hell(2)
Effects: Alesis Headrush, Boss ChorusII, 70's Big Muff
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz, Country, Surf
Comments: I had my Tweed Deluxe based custom built by Bruce Collins and had the luxury of trying every
brand/type speaker in his shop. For me it was an easy choice. I liked the Weber C12Q because
it made this amp sound very clean and bright at lower volumes and then when driven hard it has
a unique, almost humanlike voice to it. This speaker does not fart out at high volumes at all.
I've had this amp for a year now and even though Bruce does not let a custom built amp out of
his shop before seasoning the speaker(s), I find I like the tone of this speaker more and more.
It's simply an excellent choice in a twenty watt amp!
Bill Rodrick
Amp: 1965 Deluxe Reverb. Removed bright cap from vib channel.
Guitar: G&L Legacy w/Rio Grande Tallboys, Carvin Holdsworth H2T w/stock pickups
Effects: Usually none
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz, Country, Classical
Comments: I've tried a number of speakers (too many!) in this and a few other Fender
BF and SF amps - Weber and Jensen R, Q and N models (both
Alnico and Ceramic), Mojo, Kendrick, Eminence, JBL, etc. -
and this is the only speaker I would have in this amp. For me,
it seems to have the perfect balance of all the characteristics
I listen for in a speaker: all the clarity and high end
response I like for clean chordal work, without any of the
harshness I've come to associate with many other speakers that
fit that description, and yet the rest of the spectrum is
equally well-represented - good, tight bottom end and the mids
are there in good proportion, without being over-emphasized.
The sound is beautiful at all points on the Volume pot, and
breaks very smoothly into distortion at higher volumes. I vastly
prefer it to the Weber P12R and Weber and Jensen C12Ns that I've
tried in this and two other Deluxe Reverbs, to say nothing of the
other aforementioned speakers (by the way, the Weber C12N sounded
much better to me than the '66 Jensen C12N).
With this speaker, I usually leave the Treble at 5 on both
channels, with the Bass at 4-5 on the Vibrato channel and 3-4
on the Normal channel. There's never a hint of "farting" with
the C12Q, which I attribute partly to the fact that the
great low-end response makes it unnecessary to turn the Bass up
very far.
To top it all off, the C12Q is extremely efficient - it's
like gaining one or two extra notches on the Volume pot, as
compared to both the P12R and C12N. That should be taken into
account when considering this speaker, because it may not be
an attribute you'll appreciate, depending on your application.
It's a great characteristic, though, if it's important to you to
have as much clean headroom as possible in an amp like the DR
without having to sacrifice that nice, smooth, crunchy tone at
higher volumes, as you might have to with, say, a C12N or JBL.
To my ears, the C12Q "does it all", whereas the R and N
models seem to be a bit more "specialized", without really
doing their job any better than the Q. I like the C12Q so much
that the DR has become my all-time favorite amp not only because
I prefer the sound of (good US-made) 6V6s to that of 6L6s, but
also simply because I can use this speaker in it!
Bob Clear
Amp: Deluxe Reverb
Guitar: Hamer Special w/P90's, Danelectro 59-DC
Effects:None
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: The previous speaker was an Eminence 'Designed for Fender',
the same piece Fender uses in the reissue Twin. Physically,
the magnets on the two speakers seemed about the same size and weight,
and the cones looked surprisingly similar. The Eminence, however,
has a good deal of doping whereas the Webers seems to have none.
Boy, what a difference in sound! The Weber is a *lot* louder than
the Eminence. Makes the DR sound like a 40W amp! The lows, though
I usually roll the bass down to around 3, are much tighter, and
there's this cool upper midrange bulge, sounds like a barking dog.
You could do early ZZ Top, or maybe George Thorogood with this setup,
no problem. Highs are detailed, never harsh.
It's hard to say what's better, or best. I can only say that the
C12Q is *different* than my previous speaker, and for my needs it's
different in a better way. Highly recommended.
Joe Pampel
Amp: 15 Watt "AC30-inspired" custom amp.
Guitar: Gibson SG
Effects: none
Genre: Various, mostly dirty/overdriven tones.
Comments: Chimey, crunchy, rich. Kinda brit, but still kept the 'American'
flavor. Adapted well to this amplifier. A sign of a very good speaker,
in my opinion.
Joe Pampel
Amp: 5E3 Deluxe
Guitar: RI Tele, AmStd Strat, Gibson SG
Effects: none
Genre: Various
Comments: Playing Clean --> Bright overall, nice clear sound. Dynamic,
punchy. Seems quite efficient. Great for C&W tones, probably Jazz,
too. Likes the neck PU on the Strat the best. Nice low end. Highs are not
ringy like some speakers. Wonderfully clear.
Playing Dirty/Overdriven --> Still punchy and dynamic. Really cuts,
cunchy like an old Jensen. Growls, good lows, rich, complex, warm.
Tom @ HIWATT Amps
Amp: HIWATT 'Pup', 2-EL84s in Class A
Guitar: LP Jr. w/Duncan Soapbars, '64 Mustang w/Red Rhodes Velvet Hammers
Effects: none
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: Sounded at once like a Jensen. I think the big magnet (30oz)
lends a larger presence to the speaker than you would normally get with
a C12Q. More bass, crisper. Would recommend this speaker to anyone looking
for a Jensen replacement.
Ceramic Silver Ten
Mark Norwine
Amp: '64 Princeton Reverb
Guitar: ES-335, Telecaster, both stock
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Jazz
Comments: This dandy little pre-CBS amp came to me dead stock in 9.5+
condition except for the radio shack speaker which simply had to go.
I spoke to Ted at length about an apropriate speaker which would be
rich & bold when playing jazz, yet still bright & crunchy when cranked
for blues playing. He suggested the C10S. This speaker is a marvelous
creation, delivering all the attributes we discussed. It's bright,
but not shrill....The clarity is second to none. It is not the least
bit farty on the low end, even when pushed hard. While I don't play
much country, this speaker delivers a clear, clean tone with a Tele
which most country players will like. This is one helluva speaker!
Highly reccomended.
J. Bardsley
Amp: Deluxe Reverb with 5881s into a 2x10 cabinet
Guitar: '89 Country Gent. with '60 f-trons, '68 ES335 w/SD antiquity's
Effects: none
Genre: various, from clean to overdriven
Comments: Bright, a little cold, very detailed. Good britishness when overdriven,
yet has a late '60s Fenderish tone when clean. More bass than you'd expect
from a 10". Clean sounds like a Ceramic 12" Jensen.
10A100
Jose Arroyo
Amp: 68' Princeton Reverb
Guitar: Fender MIA Strat, MIA Strat w/ Warmoth neck, ProTone Tele w/ Warmoth neck. EMG SA set with an 89 in the neck position for both Strats. Seymour Duncan Alnico V Humbucker in neck, Broadcaster pup in lead position.
Effects: Fulltone Fulldrive 2, Vox wah, Tech 21 GT-2, bunch of Boss swirly pedals
Genre: Blues, Rock, Punk
Comments: Wow. I've had a couple of Weber speaker in my amps, but have never felt so awed that I'd jump
on the computer and write a comment about one. I've had a pair of 10F125s and 10A125s in my
Vibrolux and am still looking for the right speaker in there. I found a new Weber 10A100 online
and figured I'd give it a try for my Princeton. The original Oxford was alright and got the
job done, but the Weber 10A100 has taken this amp to a whole new level! The Oxford was a bit
muffled and boomy when cranked, but held up quite nicely at low volume. Now I have a speaker
that sounds nice and full at low volumes yet retains it's fullness when pushed. First of all,
the bottom just blossoms out under the note perfectly, never sounding farty in the process.
The speaker passes on this SF amp's ability to "hear" picking nuances without missing much.
I find that I can no longer be too sloppy and need to bring up my finesse playing when taking
this amp to rehearsal. With the amp's volume on "7" the speaker is very responsive to the
guitar's volume knob, keeping a nice "clean/ dirty" tone when I pull back to "6," and creaming
out when I turn the guitar's volume knob to full. This the perfect lead guitar amp,
offering cutting tones while still holding on to bottom nicely. Too bad I can't put a pair
of these in my Vibrolux (I just need a little more headroom in there).
Robert Franklin
Amp: 1963 Brownface Princeton
Guitar: Stratocaster, vintage style w/Lindy Fralins
Effects: Occasional delay pedal
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: I tried 3 different 10" speakers, a Weber 10F125, a Jensen Reissue C10Q and a Weber 10A100. All
speakers tested at volume settings on 4, 7 and 10. Tone was set at 10 throughout. My idea
of good-sounding electric guitars? Marty Stuart, Steve Cropper, Buddy Guy, early BB King, you
get the picture. Here are my impressions. Jensen reissue sounds very nice both clean and
cranked much fuller and louder than the original CTS. A very good speaker, it looks right and
it’s a bargain too. Weber 10F125 sounds big and clean on 4, gains character at 7 and holds on
pretty good up to 10. This thing will yield the big Fender clean thing very, very well. More
bass than the Jensen. Made me want to play Buck Owens tunes all night (this is a good thing).
Brought out the best in my amp’s tremolo circuit. Loves my telecaster. Weber 10A100 not as loud
as the Weber 10F125, but about the same as the Jensen. This speaker moves into distortion
gradually as the volume is increased above 3 or 4. Very nice saxophone-like edge as you take
it up to 7, and sings away at volumes above 8! Yes, I love the distortion. This was the
winner in the lead guitar category, it makes this little Princeton way fun to play. With the
Strat, I heard something in the neigborhood of Freddie King and early Billy Gibbons
(nice neighborhood). Overall: It’s between the two Webers. The 10A100 probably would not hang
with a band as well as the 10F125 - it doesn’t offer the same sharp, cutting overtones.
The 10A100 is for my style a superior lead guitar speaker - it compresses and distorts in a
very reliable and FUN way. The 10A100 also had a sweetness to it that I crave. I wish one
speaker had the clean performance of the 10F125 and the cranked performance of the 10A100.
Push comes to shove, I kept the 10A100 in the amp (but am keeping the 10F125 near at hand).
Steve Shearin
Amp: 72 Fender Princeton. Deluxe RI OP transformer, all NOS tubes, new 3/4" plywood speaker baffle
Guitar: Gibson Les Paul Goldtop '57 RI, AM.STD.Telecaster, Strat Plus Dlx. Stock '57 Classic's on LP, Duncan Alninco Pro II on Tele, Fender Texas Specials on Strat
Effects: Fender '63 Reverb RI
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: I replaced the stock speaker with a Celestion Vintage 10,
which made a world of difference. I was pretty happy with the
V10, great bass, smooth highs, and over-all good tone.
I had heard some good things about these Weber VST speakers,
and was curious to hear what I was missing.
It didn't take long for me to find out after installing the 10A100.
I noticed the Weber was louder at the same volume settings,
the 10A100 is brighter and more articulate than the Celestion V10.
I love the way the Weber compresses and breaks-up when pushed,
one of the best I've ever heard!
I'm now a convert to the Weber VST sound!
Michael Moody
Amp: Clark Tyger (Tweed Bandmaster)
Guitar: Les Pauls, ES335, Strat, Tele
Effects: Vox Wah pedal
Genre: Blues, Rock, Country
Comments: I bought the Clark Tweed 3x10 Bandmaster replica with Weber 10A100's
as standard speakers. I have a real 1957 Fender Tweed Bandmaster with
Jensen P10R's. I am not going to get into a bunch of adjectives to
describe these speakers. Let's just say the Clark amp sounds almost
exactly like my original Bandmaster and I believe the Weber speakers
have a great deal to do with it. I did a side by side comparison with
the original Jensens and the Webers and they sound very much alike.
The Jensens had a little more vibe but I think time will give the
Webers some vibe of their own. I am a vintage head and I usually
don't like new speakers. I really like these speakers! They were a
little tight when I first played them but they loosened up very
quickly. The Clark amp and the Weber speakers are a great combination
and both are the closest to the real thing hands down.
Jean-Michel Gras
Amp: Fender Pro Jr.
Guitar: RI '62 Strat with VZ blues, Gibson Nighthawk
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz
Comments: I've just installed a 10A100 in my Pro Junior: GREAT !
(I had before the stock fender ceramic V1030): more bass, less treble,
more high-midrange and much, much better crunch sound. The amp distorts
earlier and is more "Marshally", the clean sounds are looser, I think the
amp is much more alive now. Notice that with this Weber, the Pro Jr. doesn't
"sparkle" at all, it really has a brown sound and I now play more "rock"
stuff 'cause now the cranked tones are much better (more vibe I would say).
I didn't believe a speaker could make such a difference in tone.
Go for it if you like old marshall tones.
Joel Hatcher
Amp: RI Bassman w/mojo OT
Guitar: G&L, 73 LP w/paf in bridge, SD59 in neck
Effects: Fulltone FullDrive 2, Suydam Pipeline 3 Knob Reverb
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: These speakers are great. I've been spoiled by old Jensens in
my other amps, but going out and paying an arm and a leg is now just an
option rather than the only option. These 10A100's gave me that gorgeous
transparent, balanced, rich new 40 year old Jensen sound that I crave.
The bottom end is comparable to a Martin D-35 or a piano. I am able to
turn up the bass quite a bit more at high volume without worrying about
the speakers farting out. The highs are transparent, yet authoritative.
These things truly do sing. I've tried them all, including the originals,
and trust me, fellow tone freaks, these are by far the best thing going.
Nick K.
Amp: '85 Super Champ
Guitar: PRS, Gibson ES-295
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz, Surf, Punk
Comments: The 10A100 replaced an EV that had been in this little guy. Previously
had the stock Fender, followed by a Celestion G10S50. The Weber 10A100 finally
gave the little Champ the Fender sound I had been looking for. Instantly
improved the sound 1000%. Gave it that loose 50's vibe, and went to a nice
clean cranked tone, to a full-on overdrive with smooth breakup. Not as
much bottom as I would have liked, be we are talking about a single 10"
in an open-backed cabinet. Now that I've had a pleasant experience with
VST, I'm going to order a P10N for the Champ and some more 10A100's for my
Bassman reissue.
Andy Ruhl
Amp: 5F6 circuit w/BF bias and Pwr Supply, '64 Super Reverb
Guitar: Various Strats, LP Standard
Effects: Tube Screamer
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: Sounded great in my Super Reverb. It gave it more low end beef,
but with less high end detail than the C10Q's (Jensen) that were in it.
Much better with the 5F6. The speakers really smoothed it out and made
it sound more "worked in". They took full power fine. They seemed
to gain high end with time. The Super wanted something with more slice,
though. I'd recommend these 10A100's to anyone looking for an older, looser
sound.
Evan Aurand
Amp: '55 Fender Bassman
Guitar: '52 LP, '62 Strat
Effects: Fender Reverb
Genre: Blues
Comments: Very Cool Sound. I could never get the right tones with the speakers
that came with this amp. Now, with the WeberVST 10A100's, I can dial in the
right tone easily. Nice balance, nice low end, a great speaker.
Ken Kantor
Amp: Pro Jr.
Guitar: Strat Plus w/vintage rails
Effects: None
Genre: Rock
Comments: Had to remove magnet cover to install. I liked the punchy tone
that the heavier cone provided, but miss some of the breakup/treble that
the lighter, seamed cone provided.
J. Bardsley
Amp: Deluxe Reverb with 5881s into a tweed 2x10 cabinet.
Guitar: '90s Custom Tele with Tom Andersons.
Effects: none
Genre: various
Comments: In your face! More mids. Great bassy distortion, wonderful for
overdriven slide. Very marshally-sounding.
10A150
Bill Wardell
Amp: 64 Vibrolux Reverb
Guitar: 63 Strat, 95 Relic Strat, 61 Jazzmaster, 63 Jaguar
Effects: BOSS DD-3 Delay, Ibanez TS-9 Reissue Tube Screamer
Genre: Blues, Rock, Surf
Comments: My pair of new 10A150's make my Vibrolux sound absolutely INCREDIBLE!
Plenty of low end, beautiful highs, and a rock sound that just won't quit.
Weber has my business for life!
Akbar Anwari
Amp: Brown Princeton, 5F6-A circuit, "homebrew"
Guitar: Enter Guitar Tele w/EMG's, Guild Nightbird, "metalhead" Strat
Effects: Tubescreamer
Genre: Blues, Rock, Surf
Comments: The classic clean American style speaker. Overall tonality
is like the classic Jensen N: Clear, round highs, with a mid dip that
goes great with reverb. Notes seem to jump out of the amp when you pick.
A little darker than the C10R. Plenty of tight bass, but less low mid
"gut punch" than the Blue Dog. A set of these in a Super Reverb would
be absolutely killer.
John Stokes
Amp: 61 Super w/all NOS tubes including RCA blackplate 6L6GC's.
Guitar: 90 Am Std Strat, VZ blues in neck and middle, VZ Rock in bridge.
Effects: Fender reissue Reverb w/NOS tubes and 'warm up' cap mod.
Genre: Blues
Comments: Totally in-your-face punch at high levels. High volume tone remained
very smooth. No harshness at all. Chords played just below amp distortion
were nice and rich. No flabbiness or farting out. The high efficiency is
great and appreciated. These are considerably more efficient than the original
10A125s they replaced, have much more low end, and produce much more SPL
before breakup. I do think they could use a pinch more high end. Just a
little sparkle to give them some cut to go along with the blast.
12A150T
Margaret Wilson
Amp: Blues Junior (others include Fender Deluxe 90, Electar Tube 10 and AR Acoustic Pro-Verb). 12AX7 phase inverter replaced with GE 5751
Guitar: Fender US Fat Telecaster, Breedlove classical cutaway w/ Fishman Blender
Effects: Boss BD-2, AC-2, NS-2, TU-2, Uni-Vibe Stereo Chorus
Genre: Blues, Jazz, Classical
Comments: I needed more headroom (for jazz) in my Blues Jr, so I replaced the PI with a 5751,
and that helped a lot. But the bass was still somewhat flabby and fuzzy (12th fret
and up) on the low E string. I'd heard that the 12A150 was too dark for this already
dark amp, so I thought about the P12Q or C12Q. Ted recommended the 12A150Q or C12NQ
hybrid for the Q sound with more low end. WOWWWWWWW!!! The speaker's not even
broken in yet, and it sounds wonderful. I've been able to increase the bass a notch
without losing any definition or clarity, and I get breakup with the volume at 8
rather than 4. (Smooth thickening up to 8.) I now play with volume on 5, master on 3,
and I get this wonderful smooth thick clean with tight bass, chimey (not harsh) highs,
and full mids. With the stock PI and speaker, I played with volume on 2.5, master
on 10, and I got flabby, muddy bass with no headroom. I think the P12QN is the
perfect speaker for this amp if you want to play jazz. The 12A150Q corrected the amp's
shortcomings without changing the tone behond recognition. Great speaker!!!
12A150
Mase Henry
Amp: '64 Vibrolux, Marshall JCM900
Guitar: Les Paul, Strat Ultra, Gretsch Tennessee Rose, Reissue Tele. LP has Seth Lover PU's, Strat has SD Custom S-C's.
Effects: Occasional Uni-Vibe
Genre: Blues, Jazz
Comments: Terrific speakers. I got them to complement my newly purchased
'64 Vibrolux. After a bit of a complication, I can tell you that
your speakers are every bit as important as wood, strings and
pickups. These things brought this amp alive (for lack of a
better term). They're in a Marhsall 4x12 cab that I modified
with yellow pine baffles and back (from a bookshelf my
grandfather made before I was born). It's vented in front, and
open one fifth at the top). I tried the amp out through a '69
Marshall 8x10 cab, and I was sold in under a minute. The clipping
was so sweet. Brown and detailed, I had never heard such a
vintage sound. I was worried that the 10 inch speakers might be
responsible for the tone, and wasn't sure about getting two 12's
for this amp. They added bass (alot) and smoothness. They're not
boomy, just deep. Very rich, still articulate, but the one thing
they don't do is modern. My Marshall is a mediocre amp, but it
does modern much better than the Vibrolux (obviously), and it
sounds vintage through these (although it pales in comparison to
the Fender). There is no harshness attainable with these
speakers; the treble pickups I would never consider using with
the Celestion G12T-75's (stock on many Marshalls) become entirely
usable and open up new possibilities. The alnico seems to make
the cone travel more, and this adds life to the sound, makes it
more organic. Adjectives: bouncy, deep, rich, thumpy. I plan to
counter the softness by adding C12S's in my cab soon. They're
also going to be put in a solid pine combo with the Vibrolux for
more practical transport. The vintage of vintage, I'd say.
Incredible for blues and any clean tone. It's "turn-heads" tone
to say the least. Get 'em.
Andrew Alperin
Amp: Not listed
Guitar: Not Listed
Effects: Too many to list
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz, Country
Comments: I bought these about a year ago and have grown to love them more everyday. Whatever amp I use them with just CHIMES!!!
when clean it gives a great clarity that all other speakers I've tried just lacked. when clean-driven they really get a great a great growl to them.
NOW... when i light up the dirty channel the sound is thick and creamy but not muddy (it was before and I tried v30's and greenbacks etc...).
the sustain is beautiful and they feedback great. (its much more musical than noisy)
I've tried every amp i own through them (from a 60's princeton to fender tonemaster to soldano astroverb and they all sound KILLER!!)
I'll be trying other models soon.
Lew Collins
Amp: '57 Fender Deluxe
Guitar: Fender Strat w/two Duncan SSL 1 & one neck model Duncan JB jr. used in bridge position.
Effects: Boss RV 3 Digital Reverb
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz
Comments: My favorite all around 12" speakers are still some stock Celestion
Vintage 30's and some old Jensen C12N speakers that I've owned for years.
But this 12A150 is a great speaker too! It has a beautiful "plucky" tone in
the mids, plenty of bass, and nice smooth highs. Some might wish the 12A150
had a little brighter sound - I do sometimes, but I wouldn't want to change
any of it's other tonal characteristics just to get more sparkle out of it.
It rings beautifully when gently overdriven. When you turn up and dig in
with your pick attack, it gets a great stinging tone that never gets glassey
or hard sounding. I did find that it was considerably less efficient than
my other speakers. This makes my amp work harder and allows me to get a
singing, slightly overdriven sound at lower volumes. It also means that I
don't have as much clean headroom and the bass can get a little muddy -
which can be a minus when you need a loud clean tone for chords. But I have
other speakers and amps for a louder, cleaner tone and this 12A150 sounds
nearly perfect in my old '57 Deluxe. It's the nicest sounding Alnico 12"
speaker I own (louder and richer sounding than my Weber P12Q, tho the P12Q
seems to have a little more highs) and if I just forget about speaker
testing and plug in, relax and play, this 12A150 inspires me to write new
songs and come up with fresh musical ideas - the real test of a great
guitar, amp or speaker in my opinion. Highly recommended for slightly
overdriven Blues and Rock and for players who love that old tweed era tone.
Maybe not the right cloice if you want to sound like Wes Montgomery, but
perfect if you want to sound like Hubert Sumlin!
Dave Johansen
Amp: '59 Tweed Twin Repro w/Tungsol 5881's and NOS 12AX7's
Guitar: Strat w/ash body and maple neck, Nocaster VZ's and Fralins
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz, Country
Comments: Down low:
smoooooth..
articulate..
woody.. almost acoustic-like
Cranked:
Organ damaging power (SERIOUS chest thump)
STILL articulate, but able to really scream
That grinding overblown sax sound.. Phew!!
Let's just say that I just ordered 10 C/P10Qs
and 6 C/12A150s to replace all my other speakers..
More on those when I get 'em..
Scott Swartz
Amp: Homebrew P-P EL-84 (6BQ5) with Fender style preamp (15 watts)
Guitar: Various
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: This speaker has a smooth frequency response with tight
bass in an open back cabinet and smooth highs. If you have overwound
pickups, you'll probably wish for more treble. The cone breakup rises
smoothly and adds nice character to the amplifier distortion.
I am very satisfied with the speaker. The cone breakup is the most musical
I've heard.
Bill Johnson
Amp: SF Princeton Reverb, recapped, BF'd
Guitar: 64 Strat, Guild CE 100
Effects: None
Genre: Blues
Comments: I love this speaker! I'm a "go play guy". I hate fussing with
gear. The speaker that was in my amp was damaged and I needed
a replacement. I bought the Weber 12A150 on the suggestion of a
friend. I can't believe how good it sounds! Now I'm going to
replace all the speakers in my other amps with Webers. The best
I've heard!
Brian Metelits
Amp: Carvin Vintage 33, '68 Super Reverb (BF'd, NOS tubes, recapped, rebiased), '65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue
Guitar: Warmoth Tele w/Rio Grande Muy Grande in neck and Lindy Fralin in bridge, '57 RI Strat
Effects: TS-10 Tubescreamer (brown mod)
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz, Country
Comments: I bought the 12A150 to replace the stock Carvin speaker.
I wanted to improve the voicing of the Carvin Vintage 33 which I had
re-tubed with Tesla EL84s and Ei12AX7's. The 12A150 was less efficient
than the stock Carvin. With the Carvin the clean channel did not
distort until the volume was way up. With the 12A150 the sound broke-up
with volume at half. The 12A150 brought out bass and lower mid-range
while giving up highs. The amp sounded smaller and less refined with
the 12A150. On the other hand, the Super Reverb sounded very nice
through the 12A150 which was almost as full as the 4x10" CTS alnico's.
The tone was just a tad smoother than with the 10"s...more like Vince
Gill. With the Deluxe Reverb it was a similar story to the Carvin:
Too much low end and no highs. I thinkg the 12A150 needs an amp with a
bright switch. I like the glass-like highs used in surf and late
'60's to mid '70's soul (e.g., "Me and Mrs. Jones"). I learned
something worth noting: WeberVST speakers should mate with your
guitar and amp. That's more than I had come to expect.
I now believe that the speakers can make a huge difference in our
ability to make the sound we are looking for. Unfortunately,
the 12A150 was not the right model for my application. However,
I would strongly consider another WeberVST speaker in the future.
Tom Knezevich
Amp: 66 Pro Reverb
Guitar: 68 Gretsch Viking, 68 Gretsch Country Club
Effects: Maestro ((( Echo Plex )))
Genre: Jazz, Country, Surf
Comments: The 12A150's gave me great bottom end and smooth highs. Two words
come to mind 'Warm' and 'Fat'. They sound great at all volumes
(alnicos!). These speakers replaced the stock Oxfords which
sound 'bland' in comparison.
Michael Moody
Amp: Fender Deluxe Reverb
Guitar: Les Pauls, ES335, Strat, Tele
Effects: Vox Wah Pedal
Genre: Blues, Rock, Country
Comments: I bought the 12A150 for my Deluxe Reverb which has a Jensen
original cone C12N. I wanted the same type of a tone with a little
more punch and volume. I really like the sound of the original
speaker but I just beat it with my amp cranked all the time. So I
decided to find a replacement to savor the old relic. The 12A150, I am
sorry to say, didn't do it for me. It was much darker and not as loud
as my C12N. I do have to say it sounded good through the bottom end
and had a nice overall sound but it didn't give me the openess and
clarity I was looking for. I gave the speaker a couple of weeks to
break in but it didn't chage much in transparency. It did loosen up
and it felt pretty nice. Overall the speaker is a very good one. I
think I just picked the wrong model. I have some other Weber speakers
in two of my amps and they sound better than any new speakers I have
tried.
Tim S.
Amp: 66 BF Pro Reverb (recapped, NOS tubes)
Guitar: 77 Hardtail Strat
Effects: Danelectro Cool Cat
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz
Comments: After replacing the caps and tubes, this amp sounded great
with the exception of the Utah speakers [which weren't
stock anyway]. After putting the 12A150's in, the difference
was immediate. The highs shimmer, making chords on the
strat ring. The bottom edge is tighter, great for plucking
the low strings. In general, these are articulate and
allow this classic amp to sounds it's best. Another
satisfied customer!
Ted Smith
Amp: '62 Deluxe
Guitar: Swamp Ash Tele, 65 Jazzmaster
Effects: Fender Tube Reverb
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz
Comments: Before I got this speaker, I was very envious of the sound of a friends 59 tweed Twin.
I still want the Twin, but with this speaker I got a big chunk of that tweed sound.
In fact, more than I thought a speaker could provide.
The lows are big and round, the mids thick and sustainey, and the highs are musical- not shrill or harsh.
I'm using pretty bright pickups - the 12A150 fattened things up a bit but retained clarity.
The 12A150 might be a little dark sounding with higher output pickups, however, keep in mind that the brown
tolex Fender amps tend to have much less treble on tap than blackface amps (no presence control either).
By the way, the speaker I took out of the amp was a Vox silver AlNiCo which I like a lot.
For now, it is staying in the box while the WeberVST 12A150 is in the amp for good!
Pete Cage
Amp: Late Tweed Tremolux (5G9)
Guitar: LP '59 Historic, PRS
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: I bought the VST 12A150 to replace a '62 P12N that was in the Tremolux.
The old one was getting fuzzy due to cone and spider deterioration. I also
was tired of worrying about frying a valuable relic. The VST 12A150 was like
putting one in a time machine. Exactly the same as the old one, minus all
the rattiness of age. The lows are strong without becoming loose and flabby.
Distortion barks nicely as you crank it up without a trace of harshness.
Really nice, punchy dynamics in the clean-to-edgey range. I will buy VST
speakers again.
David Freedman
Amp: Custom '66 BF Bandmaster Rvb. w/Torres chan. switching, Svet 6L6s
Guitar: '62 US Strat RI, PRS EG Bolt w/SD single coils
Effects: TS-9, Vox Wah
Genre: Various
Comments: I've been using this 4 Ohm 12A150 for about a month now. I like
the speaker quite a bit. It is very fat, round, smooth. Volume wise, I
thought this speaker would be a bit louder than it is. Perhaps it's a little
more than 4 Ohms, but it is certainly an improvement over the 8 Ohm Utah
that was in there before. I think the best quality of this speaker is its
refusal to 'flop out' when I really crank up the bass. It maintains its
composure very well under all playing conditions. I'm certain I will be
using more VST's in the future.
Joe Pampel
Amp: Deluxe Reverb, Tweed Super into Deluxe Rvb cabinet.
Guitar: SG, Strat, Tele
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz, C&W
Comments: The 12A150 is a tight fit in the DR cabinet. OT fits into basket
slot. Thicker sounding than the P12Q, with more lows. Warm, mellow clean
sound that lends itself well to Blues and Jazz as well as Rock. Especially
well suited to tweed amps with presence controls when brighter tones are
needed. Good tonal balance, very deep low end. Overdrive brings out a 'barking'
midrange that is very rich with a good bite to it, but it never gets harsh.
A great choice for 2x12 combo amps. The 12A150 loves reverb. A solid choice
for Deluxe Reverb duty, but be careful to make sure you have clearance
between the output transformer and the speaker basket. Chassis must be
set back as far as possible.
Ron Ott
Amp: Kendrick 2212 (40 watt Tweed Twin) w/NOS GE pre's and Tung Sol 5881s
Guitar: Fender Custom Shop Strat
Effects: None
Genre: Blues
Comments: Warm, tonally rich and well balanced. They sound like I thought
an old Jensen ought to sound -- warm, smooth, and well behaved without
excessive brightness. They are slightly less efficient than the original
Kendricks, but the 2212 has plenty of reserve power.
I also tried it in a Kendrick 2112. It has more power than the 12A150 can
handle, and the 2112 can produce some great tone at higher volumes. So,
I replaced the original Kendrick Black Frame with the new "redesigned"
version (distinguished by a 3-inch diameter dust cover) that is sonically
VERY different. The original design is pretty bright, while the redesign
sounds very warm - not unlike the WeberVST 12A150's. The redesigned Kendrick
breaks up very smoothly and, frankly, I liked it better in this particular
amp.
Kenny Blue Ray
Amp: '71 Pro Rvb BF'ed, Philips 6L6s, Mojo Tweed Output Trans.
Guitar: Several Strats w/P90s, VZs, Duncans
Effects: None
Genre: Blues
Comments: I've never heard a 2x12 sound so good. Had the Pro fully cranked,
no problem. Sounds like a Twin with much better tone. I can't wait to record
with these next week.
12A150W
Terry Terrance
Amp: Fender Blues Junior
Guitar: 52 RI Telecaster w/Joe Bardens
Effects: None
Genre: Blues
Comments: Perfect match for the pickups. Rings out almost angelically when running clean. Exceptionally
well defined picking dynamics...I couldn't believe how crisp it handled the spank of an
Albert King type finger-picked riff. I primarily play 50's and 60's blues and the 12A150T in the
Blues Junior is the tone I've been looking for in a reasonably priced package. SRV wannabes
may want to consider a speaker that breaks up a little quicker and has more bass.
J Paresa
Amp: '76 Deluxe Reverb w/NOS 6V6's, 12AX7's, 12AT7's
Guitar: Modified '62 Strat, American Deluxe Tele. SD antiquities on Strat, Van Zandt's on Tele
Effects: Fulltone Fulldrive II, Boss DD5, BudWah, Ernie Ball Vol. Pedal, Alesis Nanoverb, Samson UHF-1 wireless.
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz, Country
Comments: I recently purchased a '76 DR and really like the tone with the
exception that the speaker sounded really floppy on the low end.
This was especially pronounced in rythem work at moderate volumes.
After searching awhile I decided to try the 12A150T. WOW - excellent
sounding speaker. At low and high volumes the speaker was extremely
articulate, rich sounding and had a very tight low end.
What impressed me the most was the quick transient response.
The speaker would translate very subtle microbends. This I never
experienced with any speaker beforehand. However, the speaker did
sound kind of sterile and stiff for about the first 6 hours of
playing. When overdriven by the fulltone fulldrive it sounded
harsh and brittle. After the break-in period was over, I was
amazed at how the tone blossomed. It became extremely dynamic.
When overdriven, it sounded very smooth, clear, and creamy.
Chord work had a very bouncy yet smooth and tight feel to it.
When heard in context of playing with the band I was amazed
at how the speaker did not sound all buzzed out when playing
chords, rather it sounded very rich and smooth and clear. When
playin lead this baby has punch and can cut right through while
retaing it's warmth. This - baby can sing and really brings out
the tonal character of my guitars. This speaker makes me wanna
play all the time. Speaking of which......later. Thanks Ted.
Dale VanZile
Amp: '66 Deluxe-Amp w/bias-mod tremolo
Guitar: Fender Strat, with "Voodoo Strat" pickguard, '98 Danelectro U2. Fender Noiseless pickups in the Strat, stock ones in Dan-o
Effects: Straight in, also, Peavey Tube-Fex rack pre and Alesis Quadraverb II
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: Where do I start? The 12A150T kicks major-league butt over any other speaker I've ever
played through. I've played EVM12Ls, Kendrick Black Frames, Fender Utahs, Mesa "MS12" Black
Shadows, and Celestions. The problem is that the majority of them were "modern" sounding
speakers, and what I had a jones for was that "old" bluesy-rock tone. I still like my Black
Shadows, but wow, what a difference in tone! The 12A150T immediately made my Deluxe sound right!
It has thick mids, nice, tight, solid bass , and some nice cut on top to help it slice
through. When played clean, it has great body and helps a Strat sound as thick as a Les
Paul, but with that single-coil ZING that Gibson forgot to put in! Crank the amp, or use it
with the tube overdrive in the rack pre, and it gets this wonderfully growly tone that
midranges out as you add dirt, to make the guitar sound round and full, almost like a tenor
sax. The bottom line: if you're not using a WeberVST speaker in your rig, your tone is
suffering for it!!!
Jeff Theissen
Amp: Fender SFTR 135 watt PPMV, BF'd as much as possible-MV re-done, 1/2 power switch
Guitar: Fender Limited Edition 40th Anniversary Strat #1166 of 1954 strung with 11's and Custom Shop 54 pups.
Effects: usually none
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: Tight, full bottom end with NO buzz. Far superior to the
old re-coned and tired "Special Design" originals. Amp is played at
half power dropping the wattage to 65 or so. Plenty loud and is great
for rhythm or lead. Cuts through the mix very well. If these hold
up--I couldn't be happier. I have the last piece in the
puzzle--vintage Strat, BF Fender tube amp coupled with 2 12 inch
Weber 12A150T's--AWESOME. Service was phenomenol. Ted emailed
immediately and is great on the phone for advice.
12A125
Andrea Bagnasco
Amp: Deluxe Reverb Reissue. Retubed with NOS Telefunkens and Westinghouse 6V6's
Guitar: Telecaster w/Joe Bardens
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Jazz, Country
Comments: Tri-dimensional. Very transparent, if compared to stock Eminence.
Mids snap with a sweet honk and bass comes out round and smooth, yet very
defined. Not the least bit brittle. Highs a little sterile, but it's just a
matter of breaking in. I love this speaker, swapping to the Weber was like
wearing glasses (I'm short-sighted): you really get to hear things you
haven't heard before from your amp. The guitar FEELS different, too!
Jim O'Conner
Amp: Victoria Tweed Deluxe. ON/OFF switch replaced w/3-way including standby in middle position
Guitar: Hamer Daytona w/Rio Grande Tallboys
Effects: None
Genre: Blues
Comments: I wanted to stay true to tweed/Jensen tone which is why I chose this
particular model. And I was not disappointed. This speaker displayed all
of the crunch and midrange honk of a Jensen, with improved detail and
clarity throughout all the frequencies. Fantastic plucky mids. Bass
response was also improved to the degree that it would resist farting
out better. Highs were also distinct in a tweed/Jensen sort of way.
I thought the Mojo that I replaced sounded pretty good until I heard the
Weber. Then the Mojo's weaknesses became readily apparent, i.e., poor
bass response, lack of detail, muddy in general. I can't understand
why Mark Baier(Victoria Amps) thinks they're so great. Anyway, for
authentic tweed Deluxe tone, you need this speaker. Avoid the P12R
if you crank your amp a lot, and go with the P12Q. Sounds great at
any volume.
Lew Collins
Amp: '57 Fender Deluxe
Guitar: '54 Fender Tele
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz
Comments: This Weber P12Q is one I originally had in my old tweed
Deluxe, before I purchased a Weber 12A150 for it. I pulled the 12A150 out
the other day and put the P12Q back in so I could compare the two.
I love the 12A150, but wanted to see if I liked the high end and upper
mids of the P12Q better than the smoother, more buttery tone of the
12A150. Now I wish I could combine both speakers in one! The P12Q has
better, snappier highs, but the 12A150 has a fuller, richer low end and
pluckier mid range. I love 'em both. Maybe I'll have to try a
12A150T next, because as excellent as the P12Q sounds, I do prefer
the fatter, deeper, tone of the 12A150 - I just wish it was a little
brighter. The P12Q did have to go through a fairly long break in
period. I remember when I first got it I thought it was a little
thin and dry sounding. It actually took several months to develop
the tone it has today, which is much warmer and bassier than it was
right out of the box.
Fred Gillespie
Amp: BF Bandmaster w/post PI-MV, modded tone stack
Guitar: Gibson ES-345, Gibson ES-335 w/SD AlNiCo II Pro, JB bridge
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: This was my second venture into Weber speakers. The P12Q sounded
great right out of the box, as opposed to the break-in required by the C12S
I had ordered previously. The P12Q is really more what I like, clear,
bright, open and balanced, with a nice breakup. It sounds wonderful in a
2-12 open back cabinet paired with the C12S. Sounds great with Gibsons !
Sort of like a low-powered, "idealized" JBL/Greenback kind of vibe. What a
wonderful, sweet, clear yet complex tone ! If you can't make up your mind
about whether or not to go British or American, try a P12Q with a C12S in a
2-12 cabinet, and sit back and enjoy the ride ! Spend the extra ten bucks
for the Alnico magnet, the P12Q is a bargain. This particular combination
just flat-out ROARS with my ES-345 and Bandmaster head ! What a gas ! Say
goodbye to my V30's and JBL's ! Yeeeaaaahoooo !!!
Joe Pampel
Amp: BF Bassman head and tweed Super into 2x12 Bandmaster cabinet
w/back open.
Guitar: SG, Strat, Tele
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: Classic American clean tone, good lows, clear highs, good balance.
Overdrive is crunchy and dynamic, very detailed. The warmth and clarity
make it a natural for clean country Tele tones and the bite and grit on
overdrive are a natural for Rock and Blues.
John Templeton
Amp: Deluxe Reverb (Stock)
Guitar: Strat w/Duncan Vintage Pickups
Effects: None
Genre: Blues
Comments: This speaker is great! I was surprised at how versatile it is.
You can get a real clean, crisp sound or a very mellow and smooth sound
by rolling off the tone on the guitar. When I need to rock it, it's a real
kick in the pants when I roll the volume on up. But, it never gets harsh
or gritty. The speaker has quality written all over it. I really thought
the info kit, the stickers, and automatic warranty registration showed
a real concern for the customer's satisfaction.
10A125-O
Anders Reuss
Amp: Fender Champ - Silverface
Guitar: Fender Telecaster, Jazzmaster, Mustang. No-caster tele bridge
Effects: None
Genre: Rock
Comments:
(3.2 Ohm model) Some years ago I purchased a cheap, very beaten up silverface fender champ as a definately
non-collectors item, but a great players amp. To start with, I upgraded to a reissue 4 ohm
Jensen P8R, which was definately a huge improvement compered to the stock 8" speaker. But I
wanted more. As the amp held no value as a collectors item, I decided to upgrade for a 10"
speaker. These really don’t come in a great selection in 4 ohm except from Weber VST, who even
has a huge selection in the correct 3.2 ohm. Great. The difficult choice was which model to
choose. However, the Weber home page offers a lot of info, so I settled for a 10A125O form the
hybrid series. The speaker is like a Jensen P10Q with a 10A100 cone. In theory this should mean a
more efficient speaker with the sound characteristics of a 10A100. When the speaker arrived,
I was surprised how big it is. The magnet is HUGE, and my first thought was that I had wasted
$130 (I live in Europe so shipping was expensive) this thing would never fit in my champ! Even
though the front area of a champ is big enough for a 10" speaker, the tubes and the big
electrolytic capacitor hanging down fron the chassis inside the amp, does not offer room for
this type of 10" speaker. The Weber speaker was about 5 mm’s deeper than the champ cabinet too,
so the magnet would stick out of the back of the amp too not ideal and not a cool look..!
After some sweating and fooling around with the amp and speaker, it became clear that the
speaker could actually fit in the cabinet, if I moved it to the left of the centre of the amp
(from front), but this meant that I couldn’t just cut the existing 8" hole larger. The new
position was too far off from the old one. The speaker baffle in a Fender silverface amp is
glued in, and non-removeable, so installing an all new baffle was no easy task - if possible
at all. The final solution came to me on a sleepless night: I needed to ‘blackface’ the cabinet.
In a blackface Fender amp, the speaker baffle is screwed in and thus removeable. In a
blackface amp the grillcloth is mounted on the speaker baffle itself as opposed to as
silverface amp where it is velcro’ed on the front of the speaker baffle on a frame. What I
needed to do was to cut out the old baffle, just leaving 20 mm’s on each side, to mount the
new baffle on. This would also move the speaker about 12 mm’s forward in the amp, eliminating
the problem of the magnet sticking out of the back. Perfect! The final job was done in a few
days: Down to the wood shop to buy a piece of cut-to-measure 16 mm MDF board. Get home. Cut the
old baffle out (one vertical cut in each side, then rip the baffle out. Remember to leave
20 mm’s in each side). Cut the 10" hole in the new baffle. The hole can be in only one place
and it’s a tight fit - just only leaving enough room to mount the Fender-logo in the original
position. Paint the new baffle black. Mount the speaker carefully. Move the grillcloth to the
new baffle, and finally mount the whole thing in the amp, using the left-over 20 mm of the
old baffle in each side as base for the new one. I used 5 30 mm screws in each side to hold
the new baffle good and tight. All done. The amp looks exactly as before, just a little better
better becase the new baffle is more precisely cut, and fits better than Fenders original
velcro-on grillcloth frame! Now to the sound. First thing that I noticed is that the amp is a fair bit louder now.
It is as loud as my silverface princeton. The tone is fuller, like the bandwith has been
expanded in both the upper and lower register. The champ actually sounds like a big amp now
with the unique tone and charactaristics of a single-ended amp intact. I have not yet brought
the amp to break-up level, but it can only be great. I have played it with overdrive and
distortion pedals and it handles it very well. I have spent much more money on speakers for
this champ now, than what I payed for it. This could be regarded as really stupid, but I’d
say it’s been all the money’s worth. This champ simply sounds like a great, great amp now.
It’s hard to say if it still sounds like a champ and I really don’t care. I just love it.
The Weber 10A125O speaker is definately among the ultimate upgrading speaker for a champ that
you can buy.
Nathan
Amp: Allen 80watt TONESavor
Guitar: Strat Ultra (Van Zandt Blues), RI Tele (HD '54), Les Paul Classic (SD Seth Lovers)
Effects: Klon Centaur, Teese RMC-1, RI Uni-Vibe, ZVex Fuzz Probe
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz
Comments: I have these running with 2 12A150's, and this combination is KILLER. The N's take care of the
deep lows, and the Q's dish out plenty of highs and upper midrange. I built my Allen from a kit
and first tried the Q's alone (with ½ power), and did not like it. Just not my cup of tea; very
trebly, small, shrill, though still warm. Not what I was used to from my big 12N's, anyhow.
Then I tried the 12's alone, and found it a bit too soft; nice & deep, rich lows as usual,
but my new amp is obviously voiced differently than my previous ones. I was a bit worried
because I spent all that money, time waiting for, and building this thing and I wasn't blown
away like I had hoped I would be. But just like Goldilocks, I plugged both the 2 10's and
2 12's in, and it was just right! I had hoped for the best of both a 4x10 and 2x12
configuration, and that's what I got. These speakers blend VERY well, I might add. Whereas the
12N's lack in highs and cutting power, the 10Q's shine, and the N's pick up what the Q's leave
off in bass. This is also the first time I've played an 80-watter, and I am very much blown
away by the savage power of this set up. My tone is now right in the pocket of where I want
it to be; loads of bass and punch, but with clarity and 'sparkle' that allow the amp to scream
when pushed, and the Alnico makes for fluidity and warmth.
Brian Metelits
Amp: '68 Super Reverb, BF'd, all new caps. Replaced 4-10" speakers with 1-12" and 2-10" speakers
Guitar: Swamp ash Tele; '57 reissue Strat. Tele: Harmonic Designs V+; Strat: Harmonic Designs '54 Special
Effects: Tube Screamer, chorus, echo
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz, Country
Comments: I've been dissatisfied with the clean tone of my Super Reverb since I
bought it 2 years ago. Though a '68 Super Reverb, the speakers were
1971 CTS alnicos. I bought it from a guy who played with Frankie Valie.
Recently I had the caps replaced. The new caps made it a little better
but still not what I remember a nice Fender should sound like clean.
Well, I got this notion to try a custom speaker configuration.
I already had a WeberVST 12A150 (4-ohm) so I ordered two P10Q's and built
a baffle board for 1-12" and 2-10" speakers. Today (exactly 2 weeks from
the day I placed my credit card order) I received the P10Q's. I installed
them in the top positions and left the 12" in the bottom. I turned on
the amp and got out my Tele. !!!! What an incredible sound!!! Soft or
loud, clean or gritty this amp sounds heavenly now. The P10Q's give me
crystal clear note definition and full, punchy lows. Every note from
-low to high - rings true with clear, round sound. And that's what I
want from my amp.....clear, sustained, full sound. I use my Tubescreamer
to add a little grit at rhythm volumes. Even the reverb sounds better.
This is how a Fender amp should sound. I am extremely pleased with the
sound of these WeberVST speakers. If you're on that quest for the holy
grail of tone, you will eventually find it, and when you do WeberVST
speakers will be in your amp.
Andy Ramm
Amp: Blackface Vibrolux Reverb w/minor tweaks to tone stack and reverb
Guitar: Reissue Fender Strat with Van Zandt Pickups, Warmouth Strat w/Gibson P94s, '59 Gibson ES225
Effects: None
Genre: Blues
Comments: The first thing I observed when opening the boxes containing my
Weber 10A125Os (P10Q with an R smooth cone) was the extraordinary fit,
finish and cosmetic quality of the product. My first auditory
impression of the speakers were that they were louder than the Jensen P10RJs
I took out. I don't think it should be surprising that a brand new
speaker should have more volume than one made in 1963, but after
playing a minute or two, it became apparent that it wasn't just
volume, but the 10A125Os had greater richness and definition than the
RJs - all without sounding the least bit hifi-ish. Overall, the tone
was very sweet with distinct emphasis on the upper mids. Normally I
like more high-end rolloff than these speakers have, but the 10A125Os
obviously comb out the really brittle stuff, leaving you with a
speaker that cuts through nicely without ever losing smothness or
sweetness - very juicy sounding. It was quite frankly the best tone
I had ever heard and I can't wait to play them louder to hear more
breakup in the cone. Next was the most surprising aspect of these
speakers. My strat's neck pickup has always sounded a little muted
to me, so I've really avoided using it during solos since it doesn't
cut through. These speakers made the neck pickup sound phenomenal,
really sweet with lots of dynamics and presence. But you'd expect
that the middle and bridge pickups would then sound to brittle.
Just the opposite was true. The middle pickup has never sounded
better, and the bridge pickup had good punch and tone without any
harshness. I haven't got a clue how they do it, I can only speculate
that the combination of the Alnico magnetic compression with some
really well thought-out combing characteristics conspire to allow
this to happen. I also wasn't sure what kind of bottom end these
speakers would have. Given that they're smooth cones, I expected
to sacrifice low-end drive. The bottom on these things flat out
kicked ass. Quite frankly, I think that these are the best speakers
I've ever played through. What would I improve? Well, I think
these could sound a little looser, but they've only been played
about 10 minutes at less than club-level volumes. I have a feeling
they'll be perfect once broken in. Thanks for some killer
speakers, Ted!
10A125
Nick Greer
Amp: 68 Pro Reverb made into a head. Using a 4x10 Red Oak Vented back cab of my design.
Guitar: 60's Reissue Strat, 50th Anniversary Am. Std. Strat, Greer Model 13, '82 Tele
Effects: Nick Greer Exp. Designs www.nickgreerexpdesigns.8m.com and crybaby and Big Muff Pi (Original)
Genre: Blues, Jazz, Surf
Comments: Alright, I received these speakers (two 10F150s and two P10Qs) immediately
placed them in my cabinet and wired them up. At first I was not expecting
a whole lot of difference from other 4x10 cabs, but as I turned the volume
up to THREE I began to feel the speakers work, they had loud clear booming
low end and chimey highs with just enough mid-range to make me feel like I
could go gig again. This rig is truly amazing now, I have the tone I have needed
for years in my four ten cab. The break up on these things is also amazing.
Being that I play both clean and distorted music I find these speakers to be
best suited for everything I do. They work in all situations and sound great.
There is enough low end and just the right amount of mids and highs and man oh man
the texture of the speakers is amazing, they stay tight even when being slammed
with my amplifier (and yes, this Pro is LOUD). I love these speakers and I'll never use
another brand! Thanks guys for such a wonderful product!
Jeramy Norris
Amp: Custom Bandmaster Reverb 4x10 combo (Mojotone Super Reverb Cabinet) Blackfaced by Ron Veil @ www.unclespot.com
Guitar: 2 x 1983 '62 reissue Strats from the Fullerton Ca. factory. Bill Lawrence L250 Blade pickups.
Effects: Ibanez super Tube STL
Genre: Blues, Country
Comments: These speakers are the best thing going. Very complex and elegant in sound. Beautiful and sweet
highs. Dynamic upper midrange and both low and high volumes. Excellent lower midrange honk and
bark. Tight focused bottom end no flab included thank you very much. Overall this is a speaker
that allows for a wide range of tonal possibilities from clean picking and strumming to
ballsy overdriven lead and rhythm playing. The most sound inevsment in a ten inch speaker.
The P10Q win hands down and ears open!!!!!
Paul Freedman
Amp: "Custom" Vibrolux Reverb. NOS and current manufacture tubes to replace stock in preamp section
Guitar: Gibson ES 165
Effects: Budda Phatman
Genre: Jazz
Comments: I replaced the two stock blue Eminence 10’s of my ’99 "Custom" Vibrolux Reverb with two
WeberVST P10Q’s. The search for the right pair of speakers was as
exhaustive as I could make it, short of buying all the different types
and trying them all (unfortunately, not an option). My dealings with
WeberVST, including Ted himself, were always informative and pleasant.
In trying to figure out the best replacements, there is such a wide
variety of them that one has no choice but to become at least a
little educated on the subject. The WeberVST website, many times,
proved a valuable resource. Between the information pages and the
bulletin boards, I was able to get just about all of my questions
answered. I was pretty specific about what I wanted, which was a
speaker that would have a relatively early break-up (but later than
the stock blue speaker), and, most definitely, a speaker with better,
tighter low-end, a rather tricky balance. Once, I got the speakers,
here’s what I heard: First, most people who review Webers comment
about the increase in volume. My amp is now pretty dang loud at
1.5. By 3, it’s going ballistic. People also comment about the
clarity of string definition. That’s there as well. The low-end
is considerably better; far more under control. In one review,
someone said that some speakers sound as if they had a layer of
velvet covering them. That was definitely true of the stock
speakers. With the new Webers, that effect disappeared
completely. The sound is now very "present" - right there.
All these factors together produce an effect that’s somehow greater
than the sum of its parts. There is a certain - ahem - "Je ne sais
quoi" about the sound. With the amp just starting to clip, the
sound is focused, yet with a smooth powerful growl. Much of my
reaction to the upgrade was simple and pleasant surprise: "Wow,
I can do this, and now I can hear that." I am still experimenting
with the amp because the new speakers changed and expanded how I use
the treble and bass settings. Even with the bottom end more filled
out, the notes were still turning to mush from the low A on down.
By E and F, they were downright muddy, and just about lost. This
was the only disappointment, but I don’t blame the speakers,
since I’m confident that they could handle my guitar’s low end
given the right set up. Experimenting with the output transformer,
I believe, is in order here. It’s the next step, anyway. Since
the amp was now pretty loud, I put a NOS JAN Phillips 12AU7 in
the phase inverter position (comes stock with a Sovtek 12AX7WA).
It automatically brought the volume way down, and made the knob
far more useable. It also helped to clarify the bass.
The speakers are so dynamic that I actually welcomed the slight
"evening out" effect of the lower gain tube. Using that tube in
the same position with the stock speakers, the amp broke up earlier,
and some of the definition was lost. With the Webers, the break-up
now came later, and the definition still had that immediate presence
and clarity. I think somewhere I learned a rule about tone settings
that goes something like this: "Thou shalt not dime the bass."
This had never occurred to me as a possibility, but, I remembered
that cranking the treble allowed the "darkly twangy thud" of my
flatwounds to come through. This really only applied to the bottom
four strings, and the cranked treble made the B and high E strings
shrill. To try to keep the definition of the low-end, and to rescue
the high - in a moment of desperation - I dimed the bass. And do
you know what? It was not that bad. Maxing the bass, with the
treble around 7 or 8, was a useable setting. The old speakers
could never have handled such a "brazen" move. For now, I keep
both around 8, which produces an overall sound that is very full,
very lively, and has just enough snarl.
Phil Loarie
Amp: 1965 Fender Super Reverb
Guitar: '92 Les Paul Studio (ebony fretboard), '96 Fender American Standard Strat (maple fretboard)
Effects: Only what the amp has: a bit of reverb at 2.7 and the occasional tremolo.
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz, Surf
Comments: I have had my WeberVST P10Qs since March '99 and have had some
time now to break them in and listen to them
in many different places, times of day, moods and moon phases...he he he.
First of all these speakers sound great from 1 thru 7 on my amp. I haven't
taken it above 7.
I don't want anything else in there now. They have a nice chime on the top
with a
clean and vibrant bottom end. I like these better with my Strat but
that's cause I play the strat more. These P10Qs have got guts, you can play
at 2 and still have
punch. These are everything I wanted from an AlNiCo 10 inch and more.
Lew Collins
Amp: '66 Super Reverb and '95 Victoria Bassman. Mods are two or three Orange Drop caps, and that's it!
Guitar: Strat and Tele
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz
Comments: I've tried lots and lots of speakers. I love vintage Jensens -
that's what I grew up with. The Weber P10Q and 10A100 are the two best NEW 10"
speakers I've ever heard - I really mean that. The P10Q has bright, clean,
smooth highs; solid, clean mids for rythym, but enough midrange bark for the
bridge pickup to sing; and clean solid bass - just about perfect! The 10A100
is not quite as bright but is smoother, sweeter and more easily overdriven;
mids are more pronounced and more easily saturated; bass is solid but not as
tight & clean as the P10Q. To me, the P10Q would be the choice for someone
who favors a round, clean, bluesy Super Reverb tone - a natural for
sophisticated chords and R&B accompaniment, and singing, stinging B.B. King
style leads. The 10A100 would be the ticket for a fairly clean but more
easily overdriven sound for "British Blues" and tweed fifties tones - these
10A100's are clean at low volumes but scream like Clapton with Cream when
cranked! They both sound superb but are voiced differantly. If you're
putting these in a Fender Super Reverb or a tweed Bassman, you'll need to
ask Ted to machine the basket to fit around your power tranny. I forgot,
and had to leave two of the Mojo MP10R speakers in place in each of my amps.
By themselves, the Mojos are to bassy and midrange heavy and not bright
enough for me. But combined with the Weber P10Q or 10A100 speakers, the
combination makes for a huge sound that I like alot in both my amps. I'm
ordering another pair of Weber's with the basket cutout because I think I
will ultimately prefer the more refined tone of four Webers, but in the
interum, the Weber and Mojo mix is very satisfying. The Weber P10Q and 10A100
are highly recommended: A+
Alan Howe
Amp: King Bassman w/5751 in first pre; '66 Super Reverb
Guitar: Various Strats with Fralins and VanZandts; a custom KBR-made strat with 2 Gibson P94's
Effects: Klon Centaur
Genre: Blues
Comments: I first used two Weber P10Q's to replace 2 of the original Jensens
in the Super Reverb. I always thought the Super could use a bit more bottom
punch. This hybrid Weber/Jensen configuration has far exceeded any
expectations. Focused bottom and singing highs with improved pick dynamics
were immediately realized. For my ears, the Super never sounded better. The
King Bassman (#006) was recently purchased used from Kenny Blue Ray and came
with 4-P10Q's. This amp coupled with the P94 equipped strat cops some of
the most wicked T-Bone tones imaginable. The P10Q's tame some of the
over-the-top output from the P94's. This is my favorite amp-guitar-speaker
combination...period.
Bob Clear
Amp: '63 Vibroverb RI w/Super Reverb PT, 5AR4 recto, B+ set at 440V, Bassman OT, reverb send changed to original configuration, adjustable bias.
Guitar: PRS McCarty, Strat w/DiMarzio Blue Velvets
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: First, I must say that nearly any speaker would be an improvement
here, as the (seemingly accurate) reissue Oxfords suck just as bad as
the originals. That said, these P10Qs are exactly what I wanted to hear.
They are MUCH louder than stock (a trend I'm noticing with Weber
products). Previously, the amp wasn't much louder than a Deluxe
Reverb. Now it keeps up with a Super! I was initially considering
10A150s, because I thought these might be too bright. The tapped treble
pot on this amp results in more gain as you increase the treble.
So, I'm always playing with the treble on 10 (something I never do
on any other amp). I was concerned that the result would be ice-picky.
Surprise! The setup is bright, but in a good, warm, balanced way.
This may be because I've got a lot more low end with the different OT,
and some browning effect from the tube rectifier. Anyway, I like it!
It's very 'dirty-Fender' when cranked, as opposed to, say, a Pro or
Twin, and very steely and detailed when you lay back. I'm also
noticing that I use that word a lot now - detailed. You can hear
*everything* you play with Webers - whether you want to or not.
Other speakers leave me feeling like there's a sheet of velvet
(blue, of course) between my ears and the amp. If you're used
to letting speaker breakup mush cover your playing errors, you
won't like Webers. Even when they give it up, you can hear every
note and every nuance. These are really the forgotton piece of the
puzzle in making Fender reissues kick.
Tom Knezevich
Amp: '60 Concert
Guitar: Gretsch Duo Jet, Viking, Country Club
Effects: Echoplex or Ibanez EM-5 Echo
Genre: Jazz, Country, Surf
Comments: The P10Q's were a holy grail match for my brown tolex Concert. The
Weber's gave the amps natural 'brown' tone to it's fullest. The
bottom end is incredible, highs are smooth with a tint of break up
and increasing volumes. If you have an early 60's Concert and want to
retain the authentic tone of the amp with added dynamics, P10Q's are
the ticket. I mostly play rockabilly, emphasizing a lot of finger
picking and the P10Q's don't miss a pluck!
Tom Loizeaux
Amp: '62 Fender Super
Guitar: Strat Plus, '59 Gretsch 6121
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: This Brown Super had the original Jensen P10Qs in it. They
sounded good, but I was concerned about damaging them. When I got the
Weber P10Qs I installed one and listened up close to the tonal difference.
The Weber had stronger bass and slightly brighter or clearer top end, and
was a little louder as well. The Jensen sounded a little veiled by
comparison. When I installed both Webers I could really feel the extra
bass and clarity these Weber P10Q's gave me. When I turned the amp up,
they began to sing and produced a full sustain! If you like the vintage
Jensen sound, you'll find that the Weber P10Qs give you that with a
little more!
Kenny Blue Ray
Amp: White King Street Bandmaster, 3x10
Guitar: All kinds with Van Zandts, P90s, PAF Humbuckers
Effects: None
Genre: Blues
Comments: These P10Qs wrote the book! In my white Tolex King St.
Bandmaster, made by Ron Ott, this is the best tone I've had in 30 years.
Brad Emmons
Amp: '60 Fender Super
Guitar: Harp, Lee Oskar
Effects: Astatic Crystal mic w/Tape Delay
Genre: Blues
Comments: These are the best replacement speakers I've heard. Sound great
for harp. A little brighter than the original Jensens. I need to spend
some more time with this amp to comment further.
Andrew Mirisch
Amp: Princeton Reverb
Guitar: LP Jr.
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: The speaker did everything as promised. Deeper bass than I expected
with warm mids and a sweet treble. I'm real pleased.
8A100
Mike Shaw
Amp: Vibro Champ
Guitar: 61 Gretsch Corvette w/P90, 79 Strat w/Fralins
Effects: None
Genre: Blues
Comments: Man, is this thing gorgeous! The sound is incredible, nice highs
without harshness and has a real cool 'snap' when you hit a string hard.
With the strat, think early Clapton solo work. Very sweet tones and definition
like Robert Cray but with an edge to it. Nice raspy mids, a real ballsy
sound. The speaker fit my VibroChamp just fine. I also have a Victoria
tweed champ clone. It looks like it might be a tight fit in it, though.
Overall, I think this is an outstanding little speaker.
AlNiCo Blue Dog
Larry R. Fail
Amp: Peavey Classic 50 212
Guitar: Fender Strat Texas,Fender tele, Yamaha AES1500w/bigsby tremolo, Telecaster has Custom Shop Noiseless
Effects: Line 6 DL-4,DM-4,MM-4 , Boss PN2 tremolo/pan
Genre: Blues, Country
Comments: Peavey Classic 50 212 95 model. Amp sounded good, but I wanted to get more from this unit.
Had read lots of articles on how good it sounded with JJ tubes. Pulled up his web page
(eurotubes.com) and found that his good sound not only came from JJ tubes, but he also used
Weber Speakers in several of his personal amps. Pulled up Weber's web sight and here we go.
Found this to be one of the most educational web sights I have ever visited. If you had a
question they had an answer. Very friendly on the phone, and I did get the chance to talk to
Ted on question I wasn't sure about. After lots of consideration I chose P12B speakers to use.
I built a new cabinet using Rosewood and Fiddleback Maple. Used 7/8 solid Mahogany baffle
board. Once completed all the effort was well worth the trouble. The amp from the first cord
sounded completly different. This thing had depth that would take your breath. Bottom end is
so smooth, with the chime and ring you only here from custom shop amps. Its not too trebly or
bright. It will bend to your playing style very easy. After about 6 hours of playing time the
speakers setteled in to a rich smooth,or creamy warm brown sound. I play Christian Contemp,
Praise and Worship and Southern Gospel with a touch of Blues added in. Volumes are low to on
up there. If you want this amp to growl load it up, the P12B's can handle it with ease.
The attack is super sensitive. Had to alter playing style or this amp now would tell on you.
Put a mike in the back of the amp and one in the front and it records unreal. If you got needs
for new speakers, Weber will have what you need. Take time to research all the different types
of speakers Weber sells and they will have one for you. I am sold.
Amos
Amp:Peavey Classic 30. Matched quad of JJ power tubes, JJ preamp tubes
Guitar: Various Strats and Teles with Harmonic Design, Seymour Duncan
Effects: tc chorus, Fulldrive II, Boss DD-3 digital delay and Harmonist, various others as needed
Genre: Rock, Country
Comments: The P12B sounds incredible in the Classic 30. The Classic 30 is Peavey's attempt to create a
sound like the Vox AC-30 and I wanted a speaker that captured that great British chime. The
P12B does that incredibly well. After the initial break-in period, the P12B has tons of sparkle
and chime, deep, clear lows, and punchy midrange. It responds well to picking dynamics and
jumps when I spank the strings with a quick rhythm attack. It reproduces the subtle differences between my different single coils extremely well. It also compresses and distorts gradually when driven like a good alnico speaker should.
The P12B increased the clean headroom in this amp after break-in.......initially, however,
it almost sounded like it reduced apparent volume (the speaker is kinda dark when it's new).
The main thing to be aware of is you have to be a little patient while breaking this in,
particularly if you've only used ceramic magnet speakers before because it may take a few
weeks to loosen up.........but it's well worth it. There were times when I almost gave up
on this because it seemed too dark and rich, but it has changed dramatically after break-in.
Again, patience is the order of the day. This would be a great speaker for blues, country,
jazz, and rock, maybe even metal. Warmer power tubes will allow it to break up at lower volumes,
while cooler tubes will enable it to retain clean headroom. You owe it to yourself to try a
P12B. With some patience, you will be rewarded with a speaker that will inspire you to play
better and discover new tones and sounds that previously only existed in your imagination.
Dale VanZile
Amp: Bassman 20 chassis in Musicmaster Bass 1x12" combo cab. Rearranged preamp layout similar to a Marshall (minus the cathode follower)
Guitar: Fender Strat, Danelectro U2. Bill Lawrence L250 bridge, Fender Noiseless neck & middle on Strat, stock on Dano
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: Wow! Let me say it again: Wow! This speaker has super-articulate mids, good "crang" and "jangle",
and solid low end. Everything a speaker ought to have--not a single bad tone in there! It
sounded AMAZING with the MAZ18 Jr.--way better than the amps' pair of Celestion 10" speakers
(which sounded pretty good, I must say, but, again, wow!). They also seem to hold together
well when the amp is overdriven, producing a slightly "cleaner" and more defined grind. I've
had this speaker for about 6 months now, and I look forward to getting more. Someday I want
either a 4x12" filled with these, or maybe a mini-stack (model 1965--why did they stop making
them???) 4x10" filled with Blue Pups.
Brian Lucey
Amp: Trace Elliot C50 'Speed Twin'. Yellow Jackets and Yugo EL 84's to replace stock 34's. Philips and Sovtek pre-amp tubes
Guitar: Handmade beech guitar w/ebony neck. Bartolini active pick-ups in a Strat configuration.
Effects: Snarling Dog, Also run a 2x12" Green back Cab. underneath with Rocktron Replifex feeding a Mesa 20/20.
Genre: Rock
Comments: After geeking on speaker options for some weeks, I bought the Blue Dog. I was immediately
thrilled with the punch and also the full range, low/hi, articulation. Now, after it has
broken in for a month or so, wow is it SWEET ! The highs and lows are extending, with chime
and clarity on top, fullness without floppyness on the bottom, and the punch is still PUNCHing
through the huge mids, which are bangin' but not crangin'. I recently stuck a Celestion Blue,
from a Vox AC-30 extention cab, into the Trace just to see if I had done the right thing,
and there was no comparison. If you want to spend more money than a P12B to specifically get
the old Vox sound, fair enough, yet if you want your amp to really come alive, get the Blue Dog.
I can only imagine the sound in years to come, as it continue to age in sweet and inspiring
ways.
Jeremy Lewis
Amp: Marshall Bluesbreaker reissue. KT-66's installed with NOS preamp tubes
Guitar: 50's Customcolor Strat, Fender American Std Strat and Les Paul. Dimarzio HS-2, Seymour Duncan Antiquities
Effects: Everything Fulltone, Echoplex, TC sustainer
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: I replaced the stock reissue Greenbacks with these. The Bluedogs were very Chimey and had a
clear low end. These were made for this type of amp. As far as Clapton's sound with the
Bluesbreakers I am there. I love guitar effects but they are uneccessary on this amp. Ok maybe
the echoplex. This speaker has a complex sound that puts the Greenbacks to shame. There is no
harshness just pure syrupy tone dripping from the amp. Highly reccomended!!
James Moore
Amp: 65 Fender Deluxe Reissue w/6V6EH tubes & Weber P12B speaker
Guitar: Fender American Deluxe Fat & Koa Carvin TL60T with Carvin has Rio Grandes
Effects: Tube Screamer, Vox Wha, Old Boss chorus
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz
Comments: I gig regularly with my Fender Deluxe. I could no longer stand the peircing
quality of the stock speaker. The stock tubes were Phillips. I put a P12B
speaker in and retubed it with the 6V6EHS. Man! it changed my life; talk
about a responsive amp. I had my amp tech bias it for clean headroom. The
first thing he said was, "Man, thats a sweet sounding amp!" I play it with
the volume set at 4, my strat set wide open. If I attack the strings lightly,
it sings sweet and articulate. If I glam down on the strings, it growls with
fat bite and breakup. Very nice indeed! I love the tone and response, much
better than that of many of the boutique amps I've tried. I almost gave up on
this amp. Thanks for such a great speaker.
Lew Collins
Amp: '57 Fender Deluxe. Circuit upgraded by Mission Amps
Guitar: '54 Tele, '63 Strat, Ernie Ball Axis. Lindy Fralin custom humbukers on the Axis
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz
Comments: The P12B is one of the best speakers I have ever played through
and my favorite Weber 12 so far. I and everyone who has heard my Deluxe
love it. I have a 35 year old Vox Alnico Blue in my other Deluxe ('58) so I
was able to compare the two. The way I would characterize the difference in
tone would be: The P12B is thicker...like Clapton's tone with Cream. My
mid 60's Vox Blue is brighter and not as thick...like Clapton's tone with
John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers. The GP review is accurate IMO, but I
wouldn't say the Celestion Alnico Blue is better...just different. Both
speakers are totally inspiring. The P12B is creamier and thicker than the
Alnico Blue. If I were to compare the two to maple syrup, the P12B is thick
syrup...the Alnico Blue is thinner and pours easier! Both are superb. With
my Fender guitars the P12B has plenty of highs, tho the tone control on my
Deluxe always stays on "12". With my humbucker equipped guitars, the P12B
has plenty of highs and sparkle at lower volume settings but when I crank
the Deluxe up to "10" or "12" I wouldn't mind just a little more sparkle so
that when I turn down the volume on my guitar, chords clean up a little
better. But for lead? The tone, sustain and touch of the P12B are just
fabulous..."Woman Tone" to die for. Really easy to get those Jeff Beck
"Truth" era or Eric Clapton "Sleepy Time Time" Les Paul/Marshall tones. The
P12BT might be the way to go if you play with humbuckers all the time, but
if you play with single coils, I think the P12B is a total winner...I love it.
Woody Crane
Amp: Deluxe Reverb Reissue
Guitar: Stratocaster 57 Reissue w/Van Zandt Blues
Effects: None
Genre: Blues
Comments: The P12B is my first Weber speaker. Having read extensively about this speaker before buying
it, I was expecting a bright punchy sound and got it. What I didn't expect, and didn't even
realize until I did an A/B comparison with the stock Fender/Eminence speaker, was how much
louder and crisper the low notes would come out. The P12B is a perceptibly better sounding
speaker in all respects and I'm totally pleased with it.
Samuel Fitzgerald
Amp: 1966 Fender Pro Reverb
Guitar: 1971 Tele, 1983 Strat
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz
Comments: These speakers are creamy yet get down when pushed.
John Cave
Amp: Deluxe Reverb RI
Guitar: PRS CE-22, Godin LGXT
Effects: Lexicon MPX-1
Genre: Jazz, Surf
Comments: I agonized over this for months. Finally,decided on the P12B and installed it.
What a shock!I did not realize a speaker could sound so good! I have been
playing since the early 60's, and originally had Fender blackface stuff(if only I had
kept it!)I got the DR RI last year, but could not tolerate the ice pick in ear tone.
The P12B solved all of that, and brought a degree of warmth, complexity and chime that
I did not expect the RI was capable of. Now I love this amp!
And the speaker isn't even broken in yet! They say the best is yet
to come...
David Jones
Amp: Vox AC15RI
Guitar: Jazzmasters - '60,'66 w/Duncans, Warmouth swamp ash with a '68 neck, Fralin HB and Strat pups.
Effects: Electro Harmonix Hot Tubes and Memory Man
Genre: Punk
Comments: The speaker arrived almost two weeks before Ted said it
would, which was my first pleasant surprise. Once I was totally beat
down by removing the chassis of the AC15 the speaker went in without
a hitch. I had A/Bed between the Eminence and Celestion when I bought
the amp and did not hear $250 worth of difference. With the Blue Dog
I did, with change to spare. First thing I noticed was more usable
crunch at slighty lower volume. Bass response was tight, chime was
to die for, and straight out of the box was quite a bit more complex
then the Celestion and especially the Eminence. I have not had a
chance to break it in but right from the Start this Blue Dog is a
Beaut!
Mark LaJoie
Amp:TopHat VibraTrem 20 1x12 combo w/polyester caps, teflon sheathed pure silver wire
Guitar: '85 Guild Nightbird, '93 Tom Anderson Classic
Effects: Fender Reverb Tank
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz, Surf
Comments: After a brief 'break-in' period, this speaker showed it's
glory. Made me realize the RI Celestion Greenback was murky, blurred,
and had *ice-pick* high end when pushed hard. All that disappeared
with the Weber P12B! The P12B is *completely musical*, no matter HOW
you dial it in! Even pushing the high's off the cliff sound musical.
Everything is gorgeous for tones. A truely full-bodied AlNiCo magnet
sound. Girth with Majesty. Soulful. Handles cracklin on-the-edge, to
violin sustain, in the *best* of ways. Where the RI Greenback was
stiff and hard-sounding, the Weber P12B has this *Very Cool* slight
'bounce' to it's character, which is eminently more danceable.
Vintage chime. This Tophat has about 50% open back, so room placement
impacts overall performance. The P12B delivers, no matter what.
You got a EL84 powered amp? Don't leave home without one of these
Weber P12B's!
Brian Thorne
Amp: DIY AC-30TB Clone
Guitar: LP
Effects: Occasionally Dallas Rangemaster, FF
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: These speakers were definetly worth the wait. At loud
volumes they sound relatively tight on the low end, with a hard mid
punch. Well balanced and great for english R&R. They come across as
very clear and defined even when the amp is driven to the max. These
speakers sustain forever.
Jay Filippone
Amp: Vox AC15 Reissue w/EI (Yugo) preamp tubes
Guitar: Gretsch Country Gentleman Classic II w/Filtertron RI AlNiCo's
Effects: Reverb
Genre: Rock
Comments: I am a purist and only considered upgrading the amp speaker
with the Celestion G12 Blue Speaker. The P12B Blue Dog captures all
of the sweet, bell-tone characteristics at one half the price (!).
I am very impressed...BRAVO!!
Name: Rickey Ray
Amp: Vox AC-15 RI
Guitar: Fernades Tele, Fender Esquire w/SD Broadcaster, Ric 12-V64, Gibson ES-335 w/SD Seth Lovers, Harmony H-77
Effects: Assortment of Boss, Ibanez, EH, Vox Wah, Fender Vibratone, Dan Echo
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz, Country
Comments: This P12B made my VOX-AC15 RI come alive! Let's see now, enhanced low-end response,
WAY enhanced high end response (chimey, bright, jangley, etc. pretty much sums it up).
It really brings out the character of what a VOX should sound like IMO.
Thanks for making such a well designed and affordable product.
Akbar Anwari
Amp: Homebrew 5F6-A, Princeton Reverb, 6G2 Princeton
Guitar: Guild Nightbird, Tele, Single Humbucker Strat
Effects: TS-5
Genre: Blues, Rock, Surf
Comments: This speaker replaced an AlNiCo Oxford in the 5F6-A homebrew 1x12.
The speaker has a very solid bottom end to it, almost like having a closed back in a combo.
The low end was focused, never flubby, even with some rather severe dives with Kahler.
It doesn't seem to have any problem handling the full 45-50 watts of the 5F6-A.
The speaker sounds nice and warm clean, but it loves output tube distortion, even if the speaker itself isn't distorting (with the Princetons).
Just for a kick, I tried it in parallel with a JBL and it almost sounds 'stereo' adding alot of depth to the rather HIFI JBL. Someone with a Pro-Reverb should really try this combination!
Greg Gagliano
Amp: 50 watt Harry Joyce 1x12 Combo
Guitar: G&L Legacy w/Duncan Vintage series (factory stock)
Effects: none
Genre: Various
Comments: Does the 'British thing' to a tee! Very impressive. It pushes
the mids a bit more than a 12A150 or the P12S Silver Bell. However, with
an open back cabinet, the sound it produced was very diffused and not well
defined. It loves closed backs, though. Very efficient.
AlNiCo Silver Bell
Pete Cage
Amp: AB763 Deluxe circuit w/deluxe-sized cabinet for 1x12" speaker
Guitar: Les Paul, Strat
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: I started with a Weber 12A150 in this cabinet (it's a favorite speaker)
but I found that it had too much low end, and was especially boomy on
the low E string. Then I tried a P12Q, which sounded great but the
cone broke up a little too soon to get a good Fender-ish clean tone
in this application. The P12S fit the bill perfectly. It seems to
have more bottom than the Q, but retains all of the sweetness in the
high end, and does a great job of hanging tough when the 6V6s start
to really work hard. With the Strat it was really balanced across
the audio spectrum, especially when playing clean and jangly. The LP
pushed the amp into distortion more quickly, and the S took it all
without getting flappy. Flat out, it just screamed, with no ghost
notes or other cone weirdness. This thing really sounds great; I'd
describe it as a 12A150 with less bottom end. Weber's got another gem!
Brad Shermock
Amp: Homebrew 15 watt, 2-EL84s
Guitar: Hamer Daytona Strat
Effects: Tube Screamer
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz
Comments: I wanted a British-inspired speaker for an amp that would be played cranked all the time.
The P12S has a throatiness, complexity and detail to the sound that my EV Black Shadow couldn't get, with punchy lows and a sweet high end.
I am also very pleased with the incredible volume level in an open-back cabinet.
Way cool. I won't make an amp without VST speakers now, period.
Greg Gagliano
Amp: 50 watt Harry Joyce 1x12 combo
Guitar: G&L Legacy w/Duncan Vintage series (factory stock)
Effects: None
Genre: Various
Comments: Sounds a little tight, presumably because it is new, however
the tone is there. With a closed back, the lows drop off sharply and the
volume goes down. It didn't like a closed back cabinet, in my opinion.
Overall, it was very efficient, smooth, and warm. I would consider the
Silver Bell for an open back Fender without hesitation.
15A150
Karl Fleischmann
Amp: 1955 Fender Bandmaster (5C5 w/ 12ax7's)
Guitar: '66 Telecaster, '68 L-5CES. Tele has a vintage Gibson pup in neck, L5 is stock
Effects: Fender Tube Reverb
Genre: Blues
Comments: I purchased your P15N as a replacement for an original cone P15
Jensen- your speaker has actually improved the tone of my old Bandmaster!
Very even, full sound and a very musical speaker that responds well to
dynamics. Not a lick of upper-end harshness either. Thanks! This is FINALLY
the tone I've been hunting.
Joel Hatcher
Amp: '59 Pro, recapped with orange drops
Guitar: GnL George Fullerton
Effects: Rodger Mayer "Axis Fuzz", Fulltone "Fulldrive 2", Suydam "Pipeline"
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: This speaker has made my amp sound like it probably did 40 years ago!
I had a suspicion that I was missing some fullness in the bottom end, especially
when I'd play my Les Paul (bridge pos.) through the Pro. It just seemed to
choke up. It was compressing in a "not as desireable as a tweed deluxe" type of
way. When I installed the Weber speaker, I gained all sorts of fullness!!
It stopped choking up! Now, I've had a Mojo 15 in this amp, and it just killed
that "tweed character" that we all love so much. It was way to heavy duty,
and I lost much detail and clarity. This Weber speaker has enhanced the
character of my amp in exactly the way that Leo had intended it to act and
sound when he matched this circuit perfectly with the Jensen P15N speaker.
Thank you Leo and thank you Ted!!
Andy Ruhl
Amp: '63 BF Pro, NOS 6L6GWB's
Guitar: Strats, Teles, G&L ASATs
Effects: Reverb Unit
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: Sounded great right away. It was a colossal difference
when compared to the other speakers I had in there (stock CTS, JBL D130F).
After putting it in, it was like the difference between a solid
state and a tube amp compared to the JBL. It compresses and distorts
when the volume is cranked, and sounds nice clean. Not as clinical as
the JBL, not nearly as much bass or efficiency. I like it better
though. It made the amp go from mini Showman sound to 1x15 Vibroverb.
WeberVST's stuff has survived my pounding 3 for 3 now. I highly recommend
this speaker.
Charles Baty
Amp: '55 Fender Pro
Guitar: Gibson ES295, Strat
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Jazz
Comments: The Pro was improved dramatically with the addition of this P15N.
I recently used the amp to record with John Hammond and was ecstatic with
the tone on tape. The tone was full without being too crunchy, deep without
being muddy. The overall sound was reminiscent of the '50s Chess Studio
sound. It is not an overly bright speaker, so I also used a Reverbrocket
with a 12".
12F150
Jack Hudock
Amp: 65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue
Guitar: Gibson ES 446-S The stock pickups are Gibson '57 Classic Humbuckers
Effects: When I feel like playing around, I use the effects emulations in my Line 6 POD, v 2.0
Genre: Blues, Rock, Country
Comments: (30 watt model) First of all, please note that I've only changed the speaker in this amp.
The tubes are the ones supplied by Fender. That said, the Weber C12N sounds great in my Deluxe
Reverb Reissue. It noticeably tightened the lower end and took the piercing edge out of the
high end. Made the little beast sound like the blackface amps I remember from the days of my
youth. After changing the speaker, it took a few days of playing with the tone controls to get
the sound I wanted. I had it sounding as close as I could to my memory of the classic "Fender
clean" before I changed the speaker. Once the Weber was in, the amp sounded very different.
Both before and after the conversion, I've run both of the guitar's pickup volume controls at
10. To get back to the sound I prefer, I wound up boosting the amp's bass knob to about "7"
(I'd been running the bass with the stock Emminence speaker at about 4. Beyond that it was
too "woofy"). I now run the amp's treble knob at about "3" (I had been running the treble at
about 2, with the guitar's tone controls rolled all the way off.) So, with the Weber in I run
the guitar's tone controls rolled on at least half way, and still the sound is clean and
unbroken at practice volumes. I think these post-conversion EQ settings would change if I were
playing at performance volumes, and I think I could use all the range of both the amp's and
the guitar's tone controls with out undesired rough edges at the extremes. But until I'm back
on someone's stage, we'll never know. With the new settings I've described, if I crank the
amp the paneling in the bedroom rattles so much I can't really say it's a fair test of the
speaker or the amp. This is a knock on the paneling, not the speaker, guys. I'd like to
put in a good word for Mr. Weber's advice here as well. I had planned to buy an Alnico Weber,
having read about them being favorably compared to the Celestion Blue in Guitar Player
magazine. Ted Weber advised against Alnico, and recommended the C12N for the '65 Deluxe
Reverb Reissue because of the amp's excessively "bright" voice. He was dead on correct,
at least to my taste. This speaker is a good product at a fair price. I'm not done fiddling
with the new speaker yet. In the next few weeks, I'll be experimenting to see what effect
it has on the sound of the amp models in the POD. My guess is that any change can be dealt
with by minor tweaks to the amp's tone controls. When the speaker "breaks in," which may be
a while since I use my gear pretty gently, I may have to do some more tweaking. But hey,
that's what hobbies are for. This was a fun modification because it worked well, with no harm
to the amp either.
Aaron
Amp: Crate 4x12
Guitar: 1976 Gibson Explorer w/humbuckers wound by Seth Lover
Effects: Alesis Quadraverb
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: Well first I called Ted to see what speakers he might be able to suggest for the type of sound
I was trying to create, and he suggested I put two C12N'S on the top and two C12'S on the
bottom of my 4x12 cabinet. It only took a few days before my speakers arrived, and within a
few hours I had wired my 4 speakers in series/parallel, to keep my cabinet at 8 ohms. I kept
the volume low and just ran over a few notes and chords to see if the speakers were in working
order , and they were fine. I noticed that it took a few hours of playing before the speakers
get broken in, but in fact it is worth the wait. The C12N'S on top combined with the silver
bells on the bottom seem to be just what I was looking for. The C12N'S provide a lot of punch
without washing out the natural tone of my guitar, and still bright enough to blend it all
together for a warm rounded sound. The C12's on the bottom seem to allow for better highs and
keeping the whole sound from becoming too muddy or washed out from too much bottom end. These
speakers seem to work well together, and give me a balance of natural sustain and overdrive
that others could not. Ted and his company produce a well made product and reliable service.
Drew
Amp: 65 Deluxe Reverb RI. Removed V1, V2=Sovtek 12ax7lps, driver 5751 (rest are orig tubes for now)
Guitar: Am Std maple fretboard Strats and ash Am Std tele with Glaser b-bender. Strats have Kinman AVn-blues sets, tele, Vintage stacks, and middle hot strat with Mason wiring done by Glaser in Nashville
Effects: GE-7, CS-3, DD-3, DC-2 (dim-C)
Genre: Blues, Country
Comments: I replaced the orig Fender (by Eminence) speaker with this C12N.
I removed the chassis and reverb tank so there was no chance I would
damage the speaker. It sounded GREAT and MUCH louder. Four hours later
magic happened and it sounded Soooooo much bigger and came alive. Now
it is unbelieable. I really do not have the words to properly describe the sound. All I
can say is the C12N sounds so much better, more musical, more bottom (no more farting out)
fatter, louder, and no more harshness of the Fender speaker. The Fender speaker is the same
one used in many models of the Fender tube amp. What I can say is that the Wever C12N was
worth every penny. It is also a pleasure to do business with Ted. This is my second
Weber speaker, the first being a C12CA in a Peavey Classic 30.
Additional info: My 65 DR reissue is actually a 95 model which I
just bought and it still had all the crap Fender Chinese and Sovtek
tubes used back then (however, the amp was not used). The amp can be voiced
many ways. One with a 5751 in the driver for a fatter SRV tone, or another
Sovtek 12axLPS for more distorted tone. The Weber speaker sound fine both ways.
All I can say is that replacing the speaker with the Weber made a
VERY BIG IMPROVEMENT.
Glenn Bloiso
Amp: Deluxe Reverb
Guitar: Fender Rhodes Electric Piano
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: Clearly this speaker in a Deluxe Reverb is superb for guitar but in the course of my
studio experimenting, I discovered that it is equally as impressive with a Rhodes
electric piano. Over the last 30 years,I've played the Rhodes through every
imaginable tube and transitor amp but clearly the Deluxe Reverb with a Weber C12N
(and and MXR phase 90) is Rhodes heaven. Great dynamics, loud, incredibly rich tones
with just the right amount of touch sensitive breakup. Can't say enough good things
about it. Very highly recommended.
Glenn Bloiso
Amp: Deluxe Reverb
Guitar: Strat Plus, PRS (24 fret), LesPaul ES335, various Teles
Effects: Turbo Tube Screamer
Genre: Blues, Rock, Country
Comments: Just replaced the stock Oxford 12L6 with a Weber C12N and the difference is
astounding. I wondered whether I should have got the C12NTs for more high
end, but the C12N is just right. The flabby, farty bass which is common to
DRs is gone. Beautiful bottom and sparkling high end. More clean headroom
and much improved natural sustain and distortion when the amp is cranked.
Terrific rock and blues with the Tube Screamer. Excellent country clean
or cranked. Very articulate and sensitive to picking technique. Gibsons
and Fenders sound equally good. Really rich, full satisfying sound.
The only drawback is some edge yowl or ghost noting on certain guitars at
the 22nd fret if not played sofly. This is not the foul sounding,
loud and offensive noise I've experienced with other speaker/amp setups
including Webers and Celestions, but a mild annoyance that can be
avoided. Interestingly, it doesn't occur at all with a Strat or new
Deluxe Tele. Its most noticeable with a PRS(which otherwise sounds the
very best I've heard and its been played through some of the finest new
and vintage amps) than a Les Paul or ES335 where it is noticeable but
readily tolerated. On the bridge pickups of a 54 Tele and a 56 Strat
it's only present at the very top of the fretboard with loud playing
and its still not significant (although I wish it were absent as it is
the only discernable blemish to these fabulous speakers). Highly
recommended. Also, Weber VST is a great company, offering terrific
and very prompt Email advice and excellent service.
Michael Dindore
Amp: 66 Pro Reverb RCA black plate 6L6's, NOS 12AX7
Guitar: Les Paul, 62 RI Strat, PRS
Effects: Chandler (old) rack mount tube driver, (old) Morley Wah-Wah, Dano Chorus
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: First let me say the personalized service was top of the
line, Ted is a good guy. Shipping packaging is the best I've seen.
Now the nitty gritty on the C12N's. They slipped in and were bolted
down. I had Oxfords in the Pro and was expecting about the same drive
and punch. The amp came alive, the Strat sang a whole new song. It
sounded kinda 3-D if you know what I mean. The PRS and Paul will talk
the talk. The speakers give great attack without any mud. The highs are
rich and the lows would drive a nail. Throw a little tube driver on
them and they will grind with the best. They break up at about 7 instead of
the Oxfords at 5. I tried the other guys 12's and vintage, They don't
compare to VST. My 66 Vibro Lux is fixing to get a pair of Weber P10's
in it. From Fender clean to a good bluesy grumble Webers do it.
Skip Helms
Amp: 66 Deluxe
Guitar: Les Paul, Strat w/Rio Grandes, Tele, Les Paul Special
Effects: Reverb Tank
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: I really like this speaker in this application with the Gibson-style
guitars, particularly with the P-90's on the Special. The breakup
starts around 6 so I have some headroom when needed but can push it
past that. I had tried a 12A150 but felt it had too much bottom for
this amp. A P12R sounds good too but overall the ceramic magnet
sounded best in this application.
Chuck Minahan
Amp: '73 Twin Reverb w/push-pull disabled, amp is partially BF'ed.
Guitar: 96 Am Std, 83 Japanese Squire Strat, 95 Epi LP Standard.
Effects: Boss BD-2, SD-1, ProCo Turbo RAT, EH Small Stone.
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: The amp is a 100 watt '73 Twin Reverb that was completely redone with caps, resistors, tubes, and new speakers about 6 months before I bought it. The
push/pull circuit was removed from it but it retains the master volume circuit.
The speakers were new (1996) but mismatched. They were both Eminence; one was
a British style 80 watt 12BR30 and the other was a standard, vintage American
vintage style speaker. The amp sounded quite good and is dead quiet, loud as
hell and clean as it gets. I've had many comments on how good it sounded.
I installed the WeverVST C12N's, hit one chord, and couldn't believe the
difference. I am not a fan of a real harsh treble/bright sound, so I usually
leave the treble rolled back quite a bit on my amps and the guitars. I always
felt kind of cheated since the trebles I've heard from the stock Fender
speakers on my silverface amps and with the Eminence speakers was always so
harsh that I couldn't get satisfactory treble levels. Whole different ballgame
with the Webers. I can now crank the treble on the amp and guitars up and I
get full, fat, warm highs.
One of the biggest things I noticed was also that the "boominess" of the bass
was also gone. The speakers are incredibly responsive and produce an even
volume level at all frequencies. I have 3 amps with 12" speakers in them and
they all have a this "boominess". I also have a Super Reverb (4x10") that has
a much tighter bass. The Weber C12N's is closer to the Super Reverb in the
bass sound. Much, much tighter than the other 12" speakers I've heard and the
tone is very smooth.
I now realize that the old speakers were controlling my EQ selection. Now, I
can set the EQ to many variations and the speakers seem to provide a natural
compression, leveling out the volume so that no particular frequency is
annoyingly dominant. This makes playing easier since I don't have to worry
about pick attack depending on whether I am playing a high note or a low note.
I used to have to pick harder on the highs to compensate for the rolled off
treble and easier on lows to prevent the "boomy" bass notes. No more of that
crap.
The speakers are so responsive, my Strat seems like a different guitar
altogther. It sustains forever with these speakers. It is like a note just
won't die. The tone of chords has absolutely no muddiness or muddled aspect to
it. It is almost like I can hear each string separately within the chord.
Another note about the treble response on these speakers is that I have a
Gibson 498T humbucker in the bridge of my Epi Les Paul Standard. The treble
from this pickup will slice your head off it. It is a high output pickup
(about 17 Kohms DC) that is touted for increased highs. I could hardly take
the highs. With the C12N's, I can now use the treble on these pickups and let
them scream. Again, warm, fat, thick treble.
I think the fact that my experience with amps is somewhat limited is good in
that I can give a perspective that is the reverse from a long time working
musician. I'm hearing all the good stuff for the first time, perhaps something
that many long time musicians might not notice as readily. Someone with more
tube amp experience would probably do a review taking for granted some of the
things I am noticing.
So what did I get for $75.00 each? Beautifully made, vintage Jensen sounding
speakers with such an even frequency response that playing my guitar has become
easier just because I don't have to worry about pick attack to even the tone
out. I also got extremely personal service from Mr. Weber himself, a better
sustaining Strat, a screamin' Gibson humbucker that I can finally use to its
full potential, and a silverface Twin Reverb that sounds like it was made in
1965. These speakers are a tremendous value, especially for a warm, even,
clear blues or jazz sound. My thanks to Ted Weber and the WeberVST crew for a
great product.
John Templeton
Amp: DR w/Vibroverb Reverb circuit, all NOS tubes
Guitar: Strat RI w/Duncan Vint. Strats, Tele w/custom neck, DV 54 in bridge,
P90 in neck.
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: Very deep resonant bottom end. Top end smoother than P12Q AlNiCo.
This speaker is very different from the other speakers I've tried. It took
about a week to get used to the more refined sound that it produced. The
magnet is very powerful. When I take the tube shileds off it's hard to
keep them in hand! This helps the huge bass response stay in control. No
flabbing or farting at all.
12A100
David Gertschen
Amp: 59 Deluxe
Guitar: 95 Strat w/SD APS-1
Effects: None
Genre: Blues
Comments: I've tried speakers from Kendrick, Naylor, and Mojotone
in my amp prior to discovering WeberVST. I think it's safe to say that my
search is over. The Weber P12R is by far the livliest speaker I've had in
the amp. It really enhances the amp's singing quality and violin-like
tones are now possible. Probably the best choice for any tweed.
Andy Ruhl
Amp: '64 Deluxe Reverb
Guitar: Strats
Effects: Tube Screamer, Reverb
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: If you like the sound of a cranked Deluxe Reverb, then this speaker
is worth checking out for sure. It's very nice at lower levels, a little
midrangy with solid bass. The high end is not as prominent as the stock
Oxford, but not attenuated either. It always sounds like it's on the edge
of breaking up. The speaker is alot more sensitive to picking changes than
a higher wattage style speaker. There's an amount of detail that was not
present with the other speakers I used in the amp (stock Oxford, JBL D120F).
It compresses and distorts when you dig in hard. Fully cranked, it's George
Thoroughgood all the way. I played it for about 2 hours on 10 and it's
still alive, so it can handle the power. A great speaker if you like to
ride the volume control between clean and dirt. Highly recommended.
8A125 3.2 Ohm
John Kane
Amp: Fender Vibro Champ
Guitar: Fender Stratocaster
Effects: Digitech RP3
Genre: Blues, Rock, Country
Comments: (3.2 Ohm) Installing the P8Q improved my tone 100%! The stock speaker in the 70's vibro champ
was physically intact, but had seen better days- the sound was thin, with no bottom end.
The P8Q makes that little amp sound a LOT better (bigger on the low end, and brighter on the
top). I was pretty happy with my amp when I bought it a few months ago, but I'm totally
thrilled with it with the P8Q installed. I'll never own another amp without a Weber speaker!
Matt Chuchla
Amp: 59 Fender Princeton
Guitar: Fender Tele, Fender Strat
Effects: None- dont need 'em
Genre: Blues, Rock, Country
Comments: (4 Ohm model) Great speaker. Has a lot of low end which is good for cancelling out some of the
shrill bridge tones of the telecaster. A huge improvement over the fender replacement that
I had in there previously. Makes the amp a lot louder, and gives it a much richer sound when
cranked up. The amp only has a volume and tone control, and I only play it with both of
them dimed. This speaker is great for that. An excellent replacement 8" speaker overall.
Thanks a lot Ted!
Rob Wise
Amp: Fender Vibrochamp w/ RCA Blackplate 6V6
Guitar: 1986 '62 Reissue Fender Stratocaster w/VZ True Vintage Pickups
Effects: TS808, Memory Man
Genre: Rock, Jazz, Country
Comments: A wonderful improvement in tone! The original speaker, seemed
incapeable of handling the power of the amp at any setting over
"6" on the volume knob. (i.e. flabby bass, tinny treble) But,
in comparison, the P8Q is fantastic! Very well balanced: the
treble has bite (but it wont take your head off), and the bass
end is clearly reproduced and is well controlled. I must say
that it knocked my socks off when I cranked it up for the first
time! A very efficient 8"! In my opinion, a great match for
this amp.
Steve Cole
Amp: SF Fender Champ w/feedback disabled
Guitar: 91 Fender USA Strat
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: This thing rocks! My old speaker (not stock and unknown) was
totally brittle and ear piercing at high levels: TOO much treble. The Weber
is nice and sweet with controlled highs that still cut. You've got to hear
these things cranked to really appreciate them. Great Job.
wP8Q 4 Ohm
Greg Gagliano
Amp: Fender Vibro Champ
Guitar: Fender Stratocaster, Rickenbacker 360v64
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: The Fender Champs, Vibro Champs and Broncos from the 1960s and 1970s may have been sold as
practice amps or student model amps, but they sure are fun and useful for recording.
Unfortunately, those stock Oxford 8EV52 speakers with their 1/2-inch voice coils are the wink
link of these amps. They sound pretty good, but the sure do take a powder easily and I'd hate
to blow a speaker in the middle of a recording session. I tried an 8-inch Celestion speaker,
but it made the Vibro Champ lose it's Fendery-ness. I also tried a vintage Jensen P8T, but it
was just as wimpy as the stock Oxford. Having such positive experience with my WeberVST
wP10Qs and wC12CAs, I immediately went to the WeberVST website to see what was available.
I was really jazzed to see that there was an 4-ohm 8-inch speaker available with a "Q" rating
(1 1/4-inch voice coil!). Since I would be using the amp for a lot of overdrive tone, I opted
for the alnico magnet version as I prefer the way alnico compresses the high end. Plus,
I knew there would be little chance that my 4-watt Vibro Champ would blow this speaker so
I ordered one up. The speaker arrived (well-packed and in perfect condition) about a week
after I received my order confirmation. After installation, the speaker required very little
break-in time. The wP8Q is a very impressive speaker. The first thing I noticed is how clean
the amp sounded. The sound is huge for such a small driver and you'd swear there was 10-inch
speaker shoe-horned in my amp. There's loads of bottom end and mid-range on tap. The high
end needs to be coaxed out using the treble control but I wouldn't say the speaker is lacking
high end definition. The neat thing is that with some quick EQ'ing of the amp's controls,
I can easily dial in the sound of the stock Oxford speaker (bright, scooped mids, not much
low end). As with all the WeberVST speakers I have, the wP8Q is very efficient and my 4-watt
Vibro Champ sounds quite a bit louder than with the old speaker. The wP8Q really increases
the volume.
Matt Chuchla
Amp: 59 Fender Princeton
Guitar: Fender Tele, Fender Strat
Effects: None- dont need 'em
Genre: Blues, Rock, Country
Comments: (4 Ohm model) Great speaker. Has a lot of low end which is good for cancelling out some of the
shrill bridge tones of the telecaster. A huge improvement over the fender replacement that
I had in there previously. Makes the amp a lot louder, and gives it a much richer sound when
cranked up. The amp only has a volume and tone control, and I only play it with both of
them dimed. This speaker is great for that. An excellent replacement 8" speaker overall.
Thanks a lot Ted!
Ben Rice
Amp: SF Champ
Guitar: '74 Strat
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Rock, Surf
Comments: This SF Champ belongs to friend of mine and had sounded
dull, lifeless and boring for years...so we never
used it for guitar. The P8Q brought the amp to life.
Nice tonal balance w/ decent lows for an 8" speaker.
Good power handling w/ smooth breakup at higher volumes.
Hat's off to Ted Weber.
Gerry Hundt
Amp: SF Champ w/Sovtek 12AX7 or GT 12AT7, output is 6V6M
Guitar: Various
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Jazz
Comments: I installed a 4 Ohm P8Q in this amp as a replacement for the
original speaker. The sound of the combo improved about 200%. I can now pluck
the low E string at any volume and hear the string instead
of a wobbly cone. The overall tone I achieve with guitar (jazz, blues) is
round and warm, but the speaker will bite if attacked properly. There is no
shrillness, though, just warm compression. It breaks up smoothly, just how
I like it. For the skilled harp player, this speaker is an incredible asset
to have. The richness and volume of my Champ has literally caused other
musicians to double-take. I've used it un-mic'd at jam sessions! The
low end response is incredible - full, but no mud. Especially with the
tube sub (12AX and 12AT) above, the combo is rich and breaks up just when
you want it to. I've used the amp at gigs for guitar as well and I am very,
very happy with my purchase from WeberVST.
Gerry Hundt
Amp: SF Champ
Guitar: '90 Epiphone Sheraton, Hohner harmonica w/assorted mics.
Guitar Pickups: Stock on Epi
Microphones: 50's Shure Slim-X, Vintage EV 638, JT-30, Shure 520D
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Jazz
Comments: A $70 speaker in a $100 amp???? You bet.
This speaker provides solid bass, warm mids, and clear treble. The combo
sounds smooth, smooth, smooth, with just the right amount of breakup. Great!
C10TX Texas 10
Chuck Minahan
Amp: Pro Jr.
Guitar: Am. Std. Strat, Japanese Sqrier w/Tex Spec, Epi LP Std.
Effects: BOSS BD-2, SD-2, Turbo RAT, E-H Small Stone
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: I literally stuffed the Texas 10 into my Fender Pro Jr. The amp chassis was
flat against the gigantic magnet of the speaker. I think the Texas 10 weighed
more than the entire amp including the original Emminence 30 watt ceramic
speaker. I just wanted to check out the speaker, it really isn't meant for a
low wattage amp like the Pro Jr and is certainly too big to comfortably fit
in the cabinet with the chassis. I have two P12R's that Ted Weber rebuilt
for me, so I already knew that the 'R' tone was to my liking. The P12R's
are for use with my silverface Deluxe Reverb and a Deluxe Reverb II and sound
absolutely killer.
The first thing I noticed was how goddam loud the amp became. Seemed like it
went from a 15 watt amp to a 40 watt amp. The tone was without question 10A100,
tweed sound. Very thick deep sounding. The speaker was so strong, the tube
holders were vibrating like crazy along with everything else in my living
room. I would have loved to have had a separate cabinet to try it in so
I wouldn't have had to deal with the annoying buzz of the tube holders.
The combination of the thicker sounding EL84 amp with more mids (as compared
to a sweeter, less mid sound of a 6V6 DR), a Strat with Texas Specials, and
that 'R' thick tone made it a bit too dark. It was much improved when I used
my Am. Std. with the brighter pickups. It sounded like the Am. Std. had
humbuckers, that sounded like Strat pickups, being played through a cranked
Marshall. Woman tone without even trying. The sound was pretty amazing.
The distortion of the amp came through very smooth and clear. It made me
realize how raggedy the little Emminence speaker really gets with the Pro Jr.
cranked. The speaker took the Pro Jr. out of the practice amp category.
Even with the volume low, the amp screamed.
I might prefer the Chicago Series for a Pro Jr type amp, but I believe the
Texas Series would be great for blues in a Deluxe Reverb/Super Reverb type of
amp. I really think the Texas 10 will be great for a master volume amp like
the 100 watt JMP Marshall I have. I believe it will take that preamp
distortion and beef it up so it is nice and thick. My plan is to try the
Texas 10 with the Marshall when I get the amp in playing shape. I bet a
nice 2x10 or 2x12 Texas 10 or 12 with a MV Marshall head would be a killer
combination. I think a pair of Texas 12's in a Twin Reverb would give you a
real nasty, monster sounding amp. A loud, tweed tone with some nice breakup.
One other very noticeable thing. Just like when I put a pair of WeberVST
C12N's in my Twin Reverb, the sustain increased dramatically. The Texas 10
sings forever. Notes just don't seem to die. It is like an immediate
improvement to the guitar. I don't know how he does it, but none of the
stock Fender speakers or Emminence speakers I've replaced with WeberVST's
come close to holding a note so long.
I swapped the Emminence speaker back into the Pro Jr and it sounded much
brighter and almost wimpy. I thought this amp had all kinds of balls in it's
original state, but it can offer much more with a great speaker.
Ceramic California 10
Brian Clark
Amp: Fender 1965 Bandmaster
Guitar: Fender reissue Jaguar
Effects Fender 1962 Outboard Reverb Unit
Genre: Surf
Aluminum dome. These speakers sound great for surf in a closed back cabinet. I was concerned
that 10" speakers wouldn't have nearly the "beef" of my usual JBL D-130F (15" speaker), but a
pair of Ted's C10CAs with aluminum domes really sounds great for surf. I play authentic
instrumental surf, with giant flatwound strings and high volume (usually Showmans), so when a
speaker is not up to the task, it is very obvious. These speakers sound great, even with a
Fender Bass VI going through them - now that is low end! There is good high end (not harsh),
and no nasal midrange some speakers have when hooked up to a Fender amp. To my ears, these
little gems sound like JBLs but a little more mellow (without ice-pick highs). I could not
be more pleased. Once again, Ted has made a great product at a reasonable consumer cost.
It doesn't get any better than Weber VST for my speaker needs. Thanks Ted.
Paul Gizelt
Amp: 68 Princeton Reverb w/NOS RCA Blackplates.
Guitar: Gibson Les Paul, Guild X170, Fender Telecaster, MIM Fender Strat. Gibson 57 classic, Stock Guild, All Fenders have John Suhr Pickups
Effects: None
Genre: Blues
Comments: I liked my Princeton but the Oxford speaker was weak and farty. When the
C10CA (paper cone) went in the amp was much louder, but lost a lot of its
richness. About 5 hours at medium volume levels was what it needed to break
in. After that there was a major tone difference. The amp sound huge, rich
harmonically and quite full. Top end is smooth, I usually play with treble
on 10 (even with the Tele). Midrange somewhat scooped, but I think that
adds apparent clarity. Bass is fantastic. This 12-watt 1x10" amp now sounds
like a 30-watt 2-12". After some original nervousness about filling rooms
(mostly medium size clubs with 60-150 people), I do not hesitate to gig
with it. Even with a fairly loud drummer and a harp player using a 40-watt
4x10" Concert, I get to be right at that place where my picking attack can
get me over the edge to the "drive zone". With humbuckers I set volume at
4-5, single-coils 5-7. Presently I would consider my tone perfect.
Jeff Morris
Amp: Truck Angela. This a custom made 4x6V6GT Truck head
Guitar: Reverend Slingshot, Gretsch 6120, Heritage H575, Fender RI '57 Strat, Bastard Tele
Effects: Outboard Fender RI Reverb with 6K6GT,7025 and 12AT7, Klon Centaur, Boss VB2 Vibrato
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz, Surf
Comments: Big bottom, stay very clean even at high volumes, nice and chimey
with single coils, beefy and able to handle the extended range of a jazz
guitar also. I'm using them in an open/closed back Jenkins cabinet and they
sound great for what I'm after - little speaker breakup, full bass, chimey
highs.
Chris Gallagher
Amp: SF Princeton Rvb with NOS 7025's in the preamp, Syl JAN 12AX7WA driver. GE NOS nude-base JAN 6V6's, Sovtek big bottle 5U4.
Guitar: Maple board Mexican Tele w/allparts bridge and tuners, Texas specials and treb pass on 5K pots.
Effects: None
Genre: Blues
Comments: The C10CA slid into the box with no sweat. The amp is still
a one hander! It feels like I got a secret weapon. This 'thing' is
BIG and LOUD!! No kidding. The PR maintains the Fenderish articulation
and feel I cannot compromise on. If you don't like your tubes or your
guitar forget about it. If you think good tubes don't make a
difference, forget about it. Loudness is not the 'big' quality of
these fine speakers, nor do they emulate another species. They stand
on there own!
Chris Gallagher
Amp: AA763 Super Reverb w/NOS Philips 6L6's and NOS RCA 7025's
Guitar: 81 50's Tele, new ASAT w/Texas Specials, 66 Fender Electric XII, all have treble passes
Effects: wah
Genre: Blues
Comments: It is good to be able to hear myself.
I find the touch sensitive nature of these C10CAs familiar.
They project the tight bottom and tough mids I like.
The highs have the oily solid nature I require to get above the
12th fret. Dumping volume with the Guitars (treb pass equiped)
brings on all the chimey shimmer in the world.
The thunderous chops of Bluegrass attack are entirely present.
Ron (Uncle Spot) Veil
Amp: '65 Vox Berkley Super Reverb Twin TUBE Amp.
Guitar: '80 Gibson ES347, '74 4-bolt Strat, 50's RI Tele, all w/VZ true vintage. Also '66 Vox Super Lynx Deluxe with Chandler mini humbuckers.
Effects: Tube Screamer, MXR DynaComp
Genre: Blues, Rock, Surf
Comments: The only speakers to compare these with are the stock Vox 10's or
Celestion 10's I've heard in this amp.
I love the crisp (not harsh) highs, nice bottom end, and the fuller
mid range response, especially for the humbuckers. These are GREAT
for British invasion with a cleaner tone, and they really bring out
the best in the superb reverb in this amp. If Vox had continued
making these little-tube-sweeties INSTEAD of their S.S. garbage
they'd probably STILL be manufactured. I'd far rather have one of
these than an AC30, ESPECIALLY with these speakers! I'd love to
hear a Fender Super-Reverb with these in it!
Ceramic California 12
Greg Gagliano
Amp: Fender Bandmaster AB763 with Bassman output transformer
Guitar: Fender Strat, Fender Jaguar
Effects: Fender Reverb Unit
Genre: Jazz, Surf
Comments: (Paper Dome) My Bandmaster sounded nice and Fendery, but the lacked bottom end, punch and overall clarity
that I needed for surf guitar. In addition, this Bandmaster had the larger, ported cab used
from late '66 onward. These tend to have a looser, less focused bass response than the earlier
(smaller, sealed) speaker cabs. The stock Utah speakers aren't bad, but I knew that
JBL D-120Fs or Altec 417s would be better. The problem is that the JBLs and Altecs are
expensive to buy and expensive to recone. I also didn't think that I absolutely "had to have"
alnico magnets. I needed a speaker that was high quality, had very even response from top to
bottom (i.e., neutral), could handle 40-watts without a problem, and that wouldn't break the
bank. I scanned the WeberVST speaker pages and was delighted to see that the description for
the California series speakers included "big, solid bottom and clear highs. Best for Surf,
Jazz..." Having wP10Q's in my 3x10 Bandmaster, I knew that the WeberVST speaker descriptions
were accurate. The great thing was that the California series had some cool options available
- ceramic or alnico magnets and paper or aluminum dome. I opted for the ceramic models with
paper domes since I didn't need the "compression" of the alnico magnet or the extra high end
of the aluminum dome. The speakers arrived about a week after my order was confirmed and
were well-packed. After installation, the speakers took about an hour of playing time
to break in, but most of the break-in occurred after the first 20 minutes. In fact, at
about the 20 minute mark I had to re-EQ the amp and lower the volume as the change was
that dramatic! These speakers work very well and exactly as advertised. Clean, even
response, well-focused bottom end, but neutral. They are also very efficient and put
out more dB's at at any given volume control setting than the stock Utahs or many other
ceramic speakers I've used including Jensen C12Ns. The wCA12CAs really push some air
providing punch and mondo low end without any flabbiness while letting the Bandmaster's
Fendery tone shine through. Highly recommended!
Marcus Mora
Amp: '66 Pro Reverb with New Sensor Bassman O.T.
Guitar: American Series Strat with Van Zandt vintage plus
Effects: None
Genre: Blues
Comments: I originally had the c12ca w/paper dome in this amp and the sound was fantastic. I would
descibe the tone as BIG and LOUD! This particular Pro was however a little dark sounding and
preamp and power tube changes never really improved the high end response to my liking. After
reading several reviews about the aluminum domes being a bit shrill a was hesitate to try them
over the paper. Well I took a chance and love them! They have all the tone of the paper dome
with an added detail and presence. Surprisingly enough, they even sound cleaner than the paper
dome. The aluminum domes aren't for everyone,but if your amp is a little dark sounding these
are definitely the ticket.
Steve Shearin
Amp: Bedrock 1202, early model with point -to-point wiring. N.O.S. pre-amp tubes, and Svetlana EL34 out-put tubes tubes
Guitar: Gibson Les Paul '57 RI Goldtop, Fender Am. Std. Telecaster, Fender Strat Plus Dlx. Stock pickups in LP, Duncan Alnico Pro II's in Tele, Fender Texas Specials in Strat
Effects: Fender '63 Reverb RI
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: I bought this amp used, and wasn't sure I was going to keep it. But, I thought what the heck?!
There has to more to this amp! I replaced the stock speakers, with a set of California 12's
with paper dust domes and Ferromax magnets. After putting a few break-in hours on them, I was
convinced I made the right choice in keeping the Bedrock. The Webers made the amp come alive!
Clean top end, clear mid's, and deep, tight bass. When I crank the 1202 up, all that pure tube
overdrive comes through. I wouldn't part with my Weber equipped Bedrock now!
Rob Cramer
Amp: 65 Deluxe Reverb RI
Guitar: Charvette/DiMarzio&Duncan, Strat/Fralins. Yamaha SA2200(ES335), Hamer Newport
Effects: Custom Fulltone OD pedal
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz, Surf
Comments: Paper Dome. I was looking for something to tighten the bottom end, cut the harshness of the
highs, and give a little more clean headroom to my DRRI. I asked Dr. Ted what I should do,
and he said C12CA. He was right. What I won't tell you is what (different) Weber speakers
I put in my extension cabinet, because when they are all going together it is tone heaven -
and I think you all should find that on your own. Just keep trying those wonderful Weber
speakers! - And thanks too, Ted, for this comments page, and your cabinet maker
suggestions. They really helped me find what I wanted. I am a customer for life.
Mike Schuppan
Amp: 1970 Fender SF Twin, blackfaced, silver caps, Tubes
Guitar: 1962 reissue Fender Strat
Effects: Full Tone yellow box
Genre: Blues
Comments: With the California 12 in my Twin I get a nice fat tone with a warm crunch and a clear clean
with the same tone at low levels. I have listened to a lot of speakers and I can truly say that
Weber is making the best out there.
Thanks guys.
Brian Summers
Amp: Peavey Artist vt 100watt w/Phillips NOS 7581 tubes
Guitar: Fender Mexican Tele (Hot-Rodded). Stacked Duncan(Neck) "Lil 59" (Bridge)
Effects: TS9, Boss Stereo Chorus,Boss Digital Delay & DanElec.Trem.
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz, Country
Comments: WOW!!! From a flubby, flabby DEAD Utah speaker to Clarity that's hard to describe. It's
like day & night. I can't believe how great my amp sounds. I'd just put $ down on a classic
30 and immediately went back and put the money toward a TS9 and a monster cable. As for the
Classic 30...Fuhget-u-bout-it! At not even 1/2 way turned up, this amp is sooo crystal clear
and LOUD it sounds like it's burnin' at about 80 watts right now!!! on 4!!
that was without the TS9 even bought yet. With the effects it's penetrating and clear. Bottom
is pretty tight. From what I've read from others, I can't wait to hear this baby broken in. It
only took a week to get here! Actually 6 days. Run, don't Walk to the phone & ORDER ONE NOW!!!
This is it. With the 7581's which are the highest grade tube replacement for 6L6's..so says
Lord Valve (& I agree) this baby is a smoker. Thanks to Ted for all the input and speedy
service...a pleasant surprise today! I was concerned it might be TOO clean but it gets nice &
dirty turned up! But not obnoxious. Hence the TS9. Man I'm gonna be gettin' calls from the
neighbors. Thanks again guys. Very Happy Customer in NJ.
Ed Goforth
Amp: Homebrew Dumble clone, Mesa Mark I and various Fenders. The Dumble clone is tweaked to get a smooth transition from sweet, thick smooth blues to Hot Robben Ford Tones. The Mark I has some Variations of Gil Ayans mods
and it is much more refined in both clean and lead settings
Guitars: Gibson Les Paul Custom, G&L Comanche, Jay Turser JT 134DC (336/LesPaul semi-hollow). LESPAUL has Duncan 59' neck Jeff Beck Bridge, G&L Zcoils, Jay Turser...stock but working on some Lindy Fralins
Effects: Rocktron Multivalve, Line6 delay modeler, various overdrive pedals. My version of a TS808, Blues Breaker, Big Muff, Cry baby is better than an old one!
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz, Country
Comments: Well, at first the C12CA (paper dust cap) was kind of flat, but that
was to be expected, because my friend bought 2 and it took a couple weeks of
good volume playing to break them in, and man when they broke in they were
much more than expected! The highs started to get sweet, kind of like
vintage wine, as the cone and cloth webbing where the cone meets the magnet
structure, loosens up, the speaker takes on a rich, sweet, warm tone,
similar to maybe an EV, but no where as harsh, and as brite, but reproduces
the best nuances from the amp, something like a Sweet old Jensen to me with
good clean headroom. I used to use Jensens, EV's Celestions, etc. Wish to
someday hear what a Fane sounds like, but for the money, tone and durability
my vote goes to the Weber speakers! I was playing one day through a Mesa
Mark I with the 12" EV, and it was very clear and kind of brite, but this
amp tends to be a dark sounding amp, and with the EV it helps to briten it
up some. Then I plugged in my Mesa 3/4 back 1-12" cab loaded with my newly
broke-in Weber CA paper dust cap, and it sounded much richer, fuller partly
due to the cab being a more resonant design than the combo's 1-12" it has
about 3/4 of the back covered, which helps the low end a bit. But see I
tried that with the EV, in that same cab, and it was nothing like the CA, if
you want the best features of a EV but leave the harsh highs out, this
speaker does a great job reproducing what is reaaly there, not coloring the
sound too much, but giving it a warmer, focused tone. My girl friend came in
and asked what did I do to that amp, she said "the difference sounded like
night and day!" (this is not just hype!) In my D-clone amp, it sounds much
like Larry Carltons "Finger prints" clean tones, (with 335 style guitars and
nice and round using single coils) other than what comes from my fingers....
And when crankin the amp, gives that Robben Ford or even Carlos Santana's
(depending on how the amp is set)thick PHATT tone without the harshness you
get from other speakers!
David A. Gordon
Amp: '69 Deluxe Reverb, all NOS tubes
Guitar: Am. Standard Natural Ash Strat w/Kinman AVn-Traditional Noiseless Pickups
Effects: Fulltone Fulldrive2, Barber Tone Pump, Lovetone Meatball, Teese RMC3 wah
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz, Classical
Comments: After several months of searching for the perfect speaker for my Deluxe Reverb, I've finally
found it. First, a little history: the Deluxe came with a Utah speaker that had a flabby low
end and just wasn't particularly impressive, especially given the high hopes that I had for
this amp. I tried a bunch of speakers, first a Weber C12Q that was a tremendous improvement
over the Oxford, but still wasn't as tight as I wanted on the bass. Also, the C12Q was prone
to cone cry at higher volumes, especially with my wah engaged, and it didn't have as much
clean headroom as I wanted (this Deluxe Reverb is my only amp, and I need it to be able to
do clean at reasonably high volumes. I tried a C12NT, which gave me slightly more clean
headroom, but still had the less-than-ideal bass response and the annoying cone cry. But
the C12NT had the most amazing, bell-like highs, especially with my Natural Ash strat on the
bridge+middle pickups; I was honestly getting some beautiful, almost horn-like sounds.
I didn't want to sacrifice this sparkling high-end, put I needed something that would stay
tight at higher volumes... I tried a Celestion Vintage 30, which, frankly, was a dud from the
moment I heard it -- terribly shrill, good for overdriven, saturated leads but really too harsh
for anything else. I also tried a vintage EV-SRO, which I was told would *never* fart out and
would never break up; it certainly never broke up, but the bottom end was still weak.
I suppose this farty bass is a particular problem with Deluxe Reverbs; in any case, it was
also far too bright, and imho didn't compare in tone to the Weber C12NT.
So, after reading the glowing reviews of the California 12 w/ paper dust dome, I gave it a
shot. I was a little hesitant to stray from Weber's main vintage line, but the user reviews
were entirely positive. Let me tell you, this speaker is an absolute gem, I am so satisfied
with my tone now that I feel like I can finally immerse myself in playing w/o worrying about
my gear. Even before it broke in the Cali 12 impressed the hell out of me: those sparkling
highs that I was getting with the C12NT are all there, but, amazingly, without *any* shrillness
at all. People talk about the Deluxe Reverb being a bright amp (indeed, a lot of people
remove the bright cap from the volume pot b/c the amp can tend toward shrillness at lower
volumes with it in place). But with the California 12, I can finally turn my treble up past
4 and can have the tone controls on my Strat past 7, and I feel like I'm hearing my instrument
and amp in a way I have never heard them before. And the bass is tight as hell, I have
absolutely *none* of the fartiness that characterized other speakers' bottom end. The Cali
12 is loud, but not as loud as the EV-SRO -- I can turn my volume past 5 or so, where the
Deluxe Reverb really shines, but where the EV-SRO was just too loud for even a moderately-sized
club setting. Incidentally, the SRO was so efficient or, I suppose, had such a bright top end
that it was actually reproducing a fair amount of static. The Cali 12 is virtually silent by
comparison. With noiseless pickups, sometimes I won't know if my amp is on or off, and then
I pluck a string and the most gorgeous, chimey tone jumps out of the amp...
I really don't want this review to sound like a commercial, but, as you can tell, I am hugely
satisfied with this speaker. I know how difficult the quest is for the perfect Deluxe Reverb
replacement speaker, but for me, this is it -- these are the tones I have been searching for.
Please feel free to drop me an email at dgordon@fas.harvard.edu if you have any questions about
this speaker or any others I've tried.
Chris Thomas
Amp: Silver Face Deluxe Reverb
Guitar: Mostly Yamaha with mini humbuckers
Effects: MXR analog delay, Blackstone overdrive
Genre: Rock, Country, Surf
Comments: I have an SFDR that had a Weber P12Q, and that was a great sound in itself.
I'm playing rockabilly now, and wanted more clean headroom. I also have a
BF bassman, which sounds great too, but no verb and tremolo. So... let's
try some 6L6s and a California 12 with the paper cone. This was based on
some advice from a local tone monster, and the other comments in this
section. I was concerned that it wouldn't be able to keep up with the
fairly loud sound levels, but this setup has exceeded expectations. Loud,
clear, dynamic, capable of just about anything, I think. I was quite amazed
by the changes over the recommended break in period. Over a 5 hour period,
this thing just blossomed. Really quite amazing to hear the difference.
This amp on 4 now keeps up just fine with the other guitar's Bandmaster
Reverb with 2X12 at 8. Woohoo!
Mike Munch
Amp: 67'BFDR w/RCA Blackplates 6V6GT, RCA Blackplates 12AX7's and Sovtek 12AX7ALPS
Guitar: 62'RI Strat, Tokai Tele, Standard Tele w/PAF, American Standard Strat. Strats have Fralin Blues Specials, Fralin Vintage Teles
Effects: TS-9 w/808 mod, MXR Distortion +(script Logo), Boss Delay DD-3, Boss Chorus Ensemble CE-5, Microvibe, Vox WAH with ICAR pot and Teese board.
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz, Country, Classical
Comments: When the doorbell rang I was amazed to see that my speaker had
arrived so quickly, only 6 days from the time I ordered it. Thanks T.A.!
That is what I call REAL SERVICE! I opened the box and read all the paper
work associated with it and did a general inspection of the speaker.
Everything looked PERFECT so I proceeded to replace the speaker in my 67'
BFDR, which currently had a Naylor Special Design 50 in it. After
replacement I fired up the Deluxe and was totally disappointed in the tone
but remember the speaker needs to have a break-in period. It began as a
sterile, lifeless and dull speaker but after about 3 hours of medium volume
playing, the speaker began to come alive! And after 5 hours it was very
full-bodied and harmonically rich. This speaker has a similar tone to an EV
with the complexity and three-dimensional sound found in Weber's Q series
speaker. I also noticed that the bass response was far superior to the
Naylor and never got close to farting out. My occasional setup includes a
Music Man 2 x 12 ported cab that gives me the bass response I am looking for
but now I can leave the MM at home and just carry the Deluxe. This speaker
is LOUD and very efficient and it NEVER sounds harsh no matter how much
treble I put into the mix. My thanks go to Mark Norwine for suggesting the
speaker in his review, and to Ted & T.A. for building the perfect speaker.
If you have a Deluxe Reverb and are looking for a replacement speaker, order
the CA12 Paper dome. You will be glad you did. If you have any questions and
would like to email me, I can be reached at mike_munch@yahoo.com
Marcus Mora
Amp: Fender '65 Dual Showman w/ RCA Blackplates & Telefunken pre-amps
Guitar: Fender Am.Std w/ Texas Specials
Effects: TS9, Dan-Echo
Genre: Blues
Comments: (California 12 with paper dome) If solid bottom end and bell like highs
is your thang, then the California is for you! After waiting nearly 4wks. for my speakers
to come in, I was very excited to try them out. These speakers have such a BIG,CHUNKY, CLEAR
sound! My showman stays totally clean all the way to 8. These speakers are just what I needed
to make my amp come alive. The sound of the two California 12's in an open back cabinet is what
made a good sounding amp, turn into a GREAT sounding amp. For me open back is the way to go.
Rodgers amps make fantastic fender style cabinets.(solid pine makes a difference). The
Webers were well worth the wait.
Drew
Amp: Peavey 30 with EI 12ax7, Tesla 12zx7, 4 Tesla EL84s.
Guitar: Am Std Tele maple neck/ash, Am std maple neck strat, heavey/light strings. Pickups: Tele - SD Vint stack B&N, mid SD hot top coil only with blend control.
Effects: BOSS DC-2, DD-3, CS-3, GE-7, NS-2
Genre: Blues, Country
Comments: C12CA, 16 ohm, paper dust cap. Purpose - county playing.
Before I replaced the speaker I bought all new tubes from
LORD_VALVE@prodigy.net. All were replaced with JJ/TESLAS except
V1 which a EI12ax7 was used. This made the amp more
powerful, cleaner, punchier, and more harmonic "swirl" with V1.
Now it was time for more improvements. The improvements below were in addition to
the improvements of the tubes. Opening the box when it arrived (and on time) the speaker
looked and smelled terrific like it was made a few days ago (it was!). After it was installed I put on the label
so it was straight. I chose the CA12CA with paper dust cap for COUNTY use. The CA12CA, after about 6 hour
break-in performed exactly as I wanted and WeberVST stated. During the break-in period the highs became smoother.
The Peavey 30 was louder, fuller and fatter with better fuller bottom end and
cleaner articulate mids and highs. This is a clean punchy machine. Just overall better sounding. The overall frequency response of the amp totally changed - all
of a sudden the entire range (and clean) was there. The amps tone controls
seemed to have more of an effect and when using different cables to the guitar one could here the difference the cables themselves
made. The amp now sounded as I wanted for county. I am satisified. One should realize that WEBER'S description of the the tonal quailty of the
speaker should be carefully reviewed as it performs as stated. If you want clean and the rest as stated in the C12CA description, it will happen.
That is my amp sounded cleaner etc etc (see CA12CA). The cleaner highs great for county required me to turn town the treble for
clean blues on the Strat when using a cable that let the highs through. The overdrive channel was used to add a little
bit of distortion at low volumes when needed as this speaker's mids/highs are clean. Any distortion will be from the amp, not the speaker.
(You can use a Phillips NOS 12ax7 for V2 to add warmth). The old non-blue-marvel speaker had added distortion
which was nice at times but it did not have the overall great tone this Weber has. For blues, other than clean blues, I'd
suggest other Webers made for that purpose. The C12CA is for clean output. The Peavey 30 dimed does not have the power to make
it break up. Before the speaker upgrade, the old trick of putting
in an unconnected plug in the ext speaker jack to use the 8 ohm tap
for the internal speaker made the amp sound fuller. Now it sounded
this way without the trick. Popping in the plug basically had no
effect now. Also added to the Peavey were split clear tubing on the
chassis edges, nut inserts tightened, and the power light silcone rubbered to reduce
rattles as the tubes/speaker now produced more lows. Anyone replacing
a Peavey speaker should be warned that the safest way to install
and remove the speaker is to take out the tubes, then chassis (watch out it has
sharp edges) and reverb pan. The top of the speaker is overlapped by
the chassis and the four speaker screws are sharp as daggers sure
to rip through a cone. Some folks will tell you they can do it just
with removing the tubes. Maybe they can, but I think most will end up tearing
the cone, so take my advice. Room is tight and it is hard to see. Use
care in replacing the speaker! As I said previousily the C12CA is great for county.
With the tubes I had described (EI 12ax7 for V1 and Teslas for the rest,
and using the gain channel, you can still get creamy singing EL84 blues
sounds using the C12CA. You are just not going to get distortion created by the speaker
breaking up. You'll get either preamp, or power tube (better)
overdrive. So I can still use the amp for country clean, county overdrive,
and creamy blues too using a Am Std Strat with Heavey top/light botom strings.
At first I did not realize the wide range of tonal possibilities
I now had with this speaker. Now the controls on the amp
and guitar can be more fine tuned. Before with the
original speaker it sort of put out about the same
tone all the time regardless of the controls. Most people also
don't realize that that clean county they hear really has some
distortion to it. The Peavey 30 will get the distortion for you.
I am so happy with this speaker. It is so rare these days
that products are better than expected. It made this low cost
amp sound SO much better. (By the way, A PEAVEY 30 sounds great
recorded with a SM-57 mike).
Jon S.
Amp: Tone King Continental Combo w/JAN Philips/Sylvania N.O.S. output tubes; factory-added line out and extension speaker jacks.
Guitar: Buddy Guy Strat, PRS Custom, Godin LGX-SA, Yamaha AEX-520.
Effects: Boss CH-1 Chorus; Boss TW-1 T-Wah; TubeWorks Realtube 901 Overdrive Pedal (w/12AU7)
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: The Tone King Continental is a wonderful sounding amp. In my
view, however, the stock Eminence 12" speaker did not compliment the
amp's 4X6V6 configuration. 6V6s are inherently weak on bass output,
and my perception of the Eminence was that it was weak on the bass,
too. I sought a high quality, efficient, clean speaker with excellent
bass response as a replacement. My choices were limited, as the the
Eminence I was replacing was a 16 ohm speaker, i.e., EV or JBL wasn't
a reasonable option. I learned of the C12CA and decided to give it
a spin in the amp. I ordered it with the paper dustcap out of
concern that the stock aluminum version might be too shrill in my
application (mostly blues). The C12CA arrived and my tech installed
it. At first I was frankly a bit disappointed. It was fine, but
not earthshaking. Then I broke it in over 6-8 hours of jammin'
and wow! That baby blossomed. The highs sweetened, the mids got
punchier, and the bass response became awesome. e.g., I used to
leave the tone control for the lead channel (the Continental's
lead channel has two tone controls, "tone," and "mid-bite") all the
way at the bass end. Now I set it most of the time around its
midpoint. That's how much more efficient the C12CA's bass response
is as compared to the Eminence's. In general, the Continental is
now louder, and projects better and further. A prior person's
comment to the effect that "now the amp goes to 11" is how I'd put
it. I really dig the C12CA in this amp! It gives me the clean,
singing, Eric-Johnson-like violin sustain I dig so much.
The speaker seems to reproduce the natural tube distortion of the
amp perfectly. I get plenty of growl naturally from my 6V6s,
particularly given the relatively small dual output transformers in
the Continental. Folks with 6L6s and/or bassman-sized transformers
who are looking for your growl to come from the speakers themselves
(especially if you aren't in a position to dime the amp for output
tube distortion) might want to consider a ribbed-cone.
Michael Dukes
Amp: Rivera M-60
Guitar: Tele, Strat
Effects: Script-logo DynaComp, Dan-Echo delay
Genre: Blues, Rock, Country
Comments: I bought this amp used and the stock Celestion M-70 was
tired and ragged sounding, with a harsh top end. The Weber California
(with paper dustcap rather than aluminum) went in last night, and if
I had been blindfolded you wouldn't have been able to convince me
that I was playing through the same amp. The Rivera's Fender style
preamp channel actually sounds like a great old Fender amp now.
Unbelievable improvements in detail, complexity and touch sensitivity.
Nice tight bottom, great upper mids. This is the sound I've been
dreaming of.
Mark Norwine
Amp: Deluxe Reberb, Blues Deluxe, several custom amps
Guitar: ES355, Telecaster
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Jazz
Comments: I was looking for a high powered speaker for several of my amps
to replace the EVM12L speakers presently installed. The EV speakers
were too heavy, and I wanted to try Ted's offerings. The "California"
[C12CA] seemed to be the closest to the EV, so I bought one....and
almost immediatly didn't care for it. The metal dust cap seemed to
give a shrillness that I found a bit harsh. I really liked the
speaker's brightness, fullness, tight bottom & effeciency, but the
metal dust cover was very "JBL-ish"...a tone I don't care for. I
consulted with Ted who indicated that the California could, as a
special order, be made with a paper dust cap, so I ordered one in
this configuration....**WOW**...this may be the greatest speaker
I've ever played with! It's rich, true, efficient [read: LOUD],
never flabby, tone for days! I'm reluctant to post this opinion,
as this speaker is outside of Weber's standard product offering.
Nonetheless, I am so completely overjoyed with this "modified
California" that I can't really keep it a secret! If you like the
clean, powerful sound of an EV speaker, yet dislike the "shrill"
tone of a JBL, give Ted a call & ask for this speaker....
it's a winner.
Ron (Uncle Spot) Veil
Amp: '68 Bandmaster Reverb, BF'd, NOS tubes, smaller B'Master speaker cab.
Guitar: '80 Gibson ES347, '74 4-bolt Strat, 50's RI Tele, all w/VZ true vintage. Also '66 Vox Super Lynx Deluxe with Chandler mini humbuckers.
Effects: Tube Screamer, MXR DynaComp
Genre: Blues, Rock, Surf
Comments: I've heard these speakers in open cabs and they seem to have a
wider tonal range...but, they REALLY made this BMR head come alive.
I love the crisp (not harsh) highs, nice bottom end, and the fuller
mid range response, especially for the humbuckers. It's too bad
these speakers weren't around in the '60s for Leo's 'stock' speakers!
Michael Nelson
Amp: '74 Fender Twin Reverb, BF'd, recapped, MV removed.
Guitar: '52 Tele reissue w/SD Nashville Studios in bridge and neck
Effects: None
Genre: Country
Comments: I agree with the other posters here. These speakers are great.
I replaced some old Eminence speakers with these. The C12CAs are
louder, more bottom, and have clearer highs without that icepick sizzle.
They are very clear and rich sounding from low volumes to "STUN".
If you're looking for clean machines, these are the hot ticket.
Plus, they look neat with the aluminum dust covers peaking through
the grillecloth and the white baskets with the big California Bears
on the magnets. I'm delighted!
Mark Koppen
Amp: Rivera R30-112
Guitar: Strat w/Texas Specials, Gibson H. Roberts Fusion, Hamer Studio Archtop
Effects: Matchless Hot Box
Genre: Blues, Rock Surf
Comments: Great speaker -- did exactly what I wanted to do, tighten and
clean up the bass (replaced an original Celestion 55 watt in
the Rivera) which was a bit muddy and buzzy. It also smoothed
out the treble, and added almost a full number ("11") of
volume. I usually play Ch. 2 on this amp (the "Fender"
channel), and I found myself able to turn the gain up a bit
without any fizziness and also turn the bass up a bit without
distortion. It gave my surf/rockabilly playing a nice
stringy/twangy bass sound on all the guitars. Highly
recommended for surf, rockabilly and country!
Ron Stokes
Amp: Fender Blues Deluxe
Guitar: Strats (including a '62), Les Paul Double Cutaway Studio
Effects: MXR Compressor, Vox Wah Wah, DigiTech XP200 Modulator
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz, Country
Comments: Kept me from burning the amp!
Seriously, the C12CA cleaned up the clean channel, made the amp
louder overall, increased the dynamics, and tightened up the bass
response. Low guitar volume yields a 'string' tone with no loss in highs,
mids, or lows as the stock Eminence did while full volume
produces a -slightly- compressed bluesy/jazzy tone that sings.
No muddiness, the Californian 12' provides lots of punch at
extreme pick attack and plenty of presence when approached gently.
My initial impression was that it was a cross between a JBL and an
Altec Lansing, having the best qualities of both. VERY high quality.
Ceramic California 15
James S
Amp: Vibroclone, Bandmaster Reverb converted to a Vibroverb combo specs
Guitar: 69 Tele, Les Paul Classic, Howard Roberts Fusion
Effects: Distortion pedal
Genre: Rock, Jazz, Country
Comments: Paper Dome. This is the only speaker I have used that complements all my guitars. I bought
it to put in my Vibroclone and it sounds fat and has great dynamics, the paper dust dome
keeps it from having that sterile JBL sound. Its tough to break down, good clean sound.
Since I use effects and pedals I did not want the speaker to break down to early. I also
hooked it up to my Mesa Boogie MKIII, Matchless Clubman, Vibrolux Reverb, and Blackface
Princeton Reverb. None of these amps have sounded this good with their own speakers. I used
the Princeton Reverb with this speaker live and it kicked butt. The fidelity is great.
Scott Jackson (a.ka. "Swijak")
Amp: '65 Bandmaster W/ Peavey 115E tweed cabinet
Guitar: Gretsch Streamliner, Fender Telecaster, Fender Stratocaster with Dynasonics (Gretsch), P-94 (Tele), Van Zandt (Strat)
Effects: Visual Sound RT 66, Marshall SuperVibe
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz, Country, Surf
Comments: With my Gretsch and Fenders, I've been looking to try to nail both T-Bone Walker and early
Freddie King tones, and this speaker really helps. The speaker I was replacing was a stock
Peavey 15" 16 ohm speaker. The C15CA is 4 ohm with the paper dust cap. My Amp/Guitar
combination with this speaker really came alive. The clean blues are fantastic. I like that
there is a very tight bottom and the highs are not too harsh. I was not looking for any speaker
breakup; I get that from the amp and the overdrive. I wanted to be able to play clear,
articulate jazz type chords and to play some dirty blues. This speaker fit the bill.
Jeramy Norris
Amp: Bandmaster Reverb in a Super Reverb Cabinet with a 1x15 Baffle. Allen Output Tranny/Blackfaced by Ron Veil
Guitar: 2x1982 Strats 62 reissues from the Fullerton Ca factory.
Effects: TS10 Tube Screamer and lots of LOVE
Genre: Blues, Rock, Country
Comments: (C15CA with paper dome) This speaker is very satisfying. It has a quality you hear in fantastic recorded guitar tones that are so elusive when playing live. Most speakers are just a bit too bright. So much so that the true body of the tone seems
to be a bit lacking. That is club
gigs with a P.A. on a stick. This speaker a great tool for exceptional tone. Even at very low volume it has plenty of gorgeous body like that of an elegant and well shaped supermodel. All without being the least bit harsh, thin, or treblely. The Ca 15 is
very well defined. Without being the least bit muddy, dark, or loose, the Ca 15 has once again a well defined low midrange, and killer bottom end throw. Massively efficient. With the Bandmaster Reverb on 2 1/2 to 3 the thing is damn near at gigable volum
e. The only problem is that you sound BIGGER than everyone else on stage. Not louder. BIGGER. Beautiful tone with throw a lot farther than most other speakers.
This I have to ask also. Do you know how player like David Grissom, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and other such heros got their killer tone? Neither do I or most players, techs, and other general tone freaks. These secrets are always so well kept. Guys like Cesar
Diaz are great at offering you advice on amps, but are probably not about to tell you exactly what he does inside the tone michines of his famous clients. So it's up to us as musicians to listen to what we like in those tones that are tangible in equipmen
t viewable to us. Discover their formula. and put it into action.
to make a long story short. These speakers are just what you may be looking for. Big, bold beautiful fullrange without compromise. Certainly not for those who like thin, and anemic tone from a speaker. The CA 15 will bring sounds out of your amp that you
didn't know were in it. It will also encourage you to pay attention to your playing. With a tone this big there is nowhere to hide. Even with the loudest band on earth. Thanks Ted and T.A. Once again you guys are amazing.
Laurence Impastato
Amp: Airline Bass & Guitar
Guitar: LP Standard, Heritage 535, G&L ASAT Classic & Legacy. Harmonic Design Vintage Plus in the ASAT (w/ compensated three barrel)
Effects: From time to time, various ODs.
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: I picked up this Airline some time ago, it's approx 25 watts - two 5881's,
two 12AX7 and a 5U4G. It had a CTS ceramic in it that was pretty tired.
After a cap job I knew I wanted one of Ted's speakers in it, and I decided
on the C15CA (paper dome) for three reasons: Increased volume, no speaker
break-up and price. It took quite a while longer than three weeks for the
speaker to arrive, but it was well worth it. This speaker is bold, clean,
very tight low end with a smooth sparkle on top. I wired it in with switch
craft in-line 1/4's so I can use it with other amps I have. I've played
my Bassman's, Deluxe's, Princeton's and a modified Sovtek Mig-60
(to JTM 45 specs) through this speaker and they all sound great - exactly
the way each amp should sound with it's own character. The speaker is
very efficient, providing much more volume and 'spread' than other 4x10
and 2x12 cabinets I own. This was the 2nd Weber speaker I purchased,
I now own three with two more on the way. I'm sold on Ted's work, especially
his high powered series.
John M.
Amp: SF Fender Twin Reverb running at 1/2 power (2-6L6), BF'ed, MV removed
Guitar: Strat, Tele w/Duncan Antiquity
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Rock, Country
Comments: This speaker sounds great in the amp, whose baffle was
already replaced with a 15". It came with a 15" ceramic Rola. The
C15CA has tons of bass, even on "3", with clear, shimmering highs.
I got my speaker with a paper dome rather than the stock aluminum,
which helps roll off any shrill highs, as I wanted JBL-like clean,
without the ice-pick highs. This sounded far better than a similar
Twin with JBL 12s, just lots more character to the sound, according
to my amp tech, who compared them. In fact, he claims that the C15CA
in my Twin is just about the greatest Fender amp tone he's ever heard,
this from a guy with BFSR, BFDR and lots of other Fender experience.
For a great, big clean tone, the Californias are king!!
Ceramic Silver Bell
Laurence Impastato
Amp: SFDR, Black Faced
Guitar: G&L Legacy and ASAT, LP STD and JR, Heritage 535, ES5 clone with P90s
Effects: Minimal, usually a booster.
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz
Comments: I picked this up at TA's garage sale, what a deal! I've just realized I've had 11 Weber
speakers and currently own nine (sold the others with amps). I've tried a number of different
speakers in this SFDR; the stock speaker, a Weber C12Q (a mistake, but my own fault), an
Eminence alnico, a Weber Chicago and now the C12S. The C12S is so far the best sounding,
most balanced speaker, I've had in this amp. The big low end helps tame the DR's tendency to
be a bright amp, and the high end is much sweeter and usable now. It definitely gives the
amp a British flavor, although it's still plainly a DR in tone and response. The amp is much
more 'controlable' at higher volumes with this speaker, and it's not 'farting out' the least
little bit - very cool. This speaker is lightly doped (my preference), but is still very
lively and complex. Low volume tones are woody and clear, with the top beginning to break a
bit at 5 on the normal channel and around 7 on the verb/vib channel. This speaker is staying
in the amp, period.
Fred Gillespie
Amp: BF Bandmaster w/post PI MV, modded tone stack
Guitar: ES-345, ES-335 w/Duncan AlNiCo II in neck, Duncan JB in bridge
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: I have always been a speaker enthusiast, and over the years have acquired JBL's, EV-Force 12's, and Celestion V30's, all of which I have kept around in various 2-12 home-built and stock cabinet configurations.
I heard about the WeberVST websi
te, and from reading the testimonials there, found myself drooling over the opportunity to try their product.
I emailed Ted about which speakers might best suit my taste, and was delighted by his patience and professional responses. I opted for the C12S, and placed an order.
After a somewhat lengthy wait (appx. 6 weeks) I received my C12S. Upon opening the box, I was dismayed to find that the basket appeared to have been "used" ( the frame was bent as if it had been previously rear-mounted and torqued down heavily enough to
bend up the outer rim). I immediately called Ted, who suggested I try the speaker first, and if dissatisfied, return it immediately for a full refund.
I mounted the speaker in a 2-12 open back cab with an EV-Force12 and was initially disappointed. A/B' ing the two speakers, it seemed like the C12S was extremely bright and harsh, although it hung right in there with the EV on the bass response. After
breaking in , the Weber seemed to settle down some, but I still thought the EV had it all over the Weber. Then I took it to rehearsal, where I A/B'ed it against my open-back 2-12 cab loaded with Vintage 30's.
WOW ! The difference in tone was nothing short of astounding. Although the V30-loaded cab was louder, the C12S/EV-loaded cab destroyed the V-30 loaded cab in terms of TONE. The C12S stood out loud and clear, blending its Greenback-flavored voice in a
VERY complementary, yet assertive fashion to the clean EV. The longer I played, the better it sounded.
I have since A/B'ed the Weber against my JBL's, V-30's, and of course, the EV. The C12S, to my ears, is very reminiscent of a Celestion Greenback, just sweeter and more articulate, with tons of firm bottom end. It blends incredibly well with any of the
above mentioned speakers. A very articluate speaker, that cleans up nicely when you turn down the guitar volume. What a gem !
The key thing to note about the Weber (at least from my experience) is that it does require a break-in period to start really sounding righteous, so be patient. You most certainly will not be disappointed. I'm unloading the V-30's ASAP to buy some more
Webers ! What a great sounding speaker !
Pete Cage
Amp: 2xEL84, Class A, Cathode bias, Tweed Tremolux
Guitar: Tyler Strat, ASAT, Les Paul
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: The C12S was one of our test speakers in the EL84 amp. I found
that it had less high end than I was looking for, almost like a Jensen-style
speaker. It sounds a lot like a cross between a Jensen and a Celestion.
It really was nice in the 6V6 Tremolux, though, adding a just enough of the
British thing to make the amp interesting, without going too far like a
V30 (which sounded like an ice pick in this amp - screamy highs and no bottom).
Quite a nice compromise - a good "in-between" speaker when P12B is too
crispy and 12A150 too dark.
wC12B Blue Dog
Mario
Amp: Mesa Boogie Triaxxis w/ Mesa DynaWatt amp
Guitar: PRS(s)
Effects: Rocktron Intellifex
Genre: Blues, Rock, Classical, Metal
Comments: I absolutely love these speakers. I've been searching high and low for a "unique" sound that i
liked. I've gone through Celestions, Eminences, Jensens, and Reverends. The Reverends were the
closest to the tone i was looking for but a litte too treblely and "american" for my tastes.
The Blue Dogs are full, rich, chimey, and very "woody" sounding. The high end is very chimey
but no brittleness or harshness what-so-ever! I love the dynamic response from these speakers!
My rythm style is sort of like Dave Matthews on electric guitar (lots of odd picking, rythmic
tempos, etc). I use a nice thick distortion and these speakers deliver everything with clarity
and chime and a nice thick, smooth bottom end. I have to mute alot of my chords because of the
distortion (weird overtones) and the main concern was finding speakers that allowed the notes
to ring through. These do the trick.
John Martin
Amp: KJL Dirty 30 Head-6550 Tubes, Kendrick 1x12 CAB, Pine/Blackface Style/Open Back
Guitar: Washburn WI64, Peavey Firenza, SRV Strat
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Rock, Country, Surf
Comments: My main goal in the purchase of the Weber C12B was to hopefully get away from the harsh top
end/mids of the Greenback that came with the Kendrick Cab. When I examined the cone it looked
a lot like the Celestion Greenback, and I thought maybe I would just get the same type of
mids and highs, but no, after I played it I realized it has its roots in the P12B Alnico/Blue
style of cone. The highs were smoother-not even broken in yet. Very smooth and chimey for a
new speaker, and easier to listen to than the Greenback. Obviously, it is not quite as
invloving as its Alnico counterpart which I sampled at a friends home, but still great, can't
wait until a few months of break-in time. Bottom line so far, if your looking at a Celestion
and don't need the power rating of the Vintage 30, go with Weber C12B, no contest to my ears.
And as for the Greenback, well I think I tend to lean toward the Jensen sound anyway, loved the
Celestion Blue and Weber P12B though...I think this is great in between for me.
$103.00 Shipped...
Sean Gillen
Amp: Fender Blues Jr. with JJ Electronic 12 AX7s and EL 84s
Guitar: American 57 reissue strat , Custom Song guitar with Les Paul tone woods. EMG SA pickups with active mid boost. Gibson P100 and Seth Lover in Custom Guitar
Effects: Vox Wah. Digitech RP 12
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: (50 watt version) I bought the Blues Junior to have tube saturation at a lower volume. I've owned high wattage
amps from Mesa,Marshall and Fender.Although it is a budget amp, I felt the BJ could benefit
from the simple mods of good tubes and a good speaker.I e-mailed Ted for advise. The sounds
I go for are for the most part Marshall in nature. Ted suggested the C12B. Since the amp uses
EL 84s in the power section I thought I would coax the most British style elements from the
amp. The C12B has done that more than I could have ever hoped for. Clean the speaker reminds
me of all of Hendrixs ballad tones. Very full sounding without an ounce of harshness.Tight
bass and shimering,bell like high end.When overdriven the amp comes totally alive with
harmonic content and sustain for days.This is the closest I've ever come to Eric Johnsons
lead tone. It is truly an inspiration to play through this amp/speaker combo. The customer
service is first rate and if Ted says a speaker will sound a certain way,it will. He is a
man who cares about his customers needs and I would buy his products again in a flash.
Thank you very much.The best purchase I've made in years.
Laurence Impastato
Amp: Ampeg V4 4x12 cab, powered by various Fenders and a Modded Sovtek Mig-60
Guitar: G&L Legacy & ASAT Classic, LP Standard, Heritage 535. Harmonic Design in the G&Ls, stock in Gibson and Heritage
Effects: Limited
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz
Comments: (C12B 50 watt version) Wow! These things are great! Thick sounding with a very nice, smooth
top end - extremly complex, swirly, speakers. I picked up an old V4 cab in trade, and it only
had 2 speakers in it (Celestion G12M-70s). I shopped Celections, I shopped Eminence and
I bought Weber (like I've been doing concsistently the last few years). So, now this cab has
the two Celestions and the two C12Bs (50 watt version). While the Celestions appear to louder
(not what I expected), the C12Bs are richer - big time. The Celestions are all upper mids, the
C12Bs give everything. The low end is huge, the mids are sweet and present but not overpowering,
and top is chimey (an overused word, but accurate and appropriate). The cab is primarily used
with a 63 Bassman and a modded Sovtek Mig-60 (some parts changes to reduce gain and buzziness).
Both shine through this cab and these speakers. I've left a few 'user comments' on Ted's
speakers, but I usually wait a good six months before I do so. These speakers are so good I
had to write in right away. These speakers are just outstanding.
John Bradley
Amp: Fender Blues Jr.
Guitar: '57 Strat RI, Mex Strat w/Rio Grande Tallboys in Mex Strat, Stock in '57 RI
Effects: Rat, Vox Wah, WEM Copicat
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: The C12B made a big improvement in BJr. sound. I was looking for
tighter low end and the ability to get a more "British" sound. I got both
of these in spades. Very tight and musical when clean (with superb sustain
when EL84s pushed)and wonderful Marshall sound when overdriven. The lack of
objectionable distortion from the speaker allows the BJr. to sound much
louder than stock. This amp/speaker combo can easily be used in a small club.
Jeff Morris
Amp: 1962 PANaramic (Magnatone) 440. Basically the amp is a Deluxe reverb type amp with a 2x6V6 power section, 6CA4 recto, 6DR7 reverb driver, 12AU7 and trio of 12AX7's in the preamp/oscillation section for the vibrato. The amp features Hammond long pan r
everb
Guitar: 57 RI Strat, '69 LP Deluxe, Reverend Slingshot, Heritage H575 with HD Z90's, Gretsch 6120
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Jazz, Surf
Comments: I installed it today and while I'm sure the sound will change somewhat after it breaks in,
I hope it doesn't change too much! The bass response is amazing, full and rich with NO
fartiness. The mids are clear as a bell, and I mean BELL-like chime. The highs are crystaline
without the ice pick in the forehead. There seems to be a nice increase in overall volume too,
though it's difficult to quantify, let's just say it sounds "bigger" and "fuller" in addition
to the tonal differences. I am very impressed with this speaker. I had a new Vox Bulldog for
a few months in this amp and it sounded great, but couldn't take the bass or the power that
this speaker can. For the money this C12B is an amazing value and clearly stands up to the
much praised Vox and surpasses it in it's power handling capability and clear bass without
sacrificing the chime. Thank you, Ted and TA. You guys have a GREAT product.
Erik Epstein
Amp: '65 Deluxe
Guitar: '70 Les Paul Deluxe, Dimarzio Dlx-1(bridge),Gibson classic '57(neck)
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: I must first say that the original CTS in this amp sucked. It was all low mids, no presence
and could not reproduce notes on the low E string at any volume. The C12B changed all that.
The tonal response is much more balanced across the frequency spectrum. The amp now has alot
more presence and bite, but without "icepick" highs, and the amp does a much better job
handling the low E string. I was looking for a "british" sound, and while this amp doesn't
now sound like a Marshall (I have plenty of those already anyway) it does have the best of
both worlds: full range Fender tone and british bite. If you like g12m25 greenbacks in a
closed back cab, but want a similar sound in your Fender openback combo, I think you'll love
the C12B.
Lew Collins
Amp: Bluestone 45 Reverb Amp by Mission Amps
Guitar: '54 Fender Tele
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz
Comments: We've been testing lots of Ted's speakers for possible use
in our new amps. The new C12B sounds great. Compared to a Vintage 30,
the C12B is louder, has alot more low end, clearer mids and a clearer,
brighter top end. A very big sounding speaker with great rhythm
jangle and chime. Clean tones and lightly overdriven tones really
come alive. Ted sent us an earlier version of this speaker which
we liked alot. We asked him if he could beef up the mids a bit and
add a little more sparkle to the highs. This "improved" C12B sounds
fabulous. Some might find it a little too bright, but I like it
even better than the C12GB, another excellent speaker, and until
now the top contender.
But the C12B has more harmonic complexity and seems more alive and
interesting to me. It really seems to give me the best of both
Alnico and Ceramic tonalities in one speaker. The C12B also sounded
excellent when powered by either my '65 Deluxe Reverb or '57 Deluxe,
and it's high efficiency seems to give either amp a little more
clean headroom. The C12B gave my '57 Deluxe some much appreciated
sparkle and jangle and really got me me thinking about putting
one in there too! I really like the Weber 12A150 I have in my
Deluxe now, but again, the C12B is louder, deeper, has great
mid range personality, and has a more open, sparkley tone.
Eric Bresnick
Amp: Various Marshalls, Tophat, Fender, etc.
Guitar: Various Strats w/Rio Grandes, VV's, and stock.
Effects: Analog Delay, FD2, Burn Unit,etc.
Genre: Rock
Comments:I now own 2 Weber C12B's, a Tophat/Weber C12B, and 2 30watt
Celestions reconed w/ Weber C12B cones. I love these speakers. They
feature a beautifully tight bottom end and great articulate mids and
highs but never shrill/harsh sounding. If your amp chimes, these
speaker will emphasize that. They're rated at 30 watts, but seem to be
rugged thus far. Anyway, they really allow Marshalls and Vox-type amps
to sound amazing, and also sound great w/ Fenders although in a
British way! I recommend them highly.
Name: Paul P.
Amp: Fender Pro Jr.
Guitar: Les Paul copy w/Duncan Seth Lover in bridge
Efects: None
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz, Country, Surf, Punk
Comments: Looking for a 12" speaker for your Pro Jr.? The C12B is
"the" speaker! I've tried many 12" speakers (including a Celestion
Vintage 30) to get more of a rock sound than the stock 10" Alnico Blue,
and the WeberVST C12B is the best match. It heads the Pro Jr into
VOX AC30 territory. I also tried this speaker with a custom made 18
watt amp with 6V6's. The speaker produces very clear, articulate,
and chimey highs... yet is never harsh. The sound projects evenly
throughout the room. Try the C12S if your amp is a little weak in
the low end.
David Perry
Amp: Victoria 518 (tweed)
Guitar: Hollow body PRS custom w/SD Antiquity Telecast neck single coil, PRS HFS humbucker
Effects: Tech 21 XXL distortion pedal
Genre: Rock
Comments: I bought the Weber C12B British 12" in lieu of a much more
expensive Celestion AlNiCo Blue 12" in order to derive a more Vox
like sound from my Victoria Tweed Champ recreation. For those of
you who don't know Victoria, these amps are dead-on knock offs of
50's Fender Amps, which have acquired legendary status for the
density and pure musicality of their harmonic signature, so this
amp truly provides a proving ground for the musical guts of any
speaker with which it is paired. After plugging a Tech 21 XXL
distortion pedal into the Victoria, which can provide a fairly
convincing class-A, EL-84 distortion waveform, I was rewarded
with a shining example of top-notch British tone, with a forceful
yet musical midrange and a vocal, liquid overdriven tone
reminiscent of Eric Johnson's celebrated "violin tone". This was
exactly what I was looking for: a speaker to complete a signal
chain whose primary purpose was to generate an exceptionally
smooth, dense distortion tone, free of roughness, fizzyness, or
grungeyness, which could achieve the role of electric guitar
as a powerful, sustaining "electric voice". The C12B succesfully
translated the striking complexity of the Victoria into a much
more mid-heavy tone which was a perfect platform for liberal
helpings of overdrive. I now plan to outfit the 5 watt Victoria
itslef with a Weber C8R for the snappy, squeeky clean 50's tone
that the amp was originally designed to produce.
Bill Davis
Amp: Allessandro Redbone, Callaham EL34
Guitar: PRS Custom
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: Exactly the sound I wanted for these amps, the classic
British overdriven sound. When playing high gain single note lines,
the notes sing and come through clearly. Clean tones are chimey
and sound like you want them to sound. I like these speakers.
Mark T. Van Ditta
Amp: VHT Pitbull Fourty-Five 2-12 Combo
Guitar: PRS Standard, Ibanez Custom S540FM
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz
Comments: I ordered the C12Bs to replace the stock speakers that came with
the Forty-Five because of my positive experience with WeberVST's 10F125.
I wanted to reduce its weight, and tighten-up its bottom-end.
The C12Bs satisfied both of these requirements. The amp is now
~10 lbs lighter than it was with the stock speakers, and the improvement
in tone is incredible. The Forty-Five has always been
great amp with lots of tone, but the C12Bs turned it into a
TONE MONSTER. Its tone is so thick that it could
send a cranked JTM 45 home with its tail between its legs when
driven from the Forty-Five's drive channel. My overdriven tone is
now as thick as a Wendy's Frosty (sorry Dr. Z.) When driven by
the Forty-Five's clean channel, single notes are big and fat with lots
of sustain, and chords have lots of chime and ring. In closing, the
C12B is a yet another great speaker from the industry's new master
speaker builder. It sets a new standard for British-style tone.
Mike Jones
Amp: Vox Royal Guardsman
Guitar: '62 Gibson Les Paul "Melody Maker", double cutaway w/Dimarzio single
Effects: Peavey Backstage chorus amp as a preamp
Genre: Blues
Comments: Punchy, fat, and clear. Oh yeah, did I mention punchy?
Pete Cage
Amp: 2xEL84, Class A, Cathode biased
Guitar: Tyler Strat, ASAT, Les Paul
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: We tested the C12B against 6 other ceramic-magnet speakers in this
amp (with an open-backed 1 x 12 cabinet), and it won hands down. It's got
lots of punch, crisp highs, and a tight, focused bottom end that was very
consistent both close up and at a 20-foot distance. It really hangs on to
the notes, almost seeming to add sustain to the guitar. Compared to the
others it sounds more "sophisticated," very British and keeps its composure
when really blasting. It had better bottom than a Vintage 30, and the
midrange was much smoother, with no ghost notes from the cone during
single-note runs. The cone never flaps or gets gritty. It's really sweet
with the EL84s at full chat.
Ceramic Chicago 12
Tim Mashburn
Amp: 71 Bassman head. Circuit board replaced with Hoffman 5F6A, Tung Sols.
Guitar: Strat, Tele. w/Stew Mac Golden Age in Strat
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Surf
Comments: It took three weeks for the speaker to break in, but now I don't think I could imagine anything
warmer or fuller. It's so fat, and cleaning up the bass knob delivers the woodiest clean tone
for riffing on the low strings. GREAT traditional blues speaker!
Bruce Osterlye
Amp: 1967 Black Face Twin Reverb
Guitar: 1967 Guild X-500 Archtop
Effects: No Effects, just Fender Reverb
Genre: Blues, Jazz
Comments: It took some thought and discussion to finally choose the Chicago series speakers. I replaced
'68 Altec-Lansing 417 speakers in my Twin. They were too bright, and not as balanced as I
wanted, I checked out the bulletin boards and sent various e-mails to Ted and others for
feedback. I wanted a smooth, round Jazz tone that wasn't muddy or too dark, but sounded sweet
and fat and still have some drive and clarity. The Twin is powerful, so I needed a speaker that
could handle the 85 Watts and still sound clean. I considered the California series, but
thought they'd be too sterile sounding. I took Ted's advice and got the Chicagos; they are
PERFECT!!!!! They did take about two weeks to loosen up and break in. They are so warm and
rich sounding and can deliver a variety of tones from warm, cool Jazz to Otis Rush Chicago
Blues tones. I tried Weber Californias, Fane Alnicos amd some others, but they just didn't
make it. The Chicagos are lesser known than the Californias, but having played various styles
for 37 years, I can say they capture the VINTAGE 60's tone. I don't like the JBL sound,
but if you do, go for the Californias. The Chicagos produce the 60's Jensen Ceramic sound
and can handle a high wattage amp. These are warm, powerful and very soulful sounding speakers.
Laurence Impastato
Amp: Currently in a weird 5F6a copy. It's a little strange...
Guitar: G&L Legacy and ASAT Classic, LP Standard and Heritage 535. Harmonic Design in the G&Ls, stock in Gibson and Heritage
Effects: Limited
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz
Comments: This is a Chicago 12 with an 'N' cone. It originally was intended for a SFDR. The amp is
bright (bright cap out, blackfaced), probably the big iron of the later DRs. I had a wonderful
experience with a California 15, so I thought a warmer crunchier version of that would be good
for the SFDR. Anyway, it didn't stay in the SFDR, and it's now in a 5F6a copy that's in a 10
& 12 cab (1X10 and 1X12 in the same tweed cab). I didn't like it in the SFDR, it's hard to
describe why, but it works in the crazy 5F6A. The tone is big, very round with a nice crunch
once pushed. The top end is there, sweet at low to moderate volumes - getting more of a razors
edge at high volume (not a bad thing actually). I was so taken with the California that I
decided to try another of Ted's high power series. While the Chicago is a good speaker, the
California is a masterpiece. If I hadn't tried both, I wouldn't have known the difference.
I'm glad I bought the Chicago, and I'm still using it.
Dan
Amp: BF'ed Bandmaster Reverb
Guitar: Custom SHop Strat, Hamer Studio
Effects: Chandler Tube Driver, Boss DD-5, Dunlop Wah
Genre: Blues, Rock, Country, Surf, Punk
Comments: I was kinda nervous at first about ordering these since it seems
no one had really heard of Webers except for people I find on the web. I
cancelled an order for celestion VS-80s in order to buy the C12CHs. At
first, when I installed them (into a 78 MusicMan cab) they were very stiff
and buzzy sounding. I thought I had made a mistake in ordering these but I
decided to give them a chance to break in. After about 5-6 hours playing
time the speakers suddenly sounded very good to me. They have a very clear
sound with a lot of punch and chime. They really do start to break up late
as you push the output tubes on the amp giving you that slightly overdriven
but very useful crunchy sound.
Very strong bass but it's not overbearing at all. I used to live and
breathe celestions but I think those days are over now. For a vintage
speaker, these are very good. Ted's voicing is also right on---it does have
the authentic Chicago overdrive sound (provided you use the right amp) and
the price is very reasonable too. A real find, a real bargain..highly
recommended
Bob Colmerauer
Amp: Peavey Classic 30, early SF DR
Guitar: Epiphone Emperor, custom solid body w/2HB and coil tap, Duncan JB, Dimarrzio PAF Pro
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Jazz
Comments: Great Speaker. After I had ordered the speaker I reread some of
the comments and worried that it would be too muddy. Both my
guitars are on the dark side. What a great surprise, all the
excellent comments I've read about Webers were true and then some.
Really fattened up the bottom on the classic 30, cuts through the
mix like a knife and what a sweet high end. Kick in the overdrive
and more sweetness, it just sings. You have to understand I
replaced the speaker to correct some obvious faults in the Classic
30 and what a job it did. I still plan to do some mods but this is
great. I play in church, so the demands on my sound are critical,
we go from very quiet (well for guitar players anyway) to rocking
with the distortion blazing. We believe that Jesus deserves our
praise with everything we've got! Well, this speaker really tightened
up my sound. It does delicate, it does punchy, it grinds, it screams
what more can I say, I Thank God for this speaker
God is moving powerfully in Christian music today- any other Christian
musicians who use Webers? rcolmer@fcs-net.com
Pete Cage
Amp: 6L6 homebrew, switchable pentode/triode mode
Guitar: Tyler Strat, ASAT, Les Paul
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: Mr. Weber described the Chicago 12 to be based upon the 12A150/C12N
family. I think he hit the nail right on the head. It sounds like a
big, powerful 12A150. At first, it seemed almost too dark, but it
loosened up over the first few hours of playing and gained some of
that characteristic smooth high end. Bottom is big and fat, but
never gets flappy or farty. The big magnet really seems to control
the cone well, and it retains lots of punch, even when hitting it
really hard. The smooth high end takes some of the harshness out of
6L6s when working hard; the amp and speakers work well together.
Read all of the C12N comments and 12A150 comments, then think "high
power." Cool.
15F150 (4 Ohm)
Joseph Dabbs
Amp: Modified single 6L6 class A (electar 10) with a lot of mods based on early Fenders.
Guitar: Strat
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Rock, Country
Comments: (4 ohm model) Well time to post my comments. Bought an Electar 10. Hated it. But for the price
well worth the electrics, simple 6L6 setup, easy to modify. Couple of resistors and caps,
review other feedback on harmony central and fender amp feild guide for champ and similar
circuits. Needed a good speaker, what to do? Bought this speaker off the bargain center list,
someone else ordered and backed out, (boy did they miss out). OK, now what? contact fellow
player, professional carpenter and cabinet maker, said "Jim build me a cabinet". (modeled after
a tweed Pro) builds his own guitars from scratch, plays like Roy, nuff said. Ok the meat and
potatoes. Craftsmanship and design quality or this speaker-excellent, sound unbeliveable.
Smooth and tight, top to bottom, clean or dirty, satisfaction guaranteed. Ha, from a 15"
speaker you say? You bet! Jim says he'd take it if I didn't, not likely. What about volume
you ask? My ears rang till Tuesday from last Saturday's get together, still had numbers left
on the dials. Ted, thank you. I'm sure we'll be doing more business in the future, Joe
Dave Hunter
Amp: '60 Concert (Concert chassis in a '62 Pro cab)
Guitar: PRS Classic bolt-on, '57 Tele
Effects: Ibanez TS-9 (occasionaly)
Genre: Rock, Country
Comments: I don't know who put this Concert amp chassis
into the Pro cab, but I've had a helluva time trying to find the
right speaker match for the thing - which I always felt could sound
great if handled right. Finally, thanks to this Weber C15N (4ohm),
it sounds FANTASTIC.
The amp still has its original 2ohm OT (same as in later Tweed
Bassmans) but came loaded with a vintage 8 ohm 12" JBL D-120F,
which never sounded right. 4x10s wouldn't fit the Pro cab,
(originally 1x15") so I've gone through 2x10" Celestion G10-50Ss
(too harsh and brittle) and 1x15" '57 Jensen P15R (warm and
smooth, but a little indistinct - and a low-powered risk)
trying to get the right early Brownface sound.
This Weber speaker was a revelation: it's full-textured, rich,
very warm but satisfyingly crisp at the same time. It
articulates astoundingly well for a 15" speaker, and is
(surprisingly?) responsive to pick attack. With the amp
cranked up to 5 or 6 it roars smoothly without ever getting
boomy, and (surprisingly again?) maintains a healthy dose of
usable high-end that finds me tweeking the amp's EQ no more
than I ever did with the 12s or 10s it's had in the past. Even
with the PRS's bridge humbucker and the Tube Screamer cranked
open it refuses to get muddy. The amp deserves some credit
here, of course, but no speaker has got it to sound this good
before. There must be a little power loss because I've got a
4ohm speaker in a 2 ohm amp (didn't have much choice), but you'd
be hard pressed to tell it. the 2x10" Celestions I tried for a
while were 4 ohms in parallel for the correct 2 ohm load, but I
don't think they were any louder - and took a lot more EQ-ing
to get to sound decent.
I'd always had a mental block against 15" speakers for guitar,
but this one really moves air in a gorgeous, toneful fashion.
An option others would do well to consider.
It's worth mentioning, too, that Weber as a company and Ted
Weber as an individual were a pleasure to deal with.
10F125
Bob Arbogast
Amp: 65 and '70 Fender Princeton Amps
Guitar: Guild Starfire IV, Fender Telecaster, DeArmond M77T and X155
Effects: Fulltone Full-Drive 2
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: I like these speakers. They are punchy and loud with a clear, articulate voice. They do have a
bit of a midrange peak compared to a RI Jensen C10R (which is also a good choice for a
Princeton Amp).
Rennie Selkirk
Amp: 64 Tremolux head installed into custom 2-10 combo cabinet
Guitar: Telecaster '52 reissue; Gibson L-4CES
Effects: Fender reissue Reverb
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz, Country
Comments: (The following is a happy-ending report.)
I purchased a pair of these in 1999 to install in an open-back cab I had custom built for the Tremolux head; I felt the Oxfords from the original 2-10 Tremolux closed-back cab were short on slice, particularly for the humbucker guitar.
The 10F125's certainly had the slice I was looking for and a gratifyingly precise bottom-end, but they also had an annoying metallic "plink" that was evident in playing either the Tele or the Gibson. Not unlike the icy edge I hear coming from a JBL D130. I
don't know what the proper technical term for this sound is (sizzle?), but it definitely sounds disconnected from the rest of the guitar's sound. Very evident playing single-note runs on the two high strings down the neck. I suppose the audibility of thes
e overtones may depend on the rolloff in an individual's hearing. For me it was loud enough to significantly detract from the perceived "muiscality" of the 10F125's.
I tried all sorts of capacitor-swapping monkey business inside the Tremolux to change the amp's voicing to de-emphasize the top end to no avail. (Just as well I suppose.) At that point I set the 10F125's aside and wound up giving the "Combolux" job to a pai
r of THD Longhorns for the last 18 months. Compared to the clarity of the 10F125's, these are relatively mushy speakers, but with enough high-end detail to be minimally adequate for the fussy humbucker guitar. (I also have tried a pair of Fender's Blue Fram
e AlNiCos in the Combolux. These sound wonderfully grungy with the Tele, very similar to the "Custom" Vibrolux Reverb reissue, but they predictably turn the humbuckers to absolute mud past 3.)
But I never was particularly happy with the Longhorns and recently I resolved to try fiddling with the 10F125s again. Not surprisingly the "sizzle" hadn't disappeared while they were sitting around unused for 18 months. But this time around I had my thinkin
g cap on and remembered that I had a TC parametric also sitting around unused. So why not bring them together? What I did is to route the guitar signal through the parametric's high-f channel, cranking the band center dial all the way to 10kHz, dialing th
e bandwidth down to the 0.1 octave minimum and dropping the gain down 16dB.
With the rolled off guitar signal, the icy edge essentially disappeared and I could finally listen with pleasure to the truly frightening elastic slice this once-mild mannered amp has now acquired. The speakers are certainly "steely" as I think one user h
ad commented, but in a musically-satisfying way. And I am pleased to report that the speakers give the Telecaster single-note tones a body and depth I hadn't expected from a ceramic-magnet speaker.
So, with this 'roll-off solution', I'm very satisfied with this speaker choice. I was even thinking of taking the amp out back, turning it up to 10, and cutting some clean swathes through the tall grass on the hill behind the house. ;-)
Jose Arroyo
Amp: 68' Vibrolux Reverb
Guitar: Tremolo circuit changed to bias modulation type.
Effects: Fender Strats w/EMG-SA's and EMG-89 in the neck position. Tele with EMG-RT in the lead.
Vox wah w/ True-bypass, Fulltone Fulldrive, Sansamp GT-2, Boss DM-2, CE-2
Genre: Blues, Rock, Punk
Comments: I tired a lot of different speakers and never thought to try two 10F125s in my Vibrolux Reverb.
I had a 10F125 in my Princeton Reverb and the 10F125 was not very good. The bass was nice and
tight, but the highs were ice-picky and thin. I broke it in and still was not happy. In my
68' Vibrolux Reverb, I tried the 10F125 with a 10F150 and found the sound too "woofy" and boomy.
Next, I tried the 10F125 and a P10Q. I was not happy. I could hear the P10Q breaking down and
the 10F125 still struggling. Finally, I bite the bullet and tried another 10F125 with the broken
in one I've had for over a year. Why did I fight it? The 10F125 are the perfect balance in a
2X10 configuration. The highs still sizzle with harshness, but the lows and mids of two 10F125's
are fantastic! Turn the treble down and the bass up and you get a nice smooth tone with chimmy
highs and solid bottom end. Turn the volume up and the amp gets a nice even grit to it that
works great for crunchy rhythm. Throw an OD pedal and turn on the humbucker and this speaker
will break down and give you a nice full overdrive tone. It's not as good as my Weber 10A100
in my Princeton Reverb, but provides a good balance between solid rhythm and lead tone. The
amp is really loud at about "6" and sounds nice and creamy making this the perfect medium-sized
club amp (instead of the small-sized club amp role this amp was relegated to before).
Andy Buschmann
Amp: Smicz PORTABLuEs 110, 5 watts with a single 6v6
Guitar: Carvin maple two pickup DC 125 1986, Carvin M22SD and M22V
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: My amp came with the Jensen C10Q speaker. I wanted a rounder,
fuller sound, more bass etc. This speaker supplies it. There is
a big increase in volume also. The tone controls seem to work
better now that there are more frequencies coming through. The amp
also seems cleaner. We are only dealing with five watts RMS here
so overdriving the speaker may not be a consideration. The ghost
note thing is new to me. There are so many speaker models and pa-
rameters that I could not make a really intelligent decision but the
un-doped version is fine. This speaker helps my amp reach its full potential. There is a large difference in performance over the Jensen. I suggest that
anyone considering a PORTABLuEs upgrade to the Weber.
Margaret Wilson
Amp: Late 70s Princeton Reverb. Pull-boost removed, pot does -fb; Boost footswitch jack bypasses tone stack
Guitar: US Fat Telecaster
Effects: Sometimes Boss Blues Driver, Uni-Vibe stereo chorus
Genre: Blues, Jazz
Comments: This speaker did wonders for this amp. Very smooth and sweet sounding with
plenty of bass, not boomy or too trebly. Very well-rounded sound, perfect
for jazz. I usually play using just the neck humbucker, so the bass flubs
out when I push it much beyond 2. (It is definitely the amp, though, not
the speaker. I've played my Blues Jr through this speaker and can boost
both bass and midrange to 12 with no flubbiness.) But there's plenty of
tight bass, even if I leave it on 2! (Eventually I'll mod the SFPR to
tighten up the bass more.) I have a 12A150Q in my Blues Jr, and although
the SFPR sounds great through this speaker too, I actually prefer the
10F125 (in the PR). I usually play clean, and the ceramic magnet is more
articulate than the alnico. I have trouble putting my guitar down now that
I have my 10F125!!
Michael Moody
Amp: Vibrolux Reverb
Guitar: Strat, Tele, Les Paul, ES 335
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Rock, Country
Comments: I believe the Weber 10F125 is one of the finest 10" speakers
available. It is now my first choice in blackface amps with 10" speakers.
The 10F125's are very transparent with fuller mids than a stock Jensen C10Q.
The mids in this speaker really wake up the vocal characteristic missing
from the more mid- scooped tone of a blackface amp. My Vibrolux Reverb has
become more chunky thick yet is retains most of the blackface character,
sparkle and chime. The bottom is amazing! The 10F125 will come close to many
12" speakers in bottom end. The feel and response of the 10F125 is fantastic.
Very quick but not stiff feeling at all. They are very strong yet warm. They
are REAL loud!!!!!! I did have to re-tube my amp to get the voice to sound
right with these speakers.
The 10F125 is great in blackface amps with 10" speakers and they sounded
great with other amps too. They really cut through a live mix great with
plenty of detail. The 10F125 has a really nice texture. Just enough crunch and
bite to get through but smooth enough to stay under control. Really nice
dynamics for a 10" speaker.
Bill Dennis
Amp: '64 Princeton
Guitar: Hamer Daytona (strat), mutt Tele, Duncan AlNiCo Pro 2's, Duncan hot tele bridge, vintage neck Tele
Effects: none
Genre: Blues, Rock, Country
Comments: When I bought this amp it had a JBL in it which actually
had a pretty nice clean tone at moderate volume, but got shrill and
farty simultaneously when pushed. I took Ted's recommendation on
the 10F125 and I'm glad I did. It's quite efficient and has increased
the amp's clean headroom. Better yet it breaks up smoothly without
harshness and the bottom end stays together (at least until the amp
starts losing its grip on the bottom). Well balanced from lows to
highs, punchy and loud. This speaker sounds bigger than a 10".
It was well worth the money and effort to change out a mediocre
speaker for this lovely sounding piece. Oh yeah - it gives great
ring with the Tele, very nice bite on the strat neck pickup too.
Michael Taylor
Amp: Fender HR Deville w/NOS Philips 7581's
Guitar: 80's Fender Strat MIJ w/Rio Grande Halfbreeds
Effects: Fulltone Fulldrive 2
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: These speakers really improved the amp 100%! They have a very
full sound & combined with the NOS power tubes, give it a bright punchy
sound reminiscant of an old Super Reverb. These speakers do not get harsh
with the treble or boomy at high volumes like the stock ones do. Many people
criticize the overdrive on the Hot Rod amps but the stock speakers are
largely to blame. Overdrive is very useable now, either cranked in the clean
channel, Drive channel with the Master cranked and use Drive control to
adjust volume, or clean with O/D pedal. The treble is very useable now also.
Before I couldn't get the treble past 4 or 5 without harshness but now I
usually leave it at 8 to 10! The clean sound is also greatly improved as
these speakers are very efficient & allow you to get quite a loud & sweet
clean sound before breakup. They are a tight fit in the Deville though. Get
the ones with the cutouts to clear the transformers & you will need to
modify these a little more to make them fit. I believe another option is
that Ted will send you a frame that you can mark where the cutouts need to
be & will make the speakers accordingly. Overall these are awsome speakers
that are well made & really catch the vintage Fender vibe.
John Borneimer
Amp: SF Princeton
Guitar: Am Std Strat and Tele (Tele has Blue Lace Sensor at neck), Ric 360/12
Effects: TS-9, AD-9, Dynacomp
TGenre: Blues, Rock
Comments: I just replaced an anemic-sounding Pyle speaker with the 10F125
in my SF Princeton. Let me say, simply, that the new speaker has
unleashed the tone I'd always hoped was in the Princeton. I had
always liked the Princeton Reverbs, I thought because of the extra
gain stage, but I get a louder clean with the non-reverb model.
The speaker has given back the punch which was missing, and there is a
dynamic edge to the tone at 7 or so on the volume knob which could not
be characterized as distortion, but makes the amp seem more alive
(dare I say SRV'ish, even in such a small amp?). I just love the new
speaker!
Mark T. Van Ditta
Amp: Tweed Princeton-inspired homebrew with SS recto, no -fb, 360V on plates.
Guitar: PRS Standard, Ibanez Custom S540FM
Effects: None
Genre: Fusion of Blues, Funk, Jazz and Rock
Comments: Like many people on the net, I look to the alt.guitar.amps newsgroup
for answers to my questions about amplification-related products.
Many people have taken the time to produce well written and informative
product reviews. I can only hope that this review does justice to this fine
product. First and foremost, be prepared to wait longer than the posted
lead-time if you want a speaker with an impedance other than eight-ohms. I
ordered two 16 ohm and one 8 ohm 10F125s for my Bandmaster-style
cabinet. After waiting the posted two-week lead-time, I called
WeberVST to see if they had shipped my speakers. However, to my
disappointment I was told that they were waiting on 16 ohm voice
coils. I have heard this song from many manufacturers before, but this
was the first time I honestly believed what they were saying.
Another week and a half went by, and I started to wonder if I should
drop WeberVST a line to see if the voice coils were still backordered
when, to my surprise, two well-packed boxes greeted me when I arrived
home after work. Like many people, I dropped what I was doing, and
immediately inspected the contents.
The first thing I noticed, after opening the package, was that the backs
of the speakers were bare. WeberVST is shipping the speakers without
the decals affixed, so the customer can decided were they get (or
do not get) attached. I chose to put the decals on the backs of the
speakers.
The next thing I noticed, while hooking the 10F125s up, was that these
speakers have very small terminals. Threading two, tinned, pieces of
eighteen-guage, stranded wire through the tiny holes in these terminals
is quite a feat. However, it can be done.
Enough of this negative stuff, how do they sound? Well...it took me
until 10:30 PM to get them hooked up, so I had to wait until the next
day to give them a test run (Cyndi does not stand for loud guitar
playing after 9:00 PM on weeknights). However, after doing so, here is
my first impression:
The first thing I have say about these speakers is that they are loud,
REALLY LOUD. I had been playing this amp through the speakers in my
Pitbull Forty-Five and my Marshall ValveState 8240. It sounded good
through the speakers in both of these amps; however, neither came
anywhere close to the volume produced by the Webers. I was quite
surprised to see how loud the 10F125s were because this is not the amp
that I have targeted to go into this cabinet. That amp, a
cathode-biased, 6G3-derivative, is still on my workbench. All I can
say is that Cyndi will probably divorce me after I stick it in the
cabinet :-).
Okay the speaker is loud, but how does it sound? Well...the first
thing that came to my mind, after playing the amp the next day, with a
Svetlana 6L6GC installed, was Stax. You know, that sound Steve Cropper
had when he and Booker T. where the house band. The bottom-end is
tight. The top is bright and steely without being harsh. The 10F125
makes single coils sound like single coils, and to steal a line from
Mike Z., it will take your humbuckers off of life support. It even
makes my midrange-thick PRS sound good clean (the PRS is my acid test
because it turns most amps into mud producers when playing cleanly).
After playing with the amp a little more, I was also able to produce a
wide range of Motown-derived sounds. Do you want James Brown-like
soul? no problem! How about about a little funk? no problem here
either! These speakers are just the ticket for a 6L6-amp player who
wants to do the 60s R&B and 70s soul/funk thing.
Okay, 10F125s do the clean R&B/soul/funk thing, but how about the blues?
Well...I popped out the 6L6, and plugged in a 50's RCA 6V6GT ( I really
like this tube because, while not having great bottom-end, it produces
beautiful midrange harmonics). The 6V6GT gave the speakers a
completely different personality. Yes, the tight bottom-end and steely
top-end where still there, but the midrange fattened up, and they really
began to sing. The tone produced by the 10F125s was not the "R,"
bass-heavy type of fatness, but something totally different. It was a
tone that could most definitely cut through a muddy mix.
In closing, if you are an aging, but not over the hill, musician like
me, who is looking to expand their tonal palate, getting a set Webers is
a great place to start. They will not create your tone - that
responsibility lies with your fingers. However, they will most
definitely enhance and open-up your tone. Give Ted a call, what do you
have to lose except for bad tone?
Ceramic Blue Pup
Bill D.
Amp: Cage 18/30 w/JAN Phillips EL-84s, Sovtek 12AX7LPS
Guitar: Parts Tele w/Harmonic Design Vintage + pups, Hamer USA Daytona Kinman pups
Effects: Blues, Rock, Country
Genre: Very punchy, nice ring and chime on top, well balanced, especially impressed with
Comments: the big tight bass response (for 10s anyway) and they're not even fully played in yet.
They're LOUD too - even with my amp running at half power (18 w). I debated a long
time over a one 12" vs a 2 X 10" cab (wanted reasonable weight and size), and I'm
happy with my decision to go with the 2X10" - it sounds really big for such a compact
lightweight little cab. No matter how hard I've pushed them they haven't mushed out
in the bass or gone shrill in the treble. Overall more crisp than super smooth, but
that's what I like. Very satisfied. Only downer - took 3 months to arrive.
Kenneth Day
Amp: Tweed Super (5E4-A) homebrew, RCA BB 6V6 tubes
Guitar: 86 PRS Standard, 95 LP Special RE, 79 Schecter Strat w/Duncan Custom HB
Effects: Fulldrive 2, Micro-vibe, Crybaby, Boss CE-1, Fender Reverb
Genre: Blues, Rock, Country
Comments: I Play In an all original band in Detriot. Textures ranging from Black Crows
to Tom Petty To AC/DC. I made this amp from parts From Dixie Sound Works.
I Love the up-front sound that tweed circuits have. I built this amp for
gigs In smaller rooms.The C10P Blue Pups sound execellent for the in-your-face
rock sound that my band plays. These speakers have great punchy attack when
pushed to rock grind mode. They also clean up great with the guitar volume
backed off. What more can I say?. These speakers are awesome!
Ceramic Thames 10
Dave R.
Amp: 50 watt Marshall clone (86/87 ckt w/Ei 12AX7's and Svet EL34's); 2x10 homemade closed back cab.
Guitar: 1971 Gibson SG, w/P90 type pickups; 1980's Kramer strat w/ DiMarzio PAF in neck, others stock.
Effects: Fulldrive II
Genre: Rock
Comments: Delivers a nice smooth "Marshall crunch" tone at volume settings
from 3 to 5 (of 10), without the excessive brightness, or icepick effect,
that you sometimes get. These speakers definitely have a dark voice.
Normally, I lower the treble setting control and jump channels to balance
out the brightness. With these speakers, I don't jump channels and I have
the treble and mids set relatively high, because there's no excessive
brightness to tame.
Low end response is so-so, but this may be due in part to the homemade
closed back speaker cabinet. I noticed a nice midrange sizzle as the
speakers broke in. Highs are OK, definitely not too biting. For the right
amp and sound, these speakers are good. I like them because I get a nice
tone at practice levels without biting treble. Probably not the best
speaker for a darker voice amplifier.
Matt D
Amp: '63 Super w/cap job and Philips 6L6WGB's
Guitar: Tokai Strats & Tele, Epi LP Special w/ P-90's, Texas Specials in Tele and one Strat
Effects: Fulldrive 2, crybaby wah, Yardbox, Fuzz Face, Experience (varies with mood)
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: After much consideration of features and cost, I decided to
replace the crappy old non-stock speakers in my brown Super. I often
use Celestions with Fender amps and hoped the Thames would beef up the
mids. Well, these things are thick indeed! High end gets through and
continues to improve as they break in. However, the Thames are too
much speaker for this amp. It's got a thin floating baffleboard and
18 lbs. of massive speaker makes me nervous! The overall tone is TOO
thick and I've lost the clarity that the amp wants to produce. I
tried to tweak the tone of the amp but I realize that stock-style
speakers are probably the way to go in this case. I've just ordered
Jensen C10Q RI's for this amp. These speakers will someday find
a home with a Marshall or mixed with Jensen-styles in a Super
Reverb. My experience dealing with the Weber company has been top
notch.
Ceramic Thames 12
Lew Collins
Amp: Mission Amps Bluestone 45 watt with reverb from Mission Amps
Guitar: Fender Strat w/two Duncan SSL 1 & one Duncan neck model JB jr, but used in the bridge position.
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz
Comments: At Mission Amps, we've been testing a number of Ted's speakers
to decide which one sounds best in our newest design, the Bluestone
45 watt with reverb. Tone wise, the amp is kind of cross between a
classic blackface Fender and a JTM 45, with a little AC 30 pluck
tossed in for spice! Our amp has alot of bass response and I usually
keep the bass control at about 3 or 4. It's also very touch sensitive
and can sound muddy with a speaker with too much bass. A Vintage 30
really works best so far with this amp. But the C12GB is a great
speaker and my favorite Weber so far with this amp. I put a C12GB and
a Vintage 30 in our Tweed Twin clone cab and compared them against
each other. The C12GB was maybe a little louder and had much more
bass, more mids and was easier to overdrive than the Vintage 30.
The C12GB also got muddy sooner and was not as bright or as smooth
sounding as the Vintage 30, nor was it as clean. It sounded excellent,
but with our amp, the mid range was a tad too thick sounding and it
lacked the overall sense of space and transparancy that we're looking
for. When I tried my '57 Deluxe with it the results were much the
same - excellent, but a little to thick sounding for my tastes.
I would recommend this speaker to someone who likes a fat bassy tone,
with a thick midrange and smooth highs with a chunky edge to them.
Oddly, the Vintage 30 seems to have more highs yet the Weber C12GB
is capable of a harder, glassier, sharper edge. I really like the
C12GB, but it couldn't be the only speaker I owned - I'd need to hear
something else sometimes.
15F200
David Perry
Amp: SS Fender Bassman 60
Guitar: Customized Martin Acoustic 5 string w/Lane Poor passive humbuckers
Effects: Budda Preamp
Genre: Rock
Comments: I needed a speaker for bass, although it is listed as a keyboard speaker. But, although
I didn't consult Ted on this, it was stated that it could be used
for synthesizer, which suggested to me it could handle near sub-
harmonic frequencies. I actually didn't really want to know since
I am sold irrevocably on Weber products after trying only one
(C12B) and needed a 15" bass speaker for relatively low-volume
work. Ergo, I was willing to cross my fingers, order the C15L
and hope I didn't blow the cone with my fifth string. Happily,
after a couple of days of breaking in, the speaker responded
with as much nobility as I have come to expect from WVST. I play
through a meat and potatoes solid state Fender from the eighties
with a Budda Phatman, dual 12ax7 (RCA) preamp which I run clean
slapped on the front end, and a heavily modified Martin Acoustic
five string bass that's been disemboweled and turned into a semi
hollow electric with Lane Poor p.u.'s and a Hipshot bridge. This
is a sweetly responsive bass with a definite acoustic richness,
and the preamp is warm and transparent. The speaker does justice
to the complexity of the guitar, reproducing its multi-layered
harmonics more faithfully than most stock 15"s. Much more
inspiring than the EV 200 watt 15 I originally played the Martin
through--many more layers of depth and fidelity. This speaker
also really stands out for punch and bloom. I can get a magical
flatpick response that reminds me of later Phil Lesh--great
bounce and lilt to rhythmic flatpick lines. Yes, percussive punch
combined with delicious warmth and a well rounded frequency curve
are the name of the game here. In keeping with the Weber VST
trend, this speaker combines the old brownness and warmth of
true vintage models with greater fidelity and wider response,
somehow managing to keep the new approach from getting in the way
of the old. Can't wait to try it in a better amp! *Note* I only
use this speaker for low-volume bass guitar. If you are thinking
of using it for bass, I would strongly suggest you talk to Ted
about it first.
12F150W
Patrick Malloy
Amp: Fender Deluxe Reverb modified by T. Swartz of Michigan
Guitar: Tele, Strat, Frankenstrat, Heritage 150
Effects: Delay, TS9, Rat
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz, Country, Surf
Comments: My Celestion 80 speaker was typical of most speakers when installed in a Deluxe. The highs
were shrill and the lows were flatulent. I liked the portability of the amp but was completely
spoiled by years of toil using a BF Super Reverb. The Weber 12F150T has cured my blues with
this amp. It has a crisp and not shrill high end and the lows are just terrific, plump and
tight. The biggest surprise for me is the midrange; it is very complex and stringy. It's
ultra-Fender! Crank the amp and it sings, back it off and it's crispy. Simple. It is also
a very warm and articulate speaker with some of the best translation of picking nuance
I've encountered in 35 years of playing. It's a magic bullet for taking this amp to peak
performance.
Glenn Bloiso
Amp: '63 Bassman
Guitar: Gibson's, Fenders, PRS
Effects: Tube Screamer, Peavey Valverb
Genre: Blues, Rock, Country
Comments: I thought my experience in finding a good replacement speaker for a '63 Bassman might
help someone in a similar situation. The stock Oxfords lacked volume and bass and at
their age, I didn't want to destroy them. I tried Vintage 30s because Guitar Player
magazine stated that Brian Setzer used them in his '63 Bassmans. Perhaps it's just my
particular amp but the V30s had terrible edge yowl. I next tried the 12F150Ts but had
the same problem. The high notes on the E string were too painful to bear. What a
shame, because otherwise the speakers sounded really terrific. I took the head down
to my friend's music store and played it through various speaker cabs and combos and
to my suprise found that it sounded really good with a stock 4x12 Marshall cab loaded
with Celestion G1275s. Installed in the Bassman cab they sound excellent. No edge
yowl. The character of the Bassman is definitely there (you couldn't hide it if you
tried) but its considerably louder with much stronger mids, fuller bass, and just the
right treble roll-off for this head. Perhaps there's a better choice out there,
like Kendricks, but I'm well pleased with the Celestions.
Scott Hicks
Amp: 1980 Deluxe reverb
Guitar: ES335, Tele & Hamer Datona w/Gibson 57's, Schecter & Duncans
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Rock, Surf
Comments: My deluxe sounded good with the stock speaker but I always felt
that the amp could sound better. The stock speaker was kinda
floppy and loose in the bottom end and had a grainy quality in the
upper ranges, I was being picky!. I had never heard of Weber Speakers
untill I started crusing the web but everything I read was positive
so sight unseen I contacted Ted and got his opinion on what would work
best for my situation. He hit the nail on the head!! My DR could not
sound better, the bottom end is tight and punchy, smooth fat highs
without loosing any sparkle, it's like I have a new amp!! I highly
recommend this speaker. The 12F150T will revive your tired Fenders.
I never thought a speaker could make so much difference.
Ceramic Sig 8S
Rob Murray
Amp: Fender Vibro Champ
Guitar: Stratocaster
Effects: none
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: Used this for a replacement to a ripped cone Oxford in a Fender
Vibro Champ. The replacement was louder than the stock speaker.
The replacement cone was of a thicker material than I had seen.
I think too stiff, sounded terrible with my amp. Bass notes would
rattle the speaker other notes were muddy. Too much trouble to
ship it back, I ended up selling the amp and the replacement
speaker. Need other speakers now but I will go for Jensen's next time or Celestion's.
Chris Taylor
Amp: 1968 Fender Bronco. Added mid control (10k in vibrato pedal hole)
Guitar: MIM Standard Stratocaster, MIJ '60's RI Stratocaster (Shell PINK!!). Texas Specials in the MIM Strat
Effects: Big Muff PI, TS9, Vox V847 Wah, Dan-Echo
Genre: Blues
Comments: I replaced the stock Oxford with this speaker. The Oxford was shrill on the
clean highs and had no bass response. When cranked, it turned to mud. I
bought the C8SS basically because of Weber's rep and the price (you cannot
beat the price). The sound is great. The speaker did need some breaking
in, but after it is broken in it sounds wonderful. When played clean
(which is possible with this amp on 10) it is plucky without being harsh.
The bass response is great while still being able to get a piano like
sound on the lower strings (not as good as 2-12s but what is?)
When cranked, the speaker really shines. It breaks up very nicely and
really compliments the sound of 6V6 going nuts! The overall EQ of the
speaker seems very balanced. This speaker improved the sound of this amp
like you would not believe!
Randal Cates
Amp: Fender Champ
Guitar: 57 reissue Strat
Effects: Chorus, Wah, Distortion
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: I've just replaced the stock speaker in my Champ with a C8SS.
It used to lack "punch" and sounded mushy. The new speaker really opened
it up all the way from the bottom end, through the mids, to the top end
highs. This is money well spent.
Ceramic Texas 12
Billy Chambless
Amp: Modified Traynor Bassmaster. Split cathode resistors on V1 with 25uf/.68uf bypass caps, lowered B+ with power resistors.
Guitar: Epiphone Dot, Mexican Strat, Epiphone SG clone
Effects: Boss Blues Driver, Boss Harmonist
Genre: Blues, Rock, Metal
Comments: Previously, I'd used the Bassmaster with a Univox cab containing two Celestion G12-65's.
Nice cab, but the overall sound was a bit too bright, with a weak middle.
The Weber (loaded into a Crate cabinet that previously help a Vintage 30) fixed
that. Tons of midrange, bass that's solid but not boomy, and highs that sing without
grating. With the Strat, it brings out more of that bell-like tone
associated with Hendrix and SRV; in fact, it brings out more of that
tone with the humbucker guitars, as well. To be honest, I didn't expect this speaker
to be as versatile as it is. I intended to use it for a distorted
sound in a multi-amp setup, but it cleans up beautifully AND
distorts in a very musical way. Sustain is increased a fair bit over
the Celestions, and the frequency response is amazingly even -- which
I like, because I tend to be all over the fretboard in solos, and
need a tone that will work everywhere from the nut to the last fret.
I'd say that the C12TX was the best investment I've ever made, in terms
of tone improvement.
Blake
Amp: Princeton 112 Plus. w/changes in resistor values, replaced metal film caps with ceramic and poly film caps
Guitar: Lone Star Strat, Mexi Standard Tele. SD JB bridge p/u and SD Hot Rails neck p/u in Lone Star Strat. Humbucking bridge plate on Tele w/Dimarzio Tone Zone, Texas Special neck p/u
Effects: Tube Screamer
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz
Comments: My main gigging amps are Bassmans
w/4x12 cabs... back breakers. I've tried four speakers in this amp and
have made some modifications to the circuitry in an attempt to get a
smoother tone out of it. I think it's safe to say that it will never
sound like a tube amp. One thing I noticed first off about the speaker
was the massive magnet on it, none of the previous speakers I'd tried
had a magnet this big, looks like it belongs on a 15" speaker. This
speaker sounds terrific! the bass response is excellent, and the breakup
point, although a LOT earlier than the previous speakers
(special design Fender, an Eminence and a Carvin BR-12) is not a harsh
breakup, it's kind of a 'swirling' breakup. the speaker has plenty of
twang to it, would probably sound great for country, I love the overdrive
sounds I can get from it with the Tube screamer, this thing sustains
notes like I've never seen before. I play guitar in my college's jazz
band, and I can't wait to use this amp!
Ceramic Sig 8
Jim Rossen
Amp: Masco MU 5. The MU 5 is a c. 50's single 6V6, single 8 in speaker amp. Used for harp with Astatic mic.
Guitar: N/A
Effects: None
Genre: Blues
Comments: Full, warm, well detailed, with modest and pleasing breakup. Smooth and even response with
high and low pitched notes. No ghost notes. Fairly loud. Excellent tone for recording.
Tough to resist replacing the speakers in my 4 x 8 in harp amps with these.
Mike Feldman
Amp: 62 Tweed Champ with GE 12AY7 preamp, and 6v6 RCA blackplate
Guitar: Assorted harmonicas, Shure 520 Green bullet, and Astatic ceramics JT-30 harp mics.
Effects: None
Genre: Blues
Comments: The C8RS signature speaker replaced a Mojo, which was too bassy,
and dry sounding. The Weber is crunchier, more balanced in highs, mids, and
lows. I recently played a low/mid volume outdoor gig, micd. through PA, amp
was a screamer. Have purchased and used Weber 10A100 and Rs in other amps, and
in a 2x10 cab.
Matt "Lefty" Edie
Amp: '67 Blackface Champ, completely stock except I removed the negative feedback loop (one wire) to open it up.
Guitar: Fender '62 RI Strat w/Harmonic Design Vintage Hot
Effects: In this little amp you don't need any, just turn it on 10!
Genre: Blues
Comments: Replaced a Mojo 8" speaker that I didn't care for off the bat, it was very "honky" in
the mids and very dry sounding. So I thought I'd buy one of these since
they were on sale, and it was the best $$ I ever spent. The speaker was
very strong and deep, but can be pushed too. I've had other Champs and
sold them because, well...when you find other gear to buy they are usually
the first to go. But let me tell this speaker has changed the amp for
the better, if I could gig with it I would. But for now it'll stay in the
house and help me re-arrange the pictures on the walls.
8F125
Matt "Lefty" Edie
Amp: '67 BF Fender Champ. I've removed the negative feedback loop (one wire) to open the amp up in volume and in tone.
Guitar: Fedner '62 RI Strat w/Harmonic Design Vintage Hot
Effects: None-straight in
Genre: Blues
Comments: My order got lost over the net, so I reordered it and I accidentally ordered the C8Q.
So anyway, after the speaker arrived with the others I intentionally
ordered, I debated on trying out the speaker. I thought "how much better
than the C8RS can this one be? "So I gave in and gave it a whirl, it's a
great speaker! As compared to the C8RS the C8Q of course has a much bigger
magnet, and a ribbed cone. I like the C8RS but the C8Q has a overall
bigger sound, bigger volume, and nicer break up. I would account the
smoother breakup due to the ribbed cone. The bottom is nice and firm, no
soggy bass notes here. The mids are not as pronounced as on the C8RS,
which makes the amp bigger sounding and not as one dimensional. And the
top end is nice, not harsh at all, I almost wish it had more top end,
but it doesn't need it. And with the volume increase I could almost gig
with it. It's definitely going into the studio next time. Bottom line-if
your looking to vastly improve your Champ, in volume and tone, go with
the C8Q. But if you just want a better speaker than stock, go with the
C8RS or any of the other Signature series speakers, they are a great
bang for the buck.
10F150T
Robert Bozic
Amp: Early 70's Fender Vibrolux Reverb, Blackface modification
Guitar: G&L 'George Fullerton' Strat, Grubisá 'Merlin, G&L vintage strat, Joe Barden Two tone HB
Effects: Teese RMC3 wah, TS9/808 Tube Screamer, Danelectro Dan Echo
Genre: Blues
Comments: I emailed Ted about some speakers for my Vibrolux Reverb, he suggested some 10F150T's.
First thing I noticed was they were louder than the Celestion G10-50's they replaced. For
the first few weeks they sounded stiff and then they started to loosen up and sound a lot
better. I was told they'll continue to sound better. With the G&L strat and the Vibrolux on 7
the amp has that classic Fender overdrive sound where it's breaking up but you can still hear
every string sparkle (Bass on about 2.5) I use a Sovtek GZ34 rectifier which gives good
headroom and these speakers break up at the right time complimenting the amp. With the Grubisa
'Merlin'the amp breaks up earlier (the Merlin is a custom made guitar which has a similar
design concept to the Robben Ford model guitar). With the Barden's tapped and a light touch the
amp sounds clean and detailed, but with the full HB mode the amp screams with beautiful tone.
Very very smooth sustain with a big bottom end and great articulate highs. They have that
aggressiveness which Ted talks about in his speaker description. A very dynamic speaker!
With the amp on break up and the Tube screamer/wah wah on I'm in Fender overdrive heaven.
If you are a fan of Robben Ford's tone and own a Fender Blackface/Silverface amp such as the
Vibrolux, Super Reverb, Twin etc... you'll love these speakers! (I also recommend the Barden
pickups to get his sound). Overall I am very pleased with these speakers and will continue to
buy Weber speakers for all the amps I buy in the future!
Brian Metelits (Bluescaster on the TDP)
Amp: Deluxe Reverb ('65 Reissue). Replaced 6V6s with 6L6's
Guitar: Telecaster - 52 RI. Stock neck pickup, Lindy Fralin bridge pickup
Effects: None
Genre: Blues
Comments: I have been using the Deluxe Reverb in the standard 1x12 combination with a WeberVST 12F150
speaker. The amp sounded tremendous. But I just wanted to experiment to see if the Deluxe
Reverb could be made to sound more like a Vibrolux Reverb. I posted many questions and talked
with Ted and T.A. about speaker choices that would produce similar lows to the 12F150 while
adding more highs and upper mids for more of an Albert King tone. T.A. and a couple folks on
the speaker bulletin board recommended a pair of 10F150T speakers. Well, let me tell you,
that recommendation was right on the money! With 6L6's and a pair of WeberVST 10F150T's this amp
kicks. The lows are clear, full and strong. The mids and highs are just as full and strong.
The amp is more versatile now; backing off my guitar volume I can play clean and mellow jazz.
Turning up the guitar volume, the tone gets very bluesy - full, toneful, soulful notes leap
from even the 1st string (a 10 E). I'm not kidding, my tone is so full, you would think
I've got humbuckers in this Tele. Yet, all the hi-end definition is there. The 10F150T is a
clear winner. I'm very pleased with this pair of speakers. Anyone who plays blues or jazz
with a small amp and would like to make the amp a little stronger for medium sized clubs should
try the 10F150T. And the service from WeberVST was beyond expectation. In fact, my last
three orders have all made it to me in less than 2 weeks. Bravo, WeberVST!
Margaret Wilson
Amp: 70's Princeton Reverb. Pull-boost removed, pot does -fb; Boost footswitch jack bypasses tone stack
Guitar: Fender US Fat Telecaster
Effects: Boss Blues Driver, Uni-Vibe Stereo Chorus
Genre: Blues, Jazz
Comments: I've been pretty pleased with the speaker and really love the tone, but I
found myself wanting more bottom end and a smoother high end for jazz.
So I ordered a 10F150T. This is definitely the speaker for this amp and
my playing style! I can now boost the bass knob as high as I like, but
to be honest, the 10F150T has plenty of bass at 2.5, so I just leave it
there. The high end is very slightly attenuated compared to the 10F125,
resulting in a smoother, thicker tone. I'ved boosted the treble knob
from 3 (with the 10F125) to 4 (with the 10F150T), and it's sweet and smooth
but gets aggressive with a heavier attack. Overall, I'd say the 10F150T
has a thicker sound than the very crisp 10F125, but it's still very
articulate with that great Q tone and a huge bottom end. Fantastic
speaker!
10A100T
Lew Collins
Amp: Harvard Cabinet/Princeton Chassis. Tweaked to Perfection by Bruce at Mission Amps
Guitar: '54 Tele, '63 Strat, Ernie Ball Axis. Lindy Fralin custom humbuckers on the Axis
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz
My Princeton/Harvard needed a great 4 ohm speaker. Kendrick made me nice blackframe 10 but I
wanted something with a little more highs and a more open mid range voice than the 10A100 and a little
less edgey and smoother in tone than the P10Q. The 10A100T is perfect! It's louder and brighter than the
10A100, but still responds to my touch like a 10A100 so I can shape the tone with my fingers and picking attack. It's a little
cleaner and not quite so dark and middy as the 10A100 but sweeter than the P10Q.
I can't imagine a more perfect speaker for this amp than the 10A100T...to me, it sounds closer
to the tone of my old 50's Jensen P10R's than the regular Weber 10A100. Fabulous clean and
singing overdriven tones...I love it!
12A125-O
Jake Wiseman - Detroit's Demolition Blue Band
Amp: '65 Re-Issue Fender Deluxe Reverb (2 of 'em) with RCA Black Plate 6V6 power tubes
Guitar: '59 ES335, '76 Firebird, B-Bender Telecaster
Effects: None! Cable to amp only! Playing style ads it's own effects when required
Genre: Blues
Comments: Lately, club owners have been barkin' for volume levels to go down. How loud can a Deluxe
Reverb be at just 22 watts??? I'll tell ya - pretty damn loud when you play it at 8 all the
time. Detroit's 'Demolition Blues Band' has been my full-time job for these thirty years and
when I sensed bread being taken away off my table, I figured I'd better do something about
it ....Quick! My '65s are re-issues from 1995 and came equipped with Eminence speakers. These
speakers worked well at full volume only with Humbuckers drivin' them. My farts had more
earlier 'breakup' than these speakers and were definetly warmer. In a panic, I started
scourring the internet, trying to get that magical answer to achieving 'balls' at low volume
without too much sacrifice to tone. I discovered WEBER! In this ridiculous world of 'tech
support', the folks at Weber were very quick to answer their phones, respond to my panic
emails, and seemed genuinely concerned with helping to solve my problem. After much discussion
and personal research, I settled on their Alnico P12QR. It's scary buying a speaker
'sound unheard' but my guitar was parked up on a stand and we couldn't afford to be not
re-hired! With Ted Weber's suggestion I struck platinum! For a lousy 90 bucks I got beautiful
warmth and breakup at volumes 3.5 - 5 and didn't need to worry about any kind of 'distortion'
or overdrive gizmo on the floor. The speaker sings beautifully throughout the entire
frequency range with both Gibsons and Fenders. I did have to make one adjustment though...
when doing slide work on the Firebird, the bottom end did start to fart some. That was taken
care of by backing off the tube bias by just a notch. After a month of experimenting and
recording this speaker, I bought a second one for my 'backup' FDR. Weber speakers solved
what could've been an unemployment situation for me.
AlNiCo Blue Dog 15 watt
Robert Franklin
Amp: 1963 Fender Princeton. Chassis is unmodified, but has been mounted in a repro brown tolex "Deluxe" cabinet from Armadillo to accomodate the 12" speaker
Guitar: MIJ '60s Strat w/Fralins, Ken Lawrence "Tele" thinline w/Anderson stacked humbuckers
Effects: Delay pedal and Rat distortion
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: Compared to the stock cabinet with a Weber 10A100 (which I love), the Deluxe cab and P12BT is
bigger and louder. The speaker has a wonderful clean tone and stays fairly clean up to about
"7" on the volume knob, but will really bark and howl when cranked higher. The Blue Dog
really loves to rock with the Rat distortion pedal. I A-Bd the P12BT with a C12BT-50 and
immediately prefered the sound, and the FEEL, of the alnico speaker. The little Princeton,
which I have tested with various 10 inch speakers (Jensen RI P10R, Weber 10F125, Weber 10A100)
is now a very serious small gig amp, and even serves as my lead tone amp when footswitched
with a second, larger amp set for clean headroom.
Gerry Walbaum
Amp: Siegmund Midnight Special 20 watts class A handwired reverb combo.
Guitar: P90 archtops and various humbucker equipped guitars.
Effects: Klon Centaur or nothing.
Genre: Blues
Comments: Complex. When pushed further, there is a beautiful mid crunch that has great
upper end harmonics and yet a full defined bottom end. It is the best tweed
Deluxe sound I have ever heard.
Ceramic Chicago 15
Bill Johnson
Amp: 1960 Vibrasonic 5G13, restored but to original spec
Guitar: 64 Strat and Guild Capri
Effects: Fender reverb tank and FD2 with this amp.
Genre: Blues
Comments: I bought my amp in rough shape, and although I’d restored the amp, I only recently discovered
the JBL D-130 wasn’t the right impedance. I needed a 16ohm 15" with some vibe to it. I went for
the Chicago 15. Now that it’s broken in I’m quite happy with it. Not an overdrive machine at
all, but a great clean to bluesy sound. I use this amp for larger rooms where it gets wound
out. I want my sound clean but with some grind when I attack the strings hard. The Chicago
works well, starting to break up at the right level for me. I don’t really need to worry
about blowing it either with it’s 80 watt rating. I would definitely recommend it to other
vibrasonic owners out there looking for a option other than JBL.
10A150W
Doug R.
Amp: 73 Deluxe Reverb. Modded to 2-10 Baltic Birch Baffle, Running N.O.S. Brimar Grey Glass 6V6GT's
Guitar: Levinger Blade Tele (for the review)
Effects: For the Review, None besides the stock on-board switchable pre-amp
Genre: Blues, Rock, Country
Comments: Installed these in my '73 2-10 DR. I had Weber 10F150T's in it previously.
I really like 10F150T's, but feel they're better used in a more powerful 6L6 type amp.
Or in the bottom of a Super. The 10A150T's have a character that is very refined and articulate
at lower levels. Made my Tele almost sound as if it had Barden's in it. You really have to play
cleanly or it shows. A GOOD thing, as the clarity is shimmering and very beautiful. The
bass doesn't overpower the sound. Very expressive and soulful sounding. What's very cool,
though, is the interplay between the 10A150T's and the 6V6's as you slowly turn up. The sound of
the alnico's midrange starts becoming more pronounced as the grind of the 6V6's start kicking in.
I LOVE the combination. I call it 'tweedy overdrive' sounding. This effect became much more pronounced
when switching in the on-board pre-amp, which voices the SC's much more like HB's. Then things
really get good. Not metal sounding, just very overdriven, made the midrange punch come thru even
more. The tonal palette is simply astounding from no-pre-amp-turned-down-clean-&-sweet-clear-Tele,
to pre-amp-kicked-in-amp-turned-up-6V6-alnico-grind-beast. All with no effects. You gotta turn
down the bass as volume goes up, but that's just alnico, isn't it? I've had or still have
all Weber 12F150's, 10F125's, 10F150T's, C12S, C12CA's, P12R, and I'd swear this one is just
about my personal favorite for the range of tone it contributes. I now get the perfect
balance of glassy clean all the way to butt-rockin' Fender overdrive out of my DR. ...
'Nuff said. This one's done.
Ceramic Chicago 10
Laurence Impastato
Amp: SF Princeton w/PI Tweak (yeah, 'that' one)
Guitar: G&L Legacy and ASAT Classic, LP Standard, Heritage 535 Harmonic Design in both G&L's, Stock in the Gibson and Heritage
Effects: Limited.
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz
Comments: I've determined by trial and error that I don't like 'Q' speakers with ceramic magnets.
I think it's the super high end sizzle that puts me off, and this speaker has that in spades.
It's very good producing clean tones at lower to moderate volumes, but at high volumes it has a
harshish top that's just annoying (to me). I've played my other amps through the speaker (TV
Deluxe, SFDR, blonde Bassman, BFP, 5F6A copy) and I get the same high end sizzle. Oh well, I
wanted to try something different and I did. I'm still using the speaker in the amp (it's well
broken in, it's be in there a good six months) so I can't complain too much.
Ceramic 10V
Ian McMillan
Amp: Fender Princeton Reverb
Guitar: 1994 Hamer T-51
Effects: Klon Centaur
Genre: Blues, Rock, Country
Comments: speaker got lost in the crowd. I bought mine several months ago and must tell you...I
absolutely love this speaker!!! This speaker is a similar to the Blue Pup, with the exception
that it uses a 1-3/4" voice coil (like the C12B, "Blue Dog") and larger magnets. The ceramic
version, the C10V (a Weber original) uses the 40oz ceramic magnet. This speaker is rated at
50 watts. I tried several speakers in this amp (including the original Fender Oxford) before
settling on this one. The last one I tried before this one was a Weber P10Q. It was a great
speaker, but I still wasn't satisfied...I am now!!! I now think (as many others do)
blackface/silverface Fenders sound better with ceramic speakers. I believe this speaker was
described to me as, "fairly loud, articulate, agressive and dynamic, with a punchy mid-range
and clear highs". I think this describes it fairly well but leaves out how strong, yet tight,
the bass response is and how versatile this speaker is. I can get British crunch and Fender
punch. All the sounds I hear in my head I can get with this Hamer T-51, Princeton Reverb,
Klon Centaur and Weber C10V combination. I like this speaker so much I have a pair in a Mesa
Boogie 2-10, faux alligator-skin, open back cabinet that I drive with the Princeton Reverb
for larger venues. So, if you have a Fender Princeton Reverb or Vibrolux, I highly recommend
you consider this speaker for your amplifier. Cheers to all, Ian McMillan
AlNiCo Cali 12
Bruce Osterlye
Amp: BF '67 Twin Reverb
Guitar: 71 Gibson L-5CES, '67 Guild X-500
Effects: Fender Reverb
Genre: Blues, Jazz
Comments: Both my guitars are vintage archtops. I pulled my two C12 Ceramic Chicagos and decided to
install alnicos; one P12 Calif and one P12 Chicago. As good as the ceramics were, I couldn't
resist the alnicos. Based on the comments of friends who know, I wanted a "woodier" tone and
I got it. For Jazz and Blues, the Alnicos gave me that "plucky", "airy" sound. I also decided
to mix my speakers, to reduce the low end bias with the two Chicagos. The CA/CH combo lets me
dial in all the low end I need from the Chicago and get the clarity and "in your face" attack
from the Cali's. My amp tech Ron "Uncle Spot" Veil loved the tone! I do not play very loud,
and still notice a benefit from the Alnicos. I highly recommend mixing speakers to anyone
wanting to tweak their tone. I think it's a great way to customize your sound.
Alex Oropeza
Amp: '70 deluxe reverb modded for 6L6's
Guitar: '70 Gretch Country Gent./'65 Jazzmaster
Effects: Klon-Foxx Tone Mach.-Blackstone OD-RMC3-Goodrich-TU2-Phase II-DL4 Wired with George L's and powered by pedalboard.com board
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz, Country, Surf, Punk
Comments: I had read that the Alnico's really make the Fender reverb come to life.... NO KIDDING!!!
Basically I wanted a clean speaker that worked well with pedals, as I play in a band that
requires alot of timbres out of my guitar. This is not something easy to to do. Most clean
amps have a way of making fuzz pedals sound thin and harsh, not to mention that they usually
have a brightness on their own that can annoy the other members of your band real quick.
I'd been using old 60's JBL's D130's for years and swore by them. But after playing through
other deluxes outfitted with other vintage speakers, I decided that there was room for
improvement in my speaker sound. I figured I could use just a hair of the brown sound to warm
up my tone and give my ears a break from all the high end that the JBL's put out. This was no
easy matter as I wanted a speaker that did not compress... did not get all muddy and honky in
the lower mid range... but still put out that twinge of brown sound that I mentioned earlier.
Well, I've been breakin' in the P12CA for a week now, and it's passed all my test in spades.
And I come home from rehearsal more relaxed with less ear fatigued than ever. I'm a
professional engineer/producer as well so it's kind of like when you switch from a pair of
Genelecs to a pair of Dynaudios! I can't really imagine anyway to improve the sound of the
speaker as far as my needs are concerned. Thanks Ted! And by the way... Thanks also for the
great site and bulletin boards!!!
AlNiCo Blue Dog 30 watt
Laurence Impasatto
Amp: 5F6a Circuit with SS Recto
Guitar: G&L Legacy and ASAT, LP STD and JR, Heritage 535, ES5 clone w/P90s, Harmonic Design pick ups int he G&L's
Effects: Minimal, usually a booster
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz
Comments: I have AP12B's in an amp named Barbara (it's long story). 'Barb' is a 5F6a circuit with a SS
rectifier in a tweed twin cab, reportedly built by Billy Zoom (but I have not be able to
confirm that). The amp is very aggressive and loud, helped in part I'm sure by the AP12B
speakers. In this sense aggressive means toothy, spanky, powerful - not necessarily
distorted. The amp does not significantly break up until it's very, very loud, so loud it'll
run you out of the room. These speakers react as advertised; at low volumes they exhibit a
typical ceramic feel and response (I have several C12B's to compare them against), but at
higher volumes they sweetly compress like an alnico speaker. If like the tone of the your
C12B and want the same thing with alnico compression at a higher volume, with a lower price,
the AP's are for you.
Wayne (TubeBlaster@att.net)
Amp: Aiken Invader (All tube, 2 EL84's, Plexi or Ali Marshall Preamp Styles)
Guitar: Fender American Standard Strat
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Rock, Country
Comments: This AP12B is an 8 ohm, 30 watt, 12" speaker with a doped surround and I’m using
it in my Aiken Invader amplifier (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Aiken_Tube_Amplifier_Fan_Club).
This speaker is a blend of ceramic and alnico parts, and you can definitely hear the alnico
compression thing happening, although not to the same extent as with my Celestion Blue.
This speaker can be made in 15, 30, and 50-watt versions. My 30-watt model has the same magnet
as the 50-watt, but uses a 30-watt voice coil (not aluminum like the higher powered speaker).
It handles the full output of the Aiken Invader without complaint (18 watts at the onset of
clipping, 30 watts max at full distortion with feedback, using two EL84 power tubes).
It took 3 to 4 hours to break in the Weber AP12B speaker so the cone was no longer stiff
and everything started sounding "right". The difference is quite dramatic. It went from a bit
flat and brittle to nicely warm and round. I'm pleased with the very even response across the
entire fret board. This speaker does what it is supposed to do by providing a blend of ceramic
and alnico tones. Compared to my Weber 10F125s, this speaker is definitely warmer. The last half
octave on the high E string isn't as lush as it is on the Celestion Blue but I haven't been
playing up that high on the fret board very much so perhaps as the cone breaks in a little more,
this will improve. It already sounds better than most speakers at these high pitches.
I like the way this speaker sounds when played at a high volume. It handles the amplifier's
crunch in a pleasing way and never seems to be straining. It cleans up nicely when the guitar
volume is turned down. Using my Strat, I like the clean, lower volume sound of this speaker
better than the Celestion Blue in the phased pickup position between the bridge and middle
pickups. It reminds me more of the sounds I get out of my Fender amps than I can get with the
Blue. At high volume, in some of the pickup positions I am getting some minor ghost noting on
the high E string at the 12 - 14th frets. Fortunately, the ghost notes are quite musical and
I can get rid of them by changing the pickup selector. This isn't something I noticed with the
Celestion Blue. Another user on this board (Lew C) noted that the ghosting would likely
disappear with time. I haven't experienced any cone cry. By the way, the combination of this
speaker and the Celestion Blue is really sweet. They compliment each other quite nicely. The
sum of the two is better than either one singly, which speaks well for the Weber AP12B. In
general, this is a very fine speaker and people should consider using it in their amps. I
like it a lot and can heartily recommend it.
AlNiCo Chicago 12
Gerry Hundt
Amp: 70's Music Man 112 Sixty-Five
Guitar: 1965 Gibson ES-125 TDC, 90s Fender '62 reissue Stratocaster (USA)
Effects: none
Genre: Blues, Jazz
Comments: Of course, I didn't know this until I put the Weber in! There was a drastic increase in volume
and the range of the tonal palette. Beautiful, sculpted bass, warm mids, and mellow highs
overall. With the Gibson and the bright switch off: smokey, dark lounge tones at the neck and
very nice blues sounds with the bridge p-90 and with both. With the Strat, everything from
West-side Chicago with no bright switch to California Shuggie-Otis clean with the bright
switch. The amp easily kept up with a 100-watt Twin at an outside(!) gig. Very nice, brown
breakup when pushed. Wonderful. P.S. Sounds huge, huge, huge for harp, too, fellers!
Ceramic Sig 10
Jim Seavall
Amp: 1958 Gibson Gibsonette, Hammond 125ESE 15 watt output tranny, multiple outputs/ohm settings
Guitar: '68 Gibson Les Paul Custom, Scumbag Indonesian Stratocaster (custom built from parts on recommendations of other guitar gurus). LP has 57 Classic Plus, Scumbag has Bill Lawrence L290 Vintage Noiseless Pickups, Torres Super Midrange Tone Control Kit
Effects: Ibanez TS-808 Tubescreamer, Crybaby Wah
Genre: Blues, Rock
Comments: The original Jensen alnico V1310 10" was way too wimpy, no bottom end to speak of,
and low output. I contacted Ted with my thoughts about a speaker that would handle up to 15 watts
performance (limit of the output transformer), but that would breakup early, but not compress and
have a wavy sound like the Jensen. After two or three emails Ted suggested the C10RS smooth cone
Signature Series. What a great suggestion. I'd found an old Celestion 10" on eBay that was
reconed by WeberVST in 2000 for the previous owner. That speaker kicked serious butt! Great
bottom end, strong mids, and very clean, articulate highs. I wanted a duplicate. I contacted
Ted with the previous owner's info, and Ted said that he remembered this particular speaker
since it had some unique markings on it. After digging into his memory, or his records,
I don't know which (and with the great results of his recommendation, I don't really care!),
he came up with the C10RS. Well, he hit a home run! An almost exact duplicate! The bass
response is incredible, the mids were right on, the treble just slightly less than the
Celestion. I had Dr. Decibel at Celestion date my speaker, and it came out of an old 60's
Marshall 8x10 cabinet. Good friggin' luck ever finding another one of those! Except for
WeberVST, that is. At low volumes this thing is totally clean, chimey, and very smooth.
At 5 (remember this is a low watt, but now higher gain amplifier after the mods I made)
it starts to crunch nicely. At 7 it's just on the edge of nirvana, and at 8 it is nirvana.
The speaker handles everything the Gibsonette can spit out, and handles it well. Never a dip
in volume, not a frequency out of place. This speaker is just the S%*T! If you want to
take your old amp to new sonic levels, get this speaker. It never gets tubby, even when
pushed, it stays solid. My personal favorite.
AlNiCo Silver Ten
Bill Rodrick
Amp: '68 Princeton Reverb. Allen power transformer & reissue Deluxe Reverb output transformer
Guitar: Fender Clapton Strat w/Fralin Vintage Hot (5% underwound) (active electronics removed)
Effects: Fulldrive 2, TC Electronics chorus
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz, Country, Classical
Comments: I previously had a Weber 10F125 in my Princeton Reverb and was quite happy with it, but decided to try the Silver
Ten on a hunch that it might provide a little more clarity in the
high end. My goal for this amp was to make it a "clean machine" that
would permit me to play jazz chords with good note definition at
lower volumes (up to around 5 or 6 on the Volume dial), yet break up
smoothly at higher volumes for soloing. I use my PR in a mic'ed setting,
when I don't want to bother bringing anything larger. The AlNiCo Silver Ten has
lived up to my expectations and then some! For my taste, this is THE
speaker, my all-time favorite. Perfect, smooth high end, somewhat
scooped mids, and ample, tight bottom. The low end response and
efficiency of the 10F125 was breathtaking, but the high end had always
seemed just a bit harsh to me, producing some annoying overtones on
certain chords. The AlNiCo Silver Ten, although less efficient, has that great low
end but provides *stunning* clarity and chime in the highs. If
"bluesy" is your main goal in an amp, this is probably not your
speaker - try the R, Q or N models instead. If *all* you want is clean
headroom, you might want try the C10CA (but I still prefer the clean
sound of the AlNiCo Silver Ten). If you must have a superb clean sound yet also
want smooth breakup at higher volumes, give this speaker a try. I'm
thinking of ordering two more for my Vibrolux Reverb. I should mention
that some break-in time was necessary to cure a buzzy sound when
playing on the low E string (open E up to G# or so). A couple hours of
playing time plus a few hours hooked up to my Variac (set for about
5.5VAC - see the FAQ) did the trick. This came as no surprise, since I
had previously experienced the same thing with a Weber C12R.
AlNiCo Sig 10
Tom Vidal
Amp: 1960 Gibson Explorer GA-18 tweed. Recapped, retensioned and reconditioned by Harry Kolbe Soundsmith, NYC
Guitar: Gibson SG Classic w/P90's, Gibson Les Paul DC-XPL, Ibanez Talman
Effects: Voodoo Labs Sparkle Drive, Arion SAD-1 Analog Delay, Boss CE-2 Chorus
Genre: Rock
Comments: With the stock Jensen the highs were harsh and the bass was flabby.
Rather than recone, I wanted to try
something different. Enter the Weber VST AlNiCo Sig 10: The difference
was extraordinary, like taking cotton out of your ears. The highs
are so glassy and shimmering you'd swear it was Class A. It's notably
brighter than the Jensen, but never gets shrill or harsh. (Mr Weber also
suggested the P10SS for a 'bright' tone, but now I'm thinking it may
have been too bright). The mids still have a nice vintage bark, but it
is warmer and cruchier than the Jensen. The bottom end holds up well,
round and plump. Some reviewers mention a volume boost, but I detected a
slight loss of volume (maybe due to earlier breakup and compression).
Overall, the best $50.00 investment I could have made.
Just a quick word about the Weber company. They return EVERY email within
24 hours. Ted even called me at home on a Sunday afternoon to ask me what
kind of terminal lugs I wanted! Gibson, Fender are you listening?? Excellent
service and a great product!
AlNiCo Thames 12
Jeff Lang
Amp: Egnater TOL100 2x12 open back combo
Guitar: Charvel 750XL Neck-thru maple/mahogany archtop w/Duncan Jeff Beck in bridge, Duncan Pearly Gates in neck.
Effects: None
Genre: Blues, Rock, Jazz
Comments: I recently purchased 2 P12GB 16 ohm Alnico "Thames" speakers for my Egnater TOL100 2X12 open
back combo to replace the Celestion Vintage 30s that came in it. The V30s, while sounding
outstanding in a 4X12 sounded small and ratty in my open back combo amp. I had tried Celestion
G12T75s also, but they still lacked bass and sounded harsh. The Weber P12GB was a
HUGE improvement in all aspects of my amp's tone. The Egnater is a 4 channel amp with a
wide range of tones.
Ch1 = clean, hard, rich and spanky (Twin Reverb)
Ch2 = from bluesy and grindy to JTM 45
Ch3 = 70s Marshall to hot rod Marshall
Ch4 = over the top (SLO 100)
The P12GB handles all tones with control and character. It has bigger and tighter bass than the
Celestion speakers I have tried. The midrange is very "in your face" but sounds much less nasal
than the V30. The high end is one of the most articulate, chimey soothing sounds I have ever
heard. They sound similar in many ways to the Celestion Alnico Blue speaker, loud and crunchy,
but with a lot more bass and 4 times the power handling capability. The only negative (and
it's a small one) is that these speakers are not edge-doped and have a bit of cone cry at
VERY high volumes when using the cleanest channel with a bridge humbucker pickup. (remember,
this is a 100 watt amp) This only happens on 2 of the highest notes on the guitar.
Fortunately, I don't play that loud, and I never use my bridge humbucker on the cleanest
channel. This is not noticeable, even at punishing volumes with medium to high overdrive
settings. To anyone who is looking for a speaker that retains the British vibe and crunch,
but with extra character and a huge bottom end in an open back combo I highly recommend this
speaker.


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