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Old 01-17-2020, 06:17 PM
Dru Edwards Dru Edwards is offline
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Default Do acoustic players swap amp speakers like electric players?

Just wondering if acoustic players change speakers in acoustic amps in order to change the tone? Assume that the amp has a good speaker to start with, not an economy speaker. Guessing not but again I don't know.

As a comparison, electric players swap speakers and it can make a significant change in an amp's tone. For example, from a Celestion Greenback to a Vintage 30 to a G12T-75. Put aside the wattage difference, those are all pro level speakers heard on tons of recordings and they give a different tone/feel.
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Old 01-17-2020, 08:56 PM
jseth jseth is offline
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I've never heard of anyone swapping out the speakers in their acoustic amp to achieve "better" tone or performance...

A good acoustic amp costs enough money that I personally would never buy one unless I loved the way it sounded... and a crap acoustic amp would probably not benefit from a different speaker (silk purse from a sow's ear?)...
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Old 01-17-2020, 09:31 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dru Edwards View Post
Just wondering if acoustic players change speakers in acoustic amps in order to change the tone? Assume that the amp has a good speaker to start with, not an economy speaker. Guessing not but again I don't know.

As a comparison, electric players swap speakers and it can make a significant change in an amp's tone. For example, from a Celestion Greenback to a Vintage 30 to a G12T-75. Put aside the wattage difference, those are all pro level speakers heard on tons of recordings and they give a different tone/feel.
Hi Dru

No. We acoustic players really just want to be louder so we can finally be heard.

Switching high end acoustic amp speakers would be like swapping out the speakers in the cabinets of a high end PA system.

In the 1960s and 70s we were building our PA cabinets from scratch. But then major players like Altec Lansing and JBL (also Lansing), Community, Bose and others began designing better speakers than most of us could build.

Most of us also don't have very elaborate pedal boards for our acoustic rigs. The experimenters and explorers may be messing with that. Acoustic players just keep swapping string brands and picks hoping to find the holy-grail-tone.



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Old 01-17-2020, 10:17 PM
ricdoug ricdoug is offline
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Switching barium ferrite magnet speakers to neodymium kevlar cone speakers generally improves both tone and acoustical output.
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Old 01-18-2020, 03:52 AM
Peter Z Peter Z is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ricdoug View Post
Switching barium ferrite magnet speakers to neodymium kevlar cone speakers generally improves both tone and acoustical output.
I'd say: '...... changes the tone ....' and: '.... improves acoustical output per kg (or pound) .....'.
The low weght of neodymium is amazing!
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Old 01-18-2020, 06:04 AM
varmonter varmonter is offline
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Its really a different animal.
having played both electric and acoustic
in the 40 some odd years ive been
doing this. First off electric guitar
cabs are built to do this. For the most
part they are open back cabs.
When you buy an acoustic amp
its generally pre loaded with a set
that sounds great with your acoustic.
Its really designed like this and not
meant to be swapped out. Like said
above its like swapping out a speaker
in your bose pa system. Just not done.
I can read blogs after forum posts on
swapping out celestions for something
else or putting celestions in a diff cab.
This is just something thats done.
its almost cultural.
Theres a market out there for this.
You would have to do some searching just
to find a replacement speaker for your compact 60
Let alone an upgrade....
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Old 01-18-2020, 08:35 AM
Murphy Slaw Murphy Slaw is offline
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I just keep adding stuff.

I can run out of the S1-Pro into the L1-Compact into the Carvin AG100D into the Carvin bass rig into the XR600 through the SP-2's and the Fender Prosonic for a little punch with the JBL12/horn.




I have a Mesa Boogie if I need a little more...


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Old 01-18-2020, 09:37 AM
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Bob Womack Bob Womack is offline
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Here is where the nature of each of the two amp comes into play:
  • Electric guitar signal chains are, from start to finish, not so much reproduction devices as tone creation devices. Players fiddle with each link in the chain in order to make the rig create tones. That includes speakers because the way they distort and shape the sound, shape it, not reproduce it, is a part of the chain.
  • Acoustic guitar amplifiers are essentially highly portable P.A. systems designed to pleasantly reproduce the signal coming from your guitar. By-and-large they are chosen for that capability. If a lighter speaker comes along a guitarist might go for it to save his back but there isn't nearly the impetus to modify because you aren't trying to come up with something new, just reproduce what already exists and the point of each link in the chain is fidelity, not infidelity and shaping, as in electric guitar signal chains.
Bob
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Old 01-18-2020, 05:36 PM
Dru Edwards Dru Edwards is offline
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Thanks everyone. Something I suspected but wanted to hear from the experts.
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  #10  
Old 01-18-2020, 05:49 PM
lkingston lkingston is online now
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Default Do acoustic players swap amp speakers like electric players?

I swapped out the dual cone speakers in a Roland AC series amp with some coaxials that could actually reproduce sibilant frequencies once. It sounded way better afterwards. I’d probably do the same if I had an AER amp.
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