I know this is a well worn topic, but could anyone here give me some advice? I have a '72 SFDR. One of the first things I did when I got it a year or two ago was to pull the Oxford, and I replaced it with a new Jensen C12N. However, I realised this is NOT the speaker for this amp! At present the amp sounds too brittle and sterile, and the speaker doesn't cope well with distortion. It doesn't seem to respond. I want to use this amp as a blues amp, with smooth and responsive breakup as I turn it up. As soon as cash allows, I want to replace the speaker again. I've read about the popular choices, so, is the 25 watt or 50 watt Weber 12F150 the way to go, or would an alnico Jensen, P12N or P12Q, do the trick?

Jensens are easy to get here in the UK, but a Weber would have to come from the US. This isn't a problem, but just not as straightforward.

Thanks for any suggestions.

The Weber 12F150 is his copy of the Jensen C12N, so that may be a slight improvement, but would probably still be too brittle. Although, I do not know how much the new Jensens sound like the old ones. I have the Weber 12F150 in my Allen Old Flame (BF Fender clone) and it does not sound brittle or sterile to me. You could call or email Ted Weber. He is very open to offering suggestions. Let him know what you have for gear and the sound you are going for.

I have heard a couple Deluxes that had Celestion G12H in them and they sounded really nice and were a bit louder because Celestions are pretty efficient. I know, I know, Celestions in a Fender is heresy.

What are you using for tubes? They make a huge difference in the sound too. If you have Sovtek tubes in the amp, I suspect it could sound as you describe.

Thanks DoobieK, I need to do some serious research into how to get this amp sounding its best. I don't even know what the tubes are, except that most of them, including the 6V6's, are US made. A couple of the preamp tubes are Sovteks. The US ones were in the amp when I bought it, and it had been under some guy's bed for some years, as far as I found out! I've had the thing serviced, the filter caps replaced with Spragues, and replaced the reverb tank, which didn't work. I guess a change of tubes now would be a good idea, as well as the speaker. The more I find out, the more I realise that todays Jensens are not like the originals, and it seems like Weber is the way to go. Celestion is worth considering though, and they are easy to get hold of.

I should say that my main amp is a Vibroking, and ideally I'd like the DR to sound like a smaller version of that, which may or may not be possible.

Any success stories with DR's would be of interest; thanks!

I haven't played a Vibroking, so can't imagine the tonal differences.

Try different preamp tubes. Sovtek 12ax7 WA and WB are not good sounding preamp tubes for Fenders. The Sovtek 12ax7LPS sounds pretty good, are fairly reliable and inexpensive. Just about any preamp tubes sound better than the WA and WB from Sovtek, except maybe some Chinese versions. For 12at7, I like the Phillips New Old Stock.

If the 6V6 are US made, they are probably good sounding tubes, if they aren't worn out. Since your amp was recently serviced, hopefully they are okay and have some life left in them.

If you can find tested and screened Ei 12ax7, those sound really nice in Fender based amps. Since you are in the UK, maybe you can find a good deal on some real Mullard preamp tubes. They are crazy expensive in the US, but people rave about them.

I have several sets of Weber speakers that are different power rating and sized versions of the C12N and think they sound fantastic. Makes my '71 Twin and Allen Old Flame sound just like a classic Fender should.

Keep us posted on your progress and let us know what works for you.

Thanks again for your interest. I'll email Ted Weber and get his take on which speaker he would recommend, and look into retubing when funds allow!

All the best.