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After all that hassle with getting my DRRI back into working order, I got around to running it into my Celestion-loaded Zilla 2x12 (man, that thing was a good investment) to see if I can get a beefier sound out of it than the stock Jensen...and sure enough, the amp sounds totally different.

I know the open backed-ness of the combo has a lot to do with it, but I think a speaker swap would be a real upgrade. The Jensen is stiff, raspy and 'forward'-sounding, which is fine for cleans but it brings out all the wrong frequencies of fuzz and dirt pedals. The Celestions on the other hand (a V30 and a G12H anniversary, for those curious) are looser in the top end and spongier in the lower registers...which works better for the dirt tone I'm after. Eventually I'll just use a separate amp with the Zilla for dirt and keep the DRRI just for cleans, but it would still be useful if I could use the Fender for both.

The Jensen's a C12K, rated at 100w, which seems like overkill to me for a 22w amp. I'm guessing a 30w-50w speaker should do the job just fine? Because I'm on the Blighty side of the pond I'm leaning towards another Celestion because Webers or Eminences are a bit pricey, unless they're noticeably better than their rivals, or have become more affordable since I last checked. [EDIT: I checked online again just now, and Eminences are pretty reasonable. Looks like they're a viable alternative after all.] I'm also wondering whether I'm better off with an alnico rather than ceramic.

Thoughts?

The Eminence Cannabis Rex is well rated for the DRRI. It's got a hemp cone so is a little smoother sounding (apparently mind, I've actually never used one).

I'm not a huge Celestion fan, I've tried the V30, the G12H, a Greenback and a Seventy 80. If you're not fussed about weight you could look at secondhand EV speakers. I put an EVM 12L in my Rivera and it sounds amazing but it weighs a lot.

i have a cannabis rex in my 30W 6L6 (fendery) 1x12 combo

i think they're rated really highly for that style/config. and they're pretty cheap.

I don't like the Cannabis Rex in Fender-type amps. It's quite in your face, fairly efficient. I prefer something less efficient, they just sound more subtle. If you can find them secondhand a Weber 12F150 works well and the Jensen Tornado might well be my favourite all round speaker for the shit I play.

I had a Weber ceramic blue dog in mine for a while before I sold it... smoothed out a lot of the harshness in the stock speaker. When I sold the DRRI, I kept the Weber because I liked it so much.

torchindy wrote:I had a Weber ceramic blue dog in mine for a while before I sold it... smoothed out a lot of the harshness in the stock speaker. When I sold the DRRI, I kept the Weber because I liked it so much.

What wattage Blue Dog is it? I love the 50 watt alnico Silver Bell. Really smooth and way better than the Celestion Gold.

the one I have is also a 50 watt. I think the higher wattage helps smooth off the transients and the sharp high end. The nice thing is the ceramic keeps the punchiness & keeps the sound 'fendery' while adding a lot of warmth and dimension.

torchindy wrote:the one I have is also a 50 watt. I think the higher wattage helps smooth off the transients and the sharp high end. The nice thing is the ceramic keeps the punchiness & keeps the sound 'fendery' while adding a lot of warmth and dimension.

Agreed. I also had a 30 watt SB and you could hear the extra top end it had compared to the 50 watter.