guitar speakers

[Steve Mac]

Originally posted by Old Guy:
Curious Steve- what did I do wrong?

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Oh, nothing big actually...just the beginning "["
on the pics...

[Old Guy]

Never was much of a detail man.

[417 - Alnico]

Originally posted by Old Guy:
I would imagine stiffening the cone? GM maybe could help, all I can do is guess, perhaps it's to minimize cone breakup?

I'd love to hear how well it works in your amp when you are done.

The only thing I found is, and I am not certain what it means;
Straight-sided cone with reinforcing ribs..
Attempts to stimulate theoretical piston action.
I know most Celestion speakers have these ribs or ridges on the inside of the cone.

[417 - Alnico]

Originally posted by Old Guy:
Sorta off the topic- have you ever seen the really thick domes Altec used a few of- these things were probably 2-3 times the thickness of the regular domes.

I found mine and they weigh 12 grams or aprox 3/8 oz...which is beyond heavy..They are the same shape, size, and appearance... brushed or non-shiny aluminum as my reg Altec domes.

[417 - Alnico]

Originally posted by Old Guy:
I would imagine stiffening the cone? GM maybe could help, all I can do is guess, perhaps it's to minimize cone breakup?

I'd love to hear how well it works in your amp when you are done.

Not that this matters..this example may not be correct either.



http://www.lansingheritage.org/images/jbl/reference/notes/tech1-3a/page07.jpg

[bfish]

My 1231 wedges have the heavy dome 417s (OEM -8HII style), which makes sense for a 2-way, as it should shift the entire BW downward. If you have some made up. you might try them with the Marshall. If I can get mine in the same room, I'll try it.

I've been using an EVM-12L (that O.G. found me a kit for ) in my 2205, and like it better than the Celestion (too dull) or a std 417 (too bright). Sounds much like a coated-dome 417, only not as efficient, so you can crank it into distortion without making your ears bleed (much).

The Lansing ref to ribbed cones seems to reinforce your suspicion of the intent to reduce breakup modes and HF output. Just the opposite of a curvilinear cone intended to flex, supporting breakup/HF extension.

My old electronics teacher once rigged a strobe to trigger from the + cycles of a tone generator, which let you see cone flex/breakup in action...pretty cool.

[417 - Alnico]

Thanks for the info. I had a 2205, a 4104 that I recently had to sell and still have my 2554. I have used the 417's with all of them. Different cabs etc..Love the sound. I had a pair of MiE 2002 Celestion 30th Anni's...and talk about Harsh all thru the spectrum and Ice Pick to the ears. Luckily they were Minty..really NOS and I sold them too.
They were advertised to have accentuated Low & Low Mids, less Highs.
If the Sino's are worse God save your hearing.

[417 - Alnico]

I still have pair of 614-D cabinets that I want to use for my guitars.
I will try the 417's, but also the G-125's to get more Bass out of them..
I just do not live in a place to crank it up the way I want to.
Maybe try the ER-12 coming too.
I have a pair in Ferrite baskets, that Bill put on larger thick felt dust caps..I actually requested Paper domes. They sound good,
I think the felt makes them sound a tad fuzzy.
The 3 OEM kits I mentioned..I had to have other people recone.
One was a very old kit that did have the Aluminum VC former...so it is at least a D...and the paper part of the cone is thinner, lighter and more stiff than all my others. I had Weber pop it in, he thought it should be 30 watts max because he thought the gap was tight..and it was old and dry. It went into a 72 Alnico frame and has very tight
fit. So much so , that he tough it was not a 417 kit. It is.
It has a after-market, very flat thin alum dome.
It has light, yet correct dope...Best speaker! I am being nice to her because I do not want to lose her.
That one is in a Blue covered Alnico and it was recharged.
Best Distortion ever.
Lastly, I found a H and a H-II cone. The oldest speaker repair shop in Seattle area..with a long tenured reconer did these in Ceramic framed baskets that came with 414's that were rubing...the frames have the holes thru the magnets plugged with some kind of light Alum doo-hickies. This shop is Authorized by JBL and EV..others to.
Since I did not have proper domes, nor did they...he removed the 414 Domes and put them on my kits. He also used a thin, light, hard, dry Dope. Kinda like what is on the G-125 or an EV.
They sound great and have more than enough highs as well as harmonics. My questions were to see what theoretical effects
these modifications should produce..but my ears do not bleed.
Update...They sound great and attenuate the highs just right.

[bfish]

Long break-in is an old trick for shady sellers, by the time you've run the recommended break-in, there's no chance for return/exchange.

It's pretty well documented that a minute or two run at rated power and excursion is all that's needed for break-in.

[417 - Alnico]

Originally posted by bfish:
Long break-in is an old trick for shady sellers, by the time you've run the recommended break-in, there's no chance for return/exchange.

It's pretty well documented that a minute or two run at rated power and excursion is all that's needed for break-in.

That's good to know. I know Altec and other similar speakers that do not use cone break-up, do not need break-in time. I have never had a new celestion's except for the ones I sold. Most people that I have talked to regarding Celestions want 'broken-in' speakers, I can't say I have taken a speaker from brand new to over 50 hours of medium to hard use...so if they sound better or not I do not know...
Weber,Southbay, and Avatar..have some of their speakers already broken-in, and they have same warranty.
I always use extension cabs.