Speaker Magnet material

[prscat33511]

Ferrite, ceramic, or alnico
whats the diff ?
:iamconfused:

 

[prscat33511]

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=52321.0

So, I think I like the idea of alnico

What say you, oh wiser than I ?

 

[László]

It's all a matter of the tone you're going for. I like Alnico for clean-to-breakup sounds, especially with vintage-style amps, but Ceramic for more modern and classic rock sounds and more powerful amps.

 

[prscat33511]

Well, like my PRS, I expect the amp/speakers to be able to do it all, from classic, to modern rock, to country clean.
I like a pristine clean and dirty it up with stomp boxes, and i'm not opposed to amp gain/distortion either.
I just dont like much speaker breakup at all

EdItEd: SO if I stay under 50 watts, the alnicos/vintage thing is really what I'm after ( I think )

 

[László]

I just dont like much speaker breakup at all

Any speaker is going to break up when pushed to certain volume levels, and break up less when not pushed, as you probably know. A lot of that comes down to power handling specs, but now there are alnico speakers that can take more power than the old classic models like the Celestion Blue.

You've probably read that the classic rock speakers that started to replace the Celestion Blues back in the 60s were speakers like the Greenbacks, which were the earliest Celestion ceramic magnets, and were hugely popular with classic artists from Hendrix to Zep to so many others. at 25 watts apiece, a 412 could handle a 100 watt amp.

The Blues and to some extent the Golds will give you more of a Beatles-vibe "kerrang" with something like a Vox. You really can't exceed 30 watts with a Celestion Blues equipped 212 of course. The Golds let you use higher power. So do the Fanes, though the Fanes aren't as sparkly as the Blues. Some folks complain about this, but they are very, very good speakers. Aggressive, but a little darker.

I am a huge fan of the Celestion Blues with the right amp, and for me that means Vox or something Vox-like. But it's a very specific tone. My two cents.

 

[prscat33511]

Blues and Golds are the ticket !
I have 2 Fanes in my VT22 !!
Thanks Les, I've been chasing the Ampeg sound for years,
being its too heavy and loud for anything practical.
(Kerrang is what I'm after )

 

[László]

Blues and Golds are the ticket !
I have 2 Fanes in my VT22 !!
Thanks Les, I've been chasing the Ampeg sound for years,
being its too heavy and loud for anything practical.
(Kerrang is what I'm after )

Are the Fanes in your VT22 ceramic or alnico? They make both.

Speaking of Ampeg amps, my first amp was a Reverberocket II, in 1966. It was a gift from my dad, but at the time, I longed for a Fender amp. I sold the Ampeg the minute I started making money in bands and bought a black face Bassman.