Vintage Ev12L - the diamond of speakers

[The Fight]

Just picked up another vintage Electro Voice Ev12L locally. Found it on Craigslist, thought the price was great, so I called the guy up and schedule a pickup time. The guy calls me back and says he had an emergency and left to the hospital, no pickup. I thought he might have sold it and was giving me an excuse, you never know with things like this. He then ltr called me back and explained to me that he's old and has a heart problem. Totally understandable!
Any how picked it up and brought it home with other stuff I had to buy..lol

I truly believe this is the best speaker ever made, that's why I call it the diamond of speakers. I've had quite a few different speaker in the past and honestly sold/gave them all away.

Today was the first day that I got to play one through a Fender deluxe and I was just blown away. It never occurred to me that one could use these with a clean amp. I just always figured that it was the perfect speaker for metal (Zakk Wylde), for that great clarity and bottom end. Of course I was very obsessed over guys like Zakk Wylde and he's been using them for years. And actually it totally makes sense why Mesa would use them with their own amps.

Long story short, the clarity and definition of the speakers is phenomenal, especially when matched with a PRS. Bottom end that doesn't turn flabby and truly doesn't lose the Integrity of your sound, whatever that means...well we all know what that means. I have quite the collection Electro-Voice speakers and I never pass one up, especially when it's for a good price. Sry in advance, I'm better at playing than explaining.

I bet there's guys on this forum that use Electro-Voice speakers too and would probably have something to add as well

 

[goat-n-gitter]

My first "real" amp was a silverface Fender Twin with two EV12Ls, talk about loud, clean and heavy!

Tom

 

[László]

I love that speaker! Look at how that frame is cast to handle the movement of the cone to minimize twisting or warping. I had them in a 212 to handle an organ back in the day, and the clarity and dynamic range were really something.

Beautifully built stuff.

 

[Dusty Chalk]

Is "vintage" a requirement? Or are the new ones good, too? Sounds like my kinda thing, I should at least try them.

 

[The Fight]

Is "vintage" a requirement? Or are the new ones good, too? Sounds like my kinda thing, I should at least try them.

Ive never tried the new new Evs but ive had almost all the other gens like the first gen , ev12L ii, ev12L pro line, coffee can 12Ls, and all the Sro lines. I think the biggest problem is that it takes such a long time to break in a 200/300 watt speaker. When you buy a old speaker it just sounds right. Some do say the quality has changed with the new EV, I'm just conservative so I stick to the Vintage stuff
I'd try it if I was you! One thing though, they are heavy as hell! Especially if you buy ones with the big metal heat sink, but you can always take that off.

 

[Furtive]

Ive never tried the new new Evs but ive had almost all the other gens like the first gen , ev12L ii, ev12L pro line, coffee can 12Ls, and all the Sro lines. I think the biggest problem is that it takes such a long time to break in a 200/300 watt speaker. When you buy a old speaker it just sounds right. Some do say the quality has changed with the new EV, I'm just conservative so I stick to the Vintage stuff
I'd try it if I was you! One thing though, they are heavy as hell! Especially if you buy ones with the big metal heat sink, but you can always take that off.

ding ding ding! Those EVs are built to outlast Keith Richards; I've been a fan for 25 years. My preference is the 100w SRO - alnico, white coffee can. And the low power Wolverine line... those sound great in small amps.

 

[The Fight]

ding ding ding! Those EVs are built to outlast Keith Richards; I've been a fan for 25 years. My preference is the 100w SRO - alnico, white coffee can. And the low power Wolverine line... those sound great in small amps.

Yeah those coffee can SRO are the cats pajamas! Very hard to find now and days, or at least in very good condition. Also if seen the Wolverine pop up on the Bay once in a wile, actually I think Derek Trucks still uses them to this day.

Man, I'm blown away by how many ppl use/used them. Santana, Pete Townsend, Frank Zappa, and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

 

[Brad737]

I'd never played the EV-12L until I got my Mesa Boogie Mk. IIC+. They really are spectacular speakers, even though they're heavy as all get out. Try one in a Thiele (pronounced "tee-lee") cabinet.