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Deluxe Reverb FSR with Jensen P12Q

goldtop0

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Aug 19, 2003
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Hi fellas, I'm looking at one of these combos currently(it's got the nice wine red tolex) but want to get an idea as to the performance of the Jensen Special Design alnico it has.
I note the sensitivity rating of this speaker is around 95db and am wondering if it gets flabby and farts out when pushed at the full 22 watts or near to?

It's a Limited Edition amp and not FSR.
 
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goldtop0

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Oh well looks as though nobody knows too much about this speaker here, the amp might be with me today so I'll give it a blast and see if that 40 watter can do a decent job at high volume playing.
Will try a Blue and a Celestion pulsonic alnico in there also and compare them all.
My first Deluxe and I'm chuffed to finally have one:2cool
 
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goldtop0

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Why not play the amp first with the speaker it comes with?


Yes well it arrived today Texas and I've tried her out with the P12Q and it sounds good, however as I've just found, if I want to try a Celestion in it.... either I modify the celestion to an 8 hole(put an extra 4 holes in the frame) or remove 4 nut pole pieces from the Deluxe(as it has 8):wah
Didn't have a problem with slipping a celestion into my FSR 1x12 Princeton as it only has the 4 pole pieces as speaker mounts on the baffle board....... which matches a celestion.
 

Texas Blues

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Yes well it arrived today Texas and I've tried her out with the P12Q and it sounds good, however as I've just found, if I want to try a Celestion in it.... either I modify the celestion to an 8 hole(put an extra 4 holes in the frame) or remove 4 nut pole pieces from the Deluxe(as it has 8):wah
Didn't have a problem with slipping a celestion into my FSR 1x12 Princeton as it only has the 4 pole pieces as speaker mounts on the baffle board....... which matches a celestion.

I'm confusicated.

Are you trying to match the amp to the speaker?

Or match the speaker to the amp?
 

goldtop0

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Match a speaker to the amp...........whatever one performs best of my cache.
It's an age old tradition of mix and match.........voodoo that amp compadre.
 
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sonar

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Do all DRRI's have 8 posts in the baffle? Seems odd...
 

goldtop0

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Do all DRRI's have 8 posts in the baffle? Seems odd...


I don't know Matt..........I'll have to have a look inside a few more when I get the chance at our local Fender/dealer store.
 

NotJeffBeck

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Mar 31, 2019
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Yes well it arrived today Texas and I've tried her out with the P12Q and it sounds good, however as I've just found, if I want to try a Celestion in it.... either I modify the celestion to an 8 hole(put an extra 4 holes in the frame) or remove 4 nut pole pieces from the Deluxe(as it has 8):wah
Didn't have a problem with slipping a celestion into my FSR 1x12 Princeton as it only has the 4 pole pieces as speaker mounts on the baffle board....... which matches a celestion.

I have a blue DRRI that came with a Celestion Blue and (drum roll) blue pilot light. The Celestion Blue just sounded like ass when new, I was so disappointed. My speaker buddy told me they absolutely need to be broken in first so I did the overnight thing with a variac directly to the speaker. Night and day difference. This combination now sounds absolutely world class.
If your Blue is already broken in you will very likely love it. If it is brand new, you probably won't give it a second chance.
For me, the Blue now sounds gorgeous in there.

The Blue was factory installed so I didn't ever encounter any 8-vs-4-hole problems.
 

goldtop0

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I have a blue DRRI that came with a Celestion Blue and (drum roll) blue pilot light. The Celestion Blue just sounded like ass when new, I was so disappointed. My speaker buddy told me they absolutely need to be broken in first so I did the overnight thing with a variac directly to the speaker. Night and day difference. This combination now sounds absolutely world class.
If your Blue is already broken in you will very likely love it. If it is brand new, you probably won't give it a second chance.
For me, the Blue now sounds gorgeous in there.

The Blue was factory installed so I didn't ever encounter any 8-vs-4-hole problems.


I've seen a number of DRs with the Blue, mines well broken in and I'll be trying other of my old '60s alnicos in it also, just got to remove the 4 x baffle board mounts and we're away.
I note that the latest Celestion Ruby alinco has 8 x speaker mount holes.......first Celestion I've seen like this.
 

Mars Hall

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I put a newer Celestian Creamback in my DR. Did exactly what I wanted, pushed the mids. The Creambacks are one of the few Celestian models to come with an 8 hole frame.
 

goldtop0

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So if Celestion are putting 8 holes in the frame now(checked their site and see the latest production speakers are 8 hole), this tells me that Fender(the biggest amp producers worldwide) might be putting 8 mounting poles in the baffle boards of more of their amps.
 

PaulLaRue

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Jul 2, 2003
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Not sure if your talking new or vintage Jensen?
The vintage Jensen P12Q was a stock speaker in 50's Fender Tweed Deluxes.
Rated about 12 watts I believe?
May be overloaded in a Deluxe Reverb. Would sound very good at reasonable volume.
It is the best speaker for a tweed deluxe. Most came with a P12R.
I bought a 56 P12R and it is the sound everyone wants from a tweed.
Cost about the same as modern ones too.
It's totally up to you, maybe a little under rated power wise for the Deluxe Reverb.
But it is a sweet speaker.
 

goldtop0

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Put the Blue in my DR and noticed that it provides a fuller richer overall tone compared to the P12Q.
I'm not worried by the fact that the Blue is a 15w rated speaker as Celestion's ratings for their alnico speakers are conservative so I've found over the years.
The new P12Q is a good speaker and rated at 40w but won't be the go in my DR.

Paul try a Blue and tell me what you think.
 

buckaroo

Formerly Tweedguy
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Feb 17, 2009
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My favorite replacement speaker in a Deluxe Reverb is a Weber 12F125A. IMO, it is a very similar, in build and sound, to the Jensen ceramic model that was originally used by Fender in some DR amps in the 1960's. Of course the more common speaker in those original amps was the Oxford speaker.

Buck
 

PaulLaRue

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Paul try a Blue and tell me what you think.

I have tried the Blue, a Weber 12F150 and came back to the stock [made in Italy] Jensen 100 watt rated speaker [forget model number]. I just think it sounds great.
The Blue was darker and reduced the sparkle.
My DRRI was purchased in 2003 and that Jensen was used by Fender to tame the brightness of the amp. One of my favorite amps.
Second to my Marshall JVM 1 X 12 combo that just kills.
Also have a Clark tweed Deluxe clone that has the Celestion Blue [great speaker also].
We all wish we had 10 speakers to try cause they all have something to offer.
Good luck on the search.
 

goldtop0

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I have tried the Blue, a Weber 12F150 and came back to the stock [made in Italy] Jensen 100 watt rated speaker [forget model number]. I just think it sounds great.
The Blue was darker and reduced the sparkle.
My DRRI was purchased in 2003 and that Jensen was used by Fender to tame the brightness of the amp. One of my favorite amps.
Second to my Marshall JVM 1 X 12 combo that just kills.
Also have a Clark tweed Deluxe clone that has the Celestion Blue [great speaker also].
We all wish we had 10 speakers to try cause they all have something to offer.
Good luck on the search.

It'd be good to find out the model number of that Jensen, I'm presuming it's ceramic?
My DRRI is a more recent one maybe 2017 and as with this one and most of my other amps I use Celestion alnicos in them now, older '60s T1088s(Marshall 1974X and 1973X) and a 74 1772 in my PRRI Limited Edition 1x12.
Changing the speaker in the DR is a bit more cumbersome as you know so I'll be trying other ones in it as time goes by.
 

Wilko

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95 dB is very quiet for a Deluxe reverb and makes the amp work harder for the same volume.

For more touch sensitivity and punch a Celestion blue is rated at 100+ dB efficiency and really shines. DOn't expect chunky bass notes and certainly it won't "djent" but the clarity and sparkle of notes in the sweet range of chords and melody (leads) is hard to beat.
 

goldtop0

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95 dB is very quiet for a Deluxe reverb and makes the amp work harder for the same volume.

For more touch sensitivity and punch a Celestion blue is rated at 100+ dB efficiency and really shines. DOn't expect chunky bass notes and certainly it won't "djent" but the clarity and sparkle of notes in the sweet range of chords and melody (leads) is hard to beat.


Yes that's what I find Eric, and I'll try one of the '60s alnicos in it also at some stage as I really like the older ones, they're just a bit more rich and rounded with the pulsonic cone compared to the modern Blue.
 

PaulLaRue

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It'd be good to find out the model number of that Jensen, I'm presuming it's ceramic?

Jensen C12K Ceramic, rated at 100 watts.
I think it sounds great, plus I was using that amp exclusively with a multi effects pedal and like the high watt rating to protect it from much louder factory presets.
Got so used to it I can't imagine the need to swap it.

I sold so many great amps these last few years [getting ready to move soon] and downsized to the 3 I loved the best. Marshall JVM Combo, Clark Beaufort, and the DRRI.
Keeping those forever. Now down sizing the guitars will be much harder !
 
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