What would you recommend for a replacement speaker for an Ampeg B15. I want to get a bigger sound from the head without the speaker fuzzing out on me. Would you clip the head to the cabinet or leave it open for a better sound? Thx Ron
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Ampeg B15N 1966 speaker replacement
- Thread starter Ron Welby
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- cabinets sound ampeg speakers
Don't leave it open! That's asking for trouble. They may have been ported in a primitive fashion, but they're tuned well, and opening the lid makes you more prone to feedback issues, as well as early speaker blowing. That's why open-backed cabs don't work for bass. And Eminence Delta 15a is tops for a 60's B-15. Sounds just like the CTS they used back then but takes a lot more power.
As Jimmy says, a Double Baffle Reflex cabinet is uniquely suited for bass. When you flip the head up into the playing position there is rubber gasket that seals the the underside of the head to the speaker box making it air tight, you do not want to have it left open. As far as speakers go, the Eminence Beta is a great sounding and reasonably affordable choice. I’ve moved so many different speakers in and out of my B-15N(C) that I decided to install a vintage JBL-D-130F in mine last year. That’s the speaker Ampeg offered in the 1960’s as their factory upgrade, but I think most players would like something a little more modern with beefier construction and power handling. If you’re going vintage then the JBL-D-140 is a great choice, but expensive and always Make sure that the speaker you buy is an 8 Ohm.
Thanks Vic. What modern beefier construction speaker would you recommend. Also does the JBL-D-130F give you a solid sound above volume 5 on the amp? Can you feel it...not hear it?
Ron,
I don't think you'd want to use a D-130F because, one they can be difficult to find and tow have a lower wattage rating. The JBL D-140's are more plentiful out there on the used market and have a higher wattage rating. By the time we get to 1966 Ampeg was about to offer either the JBL-D140 (it has a ribbed cone) or
a Altec Lansing 421 . Just remember, these speakers were offered as upgrades and had to be special ordered when you purchased your amplifier. The most common speaker in a older B-15N from 1966 was the CTS (this stands for Chicago Telephone Service) and the Eminence Beta is the closest you can by today to
that original speaker. The D-130F I have in my 1964 B-15N(C) sounds lovely at reasonable volume levels, say 6/7 on the dial, with the bass a little past 5 and the treble a little shy of 5. I don't even try to push my amp past those settings.
I don't think you'd want to use a D-130F because, one they can be difficult to find and tow have a lower wattage rating. The JBL D-140's are more plentiful out there on the used market and have a higher wattage rating. By the time we get to 1966 Ampeg was about to offer either the JBL-D140 (it has a ribbed cone) or
a Altec Lansing 421 . Just remember, these speakers were offered as upgrades and had to be special ordered when you purchased your amplifier. The most common speaker in a older B-15N from 1966 was the CTS (this stands for Chicago Telephone Service) and the Eminence Beta is the closest you can by today to
that original speaker. The D-130F I have in my 1964 B-15N(C) sounds lovely at reasonable volume levels, say 6/7 on the dial, with the bass a little past 5 and the treble a little shy of 5. I don't even try to push my amp past those settings.
My 65 has a D140F which was listed as factory when I bought the amp, though who knows if it really was given that it's 50+ years old and certainly not coming from the original owner. The old product literature doesn't seem to say anything about specific speakers they offered, I wonder if it's in the ampeg book?
Anywho, between the two double baffles I've owned I've tried an altec 421A, JBL D140F, JBL K140, eminence beta, eminence delta, and a reconed CTS. I felt like the eminence beta was my preference for a modern driver over the delta, it seemed closest to the CTS drivers I had. The JBL have their own flavor.
I've heard that, dollar for dollar, your best bet is either the eminence beta or Delta, if @JimmyM recommends the Delta I'd take that. Granted I'm sure the JBLs are great as well, possibly better, but I would rather get a newer, replaceable/repairable driver that's a bit cheaper to begin with than a vintage one that might give me pause on whether I should take it out or not, in part because it's pricey, in another part because repair and replacements can be hard to come by.
A few years ago I acquired the first of my B-15Ns, which had the original CTS driver. On a mission (obsession?) to find the BEST sound, I swapped speakers: JBL D140F, Altec 421, Altec 416B (hi-fi woofer), and a Weber Neo. Conclusion? The CTS went back in. Probably not as efficient as the others, but best sound... a certain creaminess. Something about the stiffness of the cone, I surmise. The Altec 416 was great, but as an expensive hi-fi woofer with a low power rating, it wasn't a good long-term choice.
I read somewhere that Jess Oliver preferred a 4-ohm load for the B-15, so I ordered the Weber at 4 ohms. Didn't hurt anything, but of course it was impossible to evaluate what if any audible difference it made, not having the same driver in 8 ohms. I'd stick to 8 just from an abundance of caution.
I read somewhere that Jess Oliver preferred a 4-ohm load for the B-15, so I ordered the Weber at 4 ohms. Didn't hurt anything, but of course it was impossible to evaluate what if any audible difference it made, not having the same driver in 8 ohms. I'd stick to 8 just from an abundance of caution.
It's really confusing for sure, the 67 catalog has both the JBL D-140 and the Altec 421 as options, but I've never seen an actual catalog from 1966. I cannot find anything in Ampeg: The Story Behind The Sound, except maybe a mention of the JBL D-130. I'll
have to go back through it.
The 1964 had a listing for the B-15NL (for Lansing) with the D-130 Everett Hull would have never called it an D-130F.
have to go back through it.
The 1964 had a listing for the B-15NL (for Lansing) with the D-130 Everett Hull would have never called it an D-130F.
He did, and from his perspective he didn't feel it taxed the amp, but I wouldn't want to try it on an older amp with a OT that had been in the amp since day 1. You just never know what kind of situation you might be in. My Output Transformer blew when I was playing in Berkley, MO outdoors
at a street fair, using a portable generator. The amp worked fine all that day and several months after, but it eventually failed. It took years to locate a NOS Transformer, because at that time Fliptops was not around. You generally had to have the transformer re-built. I purchased an
Altec 421 8H (Series II) and loved it in the amp, currently I have a D-130F in the amp, simply because that's the speaker that Ampeg offered as an upgrade. See above. Those CTS speakers are prized finds nowadays.
Ha, that's probably true, but there was a D-130 model and it's not the same as the "F" ("F" being a designation for Fender).
The D-130 was to the D-130F what the D-131 was to the D-120. Figure that one out.
If the speaker is an alnico magnet, you may need to get it "re-magnetized"
SOP of Alnico speakers.
SOP of Alnico speakers.
Ya, the Beta and Delta are the two big modern favorites for B-15's. I've never tried the Beta because I was happy with the Delta. I tend to like speakers that are brighter and not as deep in the lows. The Beta's chart isn't much different, but there was enough of a difference to make me think I'd like the Delta better.
Which model did you do that with, Andy? The cab does make a difference, as well as the time frame the CTS speaker was made.
It was the B-15NF, with the single-baffle design. I no longer have that amp, but I do have another "NF," also with the CTS driver.
OK...so the mid-60's CTS then. The 70's CTS's were darker sounding speakers but they went better with the bigger cabs. But yeah, I'm finding it hard to beat the 60's CTS sound. Deltas sound extremely close to my ears, but those CTS's from back then are really good.
Yikes,
Since Everett Hull would never have put a "F" on the end of one of his amplifiers, it likely was a D-130, the speaker I have in my B-15N(C) is a D-130F. It's very confusing sorting
this stuff out, many of the D-130's over time have been re coned with a D-140F kit. What I think I do know is that the D-130(F) had a copper clad aluminum voice coil, while the D-140(F) had
a copper voice coil. So they sound a bit different at the midrange.
You know, I had the original CTS from my B-15N(C) somewhere in the house. Since I have some time on my hands to look for it, maybe I'll go on a CTS treasure hunt. 