An electric guitar speaker is a loudspeaker specifically the driver (transducer) part designed for use in or with the guitar amplifier of an electric guitar. Installed in a cabinet with amplification and possibly multiple speakers. Typically these drivers produce only the frequency range relevant to guitars which is similar to a regular woofer type driver which is approximately 75Hz to 5kHz.
The range of sounds in terms of Hz which include the highs, middle range and low level sounds in a guitar speaker have a narrow range of sound compared to a stereo speaker. The two types of speakers are like comparing apples and oranges. In other words, their range and type of sound as well as the intended purposes are different and not interchangeable.
The cones of these drivers typically range in size from 6.5in to 15in with 10 and 12in models being the most popular. As with all loudspeaker drivers, the magnets are usually made from Alnico, ceramic, or neodymium with higher quality Alnico magnets reserved for expensive models.
Well-known guitar speaker manufacturers include Fane, Jensen, Celestion, Eminence, Electro-Voice, JBL, Weber, and A Brown Sound (Tone Tubby).
The sounds that are considered to be vintage blues vibes can be duplicated by certain brands and types of speakers. Other music genres such as metal or jazz can be duplicated with the appropriate speaker for intended music type. Taking into consideration that speakers have subtle differences that not everyone can hear. It takes a veteran musician or someone with excellent or trained hearing to hear some of the differences. In the end if you get the chance to replace a speaker/s, find the one that suits your style.
Searching the internet will provide many types and brands of speakers to examine, understanding that all brands and types of speakers have their own particular sounds. Know what you want, so a mistake won't be made.
Take advantage of the tremendous online technology available, and find sites that have audio demonstrations of the different sounds of different speakers, or, call the company and talk to an engineer in tech.
Changing an undamaged speaker is generally considered a waste of time, it is the last thing to replace in your rig to change your tone. That being said, if your speaker wears out(Ha) or you simply blow it into outer space (most likely cause) take the time and effort to get the speaker that suits your sound and tone preferences best. |
