Has anyone here tried a 10" speaker in a Vibro Champ
Jim Soloway
couple weeks. I know there are 10" baffle boards available for them
and I'm wondering if anyone here's tried it.
Dave
8. I used to have a couple of Super Champs, which have halfway decent 10s.
Yes, the SC is much more pwr, but even at low levels, the larger,
better-quality spkr made a huge difference. I used the 2 of them w/ a Rat
and Boss chorus for a mini Scofield rig. Even played outside w/ them once w/
a group (incl drums) for a small get-together.
JBAFromNY
I haven't tried a 10, but I've got an amp that is vibro-champ clone in
a slightly larger cabinet that has a 12". It sounds way better than a
stock Fender 8" speaker. I also used to have a silverface champ that
I often plugged into other cabinets. IME, bigger/better speakers are
always an improvement over the stock champ speaker. I think you can't
go wrong changing to a 10"; just keep the original board and speaker
for resale.
Phil
Jim Soloway
Indeed I could but it's going to be a lot bigger and heavier.
David J. Littleboy
"Jim Soloway" <j...@jimsoloway.com> wrote in message
news:db937609-4815-41fc...@n19g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
> I've been having a blast with this little Vibro Champ for the last
> couple weeks. I know there are 10" baffle boards available for them
> and I'm wondering if anyone here's tried it.
Just do it. The speaker has to be the weakest link in affordable amplifiers.
You may find it louder, though, especially if you go for a particularly
high-efficiency speaker. I'm happy with the Rajin Cajun in my JazzAmp, but
it's high-end peak (which brightens up the JazzAmp nicely) may make it not
so advisable for an amp with limited tone controls. On the other hand, you
do like a bright tone...
--
David J. Littleboy
Tokyo, Japan
Neer
I had a '65 VibroChamp and replaced the speaker with an 8" Celestion,
8 ohms. There was a dramatic improvement in the sound, as the
speaker was much more efficient than the original and the overall
result was louder and cleaner. I also did a mod or 2 to improve the
amp's headroom including removing the tone circuit and the vibrato.
However, bear in mind that the VibroChamp uses a 3.2 ohm vs. an 8 ohm,
so unless you have a 4 ohm speaker, your output will be reduced.
Joe Montgomery
> I had a '65 VibroChamp and replaced the speaker with an 8" Celestion,
> 8 ohms. There was a dramatic improvement in the sound,
recent pro junior upgrade, removed original eminence and put in a
weber...very dramatic change for the better!
then i sold the eminence so it all worked out!
jm
Phil
Not to be disagreable, Jim, but wouldn't installing a 10' make the
Champ heavier too? I had a Princeton (non reverb) for a while, and it
was really a nice amp for jazz -- voiced much cleaner than a Princeton
Reverb. I've also had old Champs, and they sure are fun, so I can see
why you are enjoying it.
-Phil
Jim Soloway
> Not to be disagreable, Jim, but wouldn't installing a 10' make the
> Champ heavier too? I had a Princeton (non reverb) for a while, and it
> was really a nice amp for jazz -- voiced much cleaner than a Princeton
> Reverb. I've also had old Champs, and they sure are fun, so I can see
> why you are enjoying it.
>
> -Phil
It would make it heavier, but it would still be a lot lighter than a
Princeton and of course it will still be a LOT smaller. There is also
the possibility of simply putting in a different 8" speaker to get
more clean head room and a tighter low end. That's why I'm still
researching but the idea of having a really usable amp with a true
vintage Fender-style sound that's this small is very appealing.
RS
Jim, As some have mentioned, the VibroChamp series, at least the
AA764, used a 3.2 ohm speaker. Most of the 10"s that you'll find are 8
ohms. If you find a good, efficient 10", it should still be louder,
despite the impedance mismatch.
The thing to watch out for is that the AA764 has no 'screen resistor',
so when you crank it with an 8 ohm speaker, the screen grid of the 6V6
can melt down. I recommend having a tech put the screen resistor in
place anyway, but it's more crucial if you use a higher impedance
speaker. If there are any tech-minded people here who are curious,
I'll explain the mechanics. Otherwise, just use the screen resistor.
<g>
Warning out of the way. The larger speaker can be expected to sound
much better than the crappy stock one. Night and day. Question is
whether it will fit physically. I have a couple Champs (not vibro, but
same layout), but I can't check at the moment. If the baffle can be
removed, save it and the current speaker. Maybe try mounting the new
larger one from the front? I've done that in a couple amps where
transformers or tubes interfered with back-mount. Also easier to swap
if you want to try other sounds.
RS
You can get some additional volume, which translates into headroom.
WeberVST makes 4 ohm, 10" speakers. I haven't tried this model, but
I've had good experience with other WeberVST's:
https://taweber.powweb.com/weber/8a125.htm
Above is a direct link. See complete range at www.webervst.com. And
note that they warn you that some won't fit a Champ.