Hi, I recently picked up a Supro Statesman 50 watt head for a great price. It sounds decent with the cab I have (2x12 closed back Eminence GB12) but I think different speakers and cab would suit it better, it's very bass heavy. I decided to build a cab rather than buying one (since all this covid/quarantine stuff left me with plenty of time on my hands) so I built a nice pine 2x12 open back for it. Which speakers would you recommend? Anyone have experience with this amp or other Supros?
Trevor from WGS recommended the Reaper for Supro amps so I'm mainly thinking about two Reaper HPs or one Reaper HP + something else, maybe veteran?
Thanks, Thomas
Okay ...
So, if you find the amp on the bass-heavy side, then I'd say NOT two Reapers as they are quite beefy on the bottom end! However, the combination of ONE Reaper (I'd go HP ... I ALWAYS prefer the sound to the 30-watt version) and, pair it with a G12C for a BUNCH of added clarity and top-end articulation!
My concern with that combo is that the differing cone resonances of the Reaper and G12C may combine to create some unexpected phase cancelations. We know the Reaper HP works great with the Vet 30 and other GB derived speakers. Those EMI GB12 are fairly dull GB types. The lack of high end combined with the loose low end only accentuates the bassiness of the amp.
This might sound nuts, but I’d actually try combining one of those GB12 with a Reaper 55Hz, if you can still get one. The 55Hz is a scooped speaker with deep bass and more 3.5k-6kHz grit and chime than the Reaper HP. The GB12 should lose bass in the open-back cab, and the mid-bass resonance will be reduced when combined with the deep tight bass of the 55Hz. What it should do is mainly fill in the 2~2.5kHz range lacking in the 55Hz, and effectively roll off the low bass and high end just a bit, so you’ll have a full and balanced sounding cab that can cover a lot of musical styles, and handle a baritone like a champ. You might even prefer that combo in the closed-back cab. I’d try that first, and with the 55Hz on top so you can hear the high end. I mean listen to this thing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JE6FK8U38Jg
The SM57 mic looks like it’s ~2” from the speaker and aimed at the cap edge, so the high-end is about what it will sound like to your ear on axis, but the proximity effect at 2” boosts ~5dB at 200Hz. A similar combo would be the WGS12L with the GB12. It might not have quite the 4kHz+ chime of the 55Hz, but would still add some bass depth and fill in the 1~2kHz a bit. I assume a smooth cone speaker like that will not create phase cancelations with other speakers. The G12C/S should also add some high end to the GB12 without phase cancelations, but not as much as the 55Hz. It also has a somewhat flat and deep bass punch, but not like the 55Hz or 12L. I’d go for the 55Hz. I imagine the amp has plenty of 1~2kHz (without a TMB tone stack), so it should be nice. If the GB12 is too nasal sounding for you, you might try an Invader 50 or Vet30.
P.S. I've been reading that a G12M-75Hz & G12H-55Hz is a common pairing that sounds great, and the bass of the 55Hz stays solid in an open back cab as well. It might be that the Fb of your closed back cab is close to the Fs of the GB12's in it. That would make it more boomy. That's another reason to mix with a speaker with a lower Fs. BTW, the Reaper HP would actually keep the 3~3.5kHz range a little smoother than a Vet 30, with the 2~2.5kHz clarity of either it or the Invader 50, but would keep the 3.5~6kHz range up more than the Invader 50. That may be the best of the three to mix with the 55Hz.