Replaced the stock Jensen in a Deluxe Reverb reissue with the G12C.
The good: the stock speaker made the mids very odd and hard sounding. Now it sounds full and smooth. The amp has way more character now (have already upgraded output tranny and a few other components--including removing bright cap).
The bad: whoa, super bright! Granted it was with some brighter guitars, but this Deluxe always sounded too dark and dull. Is that normal for a Deluxe with a better speaker? I'd have to dial the treble between to 2-4 to get it to work with some of the guitars. A Jaguar through this thing is almost too bright to dial in any treble.
Did I choose the wrong speaker or is it time to have a tech recheck the amp and tweak it a bit? I loved the brighter sound clips of this thing considering how dull and dark the deluxe sounded before, but this is crazy opposite. Does it need to break in?
Well ... I personally find many Deluxe Reverbs (originals as well as the RIs) to be a little bit bright to begin with. I personally put a ET65 in my original '65 ... which tamed and smoothed the ice-pick very nicely. The ET65 is one of WGS's warmest speakers, and it's what I ALWAYS recomend for Deluxe Reverbs. The G12 is one of WGS's brightest speakers, and ... unless you really want fender brightness in spades, I don't recommend it in a Deluxe Reverb.
Hope this helps. BTW, as the G12 gets broken in, it will warm up a bit, but will remain a bright speaker (it's based on a vintage Jensen).
Thanks for the tip. I should have asked on this forum before pulling the trigger on the speaker. I assumed since the amp started out so dark and dull that it needed the brightness. Plus I really liked the sounds you got out of it on a lot of the youtube videos. I like brighter sounds, but I didn't realize what was lurking in this amp. ;) I will weigh whether I should see if I can trade it for an ET65 or see if my amp tech can help me take a little of those highs off.
I was a little nervous about a british style speaker (hence why I went with the G12C) in this as I wanted to try and attain some of those old American sounds. Thanks Vaughn for chiming in!
Hi! I was recommended here the WGS G12c/s as a smoother alternative to the G12C, for a deluxe reverb AB763 kind of amp.
My question to you is: how would you compare the ET65 vs the G12C/s for this kind of amp, given that i want to smooth the ice-pick, looking for a creamy, bluesy sound?
And wihich one you would prefer?
Because i am building a very traditional Fender amp and am affraid of moving away too much by putting a British oriented speaker in it...
Enlighten me! :)
Thanks a lot in advance!!!
All of the WGS speakers I've heard have sounded great! I have a similar question on the choice of an ET-65 or G12C/s in my vintage Deluxe Reverb. I play mostly blues, rock and folk rock (Clapton, Allman Bros, Byrds, Dylan, the Dead, etc) in a cover band, using a Strat, Tele and Music Man w/humbuckers. Thanks for your help.
https://wgs4.com/1967-fender-deluxe-reverb-mods-speakers-and-more
Just started a two-week blog adventure with my new '67 DR. Check it out! Oh, and please hit that little 5-flame "hotness" indicator thingie ... please ...
Just read it, awesome. Can't wait for the speaker shootout, but seriously don't think you will find something that sounds better than the ET65 I currently have in my Deluxe Reverb. I bought that on your recommendation and really, really like it.
Wait no more!
Just posted the shootout blog ... with some expected results, and some surprises!
Check it out!
http://wgs4.com/1967-fender-deluxe-reverb-quest-best-replacement-speaker
Hi - thanks for the video - good job! Been jumping around checking out various speakers so haven;t gotten through the entire video yet. But, a lot of good choices!! It doesn't suprise me that the Reaper did well. I've heard a number of Deluxe Reverbs (or clones by Alllen Amps and Allessandro Working Dog amps) with G12H30s or clones by Scumback or Weber that have sounded really good - not necessarily that old school Fender sound but, well, just sounded good. I liked the ET65, G12c/s and the Green Beret, too. Needless to say, despite the vidoe, my life isn't any easier trying to decide which replacement to put in my Deluxe Reverb! Thanks again for the puttng it together.
Vaughn, definitely the Reaper 30 watt. Because of your marathon video, I have a SuperSonic 22 (based on the Deluxe Reverb platform as you know) that I equipped with a Retro 30 but now you've got me thinking of switching out to the Reaper 30. The Retro is sweet but after having lived with it for 4 months, it feels to have a bit too much midrange bark. Perhaps that's the "modern sound" you're talking about.
On the other hand, I'm using a Reaper HP in a Blues Deluxe Reissue and it's awesome.
Vaughn, I liked the Reaper ... but ... on the (very well done) video, I still think the ET65 comes out on top. Second for me is the Green Beret. The Reaper is very good, and might be a good first choice for some tastes. I like the nice rich, full mids on the ET65. I also found the lightweight 12 quite enjoyable, my 50-somthing back especially likes that one! To me the old EV was awful, just stiff and unmusical. IMHO none of the vintage speakers even came close to matching the ET65. Don't know if I should post this on the blog or the Q7A, so I'll do both!
Thanks for this video, I know it must have taken forever to put together, but it's very helpful. Next time, though, It would be nice if you could go back to the good mics. Not complaining, you've done a lot better than I could have!
I'm commenting on an older post here, but just wanted to say that a G12C/S is an incredible speaker for a Deluxe Reverb. I installed one in my silverface, mid-70s Deluxe Reverb and it sounds beautiful - a speaker with a lot of vibe. It's rich and musical, with a tone that really flatters single-coil pickups -- I installed the speaker and immediately played guitar for three hours straight, which for me, is a good sign. My Deluxe Reverb was -- surprise -- too bright. The G12C/S helps that problem, although I would never describe it as a dull, bassy speaker. It's extremely toneful and really has made this amp gig-worthy. I could go on and on, but you get the point. If your Deluxe Reverb needs help, is too bright, etc. this speaker is the cure.
Mark Hunter
Hi Guy's ,
Any speaker recommendations for a Dr Z Z28 .. it is a mid heavy amp so I would like to scoop the mids a bit ... I currently have an old Eminence Gold Label from the 1990's and it sounds good but the high end maybe a bit spikey
Thanks
Albert
Oh yea ... ET65 for SURE!!! Don't second-guess this one :-)
I have a couple of DR's a 1970 and a reissue and have the G12c's in them . Descriptive terminology is very subjective, but I like the G12C in my amps.
You might want to give the Liberator a try. I had a similar experience with the G12C/S in the Deluxe Reverb Reissue. It was better than the stock 100w Jensen but I still found it very bright and somewhat one dimensional. The Liberator sounds amazing in it.
See my post in the "Deluxe Reverb Reissue- ET65 or G12C/S" thread for more info.