lightweight neodymium guitar speakers for heavy downtuned rock?

[everdrone]

I am probably going to get neodymiums in my orange 212PPC closed back cab soon, to save 15 pounds of weight. I currently have v30s. Which do you think I should get?  clips/descriptions below:

eminence lil texas http://www.eminence.com/speakers/speaker-detail/?model=Lil_Texas

eminence tonkerlite  http://www.eminence.com/speakers/speaker-detail/?model=Tonkerlite

or celestion century vintage: http://celestion.com/product/14/g12_century_vintage/

clip: http://tonefinder.com/?section=speaker&value=Celestion+G12+Century+Vintage

I made a thread here on this subject: http://forum.orangeamps.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=48799

[everdrone]

hmm, just found a comparison of these three speakers in question here: http://acapella.harmony-central.com/showthread.php?2544203-G12-Vintage-neo-vs.-Emi-lil-texas-vs.-tonkerlite

[clockwork green]

I'm curious why EV hasn't made a neodymium guitar speaker. I trust pretty much anything they do. Maybe they're working on one or maybe they don't like it but it reminds me that many of the best sounding speakers to my ear have huge magnets and typically handle a lot of power and therefore sound best when pushed. The neo's might be light but they're very strong magnets so I'm curious to see how this plays out.

[Mr. Foxen]

The neos being small for their strength means you can put much better heatsinking on, so power handling will tend to be better. But sound and power handling are pretty much not related things, so it may well be an entirely other factor you like about those speakers pushed, massive magnets will tend toward rolling off low lows, and the strong motor associated with them controls the cone more, so not much low end distortion whilst being pushed into breakup from the suspension might be the thing you like, and a neo speaker can totally be engineered to do that. But development of them got all fucked up by the neo crisis.

[Lumpy]

I've had a Lil' Texas in a 1x12 for about 4 months. My impression is that it's super clean and doesn't add much character of it's own. The "even response" (or however the review phrased it) means that no frequencies are emphasized -- which is not what you have with your Vintage 30's  --- those have strong mids, I believe, and add some grit too maybe. The Lil' Texas will probably sound a lot different than what you're using.

You can buy speakers used, so if you don't like 'em and need to sell, it's not a big financial loss like buying them new. I bought my Lil' Texas in the classifieds section at Harmony-Central.com (in the Miscellaneous for sale forum, but look in Amps for sale too).

[jibberish]

i hope spook sees this thread. i know his back gives him trouble sometimes. he may be very interested.

now someone needs to come up with a new cabinet technology, like some weird exploded carbon fiber resin structure that weighs nothing and is so a-symmetrical looking like an alien hive inside with stringies and bubbles and just random structure all throughout without eating up much actual inner volume that there is no resonance and no flexx.

[Mr. Foxen]

now someone needs to come up with a new cabinet technology, like some weird exploded carbon fiber resin structure that weighs nothing and is so a-symmetrical looking like an alien hive inside with stringies and bubbles and just random structure all throughout without eating up much actual inner volume that there is no resonance and no flexx.

Its done, Nidacore boxes, fiberglassed/carbon fibre coated foam boxes, and foam cored board boxes are all being made. Its all being don for bass and PA because guitarists haven't let go of the idea of the the square 4x12 being a flawed idea, so pretty much no point working for them http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f15/composite-nidacore-fearful-15-6-1-build-732771/

[everdrone]

I've had a Lil' Texas in a 1x12 for about 4 months. My impression is that it's super clean and doesn't add much character of it's own.

thanks for the heads up.  After your insight here, I am crossing this one off the list. Not sure if I want to buy used, ebay is not rewarding so far anyway. It is down to two speakers really:

the celestion century vintage would be much closer to what I am replacing, my v30s.

and the tonkerlite is the british classic rock neodymium from eminence, and eminence has been recommended for heavy rock and neodymiums to me.

Thanks all for your insights .  I have a Gallien Krueger 2x12 500watt combo that weighs only 40 pounds, so I think that is amazing; if neo's work, then I am eventually gonna get an orange tiny terror combo and replace with a neo too.

any other insights or comments at all are much appreciated, thanks 

[Mr. Foxen]

I am eventually gonna get an orange tiny terror combo and replace with a neo too.

For weight would do better to get the TT head and make a lighweight cab to go with a neo, as there's plenty of weight to be saved using thinner wood and more bracing, plus you need a bit less baffle strength without the heavyweight magnet hanging off it.

[Ombrenuit]

Tiny terror combo owner here. It's hefty. Not sure what kind of weight you are looking for but a head + 1x12 would be a lot lighter.

[Lumpy]

I have an Avatar 1x12 'traditional' style cab with open back. Including the Lil Texas the whole thing weights 25 pounds. Is it a doomwagon? Probably not. You need big cabs or lots of speakers for that.

But maybe your cabinet box is too heavy. Avatar says their traditional style 2x12 is about 50 pounds (loaded, not with neos) while the contemporary style (like the OP has) weighs 65 pounds (loaded with speakers). So he could lose another 15 pounds or so, just by switching cabinets. In which case, maybe just sell the Orange and start from scratch? Use the heavier speakers in a lighter box, maybe?

Shopping based on weight instead of tone seems like a tough way to go. I think the conventional wisdom is that lots of speakers in big heavy cabinets is the dooom.