Thoughts on the Jensen P15N

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JohnnyCrash
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Thoughts on the Jensen P15N

Post by JohnnyCrash »

Anybody try the Jensen P15N (mine's an 8ohm on it's way)?

What were your experiences? Good, Bad?

I'll be using it mainly with tweed era Fenders. I wanted an AlNiCo 15".

I know Jensens get a bad wrap these days, but it was a GREAT deal, so I figured I'd order it anyways :)
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Lady101
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Post by Lady101 »

I have a 1956 15R in my 5E3 clone and it sounds great. The R is only rated at around 15 watts but the 5E3 really pushes some air with great bottom end and mids. I use it mainly for jazz and non overdriven sounds but when I crank the 5E3 up it distorts nicely.
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Post by Breogan »

I'd really like to try a 15' someday... Where did you got the speaker? The prices I've seen for Alnico 15 Jensen's where comparable to other builders... Very expensive!!

More than 200$ or so... 8O 8O
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Post by gregarious »

I'm using a P15P bbq recone (ribbed) with a 5F1 topology amp and it produces a big airy sound - good bottom & mids and smooth highs - I like it better than the Blues Jr with a Cannabis Rex.

Larger (efficient) speakers really showcase the sound of low wattage amps without going overboard in the loudness stakes...

Not to hijack the thread (should put a lid on it now) but has anyone tried an original cone alnico organ speakers in a tweed deluxe, and if so do they stand up to a workout?
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Post by JohnnyCrash »

Breogan wrote:I'd really like to try a 15' someday... Where did you got the speaker? The prices I've seen for Alnico 15 Jensen's where comparable to other builders... Very expensive!!

More than 200$ or so... 8O 8O
Just under $150. They don't say how many they have left... they're B-Stock, so they've got scuffs or solder on the terminals. Maybe that means they're already broken in :)

No, guys, I'm talking about the NEW ones. The reissues. You make me want to cry with your old ones! I'd love an original!

I hear bad things about new Jensens... good things about the old ones you lucky b@st@rds have found!

gregarious, I'll be using mine in a 5D8 '54 Twin head clone, a freakish 5F1 head (10watt with a EL34 or a 6L6 powering it), and perhaps my newly finished 36watt and my upcoming HiOctane build... mostyl the tweeds though. LOW WATT TWEED ERA CIRCUITS, so you're in the same frame of mind I'm in :)

Lady101, mine is a 50watt speaker, I dislike speaker breakup, but an original '56 into a 5E3 has just got to sound cool!
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Lady101
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Post by Lady101 »

gregarious, Mine came out of either an organ or old stereo. I have a friend who collects old stereo and organ speakers. The one I have in my 5E3 looks almost brand new.

JohnnyCrash, I get almost no speaker breakup with the 5E3 running on 6V6's. In the instrument low input it's clean all the way up.
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novemberrain
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Post by novemberrain »

gregarious wrote:Not to hijack the thread (should put a lid on it now) but has anyone tried an original cone alnico organ speakers in a tweed deluxe, and if so do they stand up to a workout?
Most of what you'll find for organ pulls are P12Qs and a fair portion of those are 16 ohm. If you're buyin' originals you may want to check out what you're gettin' before layin' down your coins, they come in two classes... they're either dry dry dry which means the cone is going to be fragile, I've seen the voice coils pull loose from the cones of dry ones... then there's the ones that have been damp and bein' as they're all creepin' up on 50 years old a great many of them have been damp... that gives you the dreaded Jensen voice coil rub. There's a reason good ones cost real money, you may buy half a dozen crap ones before you get a good one.

I sold a REALLY good one the other day, I probably shouldn't have...
JohnnyCrash wrote:
Breogan wrote:I'd really like to try a 15' someday... Where did you got the speaker? The prices I've seen for Alnico 15 Jensen's where comparable to other builders... Very expensive!!

More than 200$ or so... 8O 8O
Just under $150. They don't say how many they have left... they're B-Stock, so they've got scuffs or solder on the terminals. Maybe that means they're already broken in :)

No, guys, I'm talking about the NEW ones. The reissues. You make me want to cry with your old ones! I'd love an original!
I don't know where you're buyin' your Jensens but I'm happy to get fifty bucks each for original P15Ns and P15Qs. Here's the way it works... original 10" Jensens are expensive 'cuz they go in tweed Bassman amps and if you're goin' to be a pervert about it you want to track down four with matching date codes. The 10" Jensens weren't used in many applications and I've seen exactly ZERO of them in vintage organs. Not anything you'd use in a Bassman, anyway. Next comes the 12" Jensens which are a lot more common than the 10" ones but they still bring the bucks 'cuz again, they were used in vintage Fenders... and Ampegs... and Gibsons. There are PLENTY of organ pull 15" Jensens out there, hopefully you'll find one that hasn't had the crap beat out of it as the low frequency driver in a tormented Leslie... maybe even a refugee from the last Deep Purple tour! :lol:

The 15" alnicos were used in tweed Pros. Ceramic versions show up in '60s Ampeg and Univox amps.

I got my short list of alternative brand alnicos, there are two or three other manufacturer's products that will blow the bag off of vintage Jensens, I'm talkin' vintage compared to vintage here. I'm keepin' quiet on that topic, I like to get my off-brand alnicos CHEAP! I will say this... vintage Magnavox or CTS alnicos are Hoover style suck, don't waste yer time wif 'em! :lol:
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Post by phsyconoodler »

I'm using a Weber Chicago 15" in my Supper Deluxe and I couldn't ask for a better speaker.
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kd
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Post by kd »

I've got a couple of alnico speakers I pulled out of an old Baldwin organ. They have the following numbers on top of the magnet cover: D513-18247 and on the side is the number P232. Anyone know what they are and if they would be any good in a 5E3 Deluxe?

Ken
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Post by novemberrain »

kd wrote:I've got a couple of alnico speakers I pulled out of an old Baldwin organ. They have the following numbers on top of the magnet cover: D513-18247 and on the side is the number P232. Anyone know what they are and if they would be any good in a 5E3 Deluxe?

Ken
Baldwin used Magnavox speakers in early (pre-'60 or '61) units, I'm not sure what they used in later organs. The early ones have a smooth curvilinear cone and IMHO they sound horrible. I can also infer that Baldwin owners never floored their volume pedals, the early Baldwins had a cathode biased 6L6 amp good for something like 35 watts.

A good speaker is a good investment. "Alnico" speakers aren't all the same, the vast majority of them sound wretched in guitar amps. Use something like an alnico JBL, Altec, Celestion or Jensen and you'll be o.k.. If you have some funky off-brands you got for cheap or free try 'em but keep yer expectations low, that way you won't be dissappointed! :lol:

Oh yeah, bet ya a dollar they're 16 ohms.
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kd
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Post by kd »

novemberrain,

thanks for the the information, much appreciated. You're right, the organ that these came out had dtwo 6L6's and two of these speakers. I plan to use the PT and OT to build the Deluxe.

I need a 12", 16 ohm speaker for the Deluxe. Are the new production Jensen P12R, P12Q, C12Q or C12P any good as far a sound and durability? How about Eminence, is there anything in their line that is a Jensen type copy? Any other suggestions appreciated.

Thanks,
Ken
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novemberrain
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Post by novemberrain »

kd wrote:novemberrain,

thanks for the the information, much appreciated. You're right, the organ that these came out had dtwo 6L6's and two of these speakers. I plan to use the PT and OT to build the Deluxe.
Off topic but a Deluxe is a waste of that power transformer, here's why... not only does that thing have enough current on the high voltage to run 6L6s, EL34s or anything else you may want to use it for... there are TWO 6.3 volt filament windings, I'd have to double check but I think there's easily enough filament current there to run EL34s. You could run the preamp on one filament winding and the power amp on the other, then there's still the 5 volt winding for the 5U4G, swap in a 5AR4, 5V4 or whatever! You could even run two power amps with that tranny, you could go clean with 6V6s or 6L6s and dirty with 6BQ5s, she's a big 'un. Suit yourself but that tranny is way overkill for a Deluxe, I'd save it for something special.

The OT is nothing special so have at it! It's still a bit large for a Deluxe.
kd wrote:I need a 12", 16 ohm speaker for the Deluxe. Are the new production Jensen P12R, P12Q, C12Q or C12P any good as far a sound and durability? How about Eminence, is there anything in their line that is a Jensen type copy? Any other suggestions appreciated.

Thanks,
Ken
Eminence Legend alnicos are one of my favorites. Call Eminence direct and bitch that they don't make 'em with a paper voice coil former anymore! Or use the 12" ceramic Legend. Either way you save yourself from the headaches of trying to decipher speaker choices from the Redcoat or the Patriot series.

I wouldn't touch reissues Jensens with a sharpened stick but that's just me. Like I've said I have genuine vintage Jensens in neary all flavors so why do I need reissues?! I'd still rather beat the crap out of an Eminence Legend and save my minty vintage Jensens to sell to anyone who will fork over vintage style cash!

Of course you could buy speakers from that barbeque guy, call him, tell him what you want to hear and he'll hook you up! Try to call Jensen and tell them what you want! IMHO barbecue stuff is loud and bright, I prefer smoky grind and I don't care what volume it happens at!
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kd
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Post by kd »

Thanks novemberrain.

Ya, the PT is way overkill. I don't have any specs on it but physically it is as large as the PT in my JMP 50 clone. I'm cheap, so I'm trying to use what I have at the time. The only other PT that I have that has the correct voltage is a smaller 100ma PT and I don't know if it will put out enough current to run two 6v6's. The heater circuit would ample enough where it would work with no problems.


Ken
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Post by phsyconoodler »

I find that the new Jensen speakers like the P12R sucks bad! The P10R sounds fine as does the P8R but the 12" ones are not great.They are not terrible but they are not worth the money.They have voice coil rub built in from the factory over there in Italy.
Now take them to a reconer and he'll fix 'em up for you,but you shouldn't need to do that.They sound fine after the voicecoils are re-aligned.
And Noverberrain,lots of guys much prefer the Tweed Deluxe sound with 6V6's as they are sweeter in manypeople's opinion.I like both 6L6's and 6V6's but for lower volumes i prefer 6V6's.
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kd
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Post by kd »

phsyconoodler,

Looks like you and novemberrain have the same opinion of the 12" Jensen reissues. I'll steer clear of those. Thanks.

Ken
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Post by JohnnyCrash »

Well, hopefully there's no rub on these 15"... I got the speaker yesterday.

I just finished building the cab, now I just need to round the edges, putty up some small gaps, make the grill cloth frame, and cover the thing in tweed.

I'll have my first impressions of the P15N reissues by this weekend, then I'll break them in and hopefully it'll really be ready for a good broken-in review the weekend after that.

I'm praying these 15"s are good - I got a deal and they usually aint cheap, otherwise I'll have to go with the BBQ guy and eBay this one.
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Post by Breogan »

On the other hand I must say that I've heard good reviews about the reissue Jensen C12N... and also the C12K... Both where loaded from factory in Fender Pro Tube amps... And thoose amps got very good reviews (speakers included!)

I don't doubt a vintage Jensen may be way better... but is a speaker which had 40 years playing...
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Post by novemberrain »

phsyconoodler wrote:I find that the new Jensen speakers like the P12R sucks bad! The P10R sounds fine as does the P8R but the 12" ones are not great.They are not terrible but they are not worth the money.They have voice coil rub built in from the factory over there in Italy.
Now take them to a reconer and he'll fix 'em up for you,but you shouldn't need to do that.They sound fine after the voicecoils are re-aligned.
I guess the crafty Italians who build these things took a long lok at the originals... the ones they could get... the ones that have a freakin' rub! Then they built the rub into the new ones, that makes it a replica! :lol:

The cones on the originals settle and sag. I poly bag my originals and stick a silica gel packet in there, just the same I have P12Rs that didn't rub no way no how when I stuck 'em on the shelf, then they rub when I take 'em off the shelf!

You shouldn't have to recone a new speaker to get it to work properly. Stuff that's garbage right out of the box makes me wonder what the world is comin' to...
Breogan wrote:On the other hand I must say that I've heard good reviews about the reissue Jensen C12N... and also the C12K... Both where loaded from factory in Fender Pro Tube amps... And those amps got very good reviews (speakers included!)

I don't doubt a vintage Jensen may be way better... but is a speaker which had 40 years playing...
I wouldn't screw around with anything new Jensen when new Eminence is just a phone call away! Fender used a lot of Eminence speakers in their late '80s and early '90s stuff, I think the tweed Twin reissue has designed by Barbeque built by Eminence speakers in there.

"Vintage Eminence" is catching on, when I say vintage Eminence I mean their square ceramic magnet stuff from the early '70s although the paper voice coil Eminence alnicos from the early '90s are commanding a premium price from those who know. Try to find one at a reasonable price, about the only way you're gettin' a deal on one is to buy the entire amp from a shop that hasn't gotten the word yet, replace the speakers with new and then sell the amp!
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Post by JohnnyCrash »

I finished the cab (except for the grill, I'm waiting for Monday's UPS delivery of oxblood cloth).

ABOUT THE CAB
The cab is a 3/4" solid Pine 19" x 19" x 9.25" homemade cab I built. Currently it's 2/3rd's open, but I will be putting on a bottom panel to make it 1/3rd open (top and bottom closed, middle open).

This speaker is very creamy. It's thicker and warmer in it's treble/highs.

The upper midrange is thick and creamy as well. I'm very surprised at the tone of this 15". It is very "vintage" sounding and I haven't even broke it in yet. Smooth and fat.

The bass is there, BUT it's main characteristic is thick mids, smooth warm highs, and a fat response - I guess like most old school styled AlNiCo speakers ;)

I'm very happy with this new cab's addition to my home studio :)
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Post by LooseChange »

Don't like the Jensen reissues either!

I will put a vote in on the W**** Chicago 15 that Phsyco likes. Takes a long time to break in but mine sounds great now.
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