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Reaper vs. Reaper 55Hz
Reaper vs. Reaper 55Hz
If ya haven’t already, be sure to read last weeks
blog on the technical details and differences between speaker cone and
completed speaker Fs frequencies. From
over the internet I can already hear you all asking: "but what is the actual
difference in tone?" Glad you asked! I’ll not make you wait, check out this video:
email Vaughn About Vaughn Skow
My outside blog recommendation this week is totally off the wall! Just in case you have not already, please
check out the people of
Wal-Mart photos. Do it sometime when
you really need a...
The Truth about 75Hz vs. 55Hz Guitar Speaker Cones
The Truth about 75Hz vs. 55Hz Guitar Speaker Cones
I’ll just bet that you have noticed that the WGS Reaper is available either
with the (standard) 75Hz, or 55Hz cone.
Several other speaker manufacturers also offer this option. But, what does it really mean in terms of
tone? Let’s talk about that.
First, we need to understand that the natural response of the raw cone is
not the same as the final natural response of the completed speaker, which is
expressed as the speaker’s Resonant Frequency (abbreviated Fs). Here is the textbook description of a
speaker’s Fs:
“Also called F0, resonance frequency measured in...
The Vox Pathfinder 15R
The Vox Pathfinder 15R
Every once in a while a guitar amp comes into our lives that totally exceeds
all our expectations and/or preconceived notions as to how it will sound. The diminutive Vox Pathfinder 15R
is just such an amp. The petite cutie is
roughly the same size as a classic Fender Champ, and weighs in at a couple
pounds less. Like the Champ, she uses an 8" speaker to push air molecules around. The 15R is a VERY portable
amp. At an average new price of 120
bucks, she’s also very affordable.
I plugged into one at a local pawn shop and was totally blown away. The little...
The WGS Reaper vs Celestion G12H30
The WGS Reaper vs Celestion G12H30
Hi lovely readers, this blog will pretty much be a "video blog". I’ve had folks on the WGS forum asking for a good ol Vaughn shootout between the WGS Reaper (standard 30 watt, 75Hz) and the similarly voiced Celestion G12H30 Anniversary. I’m not gonna give away the results, just watch this video (it’s the short version):
Want the whole Vaughn demo experience? Well then, check out the long version: Can’t get enough? Well, check out my earlier blog, where I do a shootout between the WGS Reaper 55Hz and the English made Celestion G12H30 Heritage (55Hz):...
Paper or plastic? The Great Kapton vs. Paper Voice-coil Former Question!
Paper or plastic? The Great Kapton vs. Paper Voice-coil Former Question!
First a little catch-up lesson: What
exactly IS a "former" in a speaker anyway? It’s the tube that the voice-coil is wound around,
that’s what. And, like old Rodney Dangerfield,
it just doesn’t get any respect. In
fact, most exploded-views of speakers don’t even LIST the former, giving the
impression that the voice-coil is magically wound on nothing other than thin
air!
Until about 1970, all speaker voice coils were wound on paper tubes. Paper has a nasty habit of burning up when it
gets hot. The voice-coil is the part of
the speaker that...
The Peavey T-15 Guitar, aka the “Mississippi Mustang”
The Peavey T-15 Guitar, aka the “Mississippi Mustang”
Those of you who know me, or are regular readers of this blog know that nearly
all of my guitars and amps came to me by way of a pawn shop, junk shop,
dumpster, garage sale, craigslist, ebay, and so on and so forth. I feel as though, just as rescue dogs make
the best pets, rescue guitars make the best friends! The Peavey T-15 that is the topic of this
blog is typical: I found her sitting, unloved, in a dark corner of a pawnshop.
A little history: like anyone who began their musical career in the late 70’s
to early 80’s, I was an early Peavey user.
My high school...
Happy 4th of July From WGS
Happy 4th of July From WGS
On this day more than ever we become thoughtful about two things:1. What a unique and truly great country the United States of America is.2. What exactly America stands for.America was, and is, a grand experiment; one based on the premise that the government should work for and answer to the people, not the other way around. The premise, of course, was very sound ... that is, as long as the people remained "good". Just as a Monarchical government can be either good or bad, based on the core "goodness" of the Monarch; so can the American system ... based on the overall "goodness"...
Not All Speaker Designs Are Good - The Styrofoam Speaker!
Not All Speaker Designs Are Good - The Styrofoam Speaker!
Innovation. Good? Bad?
Shucks, it can be either one, but mix a little "innovation" with a
really stupid speaker design and what do ya get? The Styrofoam speaker! I am a vintage Fender amp guy through and
through, but I gotta tell ya, the CBS nut-jobs made some downright appalling
speaker decisions in the late 60’s/early 70’s.
The absolute worst of the worst: The Fender Bantam Bass Amp. All I can say is that the designers of the
Bantam bass amp musta been wasted outta their minds when they choose the Yamaha
Styrofoam driver for the Bantam...
Vaughn Skow & WGS: 100 Blogs and Going Strong!
Vaughn Skow & WGS: 100 Blogs and Going Strong!
Dear fellow WGS guitar tone-heads, today I feel like throwing a party, for today we celebrate a milestone together. This mark’s the 100th weekly
installment of this blog. If you’re one
of those math geniuses, you will no-doubt figure out that this is a blog every
week for about two years. I’ve written
to you in times of plenty and in times of famine; from far-flung regions, and
from my own bed while nursing the flu; we have reveled together as my new daughter,
Callie, came into the world, and we mourned together when my old doggie pal,
Rosie, left. I’ve...
Danelectro Corned Beef, it’s NOT What’s For Supper! You Too Can Sound Like a Rockabilly Legend!
Danelectro Corned Beef, it’s NOT What’s For Supper! You Too Can Sound Like a Rockabilly Legend!
Hold the presses! I just hit a little
pawnshop gem that is so cool I just had to feature it here. Probably every guitar player on planet earth
has at least played through a Danelectro pedal, most of us own a few; the darn
little critters are sooo cute, and dirt cheap, too. Sure long-term reliability on these
inexpensive pedals might preclude mounting them to your board before leaving on
a world-tour; but for the more common around town gig, studio overdub, or bonus
room jam, they often fit the bill quite nicely.
Most Dano pedals sell new for twenty to fifty bucks,...