15" Speaker in Twin

[Jack Mitchell]

I have a really nice Fender Twin that is just too heavy for me to handle anymore.Has anyone tried putting a 15" speaker in a Twin?

The current speakers are Webers. They weigh about 11.5 pounds each. If I could replace those with a single Telonics !5" at about 7.7 pounds I would reduce the amp's weight by about 15-16 pounds.

If anyone has done this I would appreciate some advice.

Thanks

[Lane Gray]

You'd need to change the baffle, of course. I have a 65 RI Twin with a 15. Love it!!
I'd consider splitting the cabs (some years the baffle is less removable)

[Jack Mitchell]

Thanks Lane,
The 15" fits in the Twin cabinet ok? What is the new baffle made of?

[Bill Creller]

I have a silver face Vibrosonic Reverb with a 15 inch as original, and looking at the schematic, it's the same circuitry as a silver face Twin with the exception of the output transformer & speakers.

[Lane Gray]

I bought mine already converted in a new Mojotone cabinet, presumably pine.

[David Nugent]

Jack...If you have the '65 Reissue Twin, it is a fairly simple operation. The baffle, speakers, and grillcloth are held in by a series of screws and are removable as a single unit (this will enable you to return the amp to its original configuration should you decide to sell). 'Mojotone' has prefabricated 15" baffles available that should be a perfect replacement...Note: If you decide to undertake the project yourself, the speaker opening in the baffle should be cut as to be slightly offset, this will enable the speaker to safely clear the transformer. And as mentioned, some models of Twins feature an integrated baffle system which may have to be removed by cutting.

[Jack Stoner]

I had a 70 or 71 Twin (AB768 chassis) that I replaced the two 12" JBL D-120F's with one 4 ohm K130 JBL. It had to be offset so it didn't touch the transformers. I bought Fender grill cloth and reused the Fender logo. Looked "factory".

The speaker baffle was screwed in, not glued in like later model Twins so it was easy to change.

I sold it in 81 or 82 to a guy in Grandview, Mo. Hard to tell where it is now (if still around).

The 15" made a world of difference for steel.

[Jim Rossen]

Look at the baffle from inside to see if it is attached using screws and cleats. If not, switching the baffle is a BIG job.

[Lane Gray]

... And as mentioned, some models of Twins feature an integrated baffle system which may have to be removed by cutting.

At that point, I think I'd throw money at Rick Johnson. I asked him what a pair of split cabs would run, and I think it added up to about $320, but I could have a "differently correct" memory. If the aim is weight savings, putting half the weight in one hand and half in the other sounds good to me!!

[Mike Poholsky]

Hi Jack, I put a 15 in my '64 Twin a couple of years ago. It did lighten the load, but the amp is still heavy. 74lbs with a 15" Eminence Speaker, out of a Steel King amp. I see splitting it into two cabinets in my not too distant future.
You may want to think about bypassing the speaker replacement and go for split cabinets, if you really want to make it lighter to carry.

My Twin does sound GREAT! It's a Ken Fox rehab.

[Ken Metcalf]

I have split several Twins to separate heads and although it is lighter it is not what I would call light.
If you include the Reverb in the head then the head needs to be bigger.
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... 3767297b0a
I have Telonics 15s in Telonics cabinets and they are super light and very nice.
No easy way to make a Twin lightweight.

[Chris Boyd]

My vote is for the split cab... if you are 50++,you'll thank yourself for this decision,plus having the head sitting to your right allows ease of tweeking rather than turning around...

[Jerry Van Hoose]

Jack, this is what I once did with a Fender Twin Reverb with the help of Rick Johnson & Ken Fox.

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... 64e6a9dd3f

[Pete Burak]

One way to lighten the amp and run a 15" speaker is to take the speakers out of the amp, and run a separate 15" cab.
You can run two 8-ohm speaker cabs if you wanted.

[John Billings]

Johnson split cabs. Great workmanship, and a great price!

[Dave Hopping]

Fender makes a TRRI with a 15",called the '65 Twin Custom 15.The cab is a little taller than the 2-12" version,but that's as much difference as there is.I think someone has one for sale in the SGF classifieds.

[Keith Murrow]

The 15" fits in the Twin cabinet ok? What is the new baffle made of?

I obtained this '73 silver face Twin with the baffle already pulled out. I installed pine 1x2s in the existing dados and used 3/4" plywood for a new baffle, with the grill cloth directly on the baffle (instead of stretched on a separate frame).

I have owned Twins both with 2-12s and with 1-15. If you're only doing this to try to reduce weight, I'm of the opinion that there's not enough of a difference to warrant the conversion. If tone is part of the reason, then it may be something to consider. Otherwise, as others have suggested, I'd look into separate cabinets for the head and speakers.

[Jack Mitchell]

Thanks everyone for the advice, The only reason I am considering this project is the lightweight Telonics Neodymium speaker:
According to Telonics specs, the "15 speaker weighs 7.75 pounds. The Weber California speakers presently in the amp weigh 11 pounds each. By making the swap I would reduce the weight of the amp by 14.25 pounds.

A '65 reissue Twin weighs 64 pounds, assuming my Twin is approxmately the same, the speaker swap would result in a 50 pound amp which is managable for me.

[Tim Whitlock]

A neo 15 is a good mod for a Twin. I split my Twin into a head and speaker box and found it a pain to haul around. It took up more space in the van. I went back to the combo after a couple of weeks.

If I were still using my Twin I would consider installing a lightweight 15. I now use a Mustang III and weight is no longer an issue.

[Kevin Mincke]

I put a JBL D-130F in mine back in 1978 or 79, and as Jack pointed out has to be offset to accommodate the transformer. My twin is a 76 or so and the baffle is one that is not very easily removed vs the earlier ones that the baffle was screwed onto.
I would leave the two 12" mounted to the original baffle and make/buy a new one fr the 15" or have the amp split up into a head/ speaker cab. This would really make a rig a guy could handle and preserve the original and speakers.
Here's mine:

[Kevin Mincke]

Ya, Rick Johnson cabs just like John posted.
Sorry, missed them

[Bill A. Moore]

It's not necessary to offset the 15 in a twin, just rotate it slightly to clear the transformers.

(I wasn't trying to make it lighter!)

[Chris Boyd]

I'll bet that EV SRO is brutal in a Twin!! Love those speakers.. . Does anyone know if the 15" coffeecan SRO's are alnico like the SRO 12's ??

[Steve Schmidt]

I have had a 15" K130 in mine for years now. About a year ago I made a new baffle and went to a single Peavey 1201-8 and love the single 12" approach. I find it is more tight and defined sounding as compared to a 15". If I were to go lighter I'd go to a telonics 12 neo. My advice, get a two wheeler. No doubt I will get those who will jump in and tell me the twin is designed for a four ohm load, but it works fine and sure sounds great

[Bill A. Moore]

Chris, it sounds great!
The 15's aren't alnico, I think the cover was just for looks, like many of the Jensens of that day.