When Did The 15" Speaker Come Into Regular Use?

MIchael Bean · Post by **MIchael Bean** » 19 Aug 2016 6:52 am

Does anyone know when the 15" for PSG came into regular use? I'm thinking that many if my favorite classic Bakersfield & Nashville recordings were played through 12" speakers.

Dave Hopping · Post by **Dave Hopping** » 19 Aug 2016 8:18 am

Took a quick look thru the Fender Amp Field Guide.They've had a version of the Pro Amp with a 15" since the beginning.I'd tend to think PSG'ers who could afford it have gone for a 15 all along.

Bob Tuttle · Post by **Bob Tuttle** » 19 Aug 2016 8:19 am

I had a Magnatone amp with a 15" speaker back in 1953.

MIchael Bean · Post by **MIchael Bean** » 19 Aug 2016 8:22 am

Dave Hopping wrote:Took a quick look thru the Fender Amp Field Guide.They've had a version of the Pro Amp with a 15" since the beginning.I'd tend to think PSG'ers who could afford it have gone for a 15 all along.

Oh, right - I had a tweed narrow panel Pro that I had forgotten about. The previous owner had changed the baffle to a 12, so I never got to try that with the 15.

MIchael Bean · Post by **MIchael Bean** » 19 Aug 2016 8:52 am

Bob, do you still have that amp? I like the Magnatones - I have a late 50's 260, with 12's and real vibrato.

Bob Tuttle · Post by **Bob Tuttle** » 19 Aug 2016 1:57 pm

No Michael. I don't have the amp anymore. I traded it in on a new tweed Fender Deluxe in 1958. (I don't have that one anymore either. Wish I did)

Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 20 Aug 2016 9:53 pm

I always thought it was when Lloyd Green put a 15" speaker in his twin. I know he was my inspiration to do the same thing.

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 20 Aug 2016 10:36 pm

I have a 1952 Pro amp[ with a 15.

Jeremy Threlfall · Post by **Jeremy Threlfall** » 21 Aug 2016 4:33 am

'63 Vibrosonic here

edit: VibrAsonic

Dave Hopping · Post by **Dave Hopping** » 21 Aug 2016 5:28 pm

Jeremy Threlfall wrote:'63 Vibrosonic here

I didn't know Fender made Vibrasonics that late! Can you(pretty please!) post a pic?

Jeremy Threlfall · Post by **Jeremy Threlfall** » 21 Aug 2016 5:59 pm

'63 Vibrasonic

Jeremy Threlfall · Post by **Jeremy Threlfall** » 21 Aug 2016 11:56 pm

MIchael Bean · Post by **MIchael Bean** » 22 Aug 2016 6:25 am

Thanks, all who responded.

Were some amps more popular than others for PSG back in the late 50's- early 60's?

Jack Hanson · Post by **Jack Hanson** » 22 Aug 2016 7:28 am

MIchael Bean wrote:Were some amps more popular than others for PSG back in the late 50's- early 60's?

Standels were popular with steel players (and still are). Many had 15-inch speakers, and some had early JBLs.

Ken Metcalf · Post by **Ken Metcalf** » 23 Aug 2016 9:14 am

My theory is that back in the day when people were playing through old amps with old worn speakers it became popular to replace cheap old worn out Fender speakers with Up graded ones like JBLs etc. 15 inch just became the norm for an upgrade but I think it was more just the fact that the speakers were newer and better. Two new JBL 12 inch speakers back in those days in a Twin would have nearly the same effect.

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 23 Aug 2016 9:24 am

You could get JBLs in the early 50s Fenders I believe. I wonder if K&F used any 15s?

Dave Grafe · Post by **Dave Grafe** » 26 Aug 2016 8:19 am

Many times an artist will record with a studio's small in-house amp, say a 12" Deluxe Reverb, that would be wholly inadequate for use on stage. This does not mean that the same artist did not use a larger amp with a 15" speaker when performing.

James Holland · Post by **James Holland** » 27 Aug 2016 5:17 am

Bob Tuttle wrote:I had a Magnatone amp with a 15" speaker back in 1953.

Some day, I hope be around long enough to say with authority,

"I had a (exotic treasure here) back in (63 years back)."

I'm a fan of survivors - organic and inorganic! Dad had some mahogany veneered extension speakers, brown tweed covers with 15" Jensens in them for PA use in the 60's. Long gone.

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 3 Oct 2016 5:30 pm

From what I've read and heard, 15s started with the Fender Pro. Vibrasonics upped the volume (meaning more sustain with the volume pedal), but there weren't that many, and they were only made a few years. Twins were more common, and people would put 15s in them for that full organ-like tone. Standel seems to have been the first solid state amp top steelers used, and they had 15s. When Peavey and Shobud started making relatively inexpensive solid state steel amps, they had 15s. That pretty well locked in the pedal steeler preference for 15s.