A single speaker recommendation for the JP-2C

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bandit2013

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Considering the power of the JP-2C you have several choices for speakers that are rated for 150W or more. What speaker I did find to be ideal at the moment was the Organic Timbre Rhapsody G12F. Yes it is a re-engineered EV speaker but does not sound the same or is not flat in frequency response. I have bought one and loaded it into the Mark V combo but had to find out how the JP-2C would sound though it. That was amazing. As close as I can get to the Mesa Vertical 212 but with a single speaker. I have an OS Recto 412 loaded with EV black labels I may end up pulling two of them and replace them with the OTR speaker. The combined tone using both EV and the OTR is awesome. Bottom end of both speakers is about the same, there is a bit more roll off on the high end frequency with the OTR but is there with the EV and the mids are accentuated with the OTR but not the EV. I have a 1x12 extension cab with an EV in it so I can hear the combined results. Too bad they do not offer the speaker in a 16 ohm voice coil as I would like to run two in a 2x12 cab. At least the JP-2C can run both 16 ohm or 4 ohm so If I get pair of speakers it will be wired as a 4 ohm or 16.

What I really love about the OTR is the tone and response on the clean channel. It explodes quite well into mayhem on the higher gain channels without sounding honkey or thin (lacking the mids). I was also considering picking up a used 412 cab and get 4 more OTR speakers. Either mix the EV in both or just run one cab with EV only and the other with the OTR. So tempting.

If Mesa were ever to plan on a combo version of the JP-2C the OTR speaker would be ideal.
 
Received the 1x12 open back wide body Mesa cab on Friday. The OTR speaker arrived the day before. Had to try out the extension cab first before replacing the speaker. Well that MC90 speaker sounds incredible in the extension cab. Now that was impressive as I did not expect this performance from the MC90. It was a shame it had to come out so I can swap the OTR into the cab. I had to remove the 4 x #8 screws as they were too short to be used with the thick paper gasket and aluminum frame of the OTR speaker. Very similar to the EV speaker and the same could be said about the Celestion Crème 90W Alnico speaker (I mentioned this here as it would be an ideal speaker to install for use with a Mark V or other amp with lower than 90W power rating).

As I started writing this post it started looking like a step by step procedure.... why not keep it that way for those who do not have any experience doing this sort of thing... Note if you were doing a swap of a Celestion to Celestion you may not have to do the following...

Mesa bends the screws either on purpose or it is due to the mouting hole position for the Celestion speaker. This may also prevent the screw from moving during speaker removal as the screws are literally threaded into the wood. Before you can remove the mounting screws, you need to remove the grill.
One screw was bent so much I had to break it off in order to remove it. The other three I tapped with a small hammer to straighten them out a bit for easy removal. Next step is to drill out the existing holes carefully to prevent splitting of the wood on the back side as this will be the surface for the speaker gasket to rest upon. Getting a chip may not be the end of the world here but always good to have a clean hole. 4 holes opened up enough for a snug fit of #10-24 screws. I generally use the Cap screws to mount speakers as I found they tent to offer a cleaner look than a pan head phillips screw but those can be used too. Reason for the Cab screws is when mounting the speaker on the front of the baffle and the head of the screw does not crush or push out the gasket all that much. Since I was rear mounting the speaker anyway I could have used any other screw. I also added a washer to provide a wider footprint for the screw tension on the wood. Normally I would have drilled out the additional 4 holes as this speaker has 8 mounting holes. This allows for even pressure to be applied around the rim of the speaker. Since it has a heavy or thick aluminum frame 4 screws would have sufficed. I opted to drill the two extra holes (at 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock) but I opted not to drill out the other two as the grill frame was quite invasive at the top and bottom to the baffle hole which would require relief for the two screws. Also I did not have to open up the baffle hole either since I took the easy path. The finished product looks great assembled. It is now heavier than it was before, and its performance is about the same but with far more power capacity at 300W. The OTR does require a break in period but will sound great out of box in its green state. Distortion may sound muffled at first but once the speaker loosens up it just makes my day. This is the closest I have ever gotten a 1x12 cab to sound similar to the Vertical 212. It may not be as deep in tone but **** close. Besides this option is easier on the back and you can carry amp in one hand and cab in the other on the same trip from the car to the stage. No wheels required. And the size matches the head perfectly in terms of appearance as it looks like one of the mini Marks on a mini cabinet, this is where looks becomes deceiving as the amp pumps out plenty of power and the speaker can take it. Note the Speaker does have a beaming effect similar to a V30 so place your mics appropriately. So far I am very pleased with the OTR and the combination in the wide body open back 1x12 was one good move for me.
 

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