Speakers...educate me

Hootsmon

Does a guitar speaker struggle to handle a LOUD clean sound more than a overdrive distorted sound?

amp on 5, loud clean sound only........kick on some tasty mean overdrive at same volume........is the speaker able to handle one tone more that the other?

ecc83

I would say guitar loudspeakers are pretty agnostic to power input until you get to thermal or mechanical limits and for a 100dB/W/mtr 12" Celestion say, that is going to be 'KING loud!

This is allied to the myth that you have to drive the crap out of a speaker, i.e. run it close too even above its rating to get a good "tone" Not so.

Yes, as power increases you will get more cone 'breakup' but we are talking sub mm deflections here.

Dave.

ICBM

Hootsmon said:

Does a guitar speaker struggle to handle a LOUD clean sound more than a overdrive distorted sound?

amp on 5, loud clean sound only........kick on some tasty mean overdrive at same volume........is the speaker able to handle one tone more that the other?

At the same power output it will be the same.

Barquentine

I think an amp sounds better when the speaker gets in on the act. You don't have to beat the crap out if it but it's nice to get it moving around a bit.

ecc83

Barquentine said:

I think an amp sounds better when the speaker gets in on the act. You don't have to beat the crap out if it but it's nice to get it moving around a bit.

Well, that is "the received wisdom" but I suspect it is an effect difficult to untangle from getting the absolute level at the ear's 'sweet spot' ref the Loudness Contours'?

In simple terms..."Louder is always better" (as is more bass and more treble)

Dave.