Replacement speaker for Marshall VS15R?

[rbkxiiowe]

I've got a Marshall Valvestate VS15R which has a whacking great hole in the speaker. The speaker is an 8 inch 'Marshall Gold Back Series SPK 15'. I can't find any direct replacements for it, but will this - www.lean-business.co.uk/eshop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=14_16&products_id=445 - do the trick?

Cheers.

[andy]

I should certainly imagine it will be fine. There is a high chance that the Marshall 'Gold Back' is a re-badged one of these anyway, if not, this will probably be very similar, or better.

The power handling is just enough for a a 15watt amp, if you don't crank it to high heaven, but be sure to check to impedance of the original before replacing it. The correct rating is not quite so important with a solid state amp, but matching is always the best option for the most efficient, longest lasting setup.

[newey]

RBX-

Two issues. First, power handling of the speaker is 15 watts. Your amp kicks out 15 watts, but that's (probably) an "RMS power" rating. Without going into the question of how that's calculated, and whether it has any real-world meaning, suffice it to say that it's an average power rating, and your amp will produce higher power at the peaks, if driven hard.

A 15 watt rated speaker can handle peaks higher than that on occasion, but sustained peaking above the rated power can cause damage. So, if your amp is going to be driven hard, if you use lots of overdrive and effects, for example, you may want to choose a speaker with a higher power rating for a bit of a cushion. Otherwise, your new one may end up with its own "whacking great hole".

Second issue is "direct replacement". In order to be a direct replacement, the mounting holes have to line up. The Celestion you linked to does not give that specification. While it's probably the same as your amp, it's best to double-check this before buying. If you email the seller, they should be able to supply this info, or you may find it on Celestion's website. Then, measure the hole spacing in your amp just to be sure.

EDIT: Andy ninja'd my post, but he's right to also check the impedance. I assumed you had already done so, but we all know what happens when one assumes something!

[cynical1]

The specs for the Celestion Super 8 are:

General specifications

Nominal diameter 8", 203mm
Power Rating 15W
Nominal impedance 8Ω
Sensitivity 93dB
Chassis type Pressed steel
Voice coil diameter 1", 25.4mm
Voice coil material Round copper
Magnet type Ceramic
Magnet weight 6oz, 0.17kg
Frequency range 100-5000Hz
Resonance frequency, Fs 105Hz
DC resistance, Re 6.5Ω

Mounting Information

Diameter 8.1", 205mm
Overall depth 2.8", 72mm
Magnet structure diameter 2.8", 72mm
Cut-out diameter 7.2", 183mm
Mounting slot dimensions 0.19 x 0.31", 5 x 8mm
Number of mounting slots 4
Mounting slot PCD 7.7", 195mm
Unit weight 1.3lb, 0.6kg

This used to be the speaker used in the 18W Marshalls, so as everyone has noted previously, it should be fine in your 15W Marshall.

Jensen, Eminence and JBL also offer 8" replacement speakers. These might be a few more coins, but should offer an improvement in tone over the OEM made in China speaker... If it were me I'd haunt eBay for a while to see what turns up.

Happy Trails

Cynical One

[rbkxiiowe]

Thoroughly excellent, brilliant, straight-to-the-point answers! Thankyou all three. ;D ;D ;D