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mid 1950s GA5 Les Paul Junior amp needs new speaker


gboeije

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I'm afraid my GA5 amp's speaker will need to be replaced. This is an original oval speaker, Gibson-branded. It does not say anywhere whether this is 4, 8 or 16 ohm.

 

Does anybody know what ohm-rating this speaker should have ? And, any advice where to find an oval-shaped replacement speaker for this amp ?

 

Geert.

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Somewhere on this speaker, usually ink stamped on the back of the mounting rim, there should be a speaker code number. This code number, after a little research, will tell you everything you need to know about this speaker, therefore will tell you what you need to look for as a replacement. The first two or three numbers are the manufacturer code, the following numbers will give you more specifics of the speaker.

 

You can get a resistance reading on an Ohm meter from the speaker if the voice coil of the speaker is not "open", (coil wire is broken, no reading on an Ohm meter), or shorted ("0" reading on the meter). The reading on the meter will be slightly lower than the actual rating of the speaker, such as an 8 Ohm speaker will read about 6.4, and a 4 Ohm speaker will read 2. X. Just move the actual reading up the the next standard speaker rating and you'll have your Ohm rating of that speaker. The other thing you'll need to know (besides the size) is the power handling rating. Since the GA-5 is generally thought of as a 5 watt amp, that's you minimum power rating.

 

If you can figure out these factors, you'll be looking for something like a Jensen, 8 Ohm, 6"x9", 5 watt speaker (THIS IS ONLY AN EXAMPLE, NOT YOUR SPEAKER SPECS). Once you figure out exactly what you need, there are many companies out there that specialize in guitar and amp replacement parts, vintage or otherwise, just do some web searching.

 

Another option is to have your original speaker reconed. Find a repairman in your area that does speaker reconing. Just take him the blown speaker and he'll be able to determine the specs and replace the cone and voice coil with the right stuff, ready to bolt back in your amp.

 

Good Luck.

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Don't know if it helps, but I found this:

 

1954-56 GA-5 Les Paul Junior Amp. "TV" front, covered in light linen style fabric. Slanted rear-facing control panel. 5x7 inch oval (Rola) speaker. 1-6SJ7, 1-6V6, 1-5Y3, and 4 1/2W output (virtually a carbon copy of the 5C1 Fender Champ).

 

The full article can be referenced here: Click Here

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