Any experience with EV SRO-12's?

[morcey2]

I've found an amp for sale locally that has a pair of alnico coffee can style SRO-12's. The rest of the amp is uninteresting, being a SS combo but the SRO's caught my attention. The guy wants $150 for the amp and from what I've been able to find online is that the speakers are probably worth more than that if they're in anywhere near decent shape.

I've been thinking about building something like a BFPR and from what I've seen thees should be a pretty good match for that. And the donor amp is just the right size, but I'd need to get a custom chassis made for it.

Matt

[stompjunkie]

I'd go for it. The speakers alone are worth it. Good find

[morcey2]

I'd go for it. The speakers alone are worth it. Good find

He's holding it for me until mid january.

This must be my lucky week. A friend of mine has a Peavey Mace Head that he's selling for $100. He got it in trade for some work and has no real use for it. He's also holding it for me. It's a SS preamp/PI, but has 6 6L6GCs in it, all Sylvania. I'm thinking that it would make a great Bass amp. Pull a pair of the 6L6s and put in an all octal preamp/PI (6SJ7 feeding a 6SL7 PI. Could be fun.)

Matt

[Big Daddy]

I had a 1969? Fender Twin reverb with those and it was loud and clear but broke up nicely when I turned it up. Good tone too.....

Those speakers are awesome.

Not everybody is going to like them but I did. I am a blues/blues rock and classic rock guitarist.

[philmanatee]

The speakers are well worth it at $150. They aren't too fun to move though, they're quite heavy! Phil

[Ronsonic]

Do IT!

Pretend it's Ahnold saying it if you have to DO IT!

Buy those speakers, put them in a Twin. ROCK out.

[morcey2]

Thanks for the input guys. I'm going to be picking the speakers up in a couple of weeks. I had a chance to pull the grille cloth off the amp and the cones/surrounds/dust-caps look essentially new. I can't wait to hear my JTM-45 through them. A friend of mine said that he had a JTM-45 that he used to run through a de-tuned cab with a pair of them and it was an amazing sound.

Between that, the Mace, and the trannies/speakers I scavenged from a late-60's Conn organ, I should be busy for a while! The PT would definitely handle the supply duties in a twin, but the OT would be a little on the under-rated side. The amp w/ the SRO's in it is a Yamaha G100-212 and might be a good home for a twin-type amp.

Matt

[CapnCrunch]

My take on the SRO's is that they're efficient, loud, and focused. They are probably not the quintessential rock speaker but with your JTM 45 they will sound great. They have their own sound. They are similar to the old JBL's in that they have great frequency response and they provide very little speaker coloration. If you think Greenbacks are THE sound, then you may not like SRO's I am fairly certain that if you run the pair together, your Jtm 45 will not be able to push them into speaker breakup. Even if you run your Marshall into just one of them, you will likely get very little speaker break up. Think of the Allman Brother's sound in the Fillmore recordings (One Way Out, Statesboro Blues etc) They were running Marshall heads into JBL loaded cabs. I know SRO's aren't JBL's but they have a very similar vibe. I would definitely run them in an open or semi open cab.

I would also second the above post that they are HEAVY. They're pushing 20 pounds each. My Deluxe with an SRO feels like a twin when I have to lug it around. It sounds like it's running 6L6's though!

[Reeltarded]

This is so much fun.

The first thing I did when I got people to move my stuff was 4-4x12s loaded with SROs. 2 years later I decided I really hated the way they sounded.

[morcey2]

This is so much fun.

The first thing I did when I got people to move my stuff was 4-4x12s loaded with SROs. 2 years later I decided I really hated the way they sounded.

That's just mean! I'll have to try it sometime.

Life's finally slowed down enough that I'm going to be able to try these out tonight with my JTM45.

Matt

[CapnCrunch]

So.....

What's the verdict? I haven't tried SRO's with a non MV Marshall, but my guess is the amp sounds fantastic clean and all the way up to in-between. It's probably somewhat sacreligious, but I think that is where those amps shine anyway. Most players today think only of overdrive when they think of the old Marshalls (Van Halen, AC/DC etc), but JTM 45's and old Plexi's were awesome clean or pushed just to the point of break up. That is their best sound to my ear, and the SRO's should just accentuate that.

Anyway, just curious what you thought about them.

[morcey2]

I've only had a couple of minutes with them, but running the JTM through a single SRO sounds awesome! A little too bright with single coils, but perfect with a Les Paul.

They aren't quite as loud as I was expecting, about in line with the greenbacks so the magnets may need to be re-magnetized. I'm going to take them to the next blues jam and see what they sound like in a larger room when I can really open it up.

With the normal volume on 3 and the bright on 5, there's a real good breakup (from the amp, not the speaker) and just a little sag from the rectifier. I just don't know if the neighbors really appreciate it. With the relatively high output p/ups in the strat, it's a little bright but the louder I take it, the more the edge comes off and the warmer it gets.

Now I just need to hire a roadie to move the blasted things for me.

Matt

[swarty]

My favorite guitar speaker for over 20 years. I have them in several cabs and combos. I find them to have a very nice, smooth rolled off top compared JBLs & EVMs (typically too edgey/harsh for me). SROs have a slight bulge through the mids and tight round bottom.

Capn' I'm with you on the clean Marshall thing... a 4 holer on 3 or 4, especially a JTM or SB, does a righteous big, bouncy clean.