Fender FM212r Upgrades

mt_spiffy · 05-29-2007, 10:26 PM

So I've had this amp for about a year, and recently decided to sell it. It sounds very good for what it is (a $300 amp) clean, but still pales in comparison to a much better amp (Twin Reverb, Jazz Chorus, etc).

So I put it up for sale on Craigslist. I started to get some offers, and I was discussing the amp with the interested buyers. One mentioned all of the reviews of the amp on MF and HC and etc, so I decided to go read them. One review suggested "replace them stock Eminence drivers with Brown Soun's hemp-coned Vintage 30s, wired in series! All of a sudden that normal channel delivers classic Fender clean!" and several other reviews said the speakers were the weak point. So I started to get curious, how much better would it sound with better speakers?

That was last night. Earlier today, I still was curious about it but had so much as posted a question here. Then a guy emails me, he will buy the amp today, with cash, for my asking price!

Quickly before he gets here, I grab my only other 2x12, my Carvin SX300c. I hook the Carvin speakers to the Fender amp head, and guess what-- it still sounds just like the carvin! Wow, I didnt realize so much of the sound came from the speakers.

Then the guy came by and bought the amp.

So, now that it's too late for me to try, anyone else tried upgrading the speakers in these buggers?

**Rainer.** · 05-30-2007, 04:16 PM

No, but I know that the stock speakers are quite bad. I hooked up a different amp to those speakers before, and the sound wasn't all too good. I think they are meant to give a more hi-fi reproduction compared to "usual" guitar speakers.

Major Tom · 05-30-2007, 06:45 PM

No experience with that amp, but depending on the speaker you start with, yes, a speaker change can be dramatic, and I would agree that the speaker(s) and the cab configuration used in amps play a large part in their overall sound. The stock speaker in Peavey Bravos (I own 2 ) is absolutely horrid. Playing alone, it sounds ok I guess, but when I played it in the context of a band, it becomes very noticeable how it lacks bottom, and the highs are harsh. I was getting ready to sell mine, when I put a new speaker in there that someone gave me - major improvement.

two+two=FIVE!!! · 05-30-2007, 07:28 PM

This has gotten me wondering...

If I put a new speaker in my old Peavey Blazer, would I have a pretty nice, small amp? I'm not seriously considering it, just wondering.

Major Tom · 05-30-2007, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by two+two=FIVE!!!

This has gotten me wondering...

If I put a new speaker in my old Peavey Blazer, would I have a pretty nice, small amp? I'm not seriously considering it, just wondering.

You won't really know how much of an improvement (or it could go the other way too...) a different speaker will make until you put one in. Unfortunately, I don't think that there is a universal rule that all stock speakers always stink. That amp has an 8" speaker, I can tell you from experience with my Fender Champ and other experimentation with several 8" speakers, that any 8" speaker, especially in a small cabinet, will always sound "small". In addition to the different tonality, there is a big difference between speakers in how much sound they will put out for the same amount of power from the amp. There is also a lot of difference in how much power they can handle before they reach their saturation point and just start getting flatulent.

My best advice - a low end practice amp that's worth like $50. probably isn't worth upgrading. Save yer $ for a higher end amp.