neodymium magnets, acrylic adhesives, synthetic suspension materials, and a variety of paper cone construction techniques are detailed in this look at speaker construction innovations.
There have been many changes in speaker manufacturing and development in recent decades. Among the manufacturing innovations are the use of neodymium magnets, acrylic adhesives, synthetic suspension materials, and a variety of paper cone construction techniques. In speaker development, the major innovations can be attributed to new systems of dynamic analysis.
In manufacturing, the most important technical innovation is the use of neodymium magnets. Neodymium magnets drastically reduce speaker weight and improve speaker performance due to their great capacity for generating elevated magnetic fields in the air-gap. When we use neodymium magnets for guitar speakers, we design the magnetic circuit to be similar to that of the AlNiCo magnetic circuit, with the magnet inside the voice-coil. This makes the sound of the neodymium speakers close to that of AlNiCo speakers.
Today’s use of acrylic adhesives guarantees good adhesion for decades—especially between the cone, spider and voice-coil, which in turn keeps the speaker sound unaltered over time. Vintage speaker enthusiasts know from experience that the old glues used in speakers built a few decades ago were the main cause of speaker breakdown over time.
Another critical element in speakers is the suspension, which tends to deteriorate with time. The use of synthetic materials like Kevlar or Konex, instead of cotton, has made today’s speakers much more stable than those made just ten years ago, enabling the speaker performance at low frequencies to remain unaltered for years.
As for the cone, we are frequently asked about the differences between the various construction techniques. Almost all paper cones for speakers are constructed by depositing wet cellulose on a cone-shaped mold. The drying process of the cellulose pulp can be made with three different processes:
1. Heat radiation without any contact produces no press cones. These cones are often used for hi-fidelity speakers. These cones are light and stiff; however, the process is very lengthy and expensive.Another process, called seaming, popular in the 1950s and ‘60s, consists of making cones from a sheet of paper instead of from cellulose pulp. The sheet is punched according to the intended shape and kept in an environment with 100% humidity for a few days, after which it is laid between two hot molds and the desired shape is obtained. The area where the two strips of the cone overlap is glued to keep the shape. These cones have a very particular sound and have been successful mostly for guitar speakers. Jensen has made much use of it in the past, and even today a few speaker models adopt this type of cone.
2. The wet cellulose that is deposited on the mold is slightly pressed by a countermold with felt, which eliminates most of the water. This, together with the passing of hot air, makes the cone dry quickly. Cones obtained with this process are recognizable by the fact that the waves on the edge do not have an even thickness. This method produces cones of excellent quality and reasonable production costs.
3. The wet cellulose is put between two hot molds (male and female) that dry the cone and determine its shape. The cones obtained are usually rather thin with edges that are even in thickness. This method produces cones with very consistent characteristics which are light and inexpensive.
The guitar speaker not only transforms electric signals into acoustic signals, it is also a highly characterizing component of sound, comparable to the amplifier and the guitar itself. Speakers with seamed cones have their own sound that goes beyond all technical comments because they are “a way of making sound” that is certainly not possible to achieve with felted cones.
In speaker development, the greatest innovations since the mathematical analyses elaborated by Thiele and Small in the mid-seventies can be attributed to new systems of dynamic analysis, which have made it possible to optimize the suspensions and magnetic circuit. These systems also enable us to know, in real time, the temperature of the voice-coil while functioning at high power. This has been an enormous help in optimizing the ventilation of the magnetic circuit, which remarkably reduces the phenomenon of power compression.
Electric and acoustic measurements are only a starting point, and final verification point, for speaker development. Listening tests must be conducted to understand the sound of the speaker and how to better adapt it to its application. The experience of acoustic engineers (who often times are also musicians) and feedback from consultants (who thoroughly know the applications) make the difference between producing the best overall speaker for an application and producing a speaker that just looks good on paper. This is the philosophy that results in the union of technique and love of music, and the thread needed to link the production of the best-sounding speakers.
Raimondo Sbarbati
Raimondo Sbarbati is the owner/manager of SICA Altoparlanti in Italy, the manufacturer of SICA brand and Jensen musical instrument speakers.
Kurt Prange
Kurt Prange is the Sales Engineer for CE Distribution, LLC in Tempe, Arizona.
jensentone.com
Nineties-style high-gain heaviness that can be surgically tailored with a powerful EQ.
Excellent variations on high-gain modern distortion tones. Powerful EQ.
Not many low- or mid-gain sounds here.
$199
JHS Hard Drive
jhspedals.com
JHS makes many great and varied overdrive stomps. Their Pack Rat is a staple on one of my boards, and I can personally attest to the quality of their builds. The new Hard Drive has been in the works since as far back as 2016, when Josh Scott and his staff were finishing off workdays by jamming on ’90s hard rock riffs.
During these sessions, Scott’s go-to pedal was the Ibanez SM7 Smash Box. He realized that JHS had never offered anything along those lines, conferred with his then lead engineer, Cliff Smith, and the wheels were set in motion. Over several years of design, the Hard Drive evolved from an SM7 homage to a unique, original circuit.
JHS’ Hardest to Date
The Hard Drive’s control panel is streamlined, consisting of knobs for volume, mid frequency, drive, bass, middle, and treble. Driven by cascading gain stages, the Hard Drive can cop a wide range of modern distorted tones. Even at the lowest drive settings, the Hard Drive simmers, delivering massive bottom end on muted power chords. Nudging the drive up very slightly transforms the Hard Drive into a roaring Marshall JCM 900. And if you bring the drive all the way up, you’re in for all out chaos. Even with an amp set just louder than bedroom levels, the Hard Drive, with its volume at just 11 o’clock, is very loud and in-your-face. You don’t have to work hard to imagine how this could sound and feel like multiple stacks raging at Madison Square Garden in the context of a recorded track.
Even at the lowest drive settings, the Hard Drive simmers, delivering massive bottom end.
Zoning the Frequencies
Unlike some heavy pedals that concern themselves with mega-gain and little else, the Hard Drive’s EQ controls are very effective and powerful. Moving the treble knob from 11 o’clock to 1 o’clock changes the pedal’s tone and response characteristics completely, opening up and transforming the naturally relatively dark sound of my Fender Super Sonic amp. Turning the treble knob all the way off with the bass and mid knobs at noon gives me a vocal lead tone that’s creamy, warm, and still immediate and responsive.
The middle and mid frequency controls work in tandem. The mid control itself works as a cut or boost. The mid frequency control, however, lets you choose the specific frequency you cut or boost. I found these controls invaluable for sculpting tones that could leverage the copious gain without being abrasive. Meanwhile, adding more high midrange lends clarity to complex chords.
The Verdict
The Hard Drive is an unapologetically heavy pedal—if you’re looking for a dirt box that can double as a clean boost, well, the Hard Drive is not that. It’s meant to slay with gain, and it performs this task well and with a vengeance. There are countless dirt boxes on the market that deliver hot rodded, ’80s-style brown sound. Fewer cater to the subsequent generations of high-gain players that used the ’80s as a mere jumping-off point. The Hard Drive is very much voiced for this strain of heavy music. If that’s your jam, the Hard Drive is hard to beat.
Tailored for Yngwie Malmsteen's signature sound, the MXR Yngwie Malmsteen Overdrive is designd to offer simple controls for maximum impact.
Working closely alongside Yngwie, the MXR design team created a circuit that delivers clarity, expressive dynamics, and rich harmonics—all perfectly tailored for his light-speed arpeggios, expressive vibrato, and big, bold riffs. The control setup is simple, with just Level and Gain knobs.
"Want to sound like Yngwie? Crank both knobs to the max."
“This pedal is the culmination of 45+ years developing a sound that’s perfect in every possible way,” Yngwie says. “I present to you: the MXR Yngwie Malmsteen Overdrive. Prepare to be amazed.”
MXR Yngwie Malmsteen Overdrive highlights:
- Perfectly tailored for Yngwie Malmsteen's signature sound and style
- Simple control setup tuned for maximum impact
- Boost every nuance with superior clarity, expressive dynamics, and rich harmonics
- Dig into light-speed arpeggios, expressive vibrato, and big, bold riffs
The MXR Yngwie Malmsteen Overdrive is available now at $129.99 street/$185.70 MSRP from your favorite retailer.
For more information, please visit jimdunlop.com.
Featuring dual-engine processing, dynamic room modeling, and classic mic/speaker pairings, this pedal delivers complete album-ready tones for rock and metal players.
Built on powerful dual‑engine processing and world‑class UAD modeling, ANTI 1992 High Gain Amp gives guitarists the unmistakable sound of an original "block letter" Peavey 5150 amplifier* – the notorious 120‑watt tube amp monster that fueled more than three decades of modern metal music, from Thrash and Death Metal, to Grunge, Black Metal, and more.
"With UAFX Dream, Ruby, Woodrow, and Lion amp emulators, we recreated four of the most famous guitar amps ever made," says UA Sr. Product Manager Tore Mogensen. "Now with ANTI, we're giving rock and metal players an authentic emulation of this punishing high gain amp – with the exact mic/speaker pairings and boost/noise gate effects that were responsible for some of the most groundbreaking modern metal tones ever captured."
Key Features:
- A complete emulation of the early '90s 120‑watt tone monster that defined new genres of modern metal
- Powerful UAFX dual-engine delivers the most authentic emulation of the amp ever placed in a stompbox
- Complete album‑ready sounds with built‑in noise gate, TS‑style overdrive, and TC‑style preamp boost
- Groundbreaking Dynamic Room Modeling derived from UA's award-winning OX Amp Top Box
- Six classic mic/speaker pairings used on decades of iconic metal and hard rock records
- Professional presets designed by the guitarists of Tetrarch, Jeff Loomis, and The Black Dahlia Murder
- UAFX mobile app lets you access hidden amp tweaks and mods, choose overdrive/boost, tweak noise gate, recall and archive your presets, download artist presets, and more
- Timeless UA design and craftsmanship, built to last decades
For more information, please visit uaudio.com.
- YouTube
The Memphis-born avant-funk bassist keeps it simple on the road with a signature 5-string, a tried-and-true stack, and just four stomps.
MonoNeon, aka Dywane Thomas Jr., came up learning the bass from his father in Memphis, Tennessee, but for some reason, he decided to flip his dad’s 4-string bass around and play it with the string order inverted—E string closest to the ground and the G on top. That’s how MonoNeon still plays today, coming up through a rich, inspiring gauntlet of family and community traditions. “I guess my whole style came from just being around my grandma at an early age,” says Thomas.His path has led him to collaborate with dozens of artists, including Nas, Ne-Yo, Mac Miller, and even Prince, and MonoNeon’s solo output is dizzying—trying to count up his solo releases isn’t an easy feat. Premier Guitar’s Chris Kies caught up with the bassist before his show at Nashville’s Exit/In, where he got the scoop on his signature 5-string, Ampeg rig, and simple stomp layout, as well as some choice stories about influences, his brain-melting playing style, and how Prince changed his rig.
Brought to you by D’Addario.
Orange You Glad to See Me?
This Fender MonoNeon Jazz Bass V was created after a rep messaged Thomas on Instagram to set up the signature model, over which Thomas had complete creative control. Naturally, the bass is finished in neon yellow urethane with a neon orange headstock and pickguard, and the roasted maple neck has a 10"–14" compound radius. It’s loaded with custom-wound Fireball 5-string Bass humbuckers and an active, 18V preamp complete with 3-band EQ controls. Thomas’ own has been spruced up with some custom tape jobs, too. All of MonoNeon's connections are handled by Sorry Cables.
Fade to Black
MonoNeon’s Ampeg SVT stack isn’t a choice of passion. “That’s what they had for me, so I just plugged in,” he says. “That’s what I have on my rider. As long as it has good headroom and the cones don’t break up, I’m cool.”
Box Art
MonoNeon’s bass isn’t the only piece of kit treated to custom color jobs. Almost all of his stomps have been zhuzhed up with his eye-popping palette.
Thomas had used a pitch-shifting DigiTech Whammy for a while, but after working with Paisley Park royalty, the pedal became a bigger part of his playing. “When I started playing with Prince, he put the Whammy on my pedalboard,” Thomas explains. “After he passed, I realized how special that moment was.”
Alongside the Whammy, MonoNeon runs a Fairfield Circuitry Randy’s Revenge (for any time he wants to “feel weird”), a literal Fart Pedal (in case the ring mod isn’t weird enough, we guess), and a JAM Pedals Red Muck covers fuzz and dirt needs. A CIOKS SOL powers the whole affair.
Shop MonoNeon's Rig
Fender MonoNeon Jazz Bass V
Ampeg SVT
DigiTech Whammy
CIOKS SOL