Magnavox P232 12" AlNiCo

[tulk1]

Scored a 1956 Magnavox P232 12" AlNiCo, also known to some as a Jensen P12N, off ebay. Arrived yesterday. The speaker is in great condition for being 54 yrs old! I first hooked it up outside the cab. Interesting that it sounded rather thin and poo like. But thought it might sound better in the cab. So I pulled the V30 out of my 5E3, stuck the Maggie in it and ... wowzers!! That speaker came alive!

 

I had pulled the Weber 12F150 in favor of the V30 to get some punch without pedals. And it was working very well. But the Jensen ... er, Magnavox has a lot more chime than the Celest. Not as punchy, but def more definition. So ... I put the V30 in an extension cab I have. It's a Bowen custom made cab to Bogner Cube specs. Uh, yeah baby!! With the two of them going I had the spectrum covered. Good bass/mids definition from the V30, good mids/uppers from the Maggie. I set the two cabs in a "V" formation so I could hear them both at once. It was very, very ... very nice.

 

Here's the ugly sucker:

[TheRecordFable]

It looks like an old 50s UFO movie prop...good luck with that.

[smurph1]

It looks like an old 50s UFO movie prop...good luck with that.

LOL>> but it sounds good and that's whats important!!

[TheRecordFable]

LOL>> but it sounds good and that's whats important!!

True... plus if it ever blows out or breaks down all together you'll have yourself a nice boat anchor.

[tulk1]

The magnet weighs 2.5lbs and is about 3.5 - 4 inches in diameter. Yeah, baby!! Anchors aweigh.

[FredZepp]

Those old speakers can do amazing things at times.

I almost picked up some old Jensens at a bargain on Craigslist a while back... but they were ceramic ( probably still nice ) and I would like alnico's better I do believe.

And , of course, I don't really need them at all anyhow.... too much stuff already.

[212Mavguy]

Tulk, you just got one of the best values in vintage speakers available, way to go! I have had a couple of those. Still have one sitting being unused at the moment. They are much less expensive than the Jensen P12n on ebay and the Jensens lack that massive plate sitting at the bottom of that ring alnico magnet. The cones look very similar. I think that the Maggies are better made than their spendy Jensen cousins. They would make a Fender deluxe type circuit sound fantastic. The Tone Tubby alnico 12's and the Fane AXA 12 alnico are both very highly regarded top end guitar speakers and use a similar ring alnico structure.

 

The Maggie p232 15's are also surprisingly articulate, have a very full range as well, and are highly efficient. Same motor assembly as the 12's. Again, the 15's are much less money than a jensen p15n. I have a couple of them, they were a tad too bright so I used Liquid Electrical Tape, a black colored rubber cement as a doping compound on the surrounds and inward about 1 1/2 inches, appled rather crudely, but it worked well to damp the cone and smoothed them out very well. They need a new home. I'm using JBL g135's for my 15's now.

 

For a speaker that has the upper mid and top end chime in clean tones that the 12 inch p232's do have, their comparative smoothness in dirty tones is interesting, surprising, musical, and nice to hear.

 

Peace.

[smurph1]

Those old speakers can do amazing things at times.

I almost picked up some old Jensens at a bargain on Craigslist a while back... but they were ceramic ( probably still nice ) and I would like alnico's better I do believe.

And , of course, I don't really need them at all anyhow.... too much stuff already.

Too much stuff..what does that mean?

[slider313]

Cool find. There are a few vintage "sleeper" speakers out there that compare head to head with a Jensen P12N . Magnavox alnico's are one and Rola alnico's are another. One thing to look for is the "ring" magnet and an eight ribbed pulp cone. Great tones for less bones!

[FredZepp]

Too much stuff..what does that mean?

Well. It's hard to keep a path open to walk through...

 

I know, I know... my house is toooooo small.