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Speakers
Delivering Tone
Hear how speakers, cabinets and their interaction define the response, dynamics and character of your amplified sound.
Mojotone's Michael McWhorter And Andrew Simmons
By Scott Ulrichs
You've heard us mention our luck in acquiring a 100+ year-old recycled pine 4x10" cabinet that Larry Pogreba made from an old bar in Dry Creek, Montana. We weren't on the lookout for one, but when our good friend and local amp repairman, builder, and large NOS tube stash owner, CW saw the cover of the November 2025 Tonequest Report and remarked that the cabinet happened to look a lot like a Larry Pogreba cab, we confirmed that it was indeed the case.
Dimensional Drivers From Across The Pond
By Scott Ulrichs
The Fane Crescendo AE is a big, bold, beautifully round-sounding British speaker that handles everything from sparkling clean to driven saggy Plexi tones with impressive chameleon-like versatility. ToneQuest puts it through its paces across multiple amplifiers and cabinets to find out if it earns a permanent spot in the rotation.
A Heart-Driven Journey to a Faithful JBL Reproduction
By Scott Ulrichs
The Milkman Alnico speaker is a faithful reproduction of the coveted JBL K-120, built to the same wattage and sensitivity specs and, to ToneQuest ears, virtually indistinguishable from the original. Tim Marcus' ten-year quest pays dividends for tone chasers everywhere.
Celebrating 100 Years 1924-2024
By Scott Ulrichs
ToneQuest sits down with Celestion's John Paice to explore the new Celestion 100 speaker — a reverent nod to the alnico speakers of the late 1950s — and the accompanying centenary book, A Century of Sound: The Story of Celestion.
Luis Maldonado Weighs In On Fane
By Scott Ulrichs
The Jupiter 12LC Speaker Fits The Gig
By James Pennebaker
Grammy-winning guitarist James Pennebaker takes Jupiter Condenser's 12LC ceramic speaker on a six-week, 28-date bus tour with AJ Croce — and reports back on how it holds up through rehearsals, varied venues, and a rotating rig of vintage Fender amps.
The Eminence Alessandro GA-SC59
By Riverhorse
George Alessandro discusses his collaboration with Eminence on the Alnico GA-SC59 speaker — tracing its design lineage from vintage Alnico Blues and Jensen P12Ns to a modern speaker built for the tones of 1959. Alessandro explains wattage ratings, edge treatments, compression differences between ceramic and Alnico, and how the SC59 bridges the best of both worlds.
The Pogreba 4x10 Rocks!
By Scott Ulrichs
The Mojo Anthem speakers loaded into Larry Pogreba's handbuilt 4x10 cabinet deliver early breakup, creamy midrange, and zero-fizz grind that holds its own against vintage Jensen C10Ps. A detailed listening session with Park, Benson, and Germino amps reveals these affordable drivers to be exceptional performers.
A Conversation With Tim Pratt And Fouad Abidi
By Scott Ulrichs
ToneQuest sits down with Fane's Head of Marketing Tim Pratt and Lead Engineer Fouad Abidi to explore the newly released Crescendo AE Anniversary Edition — a modern take on the legendary British driver made famous in Hiwatt cabinets and beloved by players like David Gilmour. From its glass-fiber voice coil heritage to the meticulous iterative voicing process, learn what makes this high-powered speaker a worthy heir to the Crescendo name.
The Milkman Delivers Again
By Scott Ulrichs
Tim Marcus of Milkman Sound returns to discuss his limited-run Jerry Garcia–inspired JG 40 amplifier, built around vintage re-coned JBL Alnico speakers, Alembic-influenced preamp mods, and custom Bryan Sours transformers — and reveals his ambitious new Milkman Alnico speaker project designed to finally replace the unobtainable originals.
A Jerry in the Box
By Scott Ulrichs
The Milkman JG 40 is a 40-watt combo built around Fender black- and silver-panel DNA and a JBL speaker, delivering one of the most musical, open, hi-fidelity clean tones available today. Scott Ulrichs puts it through its paces for months and finds an amp that reveals everything your fingers and guitar have to say.
Speakers
Legendary amp builders and speaker designers share their hard-won wisdom on what makes a great guitar speaker, from the compression magic of AlNiCo magnets to the art of pairing drivers for maximum tonal bandwidth.
Time And a Word
By Scott Ulrichs
The Benson Monarch Reverb+ earns high praise for its indescribably right core tone, ridiculously usable variable-wattage design, and meticulously hand-wired point-to-point chassis — a genuine standout among low-wattage reverb amps.
A Nod To History
By Scott Ulrichs
The Celestion 100 is a hammered-gray, alnico 12-inch speaker that pays homage to the original G12 legacy with a moody, smoky, and congestion-free frequency response. ToneQuest puts it through its paces against the Fane A60, Mojotone BV30, and Weber Ceramic Blue Dogs to find out where it sits among Celestion's storied alnico lineup.
The Story Of Celestion
By Scott Ulrichs
A Century Of Sound: The Story Of Celestion, managed by John Paice, is a handsome 226-page hardcover tracing the full history of the iconic British speaker maker. Richly illustrated and exceedingly well-written, it's essential reading for anyone chasing that classic British tone.
Mark Bartel's Masterbuilt Guitar Amplification
By Scott Ulrichs
Mark Bartel has spent more than 30 years designing and handbuilding tube amplifiers and cabinets in a historic Baltimore warehouse, pursuing tones he heard in his head since his days listening to Aerosmith and Hubert Sumlin. ToneQuest sits down with the founder of Bartel Amplification for a deep dive into circuit design, cabinet tuning, speaker selection, and what comes next.
Fane Ascension Series Designer Fouad Abidi
By Scott Ulrichs
ToneQuest sits down with Fouad Abidi, designer of the Fane Ascension Series speakers, to explore the design motivations behind the A60 and the classic Fane tone that has graced recordings by Dave Gilmour, Rory Gallagher, and Mark Knopfler. A bonus conversation with Foreigner guitarist Luis Maldonado rounds out the picture with a player's-eye view of what makes the A60 special.
Jupiter Speakers
By Riverhorse
ToneQuest sits down with Chris Young of Jupiter Condenser Company to discuss his journey from hi-fi audiophile and capacitor maker to crafting some of the most convincing vintage-voiced guitar speakers available today. Young details the design philosophy, materials, and meticulous construction behind Jupiter's alnico and ceramic speaker lineup.
The Bison 15
By Riverhorse
Riverhorse puts Jupiter's alnico and ceramic speakers to the test against vintage Jensen benchmarks — including a rare 1960 P15N — in a handmade Montana pine cabinet, alongside a Milkman HT15 amp and a rotating cast of classic Fender combos.
The Leslie Speaker Revisited
By Richard Goodsell
A comprehensive history of the Leslie rotating speaker cabinet, from Don Leslie's rivalry with Laurens Hammond in the 1940s through its golden era with the Hammond B-3, its adoption by guitar legends, and the modern pedal simulators that carry its legacy today.
Endless Possibilities. One Trusted Voice.
For more than 25 years, The ToneQuest Report® has brought serious guitarists independent reporting, firsthand experience, and the perspective of accomplished players, builders and craftsmen.
Discover the knowledge and inspiration to make better choices about your instruments and gear—and deepen your relationship with the guitar.