Jensen
Jensen has been making loudspeakers since the 1920s, and its alnico and ceramic guitar speakers are a large part of why certain vintage amplifiers sound the way they do — the P12N and C12N in particular. Swapping a speaker remains one of the cheapest meaningful changes available to an amp owner. Jensen appears in our archive in the specifications of new valve amps and in tone-shaping guides.
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- Guitar speakers
- Bass speakers
- Loudspeakers
- Vintage Alnico
- Vintage Ceramic
- Jet Series
- C-12K
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Jensen FAQ4 questions
Why are Jensen speakers associated with vintage amps?
Because they were in them. The Jensen Radio Manufacturing Company was founded in 1927 in Chicago by Peter Laurits Jensen, co-inventor of the first loudspeaker, and its drivers were chosen for Fender's first production guitar amplifiers. Through the 1940s, 50s and 60s Jensen speakers were standard in Fender, Ampeg and Gibson amps.
Are Jensen speakers still made?
Not by the original company. The American firm ceased production in the early 1970s, and reissue guitar speakers are now made in Italy by SICA Altoparlanti and distributed in the United States by CE Distribution. Current Fender Twin Reverbs, for instance, use two 12-inch Jensen C-12K speakers.
What is the difference between Jensen's Alnico and Ceramic ranges?
Magnet material, and the character that follows from it. The Vintage Alnico speakers compress earlier and have the softer, sweeter top end associated with 1950s amplifiers; the Vintage Ceramic drivers are tighter and louder for the same amp. Neither is more authentic — Jensen used both historically.
Which Jensen speaker suits my amp?
Match the power handling first, then the voicing. Jensen publishes impedance, power handling and wiring information along with sound samples by style, and its own guidance is that changing speakers is one of the easiest ways to modify an amp's tone. Getting the wattage wrong is the mistake that costs money.