How do speakers work? If you are as intentional with your tone as we are, then you know that every component in your signal chain affects the resulting sound. You have probably tried countless different guitar, string, pickup, and amplifier combinations in search of a specific tone, even if you can't exactly define it in words.

For those that have gone far enough down that path, it should come as no surprise that one of the most important parts of creating that sound is the speaker. The speaker takes every other part of the chain and converts it into something that you can not only hear, but also feel.

How does this crucial element work and how do its parts affect the end result? Let's start with the basics.

Parts & Functions of a Guitar Speaker

Your amplifier's outputs pass along an AC (alternating current) signal to the terminals of one or more speakers. These terminals are attached to a long, fine copper wire that is wrapped around a heat-resistant cylinder called a “former.” The former and the wire-wrap make up what is referred to as the “voice coil,” which directly interacts with the speaker magnet.

As electric current flows through the voice coil from an audio amplifier, the electromagnetic field created by the current in the coil reacts against the permanent magnet's fixed field and moves the voice coil and loudspeaker cone. Alternating current will move the cone back and forth, producing the sound waves that eventually reach our ears.

So how do each of these parts affect your sound?

Former and Voice Coil

Formers were historically made of stiff paper, but technology has advanced over the years and replaced the paper with materials that have better resistance to heat. Nomex is a paper-like material made of aramid fibers which is much more reliable and consistent than regular paper and can withstand temperatures up to 700 degrees Fahrenheit. At Mojotone, we use Nomex formers in the voice coils for our vintage-style Anthem speakers and our lower-wattage British vintage speakers, giving vintage warmth from the very first note. Alternatively, Kapton is more translucent and plastic-like than Nomex and is typically used by those who build or collect pickups like the dielectric tape for wrapping coils. Being less paper-like, Kapton is the best choice for higher wattage speakers like our Greyhound and British Vintage BV-30V.

Magnet

Because the magnet is the source of movement for the voice coil, its properties can have a radical effect on the resulting sound. There are no absolutes in this, but there is a relative consensus among industry experts that allows us to generalize what each type of magnet can do for your tone. Alnico magnets are a metal alloy of aluminum, nickel, and cobalt which tend to produce warm and smooth tones with earlier compression and speaker break-up. Ceramic magnets, made from barium or strontium ferrite, are known for punchy and aggressive sound, with plenty of clarity and far more headroom than their alnico counterparts. Neodymium magnets are composed of rare earth metals with significantly stronger magnetism than either of the aforementioned types, allowing for the responsiveness of alnico and the volume of ceramic, all in one lightweight package. Because each magnet type has its own unique sound characteristics, Mojotone has found a place for all of them in our renowned line of speakers.

Cone

The speaker cone is the part of the speaker that pushes the sound forward, translating the movement of the voice coil into audible guitar tones, making it a vital part of the speaker equation. The most common material used for cones is paper pulp, either rolled from a flat sheet or formed in a mold. There are also popular cones made from hemp, aramid fibers, and even aluminum. Paper is most prevalent because it is lightweight, rigid and easy to work with. The earliest guitar speakers had smooth paper cones with a seam down the side (from rolling flat material to make the cone); but, manufacturers quickly realized that adding stabilizing ridges to the cone wall would make them more stiff, more resistant to break-up, and would bring out a more defined high-end to the sound. Our Anthem speakers use ribbed cones with straight seams, offering the classic American tone. Alternatively, our British Vintage and Greyhound speakers use seamless ribbed cones for better consistency at higher gain and volume levels.

What does this mean for you and your tone?

What does all of this really mean? Understanding the design and materials used when selecting a speaker provides you with general guidelines of what to look for to achieve your ideal sound. If you want to achieve the sound of later Beatles or early Joe Walsh and their classic Blackpanel tone, you may be best served by a speaker with a Nomex voice coil, a ceramic magnet, and a straight-seamed ribbed cone, like our Anthem 12. If you’re a bigger fan of the louder, punchier sounds of Mastodon, Metallica and AC/DC, it would be advisable to try a speaker with a Kapton voice coil, a ceramic magnet and a seamless ribbed cone, like our Greyhound.

So many of us have spent exorbitant amounts of time and money chasing a tone, only to end up disappointed in the sound that we actually achieve. Many times, this is because we have not addressed one of the most vital parts of our signal chain–the speaker. Being one of the easiest changes that you can perform on your own (much simpler than changing pickups or capacitors), the speaker is what brings our sound to life, and what sends that sound to the audience. Let us help you find the right speaker to achieve the tone you’ve been searching for.

Contact one of our speaker specialists today!