Kendrick Black Frame Speaker

Speakers don't have features; they have qualities.

It wasn't until I decided to write this review that I confronted just how subjective and intangible qualities of sound can be when trying to describe them. I have been playing guitar, acoustic and electric, for many years - since I first went to the Fillmore and realized the folks having the best time (and alot of folks were having a really great time) were the folks on the bandstand - Quicksilver, the Dead, the Airplane, etc. I've played long enough to know I have no great talent, but I have developed my ear. Not long ago I bought a hot-rodded Fender Champ II as a spare to the two amps I use in my garage studio - a blackface Princeton Reverb and a blackface Princeton Amp set up as a stereo rig. I adore the sound I get from them - the Princeton reverb is used essentially as a head, as the in-cab speaker is disconnected and the jack is used to supply signal to a Mesa/Boogie 1X12 open back cab with an EV Black Shadow. The external speaker jack powers a second identical cab - the two are placed chest-high about eight feet apart. I do use the in-cab speaker of the Princeton Amp (what appears to be an original CTS 10") but I use the external jack to power an open-back mid-'seventies Fender 2X12" cab w/ceramic blue label speakers. These three speakers are stacked on a short stand between the other two, so two low-wattage amps power five speakers. I employ the reverb and trem from the Princeton Reverb only, and as my pedal chain includes a Digitech Digidelay in the last position, its processor separates mono in to stereo out. As I result, I get huge, fat, swirling, three-dimensional sound at whisper to ear-ringing volumes. It took me years to assemble all the components, but I honestly (and modestly) have never heard a better-sounding rig. However, as the Princetons are aged, from time to time one of them needs to see the doctor, so I thought I'd get a fill-in - the Champ II. One of its selling points (supposedly) was that its previous owner had cleverly inserted a 12" Weber 12A150 - an expensive and desirable speaker - into its cab. I hated it from the first chord to the last note I wrung from it - piercing, grating, braying. I thought the offender must be the amp - it had, after all, been modded - the master volume eliminated, among other things - so I took it to our beloved West Coast Tube Works to have it returned to factory spec's. Took it home, plugged back in - not a lick of improvement. Heresey! How can a true believer hate a boutique vintage-style alnico? The shame! Desperate to put the world back on its axis, I quickly ripped out the Weber and installed a spare, new, much-dissed Italian-made repro Jensen C12K (left over from a conversion of a Deluxe Reverb to a 2X10"). Finally, real music flowed from the little amp - I didn't want to like it, but I did. Yes, it was flabby, and colored the signal like a stencil that said "IS THIS FENDER ENOUGH FOR YOU?" but the notes were round and happy, not angry little spears and arrows. So what to do with the Weber? What would I say if someone saw I had replaced a Ferrarri with a Fiat? Had to get it out of the house before I had to explain, so I traded it for a Kendrick Black Frame. In the dark of night I replaced the Jensen with the Kendrick and was thus inspired to tell this story - at long last, the Champ II can hold its head up in the company of the Princetons. The Kendrick is a speaker, but it doesn't sound like a speaker; what I hear is my amp. When I plug in my Tele, I hear my Tele through a great little no-frills amp. I hear the birth of rock and roll and the doors swing open on a thousand nicotine-stained roadhouses. When I plug in my strat, Buddy Holly and Buddy Guy want to jam. With my Tennessee Rose, Roy Orbison and George Harrison beg me to play just a little longer. I love this speaker - can you tell? This is why we look and look, swap and mod - to find the real deal. News flash - not every speaker works with every amp. This speaker works with this amp, at least for me.

It was used when I got it - it'll be more used when my heirs get it. I guess that'll make me the lucky stiff.

Strictly heresay - Gerald Weber was once helpful in another matter relating to the Princetons, but he doesn't know I have this speaker. However, it's fair to say he supported me generously by simply causing this speaker to be manufactured.

I used to have one great setup - the Princetons in the garage. Now I have two - the Champ II lives in my home office with a Holy Grail Reverb and a Boss PN-2 trem. The Princetons are like a big-budget Hollywood special-effects movie; huge sound, expensive effects, etc. The Champ II is like a mistress - sexy, stripped down to Black Frame lingerie, and knows exactly why I'm in the room - if they ever find out about each other, I'm in serious trouble.

I've bought 3 Blackframe 12" from Kendrick and have had them for about 10 years. I put two of them in a 1967 Fender Pro Reverb replacing the stock Jensens (because they were old, brittle, and I wanted to gig with this amp) and one into a reissue Fender Deluxe replacing the stock Fender speaker.
The build quality seems top notch. They are heavy. Make sure you have a decent handle on your amp that can take the extra weight.

This speakers have sounded overly bright for my taste from day one. In fact, I could never really be comfortable with the Pro Reverb's bright switch settings. To the Blackframe's positive side, the highs were nice and extended. But I think I need a little roll-off at the top end....roll off that needs to be done in the speaker design - not using tone controls.
I play mostly single coil guitars: tele, strat, Tom Anderson.

These speakers are built well. I have never had a problem with them. I'm sure that my 40 watt and 22 watt amps are not really pushing these speakers very hard, but I have gigged many many times with them. I wouldn't need to carry a backup to these puppies unless somebody accidentally put an icepick through the cone. Wait, didn't Jimi do that to his Celestions to get that tone?

I bought the 3rd Blackframe for the Deluxe Reverb after the first two used for the Pro Reverb. I took it to the first gig and the sound was very very compressed. I called customer support - and they indicated that I was sent one from a "bad batch". They quickly replaced it, covered the shipping, and the replacement speaker was fine. I never ever fault a company for having a manufacturing problem if they own up to it and correct it. So many things are outsourced these days that it is difficult to guarantee everything perfect upon delivery end to end. But Kendrick appears to stand by their product. They made me a happy customer.

This is a good product, but I recently replaced the Blackframes in the Pro reverb with a Weber 12A150A and a 12A150T. After about an 8 hour break-in period, I have to admit these speakers work better with the Pro Reverb as compared to the Blackframes. I will do likewise for the Deluxe Reverb as well.
What I'm planning on doing is either building or buying a 2x12" cabinet, probably a closed back, putting in the Blackframes and using some other heads and poweramps to see if there is better compatibility. I have a Marshall 1987X, an early 70s Cage-modified Fender Bassman, some digital and analog preamps (Line 6, Digitech, Envoice) and a Mesa 20/20 that I'll use this with. I'm sure it will find a good home in my arsenal.
Make no mistake, this is a good product, but for my taste, the high end balance is just not right.
I've been playing/gigging for 30 years. I've done thousands of shows. I've heard most everything.

I just installed this Kendrick black frame 12" speaker in my Mesa/boogie Mk3 amp after trying to get my sound with an EV 12L speaker and being dissapointed. I found what I was looking for.This speaker sounds woody, reedy and musical in this amp.

I was looking for a good distortion and clean sound from one speaker and this speaker offers a good middle point for jazzy clean and blusy distortion without the unpleasant highs that the EV 12L had.

I have used this speaker since I bought it in the early 90s and had stored it while experimenting with various 12" speakers: celestion vintage 30s Greenbacks Fender so called reissue 50 watters by eminence etc. This speaker is very reliable

I dealt with the company and Gerald Weber was very courteous and helpful. He did want to charge me for information saying that he offered a plan where you could ask him questions for a certain amount of hours for a monthly fee.

I have been playing the guitar for 38 years and feel this speaker has a unique sound. It doesn't sound like a Jensen P12N so called re-issue, I also tried that one and the clean tone was good but the distortion was way too edgy and piercing. Celestion speakers offer what has become every mans sound, although it is a good one. The Kendrick black frame 12" speaker is a beatiful alternative if you want to sound different.

Their are two distinct models of Black Frame 12" speakers that I know of. I will call them small dustcap and large dustcap or SD and LD models. They are rated at 80 Watts but I push the LD model to 100 Watts to see what it would do. It seemed to handle it without problems but as one would expect it became very compressed and distorted very nicely. I think the distortion was very good due in part to a heavier paper and convex curvature to the cone. So as far as constuction goes I would have to say that this speaker is built very well but the LD model lacks the upper mid bump that other vintage speakers are noted for. The SD model doesn't seem to have this problem and has more top end. I think one of the other posters
said it was lacking some of the mids. I tend to disagree with this assertion unless he is talking about the older LD model.

Gerald Weber had posted that the tone he was after with Black Frame 12 was the Jensen P12N type of tone. To a point I agree with this. The speaker has a monster bottom which is very focused. The P12N doesn't have the bass response the Kendrick has and for that reason sounds very different when mic'ed. As far as warmth and punch goes I would give this hands down to the black frame. At higher volumes the speaker doesn't loose much of it character.

When using these speakers (SD) in a 2x12 or 4x12 cab.. is when these speakers really shine. In an open back 2x12 (size of a 4x12 cab)
cab these speakers are one of the best sounding high output speakers
out there. I am primarily a blues/rock guitarist... Hendrix, Angus Young, Frank Marino, Uli Roth... In a closed back (Cruise) 4x12 cab with 2 SD and two LD black frame speakers this is where these speakers are at home. With a huge thumpy chunk and articulate top end using a Mojave Peacemaker (with Mullard EL34's) this blows away any other speaker that I have heard. The Custom Eminence 122 ceramics 12's that I had in their originally aren't as focused and but sound better with a more Fender / mid scouped amp. At the higher volumes this is where the Eminence quickly loose their edge. At lower volumes
my Zinky Superfly sounds amazing with both speakers. Again giving the upper hand to the Kendrick speakers.

I don't like giving out 10's because in the real world 10 would assume that this was the absolute best speaker that I have heard. These speakers are well suited for drop D tuning and over the top Texas Style blues. They are also a good rock speaker but don't break up like V30's, Greenbacks, or other low wattage speakers designed for that purpose.

No problems yet....

Gerald Weber seems very concerned about any problem that you have. I like talking to the main guy which is a huge benefit due to his wealth of knowledge. If a geetar can be hooked up to it... Gerald knows about it.

I have "gear acquistion syndrome" otherwise known as GAS. I have had just about all the boutique amps out their one time or another. I have many a cab and way to many speakers. I think that many Dumbles are overrated and no two sound alike... and for everyone en-mass to claim it "sounds like a Dumble" is really stretching. I suppose this is due in part to the fact that what they precieve as Dumble-esk is the touch response and sensitivity to pick attack/inflection. To me the Dumble's sound very mid-scouped or Fendery. Many of the boutique amps out their today don't have the Fendery tone. So thats my shake on the take....

12" speaker with unusual trombone bell shaped cone. Supposedly good for 80 watts.

This is what's interesting. This speaker has a different tone than any other I've used. It seems to suppress the upper mids (reducing the ice pick in the ear treble that I hate) and at the same time boosting the very top end. This is great for a Telecaster. It has clean tone sparkle and under distortion gets the "skeeoww" tone that I like so much about Clapton's Bluesbreaker tone. What I don't like is it also is not particularly effecient so it doesn't seem to play as loud as a Reverend All-tone, or EV, or JBL. It may only seem that way because of the de-emphasized upper mids. It also exhibits more "cone cry" than I like to hear. The bottom end also gets mushy rather early. These qualities make it good for lower volume clean applications and I like any time for distortion. I tried it in an Evans JE-120 (not good), Marshall Blues Breaker reissue (OK), Reverend Hellhound (very good), and in a Carvin Nomad (big improvement except for the volume limitations) and in a '50s Fender Tweed Deluxe (also not good). Hard to give a rating because this speaker is more of and instrument rather than a piece of hardware.

I've had the pair for about 10 years but only used them occasionally so all I can say is no problems yet.

Kendrick is a great organization so I'm sure their support would be fine.

I'm 48 and have been playing pro and semi-pro for years. Once again an overall rating is perhaps not applicable since these speakers are an instrument themselves. However I do really like them for some amps that have too much bite. Most amps seem to be designed for the hearing impaired player that has a severe 1K rolloff so these speakers can allow you to get more treble into the preamp before it gets overbearing at the output, which is a good thing. If anyone else has found a good amp match for these speakers please let me know.

This is a 12 in. speaker that I understand was designed to be an imprevement over the old Jensens. I put this into a '65 Fender Deluxe Reverb reissue amp and was very pleased with the results.

This speaker eliminated the brittle high end that was present with the stock Fender speaker and slightly increase the overall volume of the amp. It really warmed up the tone. I replaced the stock 6V6's in the DR RI when I put the Kendrick speaker in and A/B'ed it with my original '65 Deluxe REverb. The reissue was much fatter sounding and sweeter thatn the original. I was truly surprised but you have to go by your ears. I recommend this change to anyone that wants to bring out the best in thier Deluxe Reverb reissue.

Have had it in the amp for about 2 years now and have put it through about 200 gigs with no problems at all.

I have nver had to use Kendrick's customer service

I really like this speaker and would recommend that anyone who wants to improve the tone of thier Fender Deluxe Reverb RI should try it.

75W, interesting "funnel" or exponential curve to the cone

Back in about '91, I put this in my '65 Deluxe Reverb on a lark, as I'd sent the amp down to Kendrick for an overhaul. I'd read a lot of hype about Kendrick, so I figgered what the hell. they did a fine job on the overhaul, and gave me the spkr for factory cost as I was working @ Sam Ash at the time.

well, lemme tell ya, this is absolutely the worst sounding piece of shit spkr I could possibly imagine. it is just NOT voiced correctly for guitar; for keyboards it might be alright, but it is so hyped in the upper midrange as to be unbearable. literally like the sound of fingernails on a blackboard: a thin, "scritchy" top end that magnifies the sound of pick or fingernails scraping against the strings. most gtr speakers start to roll off @ about 2-3kHz, but this one just sails on up to about 12k. misery incarnate, no matter which of my axes I use [see below].

unfortunately, it's given me years of reliability, as I've been too friggin lazy to replace it. after I first got it back from Kendrick & discovered how awful it sounded, I threw the original spkr back in, pronto. within 5 minutes it fried, for reasons unknown. so I put the Kendreck back in, and there it's been. luckily, a friend gave me a '70s jensen, which I'll be throwing in posthaste.

as far as I can remember, they were very friendly & helpful on the phone, but this was almost 10 yrs ago.

been playing about 20 yrs now. main axes are a '76 Gibson Firebird w/stock neck/Duncan F'bird bridge [strung high action w/.013s, tuned down to about C: my slide gtr!]; a '90 LP Classic 1960 RI in Boullion Gold [gold top, back & neck] w/stock neck/Duncan Pearly Gates Bridge; '85 Fender Esquire RI w/Barden Neck/Duncan '48 Broadcaster bridge [this gtr rules!]; '52 Fender Stringmaster 8 lap steel [strung up w/only 6 strings, mainly low A tuning]. heaven for me is this setup: gtr->Ernie Ball volume pedal->ProCo Vintage Rat [rectangular/no LED]->Roland RE201 Space Echo->'65 Deluxe Rvb. ahhhhh!

if anyone wants to buy this piece of crap spkr from me, just drop me a line.

stick w/ jensens & EVs.

As understand it this 12" speaker is designed to be an alternative to a vintage Jenson blue frame speaker with alnico magnet, that was used in preCBS Fender amps. This speaker uses a ceramic magnet, handles about 80 watts, and has a sensitivity of about 97db's. It has 8 ohm impedance. I have been using this speaker since the early 90's.

This speaker is very warm and woody sounding. This speaker has a very fat bottom end response, but the bottom is very round instead of hard hitting. Compared to the reissue Jensen alnico it has a very attenuated top end response, kind of like having the tone knob on your guitar turned down. Nonetheless, the harmonics are there and they are very clear and smooth. The midrange is equally smooth but are less detailed than my vintage(circa 1964) Altec alnico 15's. The responce of the speaker is much rounder and less defined than my celestion Vintage 30's. The Black Frame is a BLUES Speaker. Where as the 30 is more of a rock speaker.

Unless you run a distorted 100watt amp through one speaker by itself you should never have any problem

Never dealt with them

This a wonderfull speaker for use in a small compact tube blues amp. The speaker is tough, has a good blues tone and is not too loud for use in a club. I use it in a Marshall combo in place of a Vintage 30. The Vintage was just too loud. With this speaker I can turn up the amp enough for it come alive, with out being thrown out on my ear.