Tone Tubby Speakers Hempcone Speaker

Well, there has been a lot of press/hype on these (in fact, I put the first "review" for this speaker down below--this was before I tried the speaker, I just wanted to create a category to hear others opinions).
I tried the 12 inch ALnico Hempcone Tone Tubby. You can choose between Alnico and Ceramic, Paper and Hempcone, and 10 and 12 inch.

The short answer is there are 2 things I want to say: The people there are very helpful and I have nothing but good things to say about them. The second is that I was stunned at how bad it sounded with my Budda Superdrive 18 watt (tube) amp, and I returned the 1x12 cabinet. I am confident in my opinion, but I am not putting a bad numerical rating for 2 reasons: This product could work well for clean (ie country/ blues) type players, and the people there are really helpful and honest. I was conflicted as to even doing a review, but if I had more info before I got mine, I might have saved myself a lot of hassle.

The long answer is this (pasted from a website on Budda amps, where someone asked about Tone Tubbies--I gave my opinion as follows). I realize this is long, but I think it is worth it if you are going to pay $250 for a speaker (or $600 for a 1x12 cab). Also, Fat Sound Guitars (fatsoundguitars.com) is a dealer (I found out AFTER i returned mine) and had some similar opinions (they think it is mainly for clean players):


Very timely question. I bought a 1x12 cab
from A Brown Soun, with one of their
ToneTubby hempcones in it, to use as an
extension cab with my 1x12 Budda SD18.

Long story short, I waited 4 weeks to get it,
and once I did, knew I was going to take them
up on their return policy. Just shipped it back
today actually.

I do want to say that the folks there were
really nice, and while they wont pay for
shpping charges, they were honest about the
return (suggested changing speakers if I
wanted, but I wanted just to return it). They
were also (I dealt with Charlie) very wiling to
answer questions and so on. Charlie even
steered me to the 1x12 rather than the 2x12,
saying an 18 watt amp would not push a 2x12
as well. So I have really nothing but good to
say about the people there.

Also, the cab was solid quality, made out of
pine, very sturdy, looks good. I briefly
considered returning just the speaker, and
loading a celestion into it (on another thread I
just asked about celestions). However, I
would be paying $350 (plus shipping costs)
for an unloaded 1x12 cab with a semi open
back (they recommend that to let the tone
Tubby "breathe"), and I want more bass
response.

As for the main issue, the sound, well I am
certainly in the minority apparently--Santana
and Clapton use them, someone on this
board loves his, but all I can say is it was
immensely disappointing. The best I can say
is the clean side was very dark (when I said
this to them, they said they prefer to say "full")
. One good thing was I could CRANK my amp
on the clean side, and the sound just got
bigger. Most of the people on their website
have mp3s that have lower gain, kind of blues
type tones. I didn't find the tone to be great on
the clean side (not for $250/speaker) but it
was not bad, just different.
But man, the moment I switched to the drive
side, the sound was really trashy. I still can't
believe it. It made the Budda sound like a Rat
pedal with the distortion maxxed, or justa real
synthetic, ratty kind of distortion.
The speaker did have very good, big bass
response, and was pretty smooth on the clean
side. I talked to the company and played the
amp enough to tell it was not a blown
speaker. I even left a loop playing into the
amp to "break in " the speaker for a few hours.

Like with any piece of gear, the best thing is
to try it. If You areinterested, and especially
play more blues type stuff, i would order the
speaker (still have a 7 day return) and it only
takes a week to get it and you have a week to
try it out (assuiming you can solder in a new
speaker to your cab--I can't).

The second best thing (in my opinion) to
do--not as satisfying as playing one for
yourself, but less costly--is to talk to Mike at
Fat Sound Guitars. I am gettin gmy new 1x12
cab through them, and when I mentioned my
experience with the Tone Tubbies, he prett

You know, speakers will hold up unless you overload them. The Hempcone Tone Tubby can take 30 watts easily. SOmoene told me they use an 80 watt amp into 1 tone tubby--not recommended, but as long as you keep the master volume low, you would be ok. The cabinet was well made, and looked sharp. I really liked the cabinet. I think Mesa cabs are sturdier, but this one looked nicer and unless you really throw things around, would hold up fine. And like I said, the Hempcone makes for a tough speaker, you will not blow it. The only thing is, what good is reliabilty unless it sounds good?

Very helpful people. Really top-notch I thought. Like I said, I returned the cab (7 day return period) and Charlie (main guy I dealt with, super friendly before during and after the sale) did not hassle me about it at all--he was obviously disappointed, I think they take a lot of pride in their work and have had great feedback--Santana and Clapton use them! They would be a 10 in this category except that: they do not cover shipping costs (about $90 roundtrip) in their return policy, and will only send me a check (minor hassle) even though I paid with Visa. So I give a 9 not a 10 for those 2 reasons.

I've played 15 years. My gear (BUdda Superdrive 18 watt and Peavey WOlfgang and Music Man Axis Supersport, along with some high quality cables--which really make a difference!) is better than my playing. But I love music. If it were stolen, I would have just wanted my money back (which I am getting). I waited a month for it, I did a lot of research on it, I wished it had worked out. The best thing I can say about the PRODUCT is that it did not sound "bad" when mixed with my Budda Eminence speaker. But it did not really improve the sound either, other than adding more bass (and I have an EQ pedal for that already). And on it's own, sounded really bad I thought. I will be looking at 1x12 cabs, maybe Mesa or Bogner. Great people though. Maybe there will be a market for this type of sound, but it is certainly not for me.

Single 12" speaker. When I purchased the speaker there were only two variants of tone. Original and brighter. I have heard there is now a third variant but I can not confirm this. The web site said they have plans for future 10" speakers, that would be good. I give it a moderate rating because they need to expand the offerings by speaker size yet they offer three? variants of the 12". They are trying...

In order to simplifly my typing I am pasting the main text of a response I wrote on the ToneQuest discussion board on the subject of Tone Tubby speakers. www.tonequest.com Great site with good information based on a FANTASTIC publication for anyone seriously interested in informed opinions from thought leaders on tone. Here we go.

I read the post called ?Newbie Here?? and a couple of the threads asked about the Tone Tubby (TT) speaker manufactured by A Brown Soun (ABS). Since I purchased both the ?original? hemp cone (HC) and the ?new? HC I though I would post a couple of comments.

My rig is very simple. Fingers > Medium Pick> GHS Nickle Rockers (11-50), 2001 American Series hardtail Strat, cable (any one of the mid priced brand on sale?), Analog Man TS-9 with brown mod, 98 Fender Deluxe Reverb Reissue (DRR, single 12? speaker). I play mostly blues and R&B in mid size or small venues.

The original HC is the darker of the two cones. Evidently some players felt it was to dark and so ABS made the new brighter HC (used a different enzyme on the hemp) to meet this customer demand. My view is that the darker HC matches up very well with a bright amp like my DRR. Of course this means the new HC with my DRR is too bright for me.

I A/B the two different HC?s after breaking them in for a couple of days. I adjusted the EQ to get to the sound I wanted as well as compared them to my old EQ settings on the DRR with the stock Jensen speaker. The process was that I played them at home, played them out, listened in the audience while others played them, let my amp tech and good player do the same thing. The three of us then compared notes and we all came to the same conclusion independently. Seems we all felt both HC?s have a place and both are noticeably better than the stock Jensen in the DRR. Also, we all agreed that the combination of the original HC with the DRR produced a profoundly great tone (remember for blues and R&B, IOHO). We felt the new HC also had great tone but was to bright when matched up with the amp but would be a good choice if you want to really cut. In summary, original HC with DRR was full but tight, focused, great great great mids and lows, really good highs. The new HC was the same except we could not EQ (with both amp and guitar) the ?brittle, harsh? cutting highs out without adversely affecting the lows and mids. Don?t get me wrong, some players like this. If your favor a maple neck tele, bridge pickup, treble up, then the new HC may be for you (think Albert Collins). If you favor a rosewood neck Strat in the neck position then the original HC may be for you (think SRV).

I ended up sending the new HC back to ABS and they gave great service and support. Kudos to them.

Following that posting someone asked me a question about combining both variants of the speaker in one cab as well as how did I compare the speakers. Here was my answer:

I ordered the new HC speaker first (just the speaker) and auditioned it for a couple of weeks. Basically I removed my existing single 12" from the DRR and then installed the new HC. Did this about 8 times and that was a drag what with all the mounting screws, cabinet back, etc... When I came to the conclusion that the amp/new HC was to bright I returned the new HC speaker and exchanged if for the original HC. Then basically just repeated the process with the original HC, which I ended up keeping.

I wish I had a 2x12 so that I could hear what that sounded like in various combinations (like the ZZ boys did in the recent Tone Quest article). But on the other hand at $200 each I can really only afford one HC anyway. Pity the 4x12 players.

Your comment about combing an original (darker) with a new (brighter) HC could very well be the right combination. It would be interesting to hear.

My view was that the installation of the original TT in the DRR took away about 5% of the signature fender "sparkle" or "jangle" or "brightness" (a

Hard to tell but I have pushed my DRR in combination with the Tube Screamer and had no hesitation. However my amp is only 22W's. But for the people who have played DRR's they will tell you it is LOUD beyond 3.5 on the volume. I have been at jam sessions where players I don't know wanted to use my amp with the TS-9 and I felt entirely comfortable with that as I can't imagine them blowing the cone. In the past I with the stock Jensen I would not have permitted them to use a TS-9 with my amp unless I knew them. That's kind of the standard rule.

Top rate, first class, I would sit on the curb and applaude as the TT team came marching down the street. When you get them on the phone you can tell they are really busy but they do take the time to fully answer your questions. Smart people, mostly players, great attitude..

My view has changed over the years. I have come to the conclusion that if forced to choose between a high end guitar and a low end amp or a visa versa I would most certainly put my money toward the high end amp. And, a large component of this is the speaker. At this time I would not be willing to part with the TT and rate it a 10 overall because for me the 12" speaker at $200 is a fantastic value. In all honesty we are talking about tone here so you have to keep in mind my rating is relative to what I play and what I like. This may be a 1 to someone else who plays straight ahead jass and wants the Beneditto pickup and Polytone amp thing happening. But for me, given what I play, this is the shit.

NOTE: This is the Tone Tubby Speaker by A Brown Soun. Specifically, their Hempcone speaker. I am in the market for new speakers, and do not have a review of this product, but am HOPING that Tone Tubby owners can comment on these speakers. They are now being used by both Santana and Eric Clapton, and I am sure that there are players out there who have this speaker and could give an informative review. Hoping to hear from them, this speaker has generated a lot of buzz (see tonetubby.com)
Speakers are expensive: $250 a speaker, or $600 for a 1x12 cabinet, $900 for a 2x12 cab, $1400 for a 4x12 cab.

As I said, I do not own the speaker (though I am looking at extension cabinets for my amp, and this is one of 3 speakers I am considering). The Hempcone is what everyone is talking about (the company said they sell more than 9 to 1 hemp vs. paper).

Supposedly they have offered 3 types of speaker, based on how bright it sounds. The standard speaker they offer is "medium" brightness. But again, I have not heard it, and am curious to hear from those that have the Hempcones.

Supposedly Hempcones are stronger and more reliable than papercones--their hempcones are rated at 40 watts vs. 25 watts for the same design in a paper cone. When I called, they said the hempcone may handle even more than 40 watts, but they had not tested it at higher power.

Very friendly and informative on the phone. I emailed first, but they said they prefer to talk on the phone. I give a 9 because even though I do not have a speaker from them, they were very informative and helpful (I even called back with more questions). Also, while they seem to think very highly of their product (and if Clapton and Santana like it, who wouldn;t), they did not sound like they were pushing me to buy one, they even said their speaker should not be in a closed back cabinet (whcih I said I wanted), or it woudl sound too tight. I can't give a 10 unless I have the product and they go out of their way to fix a problem or something.

NOTE: SPeakers are a 1 week wait (plus shipping time), cabinets take about a month (plus ship time). Their cabinets look really cool, but they all have a semi-open back (like an oval hole in the back, see it at tonetubby.com) Hope to hear from Tone Tubby owners!

Again, I do not have the speaker (yet) and have not heard it (save for the mp3s on their site). They have a growing reputation and seem to be the next new thing. They are not cheap, which either means they have the sound to back it up, or they won't be around for very long. I am betting they have the sound to back it up, but would like to hear firsthand from those with experience with them.