Anybody tried the hubcaps

[Jered]

Anybody tried these? http://store.visualsound.net/the-hubcap-speaker-grill/
I bought a couple but they haven't arrived yet. I bought these with confidence because RG Keen is involved with the company and I have bought his book about doing layouts for FX and it is excellent. He knows his stuff and has contributed so much to the music community. These have to work! Right? LOL
Will let you all know my thoughts after I put them to the test. So cool if these work as described

[Stevem]

It's far more important to maintaining the same tone in a amp to keeping heat out of the amp in general as all too many times all the caps and filters use in a amp are only rated for 85c and not 105c!
If your tubes hang under the chassis as its mounted it the cabinet like many amps do your gonna cook stuff near where the output tubes are with out a fan!
The tubes out of anything in a amp can take being hot and if not run / biased out of spec will serve just fine!

[pops]

Weber has sold a 'beam blocker' for a long time just for that same purpose, especially nice for harp or slide. They also do a H dust cap on the speakers be request for the same thing. It is just a much larger dust cap to warm the speaker.

[R.G.]

I didn't originate the "hubcaps". The owner of Visual Sound came up with that, and I was skeptical of it at first.

I was surprised when such a simple idea worked out well. I've messed with these a bit and they do spread out the highs instead of just blocking them as the "beam blockers" do. You get about the same amount of treble, but wider dispersion.

At least that's my impression from using them. I'd be very interested in your impressions of them.

[Jered]

Yes I tried the beam blockers several years ago. All they did was take away from the sound of my amp. According to the add, the hubcaps reflect the sound to a 180 degree pattern, which would be great for gigs where the amp isn't miked and rehearsal.
Will let you know.

[vibratoking]

Looks usable for a 1x12 speaker cab with no grill cloth. Looks like a PIA for multispeaker cabs and those with grill cloths. The suggestion of the Visual Sound website is to cut a 3" cross in the center of your grill cloth! What!?

I'll continue with duct tape, thanks. It works.

[John_P_WI]

I'll continue with duct tape, thanks. It works.

Worked for SRV, just sayin'

[Jered]

LOL I was wondering about the 3" cut myself. I guess I will find out when they get here.

[R.G.]

The hubcap treble spreader sits outside the plane of the speaker grille, but for the proper spacing from the dust cap of the speaker and spreading, the cone that does the spreading extends back inside the plane of the speaker grille cloth. I believe that's what the 3" cut is for - to allow the treble spreading cone to be in the correct position.

[ampdoc1]

I'd say save your money. I designed and sold the "Speaker Tweaker" (the first product made to disperse an guitar amp's sound), in the 1990s, which was about the same thing. Some liked it,..some didn't hear the difference. If you can return them if not satisfied,..go for it. But don't spend big bucks if you can't.

[Stevem]

Sorry about my post before gange, I thought the item was those head dissipation caps you can add to the tops of tubes!

[Jered]

IT WORKS! Didnt notice any difference until you get above bedroom level, then you can hear the amp real well. I've only tried it on a 1 x 12 so far the 2 x 12 is next.
The one drawback is it cant go over grill cloth because of the center of the dispersion cone. I think on a lot of amps and cabs you could put this device under the grill cloth. I'm going to look into it.
But as far as working as it describes, it absolutely does.

[R.G.]

Neat. I had the same response when I listened to the first prototype I heard.

It works remarkably well. I think that the very odd musician's market just isn't all that ready for the difference in looks, though. And the need for it to pass through the plane of the speaker mounting is part of the works of the thing, so it's hard to make it not interrupt the grille cloth.

But it does work, to my ears.