Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I actually ran across this one while I was surfing the Stereophile website. A company in California (where else?) is marketing a new type of guitar speaker that uses hemp fiber in the cone. It is stated as being far superior to the conventional paper cones that have been used for decades. Carlos Santana and Billy Gibbons have converted to these speakers, among other top guitarists. This is highly significant. Now you can have guitar tone that REALLY smokes, legally. The company is called, quite appropriately, A Broun Soun. The speakers are kind of pricey, but the overdriven tone is said to be amazing. They may have a distinctive smell when heated up at loud volumes. "But officer, that ain't me that's smoking, it's my speakers". The factory looks like a scene out of a Cheech and Chong movie.

All you guys with the fancy rigs should have no trouble affording a couple, but I'll stick to my muy cheapo $50 NOS Celestion G12H80 from the era when the hemp fiber was applied to the guitarist. That seemed to affect the overdriven tone as well.

How come none of you guys mentioned this hempcone speaker before?

I bet they have a real nice highs!

Sounds like some smokin' speakers.

Do they sound better if you pour a Slurpee and a bag of Funyuns in the tuned port?

We never mentioned them because.... ummmm, What was your question again?

Hemp is a miracle product. It can feed and clothe people, fuel vehicles, and now rock and roll. I think I'll go buy some. Wait. I didn't say that.

I'd buy those speakers but my pockets are hempty....

The hempcone speakers seem a little high priced, but there has to be sufficient profit margin to keep people from selling the "hemp" before it is turned into other products, I suppose.

I always thought hemp improved speaker tone, and some other things besides, clear back to the 70's. These guys always go on about the long miracle fibers, but I think the resins have a lot of influence on the sound.

There was one guy on the website holding a speaker and wearing bell bottom jeans that I would have taken for a hemp expert anyway.

When i was in Lima, my drummers son was in a Reggae band with some other kids from Argentina and they used to go up on the roof and do something with a form of hemp. We got a big kick out of it when they came walking back downstairs, very slow, haha! We called them the Rastas. They had dreadlocks and the whole bit, were great kids though, but loved that hemp.
Hey what happened to the Toneman anyway?

Hey I always wondered what to do with that bag of stems?

"Shake", Rattle & Roll!