Manchester 1290

British flag

The Manchester 1290 is a high-powered, British-voiced 12” speaker built for players who want classic authority without the harshness. With 90 watts of power and 100 dB sensitivity, it delivers an even, balanced response from lows to highs, staying tight and controlled on the bottom while keeping the top end smooth and easy on the ears.

Designed with working guitarists and refined through extensive listening tests, the Manchester 1290 stays articulate under gain, takes pedals effortlessly, and holds together at any volume, whether you’re playing at home, in the studio, or on stage.

Looking to learn more on how this speaker came to life? Check out the origin story in our Manchester 1290 Origins blog.

  • Tonal Description

    Even, balanced response from lows to highs, with a tight, controlled feel. It handles high power and higher-gain amps without getting harsh, keeping notes clear and defined. Great with pedals and stays clean longer before easing into smooth breakup.

    Comparable Speakers

    • Eminence Tonker
    • Celestion Classic Lead 80

    Unlike many high-power speakers, the Manchester stays lively and musical even at lower volumes, rather than turning stiff or sterile. Players who find models like the Classic Lead 80 a bit flat at bedroom or rehearsal levels, or who are bothered by the upper-mid spike of a Tonker-style voice, will notice the Manchester’s smoother, less harsh top end.

  • Where to Buy

  • General Specifications

    General Specifications for the Manchester 1290 speaker
    Nominal Diameter (in & mm)12" (305 mm)
    Nominal Impedance (Z) (Ω)
    Rated Power IEC268-5 (W)90
    Program Power (W)180
    Magnet Weight (g)1417
    Voice Coil Diameter (mm)44
    Sensitivity (dB SPL)100
    Frequency Range (Hz)80 - 5000

  • Small Signal Parameters

    Small Signal Parameters for the Manchester 1290 speaker
    Resonant Frequency (Fs) (Hz) +/- 15%85
    DC Resistance (Re) (Ω)7.1
    Voice Coil Inductance (Le) (mH)0.39
    Moving Mass (Mms) (gm)31.4
    Suspension Compliance (Cms) (mm/N)0.1
    Motor Force Factor (BL) (T•M)12.38
    Mechanical Q Factor (Qms)22.55
    Electrical Q Factor (Qes)0.78
    Total Q Factor (Qts)0.75
    Compliance Equivalent Volume (Vas) (L)46.3
    Surface Area of Diaphragm (Sd) (cm²)539.1

  • Material Description

    The Material Description for the Manchester 1290 speaker
    Basket TypeStamped steel with black powder coat painting
    Magnet MaterialFerrite
    Cone Body MaterialEngineered paper
    Cone Surround MaterialFelted paper with treat
    Dust Cap MaterialOpen cloth
    Spider MaterialCotton
    Voice Coil Wire MaterialCopper
    Voice Coil Former MaterialFiberglass
    Voice Coil Winding StyleSingle layer

  • Documents

    Manchester 1290 spec sheet (PDF)
    Manchester 1290 drawing (PDF)
    Manchester 1290 cabinet design (PDF)
Manchester 1290Manchester 1290Manchester 1290Manchester 1290
  • ToneSpeak's seven year warranty logo
  • RoHS-Compliant logo
  • Made-in-Minnesota logo
  • ISO 9001-2015 certification logo
  • Klippel-verified logo

sensitivity & impedance curves

Input: 2.83 volts measured at 1 Meter

sensitivity & impedance curves

Input: 2.83 volts measured at 1 Meter

frequency and impedance response graph of the ToneSpeak Manchester 1290
  • 0 deg response
  • 30 deg response
  • 60 deg response
  • impedance
  • 0 deg response
  • 30 deg response
  • 60 deg response
  • impedance

featured demo

Manchester 1290

British flag

The Manchester 1290 is a high-powered, British-voiced 12” speaker built for players who want classic authority without the harshness. With 90 watts of power and 100 dB sensitivity, it delivers an even, balanced response from lows to highs, staying tight and controlled on the bottom while keeping the top end smooth and easy on the ears.

Designed with working guitarists and refined through extensive listening tests, the Manchester 1290 stays articulate under gain, takes pedals effortlessly, and holds together at any volume, whether you’re playing at home, in the studio, or on stage.

Looking to learn more on how this speaker came to life? Check out the origin story in our Manchester 1290 Origins blog.

  • Tonal Description

    Even, balanced response from lows to highs, with a tight, controlled feel. It handles high power and higher-gain amps without getting harsh, keeping notes clear and defined. Great with pedals and stays clean longer before easing into smooth breakup.

    Comparable Speakers

    • Eminence Tonker
    • Celestion Classic Lead 80

    Unlike many high-power speakers, the Manchester stays lively and musical even at lower volumes, rather than turning stiff or sterile. Players who find models like the Classic Lead 80 a bit flat at bedroom or rehearsal levels, or who are bothered by the upper-mid spike of a Tonker-style voice, will notice the Manchester’s smoother, less harsh top end.

  • Where to Buy

  • General Specifications

    General Specifications for the Manchester 1290 speaker
    Nominal Diameter (in & mm)12" (305 mm)
    Nominal Impedance (Z) (Ω)
    Rated Power IEC268-5 (W)90
    Program Power (W)180
    Magnet Weight (g)1417
    Voice Coil Diameter (mm)44
    Sensitivity (dB SPL)100
    Frequency Range (Hz)80 - 5000

  • Small Signal Parameters

    Small Signal Parameters for the Manchester 1290 speaker
    Resonant Frequency (Fs) (Hz) +/- 15%85
    DC Resistance (Re) (Ω)7.1
    Voice Coil Inductance (Le) (mH)0.39
    Moving Mass (Mms) (gm)31.4
    Suspension Compliance (Cms) (mm/N)0.1
    Motor Force Factor (BL) (T•M)12.38
    Mechanical Q Factor (Qms)22.55
    Electrical Q Factor (Qes)0.78
    Total Q Factor (Qts)0.75
    Compliance Equivalent Volume (Vas) (L)46.3
    Surface Area of Diaphragm (Sd) (cm²)539.1

  • Material Description

    The Material Description for the Manchester 1290 speaker
    Basket TypeStamped steel with black powder coat painting
    Magnet MaterialFerrite
    Cone Body MaterialEngineered paper
    Cone Surround MaterialFelted paper with treat
    Dust Cap MaterialOpen cloth
    Spider MaterialCotton
    Voice Coil Wire MaterialCopper
    Voice Coil Former MaterialFiberglass
    Voice Coil Winding StyleSingle layer

  • Documents

    Manchester 1290 spec sheet (PDF)
    Manchester 1290 drawing (PDF)
    Manchester 1290 cabinet design (PDF)
Manchester 1290Manchester 1290Manchester 1290Manchester 1290
  • ToneSpeak's seven year warranty logo
  • RoHS-Compliant logo
  • Made-in-Minnesota logo
  • ISO 9001-2015 certification logo
  • Klippel-verified logo

sensitivity & impedance curves

Input: 2.83 volts measured at 1 Meter

sensitivity & impedance curves

Input: 2.83 volts measured at 1 Meter

frequency and impedance response graph of the ToneSpeak Manchester 1290
  • 0 deg response
  • 30 deg response
  • 60 deg response
  • impedance
  • 0 deg response
  • 30 deg response
  • 60 deg response
  • impedance

featured demo