Same. Yes. Watched the full video. here’s my opinion: clean fenders 1. blue, cream, gold, Ruby, clean humbuckers 1. gold, blue, cream ruby. Same driven or not. Likely would pick up every blue I see for a deal. Same for the cream and maybe the golds. Will pass on the rubies
Jaw-droppingly good comparison - a benchmark video! My rankings in order of preference: 1. Gold. Like a Blue but for the modern ages. Higher power handling and much more comfortable being pushed, but still retains dynamics and all the other nice Blue characteristics. Easily the best all-rounder. 2. Blue. Untouchable for cleans and even light crunch. Dynamics, clarity, top-end, complexity, sweetness, chime, musicality, etc all in place. Obvious power limitations notwithstanding, still the best in this context more than half a century later, assuming no heavy gain applications. 3. Cream. Similar to Gold, especially in higher gain applications, where they were a bit difficult to tell apart, but Cream simply doesn't have the dynamics and breadth in the cleaner sounds, where it sounds more compressed and lifeless. 4. Ruby. Least impressive, by some distance. Unintelligible, compressed mush, with awful clean tones. A bit better with gain, but Gold and Cream both outshine it here as well. A surprise to me, maybe unit was faulty?
Love the mic setup! Way too many speaker demos with just a close mic -you have no idea what it sounds like in the room otherwise! Appreciate you going the extra mile w/ the mic setup and giving us a much more transparent perspective on how these speakers actually sound.
I get what people say about the Alnico Cream needing to be pushed. I have one and love using it with my Rockerverb at louder volumes. However, one thing that I’m glad came through in this demo is the headroom and how that plays with effects. I will often use my Alnico Cream with a lower wattage amp and use a lot of reverb and delay. The higher headroom on that speaker allows for a lot more of a 3D effect, and doesn’t get in the way of the lows and highs of a good reverb. That seemed to come across here with the use of chorus and other modulation. Most of the other speakers created a sort of box around the modulation and didn’t allow it to really shine. That sort of goes away when you are pushing the Alnico Cream towards its upper limits, but I’m glad to have mine around for lower wattage clean effects when I need it.
Thanks! Very helpful. I agree with your assessment that context will dictate. Based on your review I found the Ruby plump and sweet, the Cream tight with sparkle, the Blue with edge and maybe not quite enough body and the Gold had the most presence with full body and a musical and sparkly top end. Because I play a number of genres the Gold is my easy pick. I like the Blue but would only run it it paired or quadded. The Cream needs more power to shine. That brings me back to the Ruby-it marks territory (lows/mids) where the others can’t fully go. I like it but would pair it with a tighter high freq speaker like the Cream-I think that would sound awesome. Wrap up-Gold in my 1x12 tube combo. Cheers.
Awesome dude! Probably the best comparison I've found of the alnico range, listened to many but found yours the handiest and the only one I've bothered commenting on. Cheers heaps, I think I'm going to team up a Blue open back with a Ruby closed back cab on my Marshall DSL15. Very helpful 😉👍
Great job! I own all of them except the Ruby. All of them are good - useful depending on amp, venue, style of music. I will say that at high volumes (where can that be done anymore?) the Cream really comes into it's own, holds together, very aggressive but not harsh - authoritative.
Thanks for the shootout, Joe! I love how the Ruby sounds, in fact, I searched for comparisons of this one. It's lush and vintagy. In my opinion, the Ruby is Celestion's take on American voiced alnico speakers, without marketing this explicitely. In fact, a guy from Celestion's official chanel stated that his choice for most tones is the alnico Cream, but, in Fenders, he prefers the Ruby. This is IMO the reason it sounds so different from the rest, and why so many in the comments dislike it, because it was uses in a British voiced amp. But I bet it would do wonders in an open back Tweed! It is the alnico equivalent of the A-Type, so to speak. 😋
Incredible how this amps sits directly in-between a Marshall and a Vox very nicely done comparison, Golds are def the winner btw in that amp but if your rockin a twin blue and golds are always a winning combo.
This is THE WAY to demo speakers or any comparison!! Thanx alot! For me (blues and rock) it was the Cream and Gold. Blues to thin for me. Ruby for metal i guess...
Thanks :-) As it happens, I've just been using the Ruby this morning for some thick clean tones & it's been great! But I agree about the Cream & Gold in this particular amp :-)
i have the Cream in my Blackstar Club 40 blows doors on the V30 in the matching extension cab. Literally want to throw the V30 in the trash so muffled and lifeless compared to the Cream. It’s an older V30 from perhaps around 2014 or 2015 and I’ve been seeing some recent vids where they are saying the new 2022/2023 V30’s are a vast improvement over the year I’ve got. Might have to buy a new V30 or a Gold Alnico to pair with my Alnico Cream which again is an amazing speaker. I’ve also got a 2 12 Zilla cab with a V30 and a GH 12 Creamback 75 watter , a great combination run by my Marshall JVM 50 watt tube head. Speaker combos are fun to experiment with.
@@MarchPancake I guess so. I had these JCM800 cabs since the mid 80's and they came with the G12-85's; I wasn't a huge fan of those but I wasn't a professional musician so to going on a never ending tone quest wasn't in my wheelhouse. 30 years later I heard the blue speakers and thought it was a match made in heave. I'm now using those cabs/speakers with a Lee Jackson modified 1959 (an early 70's metal face) and IMHO that combo is the Holy Grail. Guitars used are a Lester with Pearly Gates and a custom BC RIch with Fralin P90's.
Discovered you whilst researching shootouts for the above Celestion models. Nicely done! Putting an older 12 watt Fargen Mini Plex chassis into a combo cab. Ben Fargen will be tweaking the chassis a bit, and I've been looking around for the right speaker. I have a 'Gold' in a Port City 1x12 OS cab, and have used 'V-30's in a Tweed style 2x12 combo, so at least I have some real world experience. The 'Ruby' IS a tad bit darker and might allow a wee bit more thump in a semi closed or open back combo cab (still undecided). The Port City cab is ported and nearly gives the thump of a 2x12 conventional cab, something I would miss. The 'Ruby' might work, but what you mention, at 19:42 about the 'Blue' being pushed, and about the mids in the 'Ruby' at 20:00, really got me to thinking... I do think, the best all around (in a 1x12), of these 4, for a 15-35 watt amp would still be the 'Gold'. Thanks.
Dude, first off, I've watched lots of speaker demos over the years and yours have to be some of the best content I've come across. So thank you for the time, effort and care you put into these - it definitely comes across! Subscribed :) Second, I remember you saying in several comments in a few videos that the alnico cream was one of your favourite speakers you've ever played. I've owned (and dearly miss) a Blue, and even in this demo it just sounds so damn alive! Now that I'm looking to pair something up with a 50-60w Vox voiced amp I'm hoping to recapture that feel as best I can. I loved the sound of that Fane A60 as well, seems like there are some great options out there. Im just wondering if your preference has changed after demoing so many alnicos. Thanks for the help, and for the killer demos!
Ah thanks Jordan - glad it was useful :-) I do love the Cream, but to be honest, the Fane A60 is definitely up there for me too nowadays. There's not a single situation I've put that speaker in and not had it sound incredible! For the 'classic' Vox sound though, you're probably still looking at Blue/Golds to get that trademark 'chime'. But if you're looking for an epic all-rounder, the Fane is wonderful also. :-)
Ruby in my Tone King Imperial MK II does not sound soo dark/mellow, but just smoothes the harsh highend at the lead channel. Still have to break it in. I guess sound depends on amp itself too. :)
Thanks for this video. I had a Vox with a Blue in it and I loved it. Another Vox I had had the Cream Back and I liked that too. But I went with the Gold for my Marshall DSL40. The reason is that it sounded like the Blue and the Gold has 50 watts. And that matches my amp well. However, I'm now wondering about the Cream. But I just find it to close to the Green Back or V-type. I think the Cream will really shine on a 100 watt amp. Do you feel that the Cream would sound more like Gold or Blue dimmed in a 100 watt?
Loved the review, very well done. I have subscribed based on this one video. I have an AC15C1X with the blue that is my favorite amp at the moment. However, I would love to have a high powered 212 cabinet with the Creamback and the Ruby!
The 'other' three are already pretty broken in as I've been using them every day for a year or more now. The Ruby was straight out the box...but I don't think breaking it in would change the sound too drastically compared to the others. I think the high roll-off is just its nature!
after so many years of watching alnico comparisons, showing the difference of low watt amp vs higher watt, Im confident thinking a cream or gold on stage, both in a d cab would be amazing. The blue sounds the best to me, always has, but best in studio. Great comparison! Thanks!
I really wanted to like the Ruby and feel like it matches up power rating wise with my Mark V 35, but I really ended up preferring the gold. You're absolutely right about the bite in the top end. Thanks for a great demo!
He should not be too afraid of pushing the blue a bit further in my opinion. Celestians are made for harmonic distorting and take peaks of twice their rating. On the other hand if you are careless punk rocking with feedback all night long you may smoke the voice coil. The Gold is the most universal of the bunch and the Cream is definitely better driven hard with a darker sounding amp.
Interesting how the character changes from clean to dirty. The Ruby was consistently and noticeable mid focused in each scenario but lacked the musical upper mids that the Blue and Gold exhibit at different points. It would be very interesting to pair the Ruby with a scooped speaker like a G12H30.
Listened through a couple of times. To me the Gold stands out overall as having the most distinctive and authoritive sound - but then I ended perhaps preferring the cream as being a bit smoother with some of the heavier distortion settings. Surprisingly, the blue didn't come over to me as more alive in the recordings. The Ruby certainly failed to impress - presumably would be better broken in, but even so...
Aye, the Ruby was straight out the box - I do think it's very different to the others though, especially with that high roll off...I don't think breaking it in will change the high-end detail too much! For some of the gainier sounds I actually preferred the Ruby as it tamed the harsh fizz, put me in mind of the warm Brian May mid-range honk....overall though, in this amp, I think I'm with you on preferring the Cream! :-)
great review! well done! there is something lurking in the tone of that ruby that I suspect would work rather well with mid gain sounds, it sounds indeed like it needs a little breaking in, after all the blue in my AC 15 needed a LOT of breaking in before it started sounding sweet....
Great demo! I would love to see an original blue or silver Celestion / Vox bulldog added to the mix. I build amps and I have used a number of the modern blues, but I also own 5 of the original 1960's Silver Alnicos that were used in AC-30's. Even reconed they are fantastic. The Blue in this demo shines with all of the crang and sparkle I like. I have always been skeptical of that 15 watt power handling spec as it seems with a 1 3/4 inch voice coil it should handle more even with a paper voice coil former. Also, is it possible that the Ruby was less broken in for this demo?
The Ruby _was) newer than the others, but definitely still broken in at the time of filming...it's just a very differently voiced speaker to the others!
Man thanks for focusing on rhythm. Not shredding or endless blues noodling. I still love the Blue. Best speaker ever. I dig the Ruby and think in the right bright amp would be a good match with the subdued highs.
Great vid mate.. Don't understand 5 dislikes when you make honest, decent comparison of good line up alnico speakers. Great job🎸🎶 Cream is my favorite, followed by Gold, but it's just cause it provides me a bit later break up on clean channel compared to my previous speaker
If you weren't so thorough with the multiple mics, phase, etc, I'd say you had made a mistake, like being too far off center on the Ruby. But... it might just be that much darker. Not really what I'd go for to achieve sparkly, shimmery cleans, or a cutting crunch tone. I doubt break-in is going to change this particular Ruby in a way that would make it more clear sounding. Thanks so much for doing this comparison. I now know I don't need a Ruby, and should maybe give the Cream a fair shake in a high powered 112 combo or cab.
Aye, the mics were in exactly the same place each time...measured to the mm! ;-) haha Yeah, it was fresh out of the box but I think the high end roll-off is the nature of the beast...though as I say at the end of the video, if you're a high-gain rhythm player I think it'd work fantastically well!
Really like the gold I have in my Allen encore amp! (Vibrolux style amp) My favorite speakers I have are my 2 15 inch JBL D130F’s in my Fender Dual Showman setup monster tone! Use the vibrolux for my tele and the showman for my Les Paul
The Ruby has really punchy mids, which seems to require "less dirt/gain" and some more headroom "to breath". But if we tweek it just right, I think we can get some nice tones which we would expect out of an Orange, Marshall or Laney amps, geared more towards some kind of Stoner/Doom/Sludge genres/styles.
I hear something like blue and cream are closer, ruby is more like a greenback, and the gold is sometimes between ruby and cream sometimes between cream and blue thats so weird
I hear something like blue and cream are closer, ruby is more like a greenback, and the gold is sometimes between ruby and cream sometimes between cream and blue thats so weird
I dont like how the Ruby sounds but i think ill make a 2X12 with a Blue and the Ruby should soung interesting as the blue will give the ruby what is lacking for i have all Celestion alnicos but this video just ring my bell about the 2X12 well done Joe
Simply awesome vid. Thank you! I was very interested in the Ruby, because of the wattage rating ... until now. It lacks what I love in the Blue. On the other hand, I agree that for certain higher gain applications, the Ruby would sound great. The cream sounded more sterile than the others. The video helped confirm my decision to go with a gold for a 1x12 solution for a 30 watt head. It is extremely helpful to hear the speakers run through the gamut of gain settings and a variety of pedals. I feel I now have a firm grasp on the character of each speaker in various contexts, especially having a good personal reference point with the Blue. Thanks again!
Great demo. I've been combing through all of the Celestion Alnico options, looking for the best all-around speaker for a 112 cab, specifically to be paired with a Vox NT15 head that I'm a fan of (though I may be in a minority in that fandom), and your demo is one of the best I've stumbled across, so far. The NT15H is very AC15-like. It's capable of more mids and gain than AC15s I've had in the past, and it can also get brighter. But overall, it's very similar and can nail AC15 tones when tubed-up and dialed-in for it. Basically, it's a bright amp, that can get too bright, and I'm torn between the Cream and Ruby for it. (The Blue is also a contender, but it might get too much chime for this head. I also worry about blowing Blues, as I have blown Alnico Blues in AC15s, in the past.) What's your opinion, Joe? Like you, I'm mostly a cleanish-light-drive rhythm-guitar player (mostly indie-rock, 60s rock, jazz and blues); but for leads, I've been known to pull out a fuzz (or, occasionally, an HM2).
Whilst the Blue should be fine in a 15W amp (and they all have slight tolerances built in) I'd personally use a higher rated speaker with a 15 watter as I really don't like speaker distortion and it'd be right at its upper limit. If your amp verges on being too bright the Ruby could definitely be a good shout - the high end response is there, it's just much lower than the others, so it's not like there's absolutely nothing up top & it's great for bright amps. I've got the Ruby in my Dr Z Z-Wreck at the moment (AC30-type circuit) and it works very well in there for a more mellow sound. The Gold is essentially a higher-rated Blue so plenty of chime there. I guess it depends on whether you're looking to darken the amp or embrace the brightness - but the Ruby & Gold are probably where I'd be looking depending on what tone you're after. :-)
@@JoePerkinsMusic Thanks Joe! A 90-Watt rating for a 7.5/15W amp does seem a bit too stiff, which is a misgiving on the Cream. If I always run the NT15 in triode (7.5W) mode, which is really where the AC15 tones live, the Blue would become a better option, but you're right... Live, it's likely that I'll use pentode (15W), and I hate speaker breakup, too. I'll look into trying both the Gold and Ruby, first, hopefully with a borrowed cab or a store with a return policy, who wouldn't mind a bit of game-play. Thanks again.
I love the Cream. I'm nearly ready to pull the trigger on fitting it into a beautiful 5 watt George amp EL84 amp. It's got an open-backed oversized 112 and the amp is a bit dark yet has quite a lot of headroom for such a low watt amp. I'm not keen on cone breakup with that amp and I feel the Cream will deliver. I don't have a ton of experience in these matters however so I am open to any suggestions if anything else comes to mind. Thanks for the great video!
@@JoePerkinsMusic thank-you Joe, much appreciated. I am enjoying your channel. I live in Spain so Fane is a brand I haven’t come across personally. I’m aware of them from your channel and yes, based on what you’ve shown us with your videos, I agree with you.
I just go 2 Ruby for my Redmere soloist. They sound really good with the enhanced .7k and the attenuated 5k (to my ear). The Redmere is so versatile with the graphic EQ and the wide range channel EQs that I think with the Ruby it will sound fantastic. Even though Brian May uses the Blues, the Ruby sounds like a old version of the Blue. That midrange cough is gonna be fantastic with the Redmere's Sustain effect. When I get it back from being rebuilt I'll be doing some demos of it with the Rubys.
Fascinating. I was very much looking forward to the Ruby, but it sounded like it had a blanket over it. No highs. I was surprised that the Gold had more highs than the Ruby. The Cream was good, too, but Blue continues to rule.
The Ruby sounds like it's broken compared to the other ones, which could be really cool in some instances. Thinking about putting one in my 4x12 cab for tracking.
Great video, thanks! I liked the Blue the best almost every time. It sounds warm (lows), defined (highs), and rich (mids), while also sounding very open and musical. The Gold is a close second for the same reasons. I think I'd choose the Blue for a lower-powered application, and the Gold otherwise. The Ruby has a pronounced mid emphasis and tightness to it that might be just right in some situations, and might come across differently in a mix than it does solo, but it was my least favorite of these four with all of the gear and styles you played. The Ruby sounds like there's a blanket over the amp. As I listened, I was also wondering how much break-in time it and the other speakers had.
The Ruby had about 8h of loud playing under its belt by the time this video was made...so not properly broken in, but not fresh out the wrapper either. But breaking in a speaker softens the highs if anything (the brightest it'll ever sound is when its brand new) so the 'blanket over amp' effect won't improve with age...it's just how that speaker is. I made a video a couple of weeks ago putting the Ruby in some different amps where I think it works much better: th-cam.com/video/VpHKq6EhfEk/w-d-xo.html
Hi Joe, thanks for this video. They are all good. I have one 4x12 Gold and one 4x12 Blue cabs for long time. Ruby is very interesting( now I want a 4x12 Ruby 😊) as a " punch in you face", less polite and ready to grunge/crunch with an old Marshall plexi? Ruby seems definitely more vintage and dirty to my ears than the 3 other ones, delivering more mids in your face with a brown vintage tone?
The Ruby sounded crap at every setting. Sometime after 16:00 it makes a weird scratchy farty thing for a strum or 2 that’s ghastly. The Blue has that nice high end detail and clarity it’s known for, the Gold has that gravelly midrange grind you can’t dial out if it’s not your thing. The Cream sounded nice at lives up to it’s name in being creamy without being muddy. I’d like to crank them through my Hiwatt and see how they fare. I have UK Blues in my Vox 212 cab, and have owned a Gold. Great demo, you really got the Gold and Blue to sound like they really do even over my iphone.
Thanks for this! I just bought a used 16 ohm cream to go in my fender ss22 combo. It will sit above a 2x12 semi open with an 8 ohm cream and 8 ohm gold pair wired at 16 ohm total. It is very interesting how the 8 ohm version of the cream sounds different from the 16 ohm when each is played alone in the combo. Your video with the v30 vs the cream helped me realize this difference.
Your demos are always logical and well executed. This is the alnico demo that I always refer people to. The two that wound most similar to me are the gold and the cream. What is your impression of the differences between those?
Such an outstanding demo with the collection of mics. Nice recording setup. I use Blue and Gold, and recently added the Heritage Greenback collection, and have been listening to speaker demos. In the comments elsewhere I found a link to this video. Just playing devils advocate, what would you do with the Ruby? Likely you would open up the treble or presence on the amp, or throw some of your nasty tones at it. Each speaker likely had a focus that you would prefer. The reason I use the Blue is for my lead guitar, high gain, feedback. What I like about it is the reduced or eliminated harsh top. Strangely, the Ruby is doing that better than the Blue, which begs the question ‘How would the Ruby do here?’ Great. That’s all I need! 😜
Thanks mate! :-) For me, the Ruby would be best suited either to being paired with a brighter, more detailed speaker (the Gold or Blue, probably) so that the lack of top end is balanced out; being used to tame a particularly bright, aggressive amplifier; or for heavier gain tones. Whenever I'm recording heavy distortion tones (which isn't often!) my first port of call is usually to low-pass the recordings to remove any fizz...and the Ruby kinda does that on its own. It definitely has its uses and a lot of people love it...but out of these 4, it's probably bottom of my list in terms of my personal preferences. :-)
I'd pair blue with cream. I feel like gold sits between those 2. But the Cream sounds brighter in some clips and gold brighter in some clips. The Revival drive and gold was awesome.
I think I am sold by the Cream I will be going after. Sadly, I have to get two of them to put in my 2X12. But damn, I love the sound. Hell, maybe a mix with a V30? I love those cleans from it. But still a rock and bit of a metal guy to a point.
@@JoePerkinsMusic Well, Joe, there's a 1st time for everything. Now, to elaborate somewhat, many times I/we/friends/ have all said something like, Check that Fender this Marshall that, but never have gone as far as to ask, wonder if those are greens/creams/blues/JENSEN's etc. I will have to start a "new" trend in my world. Hoping to see Samantha Fish soon... what's in those "Category 5's" she plays? LoL - PEACE.
Damn, I like the blue. I'm ok with the highs melting my face as long as it gets me heard in the band without burying the singer or keys. But unfortunately, 15W would be a bit too risky for live gigs, so I'll have to go with the gold, although it's a bit tamer. Anyway, great review!
I've got the Blue in my AC15HW and that can certainly be gigged with with no worry whatsoever. Of course it's implied as it's a 15 watt speaker in a 15 watt amp. I wouldn't fit for more powerful amps however just by itself.
The Ruby has the less clarity of all. I'm really surprised it costs that much. It's truly not what I can expect from an Alnico speaker. If you want a dull and muddy sound, the Ruby is the winner!
The ruby might shine more with a tele.I would have to say overall I like the gold the best but the blue outshines in some areas.the gold just seems overall apps the best.the ruby did allmost nothing for me.thanks for the video!
Thanks for the video. Your playing is impressively consistent. IMO you sound best on HB guitars. My unscientific theory is that the ear adjusts to different speaker tones, so longer segments sound “better.” The Ruby works better in some situations than others, I think.
Unscientific maybe but I agree. I think it affects the player too… these shootouts would be more apples to apples if the players used a looper. Although watching Joe, his left hand is pretty steady, it seems like less of an issue in this video
Despite what everyone might say I quite like the ruby. I think it would work great in a 4x12... but would be expensive!! The gold definitely sounds like an improved blue. And the cream is a bit meh compared to the others but if it was running high watts into a 1x12 that would work wonders.
Another great video, Joe. Which of these would you recommend for a Tweed Champ (5F1) clone with a 12" speaker? I'm currently using a Jupiter 12LC. I'm pretty happy with it overall, but it can be a little harsh, even clean, with certain pickups. I mostly play clean (worship, ambient, jazz, blues) but also do some rock n roll style overdrive (worship and classic rock). I'm almost exclusively a bedroom player. I don't play with loud groups due to my tinnitus. I play teles exclusively, though with a wide variety of pickups. I've had several people on TDPRI recommend the Blue and to a lesser degree the Cream. I'm looking for good clean head room (I mainly use pedals for gain) and want to avoid the fizziness that affects some alnico speakers under gain. Can you make a recommendation...either among these or another alnico?
I also have a 12" Champ clone - and I run the Blue in it currently; works amazingly well. That said, if you're trying to avoid the fizziness, take a look at the Fane A60 - I demoed it a while ago and it's much more relaxed in the buzzy upper mids compared to the Celestions. In this video, I compare the Blue to the A60 in that small Tweed combo: th-cam.com/video/t9bb1BLWohY/w-d-xo.html
Joe First thanks for doing this. Have you thought of trying them together in a 2x12 to see which pair up together better? I would be really interested to see how the Ruby works with the Blue and how it works with the Gold, get the best of both offsetting each others weakness. I own a newer Gold and a pair of Greenbacks and G12H30s from the 70s and a pair of Vintage 30s from an early 90s Mesa Boogie cab. I use 2 different speakers in 3 different 2x12s and the Gold on it's own currently, with 5 different heads 2W, 6W, 2 different 15W and a 20W. I use 2 different amps in a wet/dry setup and have just started using pedals. Nothing like 2 amps at once using up to 3 different speakers would like to get to 4 speakers. Any thoughts appreciated.
Hi mate - I only 1x12 run combo amps so I've not tried them together in a 2x12. But that said, I run three amps together and have been experimenting with the Cream vs. Ruby in the Dr Z when combined with the other amps. Personally I'm a lower gain player and I like a lot of clarity/definition in my sound - so if anything I'm usually trying to get more high end & less lows into my sound. For those reasons, I've been preferring the Cream in the Dr Z in the context of my rig. But it totally depends how you mic the amps, what you're trying to achieve, etc too. In Wet/Dry, it could work really well to have the Ruby running dry to take the harshness off the high end, then the Blue/Gold/Cream adding sparkle & definition for the wet FX. I think for clean/lower gain stuff I'd still personally recommend the others over the Ruby, but if you're progressing past low gain & into crunchier territories the Ruby would definitely be worth experimenting with :-) That said though, the Ruby put me in mind of the warm, middley Brian May type sound, so if you're using a bright guitar into a bright amp, it could work great at controlling that.
I'll keep my Alnico JBL d120f - actually I like the d131 even more with org cone... all of these sound nasal to me - but the blue sounds more bell like if I was there to jam not to wake the neighbors - love that big a33 lava lamp also :)
I've got a Dr Z Z-Wreck with the 2x12 cab with a gold and blue in. I'm always curious on what a cream and or Ruby would be like paired with the gold or blue. I'm going to be honest I don't hear to much of a difference between them all here 🤔
Personally, I'd stick with what you've got - the Ruby has a lot less top end, and whilst the Cream sounds lovely, it's more 'rock' and less 'chime', which is what the Z-Wreck is all about.
@@JoePerkinsMusic Thank you for the speedy response and even more so for the advice, I do love that cab and amp so why change anything right! Also finally incredible video, I watched a few videos on this and non came close to yours. Expertly done and clear and top guy, keep it up!
The Blue is still my favorite. Now I have a VHT Special 6 amp, the Blue is a 15 watt speaker, I couldn't blow a Blue with 6 watts cranked could I, that would be one very expensive mistake. Any thoughts from the pros ?
thanks Man, great test - that Ruby really sounds terrible... :-D I am split between the Gold and the Cream (just ordered a Cream, I hope I will like it!) Being a traditional Greenback / G12H30 Anniversary guy I am not really shure I will like Alnico speakers but I am curious enough to give it a try.
The Alnico Cream generally sounded the best to me. The Ruby is surprisingly dark... but I can see that working if you were trying to do the Brian May thing with a current production AC15C or AC30C series amp, the Normal channel of which is much brighter than in vintage Voxen and can be murderously shrill with a treble booster out front.
I'm sorry.... What was the video about? I was distracted by the Beanie Baby collection.... I was going to say that they all sound terrible, until I realized it was my lack-luster computer speakers. I replaced both 12" speakers in my 1980 Carvin XV-212, 100 watt tube amp, with a pair of Celestion Golds. The Gold was intended to replicate the Blue and allow for a higher watt rating (50 watts vs 15 watts). Celestion has spent considerable R&D to achieve a close match between the two. After using the Gold for over a year now, I find it very close to the Blue and more well rounded in tone. Though a bit pricy...the Gold is an outstanding speaker. Great video, Thanks...
Do you think that the alnico gold would be happy in my VOX AC15? Given that it's rated at 50W and I'm mostly playing at home, I'm concerned that it won't sound as good as it did in your video. :)
Absolutely :-) For the first half of this demo my amp was running at 18W (so not far off your AC15!) and it still sounded great. If you're mostly playing at home, the Blue might be better suited if it's an option for you - it'll 'feel' slightly more exciting when the amp is giving it less juice at home volumes. But either would be a great choice - EQ wise, there isn't a huge amount between the two, and they both have the same power rating, so will pretty much be the same volume :-)
@@JoePerkinsMusic Local retailers and etailers, unfortunately, do not have any blues for sale, only golds. The thing is, I was able to recognize the gold instantly. As soon as it came up in every demo, I knew it was the gold one, and I wasn't actually watching, but rather listening while reading more on speaker efficiency. Thanks for the tips, however, as well as the reply, it is much appreciated!
Ac15 is a truly great amp that matches perfectly with a blue if you play cleaner to medium crunch. If you play heavier distortion stuff then a vintage thirty or heritage uk green can in some ways be a bit better than a blue because of the mid-scoop potential. Only get the gold if there’s no way you could get a used blue (from somewhere that accepts returns just in case) or the gold is like half the cost of the cheapest blue you could find and you really don’t want a v30 or Uk green. Blues sound 5 to 10% better than golds imho; agree w jp in that they have similar overall treble brightness, not as much feel.
You did :P The Blue is a 15W speaker but my Dr Z is a 36W amp. So for the first half I ran it at half power (and not cranked) and tested all of them; in the second half I discarded the Blue and gave the other three the full 36W :-)
Cream did everything well (exactly as advertised I guess). A very balanced, versatile speaker, that was my overall favorite. All other speakers represented different compromises by comparison. Blue and Gold clearly have their applications. I can’t imagine what Celestion was thinking with the Ruby, but I have heard they can sound very good with the right amp (Z Wreck is one in particular I’ve heard mentioned elsewhere). IDK though, as I can’t imagine that speaker being my first choice ever.... Sounds like it would just disappear in a mix.
I think for the middly Brian May-type AC30 tone it could be really nice, but in my Z-Wreck I missed the top end chime....though I prefer brightness to weight! I think it could be great paired with a brighter speaker in a 2x12 :-)
Was wondering if it would be a good idea to pair my ceramic G12 M 25watts greenback with a alnico Ruby (35watts) or a Blue (15watts) knowing I don’t play very loud and I use generally an attenuator... the problem is the difference in wattage... you don’t find much on TH-cam studying pairing speakers like these...maybe a good idea for you. I find using one speaker alone sounds always too boxy to me... I always need at least 2 to four speakers associated to get a correct sound and it would be interesting to propose different formulas that are coherent with the specifications of the speakers’ used with 15, 30 and 100watt heads with or with out attenuation...what do you think ?
I think the blue and gold are fairly close. The gold seems to be a bit more balanced overall where the blue is more punchy and in your face. The cream and especially the Ruby sit further back in the mix. They’d probably be great for jazz.
The ruby sounds very nasally... The V30 between the alnicos. I really liked the g12 cream with some hair on it. I got myself a blue alnico for my tweed deluxe and was rly shocked by its loudness compared to my old Jensen p10r... for homeuse i would rly need a attenuator. Wonderful pedal collection btw ! Cheers
To me the blue just has it. The cream and gold are definitely close seconds. But that ruby was meh. And yeah the blue has the most high end. But it’s easy enough to get rid of too much highs. It can sound harsh when trying to add them back if they weren’t there to begin with.
This video cured me of any desire for the ruby. Thank you.
Definitely mate..
Have you watched the followup video though?
Same. Yes. Watched the full video. here’s my opinion: clean fenders 1. blue, cream, gold, Ruby, clean humbuckers 1. gold, blue, cream ruby. Same driven or not. Likely would pick up every blue I see for a deal. Same for the cream and maybe the golds. Will pass on the rubies
Sounded pretty cool to me…
Yeah. The Ruby is for guys who want their old tweed amp to sound like it's breaking up on 3 instead of 4.
That is how you do a speaker comparison. WELL DONE!
Thanks mate :-)
Jaw-droppingly good comparison - a benchmark video! My rankings in order of preference:
1. Gold. Like a Blue but for the modern ages. Higher power handling and much more comfortable being pushed, but still retains dynamics and all the other nice Blue characteristics. Easily the best all-rounder.
2. Blue. Untouchable for cleans and even light crunch. Dynamics, clarity, top-end, complexity, sweetness, chime, musicality, etc all in place. Obvious power limitations notwithstanding, still the best in this context more than half a century later, assuming no heavy gain applications.
3. Cream. Similar to Gold, especially in higher gain applications, where they were a bit difficult to tell apart, but Cream simply doesn't have the dynamics and breadth in the cleaner sounds, where it sounds more compressed and lifeless.
4. Ruby. Least impressive, by some distance. Unintelligible, compressed mush, with awful clean tones. A bit better with gain, but Gold and Cream both outshine it here as well. A surprise to me, maybe unit was faulty?
Thanks they all sound the same to me its useful for you to rate them 🙂
The way I see it is the ruby might be good in a super aggressive Marshall type circuit if you want an alnico speaker.
This the best review of these speakers on the internet. Well done! Guess I’ll be getting a blue.
Love the mic setup! Way too many speaker demos with just a close mic -you have no idea what it sounds like in the room otherwise! Appreciate you going the extra mile w/ the mic setup and giving us a much more transparent perspective on how these speakers actually sound.
I get what people say about the Alnico Cream needing to be pushed. I have one and love using it with my Rockerverb at louder volumes. However, one thing that I’m glad came through in this demo is the headroom and how that plays with effects. I will often use my Alnico Cream with a lower wattage amp and use a lot of reverb and delay. The higher headroom on that speaker allows for a lot more of a 3D effect, and doesn’t get in the way of the lows and highs of a good reverb. That seemed to come across here with the use of chorus and other modulation. Most of the other speakers created a sort of box around the modulation and didn’t allow it to really shine. That sort of goes away when you are pushing the Alnico Cream towards its upper limits, but I’m glad to have mine around for lower wattage clean effects when I need it.
Joe is a lovely guy and genuinely decent bloke, I bought a pedal of him a couple of years back and his reviews are spot on.
Ah thanks mate :-) Glad you've been enjoying the videos! (Which pedal was it again??)
Thanks! Very helpful. I agree with your assessment that context will dictate. Based on your review I found the Ruby plump and sweet, the Cream tight with sparkle, the Blue with edge and maybe not quite enough body and the Gold had the most presence with full body and a musical and sparkly top end. Because I play a number of genres the Gold is my easy pick. I like the Blue but would only run it it paired or quadded. The Cream needs more power to shine. That brings me back to the Ruby-it marks territory (lows/mids) where the others can’t fully go. I like it but would pair it with a tighter high freq speaker like the Cream-I think that would sound awesome. Wrap up-Gold in my 1x12 tube combo. Cheers.
Top comment
Such a fantastic, thorough demo. Especially helpful for me to hear with a wide variety of effects. I learned a ton. Thank you!
Thanks Greg - glad it was useful :-)
Awesome dude! Probably the best comparison I've found of the alnico range, listened to many but found yours the handiest and the only one I've bothered commenting on. Cheers heaps, I think I'm going to team up a Blue open back with a Ruby closed back cab on my Marshall DSL15. Very helpful 😉👍
Great job! I own all of them except the Ruby. All of them are good - useful depending on amp, venue, style of music. I will say that at high volumes (where can that be done anymore?) the Cream really comes into it's own, holds together, very aggressive but not harsh - authoritative.
The Cream is very special indeed :-)
@@JoePerkinsMusichow does it feel under the fingers? Do you really have to push it to stop it feeling stiff?
Thanks for the shootout, Joe!
I love how the Ruby sounds, in fact, I searched for comparisons of this one. It's lush and vintagy.
In my opinion, the Ruby is Celestion's take on American voiced alnico speakers, without marketing this explicitely. In fact, a guy from Celestion's official chanel stated that his choice for most tones is the alnico Cream, but, in Fenders, he prefers the Ruby.
This is IMO the reason it sounds so different from the rest, and why so many in the comments dislike it, because it was uses in a British voiced amp. But I bet it would do wonders in an open back Tweed! It is the alnico equivalent of the A-Type, so to speak. 😋
Incredible how this amps sits directly in-between a Marshall and a Vox very nicely done comparison, Golds are def the winner btw in that amp but if your rockin a twin blue and golds are always a winning combo.
Excellent. Job well done! A real comparison of four very fine speakers. I will order the Ruby as I think it will sound great with P-90s.
This is the way. Mid pronounced speaker with punchy mid heavy pups. You can always dial it out, but you can't get em back.
This is THE WAY to demo speakers or any comparison!! Thanx alot! For me (blues and rock) it was the Cream and Gold. Blues to thin for me. Ruby for metal i guess...
Thanks :-) As it happens, I've just been using the Ruby this morning for some thick clean tones & it's been great! But I agree about the Cream & Gold in this particular amp :-)
i have the Cream in my Blackstar Club 40 blows doors on the V30 in the matching extension cab. Literally want to throw the V30 in the trash so muffled and lifeless compared to the Cream. It’s an older V30 from perhaps around 2014 or 2015 and I’ve been seeing some recent vids where they are saying the new 2022/2023 V30’s are a vast improvement over the year I’ve got. Might have to buy a new V30 or a Gold Alnico to pair with my Alnico Cream which again is an amazing speaker. I’ve also got a 2 12 Zilla cab with a V30 and a GH 12 Creamback 75 watter , a great combination run by my Marshall JVM 50 watt tube head. Speaker combos are fun to experiment with.
I loaded 2 412's with the Blues and there's no turning back; I loves them!
Money talks.
@@MarchPancake I guess so. I had these JCM800 cabs since the mid 80's and they came with the G12-85's; I wasn't a huge fan of those but I wasn't a professional musician so to going on a never ending tone quest wasn't in my wheelhouse. 30 years later I heard the blue speakers and thought it was a match made in heave. I'm now using those cabs/speakers with a Lee Jackson modified 1959 (an early 70's metal face) and IMHO that combo is the Holy Grail. Guitars used are a Lester with Pearly Gates and a custom BC RIch with Fralin P90's.
@@nuckinfuts5481 Sounds like a big sounding Bluesbreaker!
Discovered you whilst researching shootouts for the above Celestion models. Nicely done!
Putting an older 12 watt Fargen Mini Plex chassis into a combo cab. Ben Fargen will be tweaking the chassis a bit, and I've been looking around for the right speaker. I have a 'Gold' in a Port City 1x12 OS cab, and have used 'V-30's in a Tweed style 2x12 combo, so at least I have some real world experience. The 'Ruby' IS a tad bit darker and might allow a wee bit more thump in a semi closed or open back combo cab (still undecided). The Port City cab is ported and nearly gives the thump of a 2x12 conventional cab, something I would miss. The 'Ruby' might work, but what you mention, at 19:42 about the 'Blue' being pushed, and about the mids in the 'Ruby' at 20:00, really got me to thinking...
I do think, the best all around (in a 1x12), of these 4, for a 15-35 watt amp would still be the 'Gold'. Thanks.
The Gold is a wonderful speaker...definitely can't go wrong with one of those!! :-)
The Gold really did it for me. Might need to add one to my collection one day
Thanks for making these videos, they are very helpful! Subscribed.
Dude, first off, I've watched lots of speaker demos over the years and yours have to be some of the best content I've come across. So thank you for the time, effort and care you put into these - it definitely comes across! Subscribed :)
Second, I remember you saying in several comments in a few videos that the alnico cream was one of your favourite speakers you've ever played. I've owned (and dearly miss) a Blue, and even in this demo it just sounds so damn alive! Now that I'm looking to pair something up with a 50-60w Vox voiced amp I'm hoping to recapture that feel as best I can. I loved the sound of that Fane A60 as well, seems like there are some great options out there. Im just wondering if your preference has changed after demoing so many alnicos.
Thanks for the help, and for the killer demos!
Ah thanks Jordan - glad it was useful :-) I do love the Cream, but to be honest, the Fane A60 is definitely up there for me too nowadays. There's not a single situation I've put that speaker in and not had it sound incredible! For the 'classic' Vox sound though, you're probably still looking at Blue/Golds to get that trademark 'chime'. But if you're looking for an epic all-rounder, the Fane is wonderful also. :-)
@@JoePerkinsMusic awesome, thanks man! Best wishes.
Ruby in my Tone King Imperial MK II does not sound soo dark/mellow, but just smoothes the harsh highend at the lead channel. Still have to break it in. I guess sound depends on amp itself too. :)
Absolutely - definitely has its place, completely depends on guitar/amp/gain/etc!
you have the best demos. i work for a backline company that rents amps, ive put an alnico cream on a beaten up hot rod deluxe and it just sings.
Excellent comparison! Very well done. Just subbed. My preference would be the blue also.
Thanks Brian :-) Hope you like the other videos!
The Alnico Creamback 90W 👌
My favourite.
Thanks for this video. I had a Vox with a Blue in it and I loved it. Another Vox I had had the Cream Back and I liked that too. But I went with the Gold for my Marshall DSL40. The reason is that it sounded like the Blue and the Gold has 50 watts. And that matches my amp well. However, I'm now wondering about the Cream. But I just find it to close to the Green Back or V-type. I think the Cream will really shine on a 100 watt amp. Do you feel that the Cream would sound more like Gold or Blue dimmed in a 100 watt?
Loved the review, very well done. I have subscribed based on this one video. I have an AC15C1X with the blue that is my favorite amp at the moment. However, I would love to have a high powered 212 cabinet with the Creamback and the Ruby!
Thanks William :-) Yep, the Blue seems to be a perfect speaker for AC-style amps!!
Blue wins. Gold is close. Others are too nasally. Break in maybe?
The 'other' three are already pretty broken in as I've been using them every day for a year or more now. The Ruby was straight out the box...but I don't think breaking it in would change the sound too drastically compared to the others. I think the high roll-off is just its nature!
True, if anything, breaking in the ruby will only loosen it up and make more bass; it could also open up the spectrum of mid details ever so slightly.
Ruby at 7:27 is pure Vintage Sound! Great nasal tone, Link Wray would have loved it!
Absolutely! (Love Link Wray's tone!!)
after so many years of watching alnico comparisons, showing the difference of low watt amp vs higher watt, Im confident thinking a cream or gold on stage, both in a d cab would be amazing. The blue sounds the best to me, always has, but best in studio. Great comparison! Thanks!
I really wanted to like the Ruby and feel like it matches up power rating wise with my Mark V 35, but I really ended up preferring the gold. You're absolutely right about the bite in the top end. Thanks for a great demo!
Cheers Frank :-) Yeah, it's a very differently voiced speaker to the others.
I put Gold in mine and i was worried Id made the wrong choice but your videos put my mind at rest, they all sound exactly the same to me!
Blue every time.
He should not be too afraid of pushing the blue a bit further in my opinion. Celestians are made for harmonic distorting and take peaks of twice their rating.
On the other hand if you are careless punk rocking with feedback all night long you may smoke the voice coil.
The Gold is the most universal of the bunch and the Cream is definitely better driven hard with a darker sounding amp.
Interesting how the character changes from clean to dirty. The Ruby was consistently and noticeable mid focused in each scenario but lacked the musical upper mids that the Blue and Gold exhibit at different points. It would be very interesting to pair the Ruby with a scooped speaker like a G12H30.
I use this mix in 212 :) Epic!
Listened through a couple of times. To me the Gold stands out overall as having the most distinctive and authoritive sound - but then I ended perhaps preferring the cream as being a bit smoother with some of the heavier distortion settings.
Surprisingly, the blue didn't come over to me as more alive in the recordings.
The Ruby certainly failed to impress - presumably would be better broken in, but even so...
Aye, the Ruby was straight out the box - I do think it's very different to the others though, especially with that high roll off...I don't think breaking it in will change the high-end detail too much! For some of the gainier sounds I actually preferred the Ruby as it tamed the harsh fizz, put me in mind of the warm Brian May mid-range honk....overall though, in this amp, I think I'm with you on preferring the Cream! :-)
great review! well done! there is something lurking in the tone of that ruby that I suspect would work rather well with mid gain sounds, it sounds indeed like it needs a little breaking in, after all the blue in my AC 15 needed a LOT of breaking in before it started sounding sweet....
Great demo! I would love to see an original blue or silver Celestion / Vox bulldog added to the mix. I build amps and I have used a number of the modern blues, but I also own 5 of the original 1960's Silver Alnicos that were used in AC-30's. Even reconed they are fantastic. The Blue in this demo shines with all of the crang and sparkle I like. I have always been skeptical of that 15 watt power handling spec as it seems with a 1 3/4 inch voice coil it should handle more even with a paper voice coil former. Also, is it possible that the Ruby was less broken in for this demo?
The Ruby _was) newer than the others, but definitely still broken in at the time of filming...it's just a very differently voiced speaker to the others!
Man thanks for focusing on rhythm. Not shredding or endless blues noodling. I still love the Blue. Best speaker ever. I dig the Ruby and think in the right bright amp would be a good match with the subdued highs.
1st leak:
Blue: 2:27
Gold: 2:57
Cream: 3:13
2nd leak:
Blue: 4:19 5:32
Gold: 4:34 5:18
Cream: 4:04 5:46
3rd leak:
Cream: 6:21 6:59
Gold: 6:28 7:14
Blue: 6:36 7:07
4th leak:
Blue: 7:40
Gold: 7:48
Cream: 7:56
Les Pauk:
Blue: 9:14 10:12
Gold: 9:26 :10:27
Cream: 9:51 10:04
Great vid mate.. Don't understand 5 dislikes when you make honest, decent comparison of good line up alnico speakers. Great job🎸🎶
Cream is my favorite, followed by Gold, but it's just cause it provides me a bit later break up on clean channel compared to my previous speaker
Aha, probably Jensen/Eminence/etc fans ;-) heh Cheers mate!
If you weren't so thorough with the multiple mics, phase, etc, I'd say you had made a mistake, like being too far off center on the Ruby. But... it might just be that much darker. Not really what I'd go for to achieve sparkly, shimmery cleans, or a cutting crunch tone. I doubt break-in is going to change this particular Ruby in a way that would make it more clear sounding. Thanks so much for doing this comparison. I now know I don't need a Ruby, and should maybe give the Cream a fair shake in a high powered 112 combo or cab.
Aye, the mics were in exactly the same place each time...measured to the mm! ;-) haha Yeah, it was fresh out of the box but I think the high end roll-off is the nature of the beast...though as I say at the end of the video, if you're a high-gain rhythm player I think it'd work fantastically well!
1. Blue
2. Gold
3. Cream
4. Ruby
How dare you insult the Ruby Defence Team like this.
I like the presence and definition of the gold best of all
Really like the gold I have in my Allen encore amp! (Vibrolux style amp) My favorite speakers I have are my 2 15 inch JBL D130F’s in my Fender Dual Showman setup monster tone! Use the vibrolux for my tele and the showman for my Les Paul
I'd really like to hear a Gold and a Ruby in the same 2x12. I think it would sound a little more rich.
Thanks. Great work.
Great demo! I preferred blue on lower wattage hands down, followed by gold in all other situations
The Ruby has really punchy mids, which seems to require "less dirt/gain" and some more headroom "to breath". But if we tweek it just right, I think we can get some nice tones which we would expect out of an Orange, Marshall or Laney amps, geared more towards some kind of Stoner/Doom/Sludge genres/styles.
Excellent comment.
The Ruby rolls off the top end that's why the mids seem forward - in the rite amp like an AC15C1 a Ruby is a weapon.
Gold and blue for me (similar). The ruby is the odd one out. I like that gold.
I hear something like blue and cream are closer, ruby is more like a greenback, and the gold is sometimes between ruby and cream sometimes between cream and blue thats so weird
I hear something like blue and cream are closer, ruby is more like a greenback, and the gold is sometimes between ruby and cream sometimes between cream and blue thats so weird
I was thinking the same thing
I dont like how the Ruby sounds but i think ill make a 2X12 with a Blue and the Ruby should soung interesting as the blue will give the ruby what is lacking for i have all Celestion alnicos but this video just ring my bell about the 2X12 well done Joe
Simply awesome vid. Thank you! I was very interested in the Ruby, because of the wattage rating ... until now. It lacks what I love in the Blue. On the other hand, I agree that for certain higher gain applications, the Ruby would sound great. The cream sounded more sterile than the others. The video helped confirm my decision to go with a gold for a 1x12 solution for a 30 watt head. It is extremely helpful to hear the speakers run through the gamut of gain settings and a variety of pedals. I feel I now have a firm grasp on the character of each speaker in various contexts, especially having a good personal reference point with the Blue. Thanks again!
Glad I could help mate :-) The Gold is an epic speaker!!
Great demo. I've been combing through all of the Celestion Alnico options, looking for the best all-around speaker for a 112 cab, specifically to be paired with a Vox NT15 head that I'm a fan of (though I may be in a minority in that fandom), and your demo is one of the best I've stumbled across, so far. The NT15H is very AC15-like. It's capable of more mids and gain than AC15s I've had in the past, and it can also get brighter. But overall, it's very similar and can nail AC15 tones when tubed-up and dialed-in for it. Basically, it's a bright amp, that can get too bright, and I'm torn between the Cream and Ruby for it. (The Blue is also a contender, but it might get too much chime for this head. I also worry about blowing Blues, as I have blown Alnico Blues in AC15s, in the past.) What's your opinion, Joe? Like you, I'm mostly a cleanish-light-drive rhythm-guitar player (mostly indie-rock, 60s rock, jazz and blues); but for leads, I've been known to pull out a fuzz (or, occasionally, an HM2).
Whilst the Blue should be fine in a 15W amp (and they all have slight tolerances built in) I'd personally use a higher rated speaker with a 15 watter as I really don't like speaker distortion and it'd be right at its upper limit. If your amp verges on being too bright the Ruby could definitely be a good shout - the high end response is there, it's just much lower than the others, so it's not like there's absolutely nothing up top & it's great for bright amps. I've got the Ruby in my Dr Z Z-Wreck at the moment (AC30-type circuit) and it works very well in there for a more mellow sound. The Gold is essentially a higher-rated Blue so plenty of chime there. I guess it depends on whether you're looking to darken the amp or embrace the brightness - but the Ruby & Gold are probably where I'd be looking depending on what tone you're after. :-)
@@JoePerkinsMusic Thanks Joe! A 90-Watt rating for a 7.5/15W amp does seem a bit too stiff, which is a misgiving on the Cream. If I always run the NT15 in triode (7.5W) mode, which is really where the AC15 tones live, the Blue would become a better option, but you're right... Live, it's likely that I'll use pentode (15W), and I hate speaker breakup, too. I'll look into trying both the Gold and Ruby, first, hopefully with a borrowed cab or a store with a return policy, who wouldn't mind a bit of game-play. Thanks again.
I love the Cream. I'm nearly ready to pull the trigger on fitting it into a beautiful 5 watt George amp EL84 amp. It's got an open-backed oversized 112 and the amp is a bit dark yet has quite a lot of headroom for such a low watt amp. I'm not keen on cone breakup with that amp and I feel the Cream will deliver. I don't have a ton of experience in these matters however so I am open to any suggestions if anything else comes to mind. Thanks for the great video!
Fane A30 or A60 would fulfil similar roles - definitely worth a look :-)
@@JoePerkinsMusic thank-you Joe, much appreciated. I am enjoying your channel. I live in Spain so Fane is a brand I haven’t come across personally. I’m aware of them from your channel and yes, based on what you’ve shown us with your videos, I agree with you.
I just go 2 Ruby for my Redmere soloist. They sound really good with the enhanced .7k and the attenuated 5k (to my ear). The Redmere is so versatile with the graphic EQ and the wide range channel EQs that I think with the Ruby it will sound fantastic. Even though Brian May uses the Blues, the Ruby sounds like a old version of the Blue. That midrange cough is gonna be fantastic with the Redmere's Sustain effect. When I get it back from being rebuilt I'll be doing some demos of it with the Rubys.
I’m sure with some eq the ruby can get it’s sound
ty! you just helped me making the decision!
Glad I could help :-)
Fascinating. I was very much looking forward to the Ruby, but it sounded like it had a blanket over it. No highs. I was surprised that the Gold had more highs than the Ruby. The Cream was good, too, but Blue continues to rule.
The Ruby sounds like it's broken compared to the other ones, which could be really cool in some instances. Thinking about putting one in my 4x12 cab for tracking.
Great video, thanks! I liked the Blue the best almost every time. It sounds warm (lows), defined (highs), and rich (mids), while also sounding very open and musical. The Gold is a close second for the same reasons. I think I'd choose the Blue for a lower-powered application, and the Gold otherwise. The Ruby has a pronounced mid emphasis and tightness to it that might be just right in some situations, and might come across differently in a mix than it does solo, but it was my least favorite of these four with all of the gear and styles you played. The Ruby sounds like there's a blanket over the amp. As I listened, I was also wondering how much break-in time it and the other speakers had.
The Ruby had about 8h of loud playing under its belt by the time this video was made...so not properly broken in, but not fresh out the wrapper either. But breaking in a speaker softens the highs if anything (the brightest it'll ever sound is when its brand new) so the 'blanket over amp' effect won't improve with age...it's just how that speaker is. I made a video a couple of weeks ago putting the Ruby in some different amps where I think it works much better: th-cam.com/video/VpHKq6EhfEk/w-d-xo.html
Hi Joe, thanks for this video. They are all good. I have one 4x12 Gold and one 4x12 Blue cabs for long time. Ruby is very interesting( now I want a 4x12 Ruby 😊) as a " punch in you face", less polite and ready to grunge/crunch with an old Marshall plexi? Ruby seems definitely more vintage and dirty to my ears than the 3 other ones, delivering more mids in your face with a brown vintage tone?
The Ruby sounded crap at every setting. Sometime after 16:00 it makes a weird scratchy farty thing for a strum or 2 that’s ghastly.
The Blue has that nice high end detail and clarity it’s known for, the Gold has that gravelly midrange grind you can’t dial out if it’s not your thing.
The Cream sounded nice at lives up to it’s name in being creamy without being muddy. I’d like to crank them through my Hiwatt and see how they fare.
I have UK Blues in my Vox 212 cab, and have owned a Gold.
Great demo, you really got the Gold and Blue to sound like they really do even over my iphone.
Thanks for this! I just bought a used 16 ohm cream to go in my fender ss22 combo. It will sit above a 2x12 semi open with an 8 ohm cream and 8 ohm gold pair wired at 16 ohm total. It is very interesting how the 8 ohm version of the cream sounds different from the 16 ohm when each is played alone in the combo. Your video with the v30 vs the cream helped me realize this difference.
Ah excellent stuff Michael :-) Yep, the Cream is a phenomenal speaker...probably my favourite of the four!
Your demos are always logical and well executed. This is the alnico demo that I always refer people to.
The two that wound most similar to me are the gold and the cream. What is your impression of the differences between those?
Power rating (obvs!) and the Gold has more chime and clarity - the Cream is smoother in the mid-range, less bitey.
Such an outstanding demo with the collection of mics. Nice recording setup. I use Blue and Gold, and recently added the Heritage Greenback collection, and have been listening to speaker demos. In the comments elsewhere I found a link to this video.
Just playing devils advocate, what would you do with the Ruby? Likely you would open up the treble or presence on the amp, or throw some of your nasty tones at it. Each speaker likely had a focus that you would prefer.
The reason I use the Blue is for my lead guitar, high gain, feedback. What I like about it is the reduced or eliminated harsh top. Strangely, the Ruby is doing that better than the Blue, which begs the question ‘How would the Ruby do here?’
Great. That’s all I need! 😜
Thanks mate! :-) For me, the Ruby would be best suited either to being paired with a brighter, more detailed speaker (the Gold or Blue, probably) so that the lack of top end is balanced out; being used to tame a particularly bright, aggressive amplifier; or for heavier gain tones. Whenever I'm recording heavy distortion tones (which isn't often!) my first port of call is usually to low-pass the recordings to remove any fizz...and the Ruby kinda does that on its own. It definitely has its uses and a lot of people love it...but out of these 4, it's probably bottom of my list in terms of my personal preferences. :-)
I'd pair blue with cream. I feel like gold sits between those 2. But the Cream sounds brighter in some clips and gold brighter in some clips. The Revival drive and gold was awesome.
To be fair, the RevivalDRIVE sounds great into most things :P
my first reaction to the ruby was meh, that thing needs serious breaking in
I think I am sold by the Cream I will be going after. Sadly, I have to get two of them to put in my 2X12. But damn, I love the sound. Hell, maybe a mix with a V30? I love those cleans from it. But still a rock and bit of a metal guy to a point.
enjoyed this comparison very much.... thing is, I've never been to a show where a person/s say, I think those are the such and such alnico's....
Well, if the guitarist hadn't chosen a speaker, there wouldn't be a show to go to...! ;-)
P.S. You haven't been to a show with me ;-) haha!!
@@JoePerkinsMusic oh no, you're one of "those?"J/K Peace
@@bishlap Hah :P Never go to a gig with a guitar nerd ;-)
@@JoePerkinsMusic Well, Joe, there's a 1st time for everything. Now, to elaborate somewhat, many times I/we/friends/ have all said something like, Check that Fender this Marshall that, but never have gone as far as to ask, wonder if those are greens/creams/blues/JENSEN's etc. I will have to start a "new" trend in my world.
Hoping to see Samantha Fish soon... what's in those "Category 5's" she plays? LoL - PEACE.
Great video! To my ear, Blue > Gold > Cream > Ruby.
Damn, I like the blue. I'm ok with the highs melting my face as long as it gets me heard in the band without burying the singer or keys.
But unfortunately, 15W would be a bit too risky for live gigs, so I'll have to go with the gold, although it's a bit tamer.
Anyway, great review!
I've got the Blue in my AC15HW and that can certainly be gigged with with no worry whatsoever. Of course it's implied as it's a 15 watt speaker in a 15 watt amp. I wouldn't fit for more powerful amps however just by itself.
2X12 or 4X12 opens many windows for the Blue!
@@tomd8313 indeed that’s true. The Alnico speakers do weigh a lot however. Moving around a 412 isn’t something I’ll likely be doing.
The Ruby has the less clarity of all. I'm really surprised it costs that much. It's truly not what I can expect from an Alnico speaker. If you want a dull and muddy sound, the Ruby is the winner!
The ruby might shine more with a tele.I would have to say overall I like the gold the best but the blue outshines in some areas.the gold just seems overall apps the best.the ruby did allmost nothing for me.thanks for the video!
Thanks for the video. Your playing is impressively consistent. IMO you sound best on HB guitars. My unscientific theory is that the ear adjusts to different speaker tones, so longer segments sound “better.” The Ruby works better in some situations than others, I think.
Unscientific maybe but I agree. I think it affects the player too… these shootouts would be more apples to apples if the players used a looper.
Although watching Joe, his left hand is pretty steady, it seems like less of an issue in this video
Despite what everyone might say I quite like the ruby. I think it would work great in a 4x12... but would be expensive!! The gold definitely sounds like an improved blue. And the cream is a bit meh compared to the others but if it was running high watts into a 1x12 that would work wonders.
Yep absolutely - they all have their place :-)
Excellent work mate.👍🏻
Another great video, Joe. Which of these would you recommend for a Tweed Champ (5F1) clone with a 12" speaker? I'm currently using a Jupiter 12LC. I'm pretty happy with it overall, but it can be a little harsh, even clean, with certain pickups. I mostly play clean (worship, ambient, jazz, blues) but also do some rock n roll style overdrive (worship and classic rock). I'm almost exclusively a bedroom player. I don't play with loud groups due to my tinnitus. I play teles exclusively, though with a wide variety of pickups. I've had several people on TDPRI recommend the Blue and to a lesser degree the Cream. I'm looking for good clean head room (I mainly use pedals for gain) and want to avoid the fizziness that affects some alnico speakers under gain. Can you make a recommendation...either among these or another alnico?
I also have a 12" Champ clone - and I run the Blue in it currently; works amazingly well. That said, if you're trying to avoid the fizziness, take a look at the Fane A60 - I demoed it a while ago and it's much more relaxed in the buzzy upper mids compared to the Celestions. In this video, I compare the Blue to the A60 in that small Tweed combo: th-cam.com/video/t9bb1BLWohY/w-d-xo.html
I know i'ts wired, but after watching this stuff I'm in love with Ruby!
Fantastic news :-)
Joe
First thanks for doing this.
Have you thought of trying them together in a 2x12 to see which pair up together better?
I would be really interested to see how the Ruby works with the Blue and how it works with the Gold, get the best of both offsetting each others weakness. I own a newer Gold and a pair of Greenbacks and G12H30s from the 70s and a pair of Vintage 30s from an early 90s Mesa Boogie cab. I use 2 different speakers in 3 different 2x12s and the Gold on it's own currently, with 5 different heads 2W, 6W, 2 different 15W and a 20W. I use 2 different amps in a wet/dry setup and have just started using pedals. Nothing like 2 amps at once using up to 3 different speakers would like to get to 4 speakers.
Any thoughts appreciated.
Hi mate - I only 1x12 run combo amps so I've not tried them together in a 2x12. But that said, I run three amps together and have been experimenting with the Cream vs. Ruby in the Dr Z when combined with the other amps. Personally I'm a lower gain player and I like a lot of clarity/definition in my sound - so if anything I'm usually trying to get more high end & less lows into my sound. For those reasons, I've been preferring the Cream in the Dr Z in the context of my rig. But it totally depends how you mic the amps, what you're trying to achieve, etc too. In Wet/Dry, it could work really well to have the Ruby running dry to take the harshness off the high end, then the Blue/Gold/Cream adding sparkle & definition for the wet FX. I think for clean/lower gain stuff I'd still personally recommend the others over the Ruby, but if you're progressing past low gain & into crunchier territories the Ruby would definitely be worth experimenting with :-) That said though, the Ruby put me in mind of the warm, middley Brian May type sound, so if you're using a bright guitar into a bright amp, it could work great at controlling that.
Would like to hear them in a Deluxe Reverb, besides Jensen Blackbird 40
I'll keep my Alnico JBL d120f - actually I like the d131 even more with org cone... all of these sound nasal to me - but the blue sounds more bell like if I was there to jam not to wake the neighbors - love that big a33 lava lamp also :)
Takes 5 hours to warm up and do anything :P
I've got a Dr Z Z-Wreck with the 2x12 cab with a gold and blue in.
I'm always curious on what a cream and or Ruby would be like paired with the gold or blue. I'm going to be honest I don't hear to much of a difference between them all here 🤔
Personally, I'd stick with what you've got - the Ruby has a lot less top end, and whilst the Cream sounds lovely, it's more 'rock' and less 'chime', which is what the Z-Wreck is all about.
@@JoePerkinsMusic Thank you for the speedy response and even more so for the advice, I do love that cab and amp so why change anything right!
Also finally incredible video, I watched a few videos on this and non came close to yours. Expertly done and clear and top guy, keep it up!
@@daviddorrian5349 Thanks David - much appreciated! 🙂
Blue is sweetest, Gold is darn good.
The Blue is still my favorite. Now I have a VHT Special 6 amp, the Blue is a 15 watt speaker, I couldn't blow a Blue with 6 watts cranked could I, that would be one very expensive mistake. Any thoughts from the pros ?
Should be absolutely fine with that!
thanks Man, great test - that Ruby really sounds terrible... :-D
I am split between the Gold and the Cream (just ordered a Cream, I hope I will like it!)
Being a traditional Greenback / G12H30 Anniversary guy I am not really shure I will like Alnico speakers but I am curious enough to give it a try.
Good choice! Let us know how you get on :-)
The Alnico Cream generally sounded the best to me.
The Ruby is surprisingly dark... but I can see that working if you were trying to do the Brian May thing with a current production AC15C or AC30C series amp, the Normal channel of which is much brighter than in vintage Voxen and can be murderously shrill with a treble booster out front.
Agree on both accounts :-)
The MD441 has a beautiful sparkle.
I'm sorry.... What was the video about? I was distracted by the Beanie Baby collection.... I was going to say that they all sound terrible, until I realized it was my lack-luster computer speakers. I replaced both 12" speakers in my 1980 Carvin XV-212, 100 watt tube amp, with a pair of Celestion Golds. The Gold was intended to replicate the Blue and allow for a higher watt rating (50 watts vs 15 watts). Celestion has spent considerable R&D to achieve a close match between the two. After using the Gold for over a year now, I find it very close to the Blue and more well rounded in tone. Though a bit pricy...the Gold is an outstanding speaker. Great video, Thanks...
Do you think that the alnico gold would be happy in my VOX AC15? Given that it's rated at 50W and I'm mostly playing at home, I'm concerned that it won't sound as good as it did in your video. :)
Absolutely :-) For the first half of this demo my amp was running at 18W (so not far off your AC15!) and it still sounded great. If you're mostly playing at home, the Blue might be better suited if it's an option for you - it'll 'feel' slightly more exciting when the amp is giving it less juice at home volumes. But either would be a great choice - EQ wise, there isn't a huge amount between the two, and they both have the same power rating, so will pretty much be the same volume :-)
@@JoePerkinsMusic Local retailers and etailers, unfortunately, do not have any blues for sale, only golds. The thing is, I was able to recognize the gold instantly. As soon as it came up in every demo, I knew it was the gold one, and I wasn't actually watching, but rather listening while reading more on speaker efficiency.
Thanks for the tips, however, as well as the reply, it is much appreciated!
Ac15 is a truly great amp that matches perfectly with a blue if you play cleaner to medium crunch. If you play heavier distortion stuff then a vintage thirty or heritage uk green can in some ways be a bit better than a blue because of the mid-scoop potential. Only get the gold if there’s no way you could get a used blue (from somewhere that accepts returns just in case) or the gold is like half the cost of the cheapest blue you could find and you really don’t want a v30 or Uk green. Blues sound 5 to 10% better than golds imho; agree w jp in that they have similar overall treble brightness, not as much feel.
Wait, why did demos stop for the blue like midway through? Did I miss something here?
You did :P The Blue is a 15W speaker but my Dr Z is a 36W amp. So for the first half I ran it at half power (and not cranked) and tested all of them; in the second half I discarded the Blue and gave the other three the full 36W :-)
Cream did everything well (exactly as advertised I guess). A very balanced, versatile speaker, that was my overall favorite. All other speakers represented different compromises by comparison. Blue and Gold clearly have their applications. I can’t imagine what Celestion was thinking with the Ruby, but I have heard they can sound very good with the right amp (Z Wreck is one in particular I’ve heard mentioned elsewhere). IDK though, as I can’t imagine that speaker being my first choice ever.... Sounds like it would just disappear in a mix.
I think for the middly Brian May-type AC30 tone it could be really nice, but in my Z-Wreck I missed the top end chime....though I prefer brightness to weight! I think it could be great paired with a brighter speaker in a 2x12 :-)
Bonjour, belle démo, lequel préférez vous ?
Salut :-) J'aime le Gold et le Cream. (Pardon pour me Français terrible!!)
Blue all day got me🔊🔊
Gold FTW
Was wondering if it would be a good idea to pair my ceramic G12 M 25watts greenback with a alnico Ruby (35watts) or a Blue (15watts) knowing I don’t play very loud and I use generally an attenuator... the problem is the difference in wattage... you don’t find much on TH-cam studying pairing speakers like these...maybe a good idea for you. I find using one speaker alone sounds always too boxy to me... I always need at least 2 to four speakers associated to get a correct sound and it would be interesting to propose different formulas that are coherent with the specifications of the speakers’ used with 15, 30 and 100watt heads with or with out attenuation...what do you think ?
I'm going to try and find a 2x12 cab next year so I can look into speaker pairings further :-)
I think the blue and gold are fairly close. The gold seems to be a bit more balanced overall where the blue is more punchy and in your face. The cream and especially the Ruby sit further back in the mix. They’d probably be great for jazz.
I wonder which celestion would be the best for voice
The ruby sounds very nasally... The V30 between the alnicos. I really liked the g12 cream with some hair on it. I got myself a blue alnico for my tweed deluxe and was rly shocked by its loudness compared to my old Jensen p10r... for homeuse i would rly need a attenuator.
Wonderful pedal collection btw ! Cheers
Kinda disappointed you didnt run the blue at 36w. Would of like to hear that speaker breakup overdriven.
Think I might have trashed it doing that :P
Hello ... did you mix 2x12 with Alnico Cream + Blue? I have a VOX AC30 and I'm thinking of putting Blue with Cream :)
I didn’t...this video was just the speakers individually. But I imagine that could sound cool :-)
To me the blue just has it. The cream and gold are definitely close seconds. But that ruby was meh. And yeah the blue has the most high end. But it’s easy enough to get rid of too much highs. It can sound harsh when trying to add them back if they weren’t there to begin with.
What do think of celestion aniversary vs. 70's greenbacks?
Never played 70s GBs. I had the Heritage Greenback in an amp last year...can't say it blew me away. But...can't compare the old vs new, I'm afraid!