Unbelievable a video of a 23 minute video that has basically answered the question everyone wants to know about celestion guitar speakers. The only bit missing is where the Seventy 80 speakers sit because they’re common in a lot of affordable cabs and combos so giving reasons why you would want to change that kind of speaker would be helpful. I have started using redback speakers because I wanted to run a 100watt amp through a 1x12 cab it sounds fantastic and it replaced the Vintage 30 in there which I really didn’t like the sound. But your explanation has made me understand why I really like the redback is because it’s in the ballpark of the era of music I like to listen to. Excellent work this definitely needs to be on the celestion website.👍
I'm seriously sleep deprived and a bit dehydrated this morning, yet I'm at the edge of the seat; thank you so much for explaining what previously was an impenetrable mess to me!
This was exactly what TH-cam was designed for. Right down to using a drum stick as your pointer. I would have gone to University if I could have learned useless-useful information like this.
I went to university and any stuff I learnt about this then (well actually it was more specifically learning bass playing and music) was extra-curricular. I presume having done a Mech Eng degree made it easier to learn this stuff later on! A
@@BarefacedAudio I went to music college but learnt everything I know from sound engineering and gigging in function bands in the evenings. I've run a musical instrument shop for a decade and I definitely never used anything from my further education in my day to day life. 🤷🏻♂️ Love your work... Will be buying a cab just as soon as I am working again.
I won't be able to buy right away but you just made a customer, sir - I recently bought an amp/speaker switcher and was planning on spending time over the next while buying(and eventually selling) and shooting out speakers for my own edification, and this helped focus me on the path, for lack of a better term, my purchases should take for Celestions. Many thanks!
Great video. Thoroughly agree with everything stated. I only have experience with the gold, 25w greenback, v-type, neo creamback, vintage 30 and G12T-75. I would add that the gold works really well in a deluxe reverb, 25w greenbacks seem to balance out only in a 4x12 and can sound harsh with high gain (but weirdly fine for fuzz), vintage 30s sound good in 1x12, 2x12 and 4x12 and produce decent cleans given how good they are for high gain but as many would agree the upper mids can be fatiguing. V-types are excellent for the price and provide a good balance for 'jack of all trades' amps like the DSL40CR. G12T-75s sound good in the Marshall 1960A cab with high gain but quite scooped in a mix and not great for cleans. The seventy 80 deserves all the hate it gets, the neo creamback has a bit too fast of a response and the G12 Neo Century Vintage is similar and overly bright (as seems to be the case for the newish Neo V type that there are about two demos of on all of TH-cam). Need to get my hands on a blue, G12H anniversary and a G12H (55) (or four..) at some stage as well. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
It’s an excellent video, but the only one I wanted to know about is the G12H-Anniversary, and how much of a Greenback it is? What greenback is the closest of the Anniversary? Or how close it could be from the old Marshall 4x12”?
Do you have a video comparing ceramic drivers in a Reformer 112? The Vintage 30 isn't my cup of tea so I'd love to hear the difference between a G12-65 Heritage, an M Creamback, an H Greenback Heritage 55hZ, and an A Type, for example.
Have tested in detail AlNiCo Blue/silver, V30, G12M Greenback+ Creamback, G12H-30 Anniversary, G12-65, G12T-75 and -100. Best combination by my ear is AlNiCo and ceramic in combo. Playing rock/blues/americano/pop-reverby-stuff I use a vintage silver + G12H-30 in a 212 cab. For 112 I have not really decided. Have earlier used G12-65 and G12-100. Also tried 1x G12H-30. Now I use another AlNiCo silver VOX speaker, but with only 17W power rating it has limited volume. Looking for best >50W solution - Possible Creamback, but need to get a better overview of the Jensen/american voicings. Maybe a A-type is good second option? Most likely will end up with a Alnico Gold :D
Arghh. You didn't even talk about the Anniversary G12H ! I have one and it's actually sitting in a box at the moment. Was hoping you'd give me a clue as to proper application. I'm going to assume that, given it's position on the chart, that it's more of a lead guitar voiced speaker. But I also think that a lead guitar voiced speaker would actually be better for a gainier rhythm sound? Excuse my petty criticism. Really, really wonderful video. Genius !
I think it's important to test many speakers with all the different circuits that you can to find the most compatible combinations make sure to observe proper impedence, I can also increase or decrease volume by adding speakers or decrease speaker sensitivity to lower volume increase speaker sensitivity to raise volume different type speaker for different type tone
This was very useful. I've mostly known Vintage 30s or whatever my combos came with. Watching Johan Segeborn and his great experiments/demos on vintage cabinets have me asking myself some questions about sound level, smoothness, etc .. Looking into the idea of running in stereo a pair of Monoprice/HB 15w tube combos, much like Budda Guedes, and realizing that I have some more to learn of what would work well. Now I need to learn more of your products, since you do have a the clearest explanation of Celestions I've seen, which tells me you know your products and that is something I can stand behind.
This video... is priceless!!!! Best damn explanation of Celestion speakers I've ever heard. Actually... one of the best explanations of guitar speakers... period. I wish you would do a video like this but with audio examples. It would honestly be my "greatest day of my life" dream to be able to have a single amp head, in the center of a room, with... 10-15 1x12 cabinets placed around the amp in an arch... with some kind of switchable junction box that allows me to run the head into each 12" speaker, one at a time. I've seen a lot of "shoot out" videos on TH-cam that show... one or two Celestions A/B'd. But... the audio is usually rubbish, and it is usually not a very good comparison. Like... Neo 250 vs. AlNiCo Blue. If I had $100,000 to spend on Celestions, I'd buy one of each and make my dream video. Ha!!! Anyway... I digress like mad. Thanks man!!! Excellent excellent video!!!
Celestion Alnico Cream. Worth the price premium. I play with very tight high gain. It retains all of the definition of the distortion of my 25 watt Mesa Mark Series since the power handling is so much higher than the amp output. The alnico mag tames the harsh highs just enough to reign in any harshness and adds enough warmth to make chugging sound more organic and less sterile. Anyone who thinks alnico can't be used for metal should re examine this topic. I think I'll add a ceramic creamback when I upgrade to a 2x12 unless you have another suggestion. 50% of what I play is metal w/ the other half being jazz, fusion, neo soul, and blues. The Cream sounds great for most genres IMO and is just very clear, warm, and organic while filtering out harshness.
Agree, they are not flabby sounding at all, just big, bold and sweet and very 'firm' in the tone too. I got a deal on 4 of them and put them into 2 2x12 closed cabs for some classic ZZ TOP rock and they are growing on me (usually play Greenbacks or G12H30)
Is the Seventy 80 that bad that they won't even mention it? I would like to swap out my seventy 80's for something like a Greenback and would love their opinion on that.
@@godsinbox unconfusing buyers so they actually get what they need (and don’t need to buy anything else) is our speciality - but we can do that because we’re small!
If I understood you correctly, the power rating (wattage) of a speaker indicates the approximate volume necessary to reach the sweet spot, correct? For example, in order to reach the sweet spot of a Vintage 30, one would have to send approximately 60 watt through it, correct? Or did I misunderstand you?
The simple answer to this is no, but it’s more complex than that. With guitar speakers (and it’s very important that you don’t apply this to any other types of speaker as guitar speakers are a unique case) there is a desire for a certain amount of cone break-up which will take some power (but certainly not full power) and how much will depend on the sound you want. 60W into a V30 is really bloody loud! (About 120dB!) Generally a lower rated guitar speaker has a cone which is designed to break up at lower power levels.
Highly educational! I'm just now setting off down this rabbit hole and demystifying guitar loudspeakers has been requiring much time input, which is cool. Back when I gigged in the late 80s and early half of the 90s, my main Thiele 2x12 slant had EV 100watt speakers. In my current researching I am finding my preference is Celestion H heavy magnet builds. Alnicos are very impressive sounding, thanks for the explanation on that! I don't own any of the speakers in your presentation. At a friend's house in 2019 we put a bunch of his cabs through some paces and the speaker which really stood out as sounding great was a pair NEO Creamback in a Germino 2x12. I believe most of the other cabs had V30s, but I'm not certain. I currently have a couple Tech 21 PE60s with Seventy 80, a SS Princeton with the typical Fender blue OEM and a couple Fender CyberTwins with G12T-100 set up in a big multiAmp WDW setup. With a VHT 2562 incoming I'm looking to do some speaker experiments to go alongside building an all tube WDW setup. Your video has me interested in the NEO 250, which is a surprise. I've watched a bunch of vids today on Celestion comparisons and the A-Type and Creamback H have stood out to me...my research continues and my cart is growing.
When people defend that shitty Vintage 30 sound with “it’ll cut right the mix” yea and so would a literal buzzsaw but that’s not a pleasing sound is it? Fuck Vintage 30’s.
I have the new Duchess amp pedal and I'm looking for a single 12 incher to knock dicks into the dirt. This made things so much clearer. Excellent video.
Didn’t know anything about speakers and how they effect my sound before this video, other than that celestion is the standard. Just bought my first boutique amp head and have decided to build my own cab. This video is awesome and made everything in the decision process so much easier. Explaining in an understandable matter, while not compensating or cutting out technicality and information. Awesome video 👍.
The G12 H Anniversary is the best all around sounding IMO. Oozes classic rock and Paul Kossoff. Vintage 30s are great in 212s and paired with the G75s in a 412. Classic Lead is killer too and props to the Creamback 65
I find them a little high pitched in frequency yes too bright as he said.. creamback, white alnico and copperback...mixed various mid and low end speakers texas heat, swamp thang, blackbird alnico and a 4 ohm celestion 100 hot and now it's not high pitches and may not be for everyone...grungy and thick
I’m pairing a G12H30 70th Anniversary with a G12H-30 (55 Hz) in a 50 watt Ampeg Reverberocket 212 open-backed combo. Sounds great! Nice creamy mids with present lows and sweet highs with a bit of distortion from the Anniversary while the 55 Hz G12H is a basic straightforward balance across the frequencies Speaker that runs a bit cleaner and keeps the combo from sounding too gritty. Love it!
I mix them with V-30's in the same cab and think they sound amazing. I like the combo better than my greenback loaded cabinet. I haven't tried an alnico. I like what I have.here in videos of the alnico's.
I have the G12H-75 as well in an oversized Avatar partial open back cab, and yes, "tight & clear" is a good description of this speaker, as well as full& round. It is a great pairing with a Soldano head. It is also VERY loud. I'm wondering how the G12H-75 compares to the NEO cream back.
I came here looking for more information on my Marshall Heritage G12's ... TH-cam videos on these are scarce & many are basically useless in my 'umble ! Looks like they're great for those 80's sounding cabinets Any chance you could expound the virtues of these Speakers in another Video Barefaced Audio, I for one would appreciate that Great video & interesting history lesson too ..... Keep up the good work Joe from Tasmania / Australia
Amazing video for a speaker novice! Thanks. Question: I just got a Laney Cub 15watt 1x12 combo with a matching 2x12 cab. all of the speakers are Celestion Rocket 50s which are no longer available. I like the sound a lot (cab speaker has mellowed out) but I def want to change them out. So back to the actual question: where do the Rocket 50s fit in sound wise?
Check out the Celestion V30 - one V30 will sound about as loud as all three Rocket 50s working in unison! Can't say much about the Rocket 50 (assuming that's what you mean? A google search yielded nothing called a "Rocker") but they seem versatile, depends a lot on the style you're playing/tone you're hoping to reproduce! It looks like the Rocket 50 is Celestion's answer to making a 12" guitar speaker that sounds ok for as little money as possible!
Chester was not a founding member and LP certainly was not his band, he was a member of it and he made his choices, I love what Chester brought to the band, but i didn't know him personally nor anyone else in the band, people act they own the band, it's madness
Brilliantly explained, 10/10. It's rare to get an easy to follow but still informative video. I was actually excited learning this all. Celestion should be promoting this. Thanks
Let's see my experience is with Celestion 70/80, Hot 100, G 12M, G12H30 Anniversary, and Marshall Vintage 12. They all work great for different purposes. I think I am not in love with the 100db sensitivity for some stuff. Something about pushing the power amp a little more. Also I feel like resonant frequency plays a good part in the overall character of the speaker. 70/80 sounds really good with solid state or clean pedal platform. Hot 100 is good for cleans and modern metal, G 12 M - great for classic rock sound, not for cleans unless you like dirty cleans, G12H30 is very bright and in your face - sounds great in alot of situations, but man that thing can wear out the ear drums a little sometimes - great for bluesy clean and hard rock/metal. Marshall Vintage 12 is darker than G12H30, brighter than Marshall Lead 80, and really brings the classic rock sound out of my DSL 20 and Blockhead 5150 in an old ADA cab. I have a few widely different types of amp I use from a small solidstate amps to large tube amps. These speakers all can bring out different qualities of an amp.
Thanks a lot for the information! I like to play baritone and love the lower sounds of the celestion blue and the v30. I would like to combine these with the celestion cream back 65 or 75, but they are very different in their performance... I thought about of 3 or 4 cabs in serial and parallel connection. The reason for this is, that I like to use distortion, overdrive and fuzz pedals and I love the tight sound and the low end of the celestion blue and the v30 speaker. The cream back gives me the sounds for my lead parts. I play my guitars clean and with distortion and I play different kind of music from blues to metal and other things. If I want to use this different speakers together I think I will get a problem with the loudness of the different speaker types. Is there a way how I can reduce this problem? For an example: 2 celestion blue in serial and a v30 and a cream back in parallel connection.???
I only have Marshall Cabinets,1960A&B 4x12, 2556A&B 2x12, some Vietnam version MG412A&B 4x12A&B, and a single C410B 4x10B cab. I believe the 1960&2556 cabs have the G12-65 Heritage and are my favorite classic rock 60s, 70, and 80s rock and blues, Grand Funk Railroad, Led Zeppelin, ZZ Top, SRV, but I can also get EVH tones easily from them. The Vietnam cabs I have no idea what's in them but they suck. They seem harsh and my ears fatigue quickly, even tried mixing them with the others, I simply have never tried to open them to see what I'm dealing with. Maybe a good cab to upgrade speakers. That's for another day. The 4x10 cab has a pretty good tone but less Bass and slightly more Mids also have not opened it so not sure about speaker model inside. If I understand correctly the difference in magnet type and size or strength each have their own hysteresis averages for an AC signal which shape the tone of the speaker frequency response. And obviously the larger the coil gauge the more current which amounts to larger B-field fight against the permanent magnet used. Same magnet different coil gauges equals not only watt rating but also frequency response. Good video nicely simplified.
There is one thing I’d love to know, being a Mesa Booger … how does the 90w Celestion C12 Black Shadow fit into the map? (Specifically because I wonder what loudspeakers work well as an extension for a Boogie Mark V) Chris
Were is the Seventy 80 ? I like to buy a Thomann Tube 15, any many change the cheaper Seventy 80, to a bit, just a bit more expensiv Vintage 30. I've heard many exemples on on that change on that amp, and I realy think the bit cheaper Seventy 80 sounds clearer and better.
A question for a good replacement speaker. 2-12" OXFORDS 45 power watts, 8ohms, being used in a Music Man 212HD-130. The oxfords were the original speakers used.
This was excellent thank you, I'd love more audio electronics stuff from you guys. Intro to small signal design maybe? Chancing my arm a bit there! Thank you for this, very concise and not boring at all. But yeah whatever you upload I will watch
I have a hand wired Fender '64 Deluxe Reverb. I mostly play at low to medium volume and I don't really play much heavy stuff, mostly clean to medium distortion. I play mostly contemporary christian stuff in a worship band at church. My Deluxe Reverb is 22 watts so how much power the speaker has is not a concern. I don't care about how much it weighs so that's not a concern. I'm leaning toward the Creamback G12-M. I'm really not sure, what do you think ?
more free tube tips: 1. get a used orange vt 1000 tube tester it's 300$ 2.for a better tone swap v1 to a vintage mullard rca or ge they are under 100$ on ebay they all sound different but much better than modern stuff 3.for blues jr and hrd a mullard i63 is the best choice, for bright amps in general and strats...and distortion... 4.for blackface amps my black marlin set is v1 mullard i63 for a bassman like tone at the normal channel and ge12ax7wa at v2 for the vibrato channel 5.ge's are great to tame angry modern marshall's 6.brimars are the warmest mullards are the smoothest ge's are nice crisp and clear rca's are the american crunch enjoy
Just what I have been looking for! Thanks for taking the time to make this video ... a fantastic and fascinating explanation. Going to need to watch this a couple of times to digest, but feeling a LOT more confident about speaker upgrading or choice. Brilliant.
Thankyou great video.question?I got a jcm 8oo with lead cab with gt1275 love them,then I run a fender reverb amp wet dry.i love the tone,if I had a cream back cab and ran it with the gt1275,would it sound as good as the fender?I'm guessing not?
I have a Greenback, a Creamback, and an Alnico Cream. One of each. They each have their place. The Cream and Creamback each work great in a 1x12. The Greenback needs to be in a cranked 4x12 to sound good.
Dude, this vid has given me a totally different perspective. I've been trying for a early 2000s v30-ish speaker quest. But I play at bedroom levels heavily attenuated. Now I kinda realize all the youtube vids with speaker sounds bites blasting their cabinets with 100w amps arent really what my setup needs or can replicate. Thank you very much.
Great video sir. In short I prefer low wattage speakers for the reasons you state. They sound sweeter faster. They are nearer to the floor if you will and do not require revving a 12 cylinder engine to 7000 RPM to get their legs stretched. G 12 M 20 and blue most near and dear to my heart. G 12 H 75 and 55 are excellent. Definitely very different to each other and to the previously mentioned and you can tell which 60s stars wound up on those particularly the 55. 35XC is a modern classic in my opinion. Truly great. There are a few modern Jensens that are truly exceptional but not as uniformly exceptional as Celestions are. I must say that random old alnico speakers are a treasure hunt worth excavating. There are some truly brilliantly great sounds out there. Lurking around in old people’s living rooms. And on eBay of course. To hear you is to hear my own self. It’s refreshing to realize that someone else in the world realizes that all of these distinctions are not just stickers and plastics and designations. These are such all different animals. One I failed to mention is the Marshall vintage modern greenback. G12c. I think it is basically an undoped G 12 m 25. Doping really takes the sweetness out of the mid range. And notably all of my favorite speakers by Celestion are undoped. I wonder whether you know off the top your head whether the G 12 M 20 uses a paper former.
Alnico Blue, Alnico Gold, Vintage 30, G12M Heritage, G12M-65, G12H(55) Her, G12H(75) Her, G12H-150 Red, G12-65. Seriously GOOD video on loudspeakers. Particularly when you explained how a single Redback will sound full like a 4x cabinet. I have all of the above speakers, but want to add a pair of 25w Greenbacks. A good 70s sound, for my 74 JMP.
It's easy to smooth out the vintage 30 harshness , just put MXR 10 band EQ in the fx loop, bring down 2Khz @ -6db and 4Khz @-4db. Now you will have smoother tone without sounding muffled, comfortable to be listened to at higher volume.
Have to stop the video half way through just to say a big tahnk you!!! I've been looking for information on speakers as I just got myself a cab and want to change it to better for my tubemeister deluxe 20 head. Such valuable information to me right now.
this is the best explanation on youtube ever! ive swapped the stock speaker on a hot rod deluxe mk 3 to an alnico cream 90w and it turned out amazing, this was at my work on live gigs at a backline company so the amp is gigged with many guitar players and different styles and they all love it since it took the harshness away. at home i'm using 2 greenback heritage 20w with my 1974x and i love them thanks for an amazing and insightful video. btw here is my free tube tip: whatever amp you have it doesn't matter swap v1 to a vintage mullard it's under 100$ tested on ebay enjoy
I have four 4x12’s….every one of them are Marshall and have the Marshall G12 Vintage speakers (Original Version of the V30)……All from different eras…1987..1993..2003..and 2019….They are my favorite speakers by far…They just sound “right”to me….I have owned some G12M Greenbacks,which I didn’t care for….also G12-65’s,which I did like,but the Vintage 30 just sounds like what I think a guitar speaker should sound like…chest thumping low mids,nice soft crunchy midrange,and slightly rolled off treble…..the Greenback just sounds all farty in the low end,and it sounds like you put a blanket over the cab…what can I say..I have been playing V30’s for 35 plus years…I am a V30 guy for life….Great explanation of the difference in all these speakers though….
Great Video! A lifetime worth of very useful info in less than thirty minutes! Just as useful as "the talk" (birds & bees) me Pop gave me fifty years ago....
thanks for these explanations. I've got a VOXtb with a Bull Dog speaker and recently bought a later made VOXAC15c1 with a Greenback- quite a different sound! I was wondering if you know much about this VOX Bull Dog speaker and which Celestion it is most similar too, some say the Alnico Blue?
i have an alnico blue and g12 h anniversary in my top hat club royal that is utter perfection. i think those two speakers were made for each other,especially in vox/marshall type circuits. i also use a alnico gold in a more fender tweed princeton type circuit( swart str) i honestly did not think it was going to work,but it sounds great,will not be changed!
Thank you for the cool video. I have used Celestion G12H(55 Hz) and G12H(75 Hz), Celestion Gold, G12H Anniversary, G12T75, and EVH Greenbacks. Your lecture seems to explain something I was wondering: why the EVH speakers sound dark to me. I have had the Heritage 55 hz and 75 hz in a pair of 1x12 cabs for a long time. I picked those two after trying a bunch of speakers by different brands. Recently I acquired a Marshall 1960B (? the slanted one) loaded with G12T75s. I actually thought the T75s sounded pretty good (even though they get a lot of hate online), particularly the clean sounds. However, I liked the Heritage speakers so much that I thought I wanted the 20 W version in my cab. I was told by Celestion that the EVH's are the same as the Heritage, so I got four and put them in. I have found the EVH's to be much darker and muddier sounding than the Heritage speakers and I wondered if I should have held out and found some used Heritage 20 W speakers even though Celestion claims they are the same. I almost like the T75's better, but the EVH's do convey the midrange of a greenback (which I like). Anyway, according to your video, it makes sense that the 20 W version is more bassy and less crisp than the Heritage because it has a smaller magnet than the Heritage. Now I am thinking that I may want to switch my 4x12 to V-types or something. Anyway, thanks for the video. I almost clicked away because I didn't want to watch a 20 minute lecture, but it was pretty interesting!
Wow! what a cool break down and description of C speakers! I've had greenbacks, creambacks, VTs, and V30s. Out of these, I'm going to have to say the V30's sounded best for my preferred sound. 2x12 cabs with 2 1x12 cabs. If like to try the 250 coppers. They sound right up my alley. :o)
I like the vintage 30 in my 40c. Had to change the pre amp tubes and remove the c29 cap. Made the speaker perform a lot better. Sucks the greenbacks are only 30w.
What is the G12H Anniversary... an anniversary of? Or a reissue of? To my knowledge, it’s the brightest and most detailed of the bunch. It almost sounds like a Vintage 30 that’s been modified to be brighter and clearer.
I don’t know about Celestion, but I have this 15” Magnavox Alnico from 1967 made by Eminence. I play it outside a cabinet and it has the most high end detail I have ever heard!!! Sometimes I turn it so the front of the speaker is facing down on some convenient surface, right now a cared board box. And it’s still plenty detailed. I shudder to think how it would sound if you made a 15” box.
I have experience with the alnico blue gold and cream, the heritage G12m and Heritage G12H (55hz) , the regular g12m and G12H, the 70th anniversary G12H, the the vintage 30, the g12Hcreamback and the v type. Celestions are my favorite all around speakers. I put them in about everything. I particularly like them in fender amps to fill out the midrange some. I have a 55 hz G12H in a deluxe reverb (a vintage 30 sounds good in that as well) also have a 70th anniversary G12H in a tweed deluxe and lots of g12m in Marshall style amps and dr z style amps. Alnico blue in vox style. V type in a fender brownface deluxe. I wouldn’t necessarily agree with all the characterizations (g12Hs seem to have a lot of lows in addition to the highs, I wouldn’t say alnico golds loose highs compared to blues and I wouldn’t say any single 12 sounds like a 4x12. But a good bit of these I would agree with. I also find the alnico cream to be quite versatile regardless of its power rating and seems to sound really good in a plethora of settings.
I purchased a reality 112FR today and then watched this video to understand different celestion speakers and its absolutely fantastic, not only do you know your stuff, you are a born teacher, very clear and concise. Thanks mate
I had vintage 30s in a 2x12 but when I changed to a 4x12 I didn't like vintage 30s in that so I changed to g12m65 creambacks they sound much better. I found with the vintage 30s because of the higher sensitivity they don't break up as early as the creambacks plus creambacks are a lot smoother not so harsh. I use 2 2x12s now instead of a 4x12 it's easier to carry
I had used V30 for years But I was felt it was a little harsh in the top end and they were some mint things I wasn’t crazy about. The funny thing is I have a V 30 in my blues junior and it sounds great even and it’s not too bright. In my Bogner one by 12 I switched out the V30 for a Scumback J 75. That was less harsh in the highs and had more low mids which I preferred. I was also using a ported custom 1x12 with an EV 12L. With my Mezzabarba Skill 30 head which is a bright head and can go very high gain it was still a bit bright on the top. So I put in an Altec 417 and the high end harshness went away. That speaker seems to work well with clean but doesn’t get harsh on high gain sounds like many others do. Is someone who mixes I recognize that the guitar sweet spots are really the mids. In most mixes You typically roll off Lows and the highs on electric guitar. One thing with both the EV 12L and Altec is that they are high wattage speakers so they don’t break up as easily. This could be good or bad depending on what you were going for. I did Also noticed that when I switched them out the Altec was a little less loud than the EV. For me that’s actually a good thing because even with 30 Watt amps i’m still barely turning it up before it’s “too loud“. I think so far with all the trials I’ve had with speakers and cabs Altec 417 8H Series II has worked the best overall. It works well with Clean as well as very high gain and everything in between Andy biggest thing I like about it is the fact that the highest are not ice picky or harsh even if I go into a high gain boosted lead. Since it handles such high wattage you have to push it a bit to get into the sweet spot. As an experiment on my tone king Imperial 31 amp I ran it through the Altec one by 12 and that didn’t work as well. The tone king 33 speaker is it not only a 30 W speaker which broke up much sooner than the outlet but worked better for the amp. I’ll check with the tone king was a bit to “hard“ but I guess if I ever needed to use that amp and get more headroom that would be one solution because with the tone king since it’s only 30 W with a 30 W speaker your cleans do start crunching up if you get louder they live band. But the mezzabarba skill 30 head and the Altec for 17 seems like a good combination I could be playing in the loud seven piece 80s bands and the clean Chorus type parts stay super clean but then I can go to the high gain and do a screaming Van Halen lead and it’s not harsh. I did have a 412 with all Altecs which sounded great but was 100 pounds and totally impractical to use live. I am still curious about the Barefaced Cabs because the concept of The sound not changing drastically depending on listening position is very cool. I could set the amp to get a great sound right in front of it but then when I’m standing up at a gig the speaker is basically pointed at my legs and loses a lot of clarity which affects the “feel“ of the guitar.
This video should be on Celestion's page, the knowledge and clarity in this video alone is worth the price of several amps and cabs.
Ladies and gentlemen we have a bingo
Absolutely agree 👍
Well done...However, is it my imagination, or did you skip the G-12H Anniversary ? ...& if on purpose, why ?
Unbelievable a video of a 23 minute video that has basically answered the question everyone wants to know about celestion guitar speakers. The only bit missing is where the Seventy 80 speakers sit because they’re common in a lot of affordable cabs and combos so giving reasons why you would want to change that kind of speaker would be helpful.
I have started using redback speakers because I wanted to run a 100watt amp through a 1x12 cab it sounds fantastic and it replaced the Vintage 30 in there which I really didn’t like the sound. But your explanation has made me understand why I really like the redback is because it’s in the ballpark of the era of music I like to listen to.
Excellent work this definitely needs to be on the celestion website.👍
One of the most comprehensive and informative speaker overviews I've come across. Amazing amount of info packed into 20 minutes.
Excellent, educational, very well presented - THANK YOU!
You hardly mentioned my personal favorite-the G12H30!
I like the fact that you used a drum stick for your pointer stick.
Which Celestion would be the one with the less bass content for mounting on a very bassy Marshall 4x12?
I'm seriously sleep deprived and a bit dehydrated this morning, yet I'm at the edge of the seat; thank you so much for explaining what previously was an impenetrable mess to me!
This was exactly what TH-cam was designed for. Right down to using a drum stick as your pointer. I would have gone to University if I could have learned useless-useful information like this.
I went to university and any stuff I learnt about this then (well actually it was more specifically learning bass playing and music) was extra-curricular. I presume having done a Mech Eng degree made it easier to learn this stuff later on! A
@@BarefacedAudio I went to music college but learnt everything I know from sound engineering and gigging in function bands in the evenings. I've run a musical instrument shop for a decade and I definitely never used anything from my further education in my day to day life. 🤷🏻♂️
Love your work... Will be buying a cab just as soon as I am working again.
I think they would have taught this in high school back in the day potentially especially if you were an A/V nerd
Reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
I won't be able to buy right away but you just made a customer, sir - I recently bought an amp/speaker switcher and was planning on spending time over the next while buying(and eventually selling) and shooting out speakers for my own edification, and this helped focus me on the path, for lack of a better term, my purchases should take for Celestions. Many thanks!
Fantastic video. I was looking for a kind like that for years. Thank you!
Great video. Thoroughly agree with everything stated. I only have experience with the gold, 25w greenback, v-type, neo creamback, vintage 30 and G12T-75.
I would add that the gold works really well in a deluxe reverb, 25w greenbacks seem to balance out only in a 4x12 and can sound harsh with high gain (but weirdly fine for fuzz), vintage 30s sound good in 1x12, 2x12 and 4x12 and produce decent cleans given how good they are for high gain but as many would agree the upper mids can be fatiguing.
V-types are excellent for the price and provide a good balance for 'jack of all trades' amps like the DSL40CR.
G12T-75s sound good in the Marshall 1960A cab with high gain but quite scooped in a mix and not great for cleans.
The seventy 80 deserves all the hate it gets, the neo creamback has a bit too fast of a response and the G12 Neo Century Vintage is similar and overly bright (as seems to be the case for the newish Neo V type that there are about two demos of on all of TH-cam).
Need to get my hands on a blue, G12H anniversary and a G12H (55) (or four..) at some stage as well.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
Excellent video. Thanks!
It’s an excellent video, but the only one I wanted to know about is the G12H-Anniversary, and how much of a Greenback it is? What greenback is the closest of the Anniversary? Or how close it could be from the old Marshall 4x12”?
any spkr,,, played loud... 20 hrs or more,,, will smooth down harsh highs
Do you have a video comparing ceramic drivers in a Reformer 112? The Vintage 30 isn't my cup of tea so I'd love to hear the difference between a G12-65 Heritage, an M Creamback, an H Greenback Heritage 55hZ, and an A Type, for example.
IMO they’re all great but all the same. The difference is so minuscule that my already destroyed eardrums will never tell the difference!
Excellent educational video. So much rubbish and postering on TH-cam, it's good to see some honest facts.
I like the sound of g12 h creamback 75w
I have been looking for explanations like these. Yours are amazing! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge!
It's pronounced AL-nik-o. Not al-NEE-co. It is made with nickel, not neekle
I have a friend that's named Nico.
Excellent. Thanks you.
The G12M goes lower than the G12H 55Hz 😳🤯
PLEASE do 10" speakers
Have tested in detail AlNiCo Blue/silver, V30, G12M Greenback+ Creamback, G12H-30 Anniversary, G12-65, G12T-75 and -100. Best combination by my ear is AlNiCo and ceramic in combo. Playing rock/blues/americano/pop-reverby-stuff I use a vintage silver + G12H-30 in a 212 cab. For 112 I have not really decided. Have earlier used G12-65 and G12-100. Also tried 1x G12H-30. Now I use another AlNiCo silver VOX speaker, but with only 17W power rating it has limited volume. Looking for best >50W solution - Possible Creamback, but need to get a better overview of the Jensen/american voicings. Maybe a A-type is good second option? Most likely will end up with a Alnico Gold :D
I wanna go full range. I need singin smooth not gappy clipp i require more highs that dont sound like static
Arghh. You didn't even talk about the Anniversary G12H ! I have one and it's actually sitting in a box at the moment. Was hoping you'd give me a clue as to proper application. I'm going to assume that, given it's position on the chart, that it's more of a lead guitar voiced speaker. But I also think that a lead guitar voiced speaker would actually be better for a gainier rhythm sound? Excuse my petty criticism. Really, really wonderful video. Genius !
I think it's important to test many speakers with all the different circuits that you can to find the most compatible combinations
make sure to observe proper impedence, I can also increase or decrease volume by adding speakers or decrease speaker sensitivity to lower volume increase speaker sensitivity to raise volume different type speaker for different type tone
This was very useful. I've mostly known Vintage 30s or whatever my combos came with.
Watching Johan Segeborn and his great experiments/demos on vintage cabinets have me asking myself some questions about sound level, smoothness, etc ..
Looking into the idea of running in stereo a pair of Monoprice/HB 15w tube combos, much like Budda Guedes, and realizing that I have some more to learn of what would work well.
Now I need to learn more of your products, since you do have a the clearest explanation of Celestions I've seen, which tells me you know your products and that is something I can stand behind.
This video... is priceless!!!! Best damn explanation of Celestion speakers I've ever heard. Actually... one of the best explanations of guitar speakers... period. I wish you would do a video like this but with audio examples. It would honestly be my "greatest day of my life" dream to be able to have a single amp head, in the center of a room, with... 10-15 1x12 cabinets placed around the amp in an arch... with some kind of switchable junction box that allows me to run the head into each 12" speaker, one at a time. I've seen a lot of "shoot out" videos on TH-cam that show... one or two Celestions A/B'd. But... the audio is usually rubbish, and it is usually not a very good comparison. Like... Neo 250 vs. AlNiCo Blue. If I had $100,000 to spend on Celestions, I'd buy one of each and make my dream video. Ha!!! Anyway... I digress like mad. Thanks man!!! Excellent excellent video!!!
Hi, very cool. Where are the seventy 80 ?
Celestion Alnico Cream. Worth the price premium. I play with very tight high gain. It retains all of the definition of the distortion of my 25 watt Mesa Mark Series since the power handling is so much higher than the amp output. The alnico mag tames the harsh highs just enough to reign in any harshness and adds enough warmth to make chugging sound more organic and less sterile. Anyone who thinks alnico can't be used for metal should re examine this topic. I think I'll add a ceramic creamback when I upgrade to a 2x12 unless you have another suggestion. 50% of what I play is metal w/ the other half being jazz, fusion, neo soul, and blues. The Cream sounds great for most genres IMO and is just very clear, warm, and organic while filtering out harshness.
Agree, they are not flabby sounding at all, just big, bold and sweet and very 'firm' in the tone too.
I got a deal on 4 of them and put them into 2 2x12 closed cabs for some classic ZZ TOP rock and they are growing on me (usually play Greenbacks or G12H30)
Excellent comment
X4,,,? C
@@georgefromgreece4119 ycttyt yt cy. Tttttrt
Where does the 70/80 fit into this scheme?
Is the Seventy 80 that bad that they won't even mention it? I would like to swap out my seventy 80's for something like a Greenback and would love their opinion on that.
And for the F12-X200 ?
It's not really a guitar speaker in the normal sense!
Why is there so many teslas now? Because companies want to make money. Buyer confusion is good for business.
@@godsinbox unconfusing buyers so they actually get what they need (and don’t need to buy anything else) is our speciality - but we can do that because we’re small!
A really informative video, that’s cleared up a lot of uncertainty in my mind
Good explanations! You have summarized in a few minutes what took me years to understand.
Thanks for you point of view!
I'm from México and I can't find here your productos, what can I do?
We sell direct to Mexico, as with almost all countries (a few aren’t possible due to war etc)
If I understood you correctly, the power rating (wattage) of a speaker indicates the approximate volume necessary to reach the sweet spot, correct? For example, in order to reach the sweet spot of a Vintage 30, one would have to send approximately 60 watt through it, correct? Or did I misunderstand you?
The simple answer to this is no, but it’s more complex than that. With guitar speakers (and it’s very important that you don’t apply this to any other types of speaker as guitar speakers are a unique case) there is a desire for a certain amount of cone break-up which will take some power (but certainly not full power) and how much will depend on the sound you want. 60W into a V30 is really bloody loud! (About 120dB!) Generally a lower rated guitar speaker has a cone which is designed to break up at lower power levels.
Highly educational! I'm just now setting off down this rabbit hole and demystifying guitar loudspeakers has been requiring much time input, which is cool.
Back when I gigged in the late 80s and early half of the 90s, my main Thiele 2x12 slant had EV 100watt speakers. In my current researching I am finding my preference is Celestion H heavy magnet builds. Alnicos are very impressive sounding, thanks for the explanation on that!
I don't own any of the speakers in your presentation. At a friend's house in 2019 we put a bunch of his cabs through some paces and the speaker which really stood out as sounding great was a pair NEO Creamback in a Germino 2x12. I believe most of the other cabs had V30s, but I'm not certain. I currently have a couple Tech 21 PE60s with Seventy 80, a SS Princeton with the typical Fender blue OEM and a couple Fender CyberTwins with G12T-100 set up in a big multiAmp WDW setup. With a VHT 2562 incoming I'm looking to do some speaker experiments to go alongside building an all tube WDW setup.
Your video has me interested in the NEO 250, which is a surprise. I've watched a bunch of vids today on Celestion comparisons and the A-Type and Creamback H have stood out to me...my research continues and my cart is growing.
well, I bought four EVM 12L
Very helpful!
When people defend that shitty Vintage 30 sound with “it’ll cut right the mix” yea and so would a literal buzzsaw but that’s not a pleasing sound is it? Fuck Vintage 30’s.
Well not everything is for everyone!
I will have to watch this a few times to fully retain all the info here. Great video.
I have the new Duchess amp pedal and I'm looking for a single 12 incher to knock dicks into the dirt. This made things so much clearer. Excellent video.
Didn’t know anything about speakers and how they effect my sound before this video, other than that celestion is the standard. Just bought my first boutique amp head and have decided to build my own cab. This video is awesome and made everything in the decision process so much easier. Explaining in an understandable matter, while not compensating or cutting out technicality and information. Awesome video 👍.
The G12 H Anniversary is the best all around sounding IMO. Oozes classic rock and Paul Kossoff. Vintage 30s are great in 212s and paired with the G75s in a 412. Classic Lead is killer too and props to the Creamback 65
I find them a little high pitched in frequency yes too bright as he said.. creamback, white alnico and copperback...mixed various mid and low end speakers texas heat, swamp thang, blackbird alnico and a 4 ohm celestion 100 hot and now it's not high pitches and may not be for everyone...grungy and thick
I’m pairing a G12H30 70th Anniversary with a G12H-30 (55 Hz) in a 50 watt Ampeg Reverberocket 212 open-backed combo. Sounds great! Nice creamy mids with present lows and sweet highs with a bit of distortion from the Anniversary while the 55 Hz G12H is a basic straightforward balance across the frequencies Speaker that runs a bit cleaner and keeps the combo from sounding too gritty. Love it!
Fantastic and informative presentation. Thoroughly enjoyable plus the admission..”I’ve been there” re metal. This made my day. Thank you.
Vintage 30 is THE speaker of metal....
Literally 90% of metal guitar sound was done using a Vintage 30 in either a Marshall 4x12 or MesaBoogie 4x12...
0% of Metal used the Vintage 30 speaker, from 1965-1985 into 1986.
V30 was released in 1986.
Implied at Celestion site, V30 page.
Great video.
G12H-75 Creamback is my favourite, tight clear sound.
I mix them with V-30's in the same cab and think they sound amazing. I like the combo better than my greenback loaded cabinet.
I haven't tried an alnico. I like what I have.here in videos of the alnico's.
I have the G12H-75 as well in an oversized Avatar partial open back cab, and yes, "tight & clear" is a good description of this speaker, as well as full& round. It is a great pairing with a Soldano head.
It is also VERY loud.
I'm wondering how the G12H-75 compares to the NEO cream back.
I use an Alnico Blue with a G12H 70th Anniversary in a /13 2x12 open-backed cab. Great combination together!
I came here looking for more information on my Marshall Heritage G12's
... TH-cam videos on these are scarce & many are basically useless in my 'umble !
Looks like they're great for those 80's sounding cabinets
Any chance you could expound the virtues of these Speakers in another Video Barefaced Audio, I for one would appreciate that
Great video & interesting history lesson too ..... Keep up the good work
Joe from Tasmania / Australia
Amazing video for a speaker novice! Thanks. Question: I just got a Laney Cub 15watt 1x12 combo with a matching 2x12 cab. all of the speakers are Celestion Rocket 50s which are no longer available. I like the sound a lot (cab speaker has mellowed out) but I def want to change them out. So back to the actual question: where do the Rocket 50s fit in sound wise?
Check out the Celestion V30 - one V30 will sound about as loud as all three Rocket 50s working in unison!
Can't say much about the Rocket 50 (assuming that's what you mean? A google search yielded nothing called a "Rocker") but they seem versatile, depends a lot on the style you're playing/tone you're hoping to reproduce! It looks like the Rocket 50 is Celestion's answer to making a 12" guitar speaker that sounds ok for as little money as possible!
Thanks. Yes meant Rocket 50, sorry darn autocorrect!
Chester was not a founding member and LP certainly was not his band, he was a member of it and he made his choices, I love what Chester brought to the band, but i didn't know him personally nor anyone else in the band, people act they own the band, it's madness
Brilliantly explained, 10/10. It's rare to get an easy to follow but still informative video. I was actually excited learning this all. Celestion should be promoting this. Thanks
Let's see my experience is with Celestion 70/80, Hot 100, G 12M, G12H30 Anniversary, and Marshall Vintage 12. They all work great for different purposes. I think I am not in love with the 100db sensitivity for some stuff. Something about pushing the power amp a little more. Also I feel like resonant frequency plays a good part in the overall character of the speaker. 70/80 sounds really good with solid state or clean pedal platform. Hot 100 is good for cleans and modern metal, G 12 M - great for classic rock sound, not for cleans unless you like dirty cleans, G12H30 is very bright and in your face - sounds great in alot of situations, but man that thing can wear out the ear drums a little sometimes - great for bluesy clean and hard rock/metal. Marshall Vintage 12 is darker than G12H30, brighter than Marshall Lead 80, and really brings the classic rock sound out of my DSL 20 and Blockhead 5150 in an old ADA cab. I have a few widely different types of amp I use from a small solidstate amps to large tube amps. These speakers all can bring out different qualities of an amp.
Fantastic video; perfect breakdown. Thanks for the upload.
Great video!!
Thanks a lot for the information! I like to play baritone and love the lower sounds of the celestion blue and the v30. I would like to combine these with the celestion cream back 65 or 75, but they are very different in their performance... I thought about of 3 or 4 cabs in serial and parallel connection. The reason for this is, that I like to use distortion, overdrive and fuzz pedals and I love the tight sound and the low end of the celestion blue and the v30 speaker. The cream back gives me the sounds for my lead parts. I play my guitars clean and with distortion and I play different kind of music from blues to metal and other things. If I want to use this different speakers together I think I will get a problem with the loudness of the different speaker types.
Is there a way how I can reduce this problem? For an example: 2 celestion blue in serial and a v30 and a cream back in parallel connection.???
Are you thinking in terms of sensitivity or power handling? All speakers running at once off one amp?
@@BarefacedAudio I think power handling could be a problem... I want to use only one amp (Amp1 Mercury, Bluguitar) and all speakers at once...
Excelent descriptions. Thanks!
I only have Marshall Cabinets,1960A&B 4x12, 2556A&B 2x12, some Vietnam version MG412A&B 4x12A&B, and a single C410B 4x10B cab. I believe the 1960&2556 cabs have the G12-65 Heritage and are my favorite classic rock 60s, 70, and 80s rock and blues, Grand Funk Railroad, Led Zeppelin, ZZ Top, SRV, but I can also get EVH tones easily from them. The Vietnam cabs I have no idea what's in them but they suck. They seem harsh and my ears fatigue quickly, even tried mixing them with the others, I simply have never tried to open them to see what I'm dealing with. Maybe a good cab to upgrade speakers. That's for another day. The 4x10 cab has a pretty good tone but less Bass and slightly more Mids also have not opened it so not sure about speaker model inside.
If I understand correctly the difference in magnet type and size or strength each have their own hysteresis averages for an AC signal which shape the tone of the speaker frequency response. And obviously the larger the coil gauge the more current which amounts to larger B-field fight against the permanent magnet used. Same magnet different coil gauges equals not only watt rating but also frequency response.
Good video nicely simplified.
Phenomenal video. Thanks so much! Extremely helpful
There is one thing I’d love to know, being a Mesa Booger … how does the 90w Celestion C12 Black Shadow fit into the map? (Specifically because I wonder what loudspeakers work well as an extension for a Boogie Mark V)
Chris
Were is the Seventy 80 ? I like to buy a Thomann Tube 15, any many change the cheaper Seventy 80, to a bit, just a bit more expensiv Vintage 30. I've heard many exemples on on that change on that amp, and I realy think the bit cheaper Seventy 80 sounds clearer and better.
A question for a good replacement speaker. 2-12" OXFORDS 45 power watts, 8ohms, being used in a Music Man 212HD-130. The oxfords were the original speakers used.
This was excellent thank you, I'd love more audio electronics stuff from you guys. Intro to small signal design maybe? Chancing my arm a bit there! Thank you for this, very concise and not boring at all. But yeah whatever you upload I will watch
I have a hand wired Fender '64 Deluxe Reverb. I mostly play at low to medium volume and I don't really play much heavy stuff, mostly clean to medium distortion. I play mostly contemporary christian stuff in a worship band at church. My Deluxe Reverb is 22 watts so how much power the speaker has is not a concern. I don't care about how much it weighs so that's not a concern. I'm leaning toward the Creamback G12-M. I'm really not sure, what do you think ?
more free tube tips:
1. get a used orange vt 1000 tube tester it's 300$
2.for a better tone swap v1 to a vintage mullard rca or ge they are under 100$ on ebay they all sound different but much better than modern stuff
3.for blues jr and hrd a mullard i63 is the best choice, for bright amps in general and strats...and distortion...
4.for blackface amps my black marlin set is v1 mullard i63 for a bassman like tone at the normal channel and ge12ax7wa at v2 for the vibrato channel
5.ge's are great to tame angry modern marshall's
6.brimars are the warmest mullards are the smoothest ge's are nice crisp and clear rca's are the american crunch
enjoy
Just what I have been looking for! Thanks for taking the time to make this video ... a fantastic and fascinating explanation. Going to need to watch this a couple of times to digest, but feeling a LOT more confident about speaker upgrading or choice. Brilliant.
Great information but I didn't catch the G12H Anniversary...did I miss that?
Hi Bareface! What do you think about 2x12 combination of Celestion Vintage 30 and Celestion G12H30?
I have that set up in an open back Avatar 2x12. It sounds great for rock and blues.
Great review! Really cleared up everything you need to know when selecting a Celestion speaker.
Thankyou great video.question?I got a jcm 8oo with lead cab with gt1275 love them,then I run a fender reverb amp wet dry.i love the tone,if I had a cream back cab and ran it with the gt1275,would it sound as good as the fender?I'm guessing not?
I have a Greenback, a Creamback, and an Alnico Cream. One of each. They each have their place. The Cream and Creamback each work great in a 1x12. The Greenback needs to be in a cranked 4x12 to sound good.
Dude, this vid has given me a totally different perspective. I've been trying for a early 2000s v30-ish speaker quest. But I play at bedroom levels heavily attenuated. Now I kinda realize all the youtube vids with speaker sounds bites blasting their cabinets with 100w amps arent really what my setup needs or can replicate. Thank you very much.
Great video sir. In short I prefer low wattage speakers for the reasons you state. They sound sweeter faster. They are nearer to the floor if you will and do not require revving a 12 cylinder engine to 7000 RPM to get their legs stretched. G 12 M 20 and blue most near and dear to my heart. G 12 H 75 and 55 are excellent. Definitely very different to each other and to the previously mentioned and you can tell which 60s stars wound up on those particularly the 55. 35XC is a modern classic in my opinion. Truly great.
There are a few modern Jensens that are truly exceptional but not as uniformly exceptional as Celestions are.
I must say that random old alnico speakers are a treasure hunt worth excavating. There are some truly brilliantly great sounds out there. Lurking around in old people’s living rooms. And on eBay of course.
To hear you is to hear my own self. It’s refreshing to realize that someone else in the world realizes that all of these distinctions are not just stickers and plastics and designations. These are such all different animals.
One I failed to mention is the Marshall vintage modern greenback. G12c. I think it is basically an undoped G 12 m 25. Doping really takes the sweetness out of the mid range. And notably all of my favorite speakers by Celestion are undoped.
I wonder whether you know off the top your head whether the G 12 M 20 uses a paper former.
Alnico Blue, Alnico Gold, Vintage 30, G12M Heritage, G12M-65, G12H(55) Her, G12H(75) Her, G12H-150 Red, G12-65.
Seriously GOOD video on loudspeakers. Particularly when you explained how a single Redback will sound full like a 4x cabinet. I have all of the above speakers, but want to add a pair of 25w Greenbacks. A good 70s sound, for my 74 JMP.
I couid not stand the V30 and sold it
It's certainly not for everyone - we sell more cabs with other drivers than with the V30 but the V30 is great for a lot of players.
I wish you would have explained the anniversary one because it’s in the H magnet yet it’s in 30 watts and I know it’s a very popular speaker
It's easy to smooth out the vintage 30 harshness , just put MXR 10 band EQ in the fx loop, bring down 2Khz @ -6db and 4Khz @-4db. Now you will have smoother tone without sounding muffled, comfortable to be listened to at higher volume.
Have to stop the video half way through just to say a big tahnk you!!!
I've been looking for information on speakers as I just got myself a cab and want to change it to better for my tubemeister deluxe 20 head. Such valuable information to me right now.
this is the best explanation on youtube ever!
ive swapped the stock speaker on a hot rod deluxe mk 3 to an alnico cream 90w and it turned out amazing, this was at my work on live gigs at a backline company so the amp is gigged with many guitar players and different styles and they all love it since it took the harshness away. at home i'm using 2 greenback heritage 20w with my 1974x and i love them
thanks for an amazing and insightful video.
btw here is my free tube tip: whatever amp you have it doesn't matter swap v1 to a vintage mullard it's under 100$ tested on ebay
enjoy
I have four 4x12’s….every one of them are Marshall and have the Marshall G12 Vintage speakers (Original Version of the V30)……All from different eras…1987..1993..2003..and 2019….They are my favorite speakers by far…They just sound “right”to me….I have owned some G12M Greenbacks,which I didn’t care for….also G12-65’s,which I did like,but the Vintage 30 just sounds like what I think a guitar speaker should sound like…chest thumping low mids,nice soft crunchy midrange,and slightly rolled off treble…..the Greenback just sounds all farty in the low end,and it sounds like you put a blanket over the cab…what can I say..I have been playing V30’s for 35 plus years…I am a V30 guy for life….Great explanation of the difference in all these speakers though….
Great Video! A lifetime worth of very useful info in less than thirty minutes! Just as useful as "the talk" (birds & bees) me Pop gave me fifty years ago....
He said sweet bottom! Lol!
thanks for these explanations. I've got a VOXtb with a Bull Dog speaker and recently bought a later made VOXAC15c1 with a Greenback- quite a different sound! I was wondering if you know much about this VOX Bull Dog speaker and which Celestion it is most similar too, some say the Alnico Blue?
i have an alnico blue and g12 h anniversary in my top hat club royal that is utter perfection. i think those two speakers were made for each other,especially in vox/marshall type circuits. i also use a alnico gold in a more fender tweed princeton type circuit( swart str) i honestly did not think it was going to work,but it sounds great,will not be changed!
Thank you for the cool video. I have used Celestion G12H(55 Hz) and G12H(75 Hz), Celestion Gold, G12H Anniversary, G12T75, and EVH Greenbacks. Your lecture seems to explain something I was wondering: why the EVH speakers sound dark to me.
I have had the Heritage 55 hz and 75 hz in a pair of 1x12 cabs for a long time. I picked those two after trying a bunch of speakers by different brands. Recently I acquired a Marshall 1960B (? the slanted one) loaded with G12T75s. I actually thought the T75s sounded pretty good (even though they get a lot of hate online), particularly the clean sounds. However, I liked the Heritage speakers so much that I thought I wanted the 20 W version in my cab. I was told by Celestion that the EVH's are the same as the Heritage, so I got four and put them in. I have found the EVH's to be much darker and muddier sounding than the Heritage speakers and I wondered if I should have held out and found some used Heritage 20 W speakers even though Celestion claims they are the same. I almost like the T75's better, but the EVH's do convey the midrange of a greenback (which I like). Anyway, according to your video, it makes sense that the 20 W version is more bassy and less crisp than the Heritage because it has a smaller magnet than the Heritage. Now I am thinking that I may want to switch my 4x12 to V-types or something.
Anyway, thanks for the video. I almost clicked away because I didn't want to watch a 20 minute lecture, but it was pretty interesting!
Wow! what a cool break down and description of C speakers! I've had greenbacks, creambacks, VTs, and V30s. Out of these, I'm going to have to say the V30's sounded best for my preferred sound. 2x12 cabs with 2 1x12 cabs. If like to try the 250 coppers. They sound right up my alley. :o)
I like the vintage 30 in my 40c. Had to change the pre amp tubes and remove the c29 cap. Made the speaker perform a lot better. Sucks the greenbacks are only 30w.
15:55 “em-bigening” is not the only new thing I learned today but definitely the befunnerest.
What is the G12H Anniversary... an anniversary of? Or a reissue of? To my knowledge, it’s the brightest and most detailed of the bunch. It almost sounds like a Vintage 30 that’s been modified to be brighter and clearer.
Thank you, very informative and helpful!
I don’t know about Celestion, but I have this 15” Magnavox Alnico from 1967 made by Eminence. I play it outside a cabinet and it has the most high end detail I have ever heard!!! Sometimes I turn it so the front of the speaker is facing down on some convenient surface, right now a cared board box. And it’s still plenty detailed. I shudder to think how it would sound if you made a 15” box.
I have experience with the alnico blue gold and cream, the heritage G12m and Heritage G12H (55hz) , the regular g12m and G12H, the 70th anniversary G12H, the the vintage 30, the g12Hcreamback and the v type. Celestions are my favorite all around speakers. I put them in about everything. I particularly like them in fender amps to fill out the midrange some. I have a 55 hz G12H in a deluxe reverb (a vintage 30 sounds good in that as well) also have a 70th anniversary G12H in a tweed deluxe and lots of g12m in Marshall style amps and dr z style amps. Alnico blue in vox style. V type in a fender brownface deluxe. I wouldn’t necessarily agree with all the characterizations (g12Hs seem to have a lot of lows in addition to the highs, I wouldn’t say alnico golds loose highs compared to blues and I wouldn’t say any single 12 sounds like a 4x12. But a good bit of these I would agree with. I also find the alnico cream to be quite versatile regardless of its power rating and seems to sound really good in a plethora of settings.
I purchased a reality 112FR today and then watched this video to understand different celestion speakers and its absolutely fantastic, not only do you know your stuff, you are a born teacher, very clear and concise. Thanks mate
I had vintage 30s in a 2x12 but when I changed to a 4x12 I didn't like vintage 30s in that so I changed to g12m65 creambacks they sound much better. I found with the vintage 30s because of the higher sensitivity they don't break up as early as the creambacks plus creambacks are a lot smoother not so harsh. I use 2 2x12s now instead of a 4x12 it's easier to carry
I had used V30 for years But I was felt it was a little harsh in the top end and they were some mint things I wasn’t crazy about. The funny thing is I have a V 30 in my blues junior and it sounds great even and it’s not too bright. In my Bogner one by 12 I switched out the V30 for a Scumback J 75. That was less harsh in the highs and had more low mids which I preferred. I was also using a ported custom 1x12 with an EV 12L. With my Mezzabarba Skill 30 head which is a bright head and can go very high gain it was still a bit bright on the top. So I put in an Altec 417 and the high end harshness went away. That speaker seems to work well with clean but doesn’t get harsh on high gain sounds like many others do. Is someone who mixes I recognize that the guitar sweet spots are really the mids. In most mixes You typically roll off Lows and the highs on electric guitar. One thing with both the EV 12L and Altec is that they are high wattage speakers so they don’t break up as easily. This could be good or bad depending on what you were going for. I did Also noticed that when I switched them out the Altec was a little less loud than the EV. For me that’s actually a good thing because even with 30 Watt amps i’m still barely turning it up before it’s “too loud“. I think so far with all the trials I’ve had with speakers and cabs Altec 417 8H Series II has worked the best overall. It works well with Clean as well as very high gain and everything in between Andy biggest thing I like about it is the fact that the highest are not ice picky or harsh even if I go into a high gain boosted lead. Since it handles such high wattage you have to push it a bit to get into the sweet spot. As an experiment on my tone king Imperial 31 amp I ran it through the Altec one by 12 and that didn’t work as well. The tone king 33 speaker is it not only a 30 W speaker which broke up much sooner than the outlet but worked better for the amp. I’ll check with the tone king was a bit to “hard“ but I guess if I ever needed to use that amp and get more headroom that would be one solution because with the tone king since it’s only 30 W with a 30 W speaker your cleans do start crunching up if you get louder they live band. But the mezzabarba skill 30 head and the Altec for 17 seems like a good combination I could be playing in the loud seven piece 80s bands and the clean Chorus type parts stay super clean but then I can go to the high gain and do a screaming Van Halen lead and it’s not harsh. I did have a 412 with all Altecs which sounded great but was 100 pounds and totally impractical to use live. I am still curious about the Barefaced Cabs because the concept of The sound not changing drastically depending on listening position is very cool. I could set the amp to get a great sound right in front of it but then when I’m standing up at a gig the speaker is basically pointed at my legs and loses a lot of clarity which affects the “feel“ of the guitar.