Speaker and Cabinet Research, What Are Your Experiences?

[Deadpan]

Posted this at TOP but thought someone might find it useful and I would like to hear your experiences also.

In my exploration of tone I purchased many different cabinets. 1x12, 2x12, 4x12, open back, closed back, 8 ohm, 16 ohm etc...They all have their differences but I find they are only as good as the speaker you put in them.

There are the widely known Celestion Greenback with Pulsonic cones, these are very nice and not harsh with plenty of character. The Eminence Private Jack is similar in a way. In my experience the newer versions are not the same but can be good. I have a 1971 Greenback G12M I have is nothing like the modern G12M. The modern G12H Greenback is pretty nice, woody and not harsh like the modern G12M.

Creambacks are nice. In my experience the H75 is a little better that the M65 but it is more a preference.

I would throw the Fane F70 and Scumback M75 in with the Green and Creambacks. Very nice speakers.

Celestion K100 is one that has an odd midrange for me. But when I picked up the Redback I felt like it was an improved K100 with a hint of the V30 character. Amazing speaker.

Love the Celestion Alnico Cream and Blue. The Gold is a bit harsh in comparison. Would like to try the Ruby.

My favorite speaker is the Vintage 30 so naturally I invested the most in them. I have many versions from 1998 to 2022. My favorite being a 1999 Mesa 16 ohm in a Mesa 2x12. I have the Marshall, Bad Cat, Mesa and even on from a 2001 Fender Tone-Master. Staying true with what said over and over on the net I prefer the UK made over those made in China.

Of course perception of the speaker can vary depending on the guitar, amp, style of music etc. I have tried many of them paired with many guitars and amps to form my opinions.

What are your experiences?

 

[PLX]

The Scumback BM-75s are a personal favorite of mine in my 4x12 cab.

I've got a 12" Peavey Scorpion in a 1x12 that sounds surprisingly good, mic'ed up.

 

[gearJunkie]

For my Ceriatone KK50 I'm using a Park creamback 65 loaded 2x12 closed-back combined with a seismic audio open-back loaded with a pair of alinco Jensen Blackbirds.

My JVM 410H rips through a T75 loaded 30th anniversary Marshall 6960B 4x12.

Badlander 100 -> Mesa V30 horizontal 2x12.

Mesa Mark VII into a pair of MC90 loaded 1x12s (Thiel & open-back)

Orange OR15H -> matching V30 1x12

Fillmore 50 combo (MC90) is on my shit list now (3rd blown preamp tube in past 6 months)

 

[MirrorProfiles]

In b4 Jay talks in riddles.

Definitely think the construction of the cabinet is a bigger factor than it gets credit for online (without taking away the influence of the speakers). Studio monitors aren't treated just as a wooden box that houses a speaker - its a sum of all the parts.

Aside from the material its made from, the dimensions, the baffle layout, baffle angle, baffle material, way the speakers are mounted, the material of the back panel, any internal wadding, tightness of the screws, open or closed back all factor in. Some may be small in isolation but things add up to the sound you end up with.

Cabs are where its at, they have such a huge mark on the overall tone and they can really alter things a lot if you experiment.

 

[Deadpan]

The Scumback BM-75s are a personal favorite of mine in my 4x12 cab.

I've got a 12" Peavey Scorpion in a 1x12 that sounds surprisingly good, mic'ed up.

I have one of these in a Peavey Bandit. I had intended to try it in a 4x12 but didn't get around to it...

 

[James Freeman]

I tried a few modern Celestions;
Redback, Creamback H75, Creamback M65, G12-EVH, Classic Lead 80, G12H Anniversary, G12H Heritage 75Hz, Alnico Blue, Greenback, Vintage 30.
I still like my 2011 Vintage 30 even in an oversized 1x12, I'm just so familiar with its tone.

 

[Deadpan]

For my Ceriatone KK50 I'm using a Park creamback 65 loaded 2x12 closed-back combined with a seismic audio open-back loaded with a pair of alinco Jensen Blackbirds.

My JVM 410H rips through a T75 loaded 30th anniversary Marshall 6960B 4x12.

Badlander 100 -> Mesa V30 horizontal 2x12.

Mesa Mark VII into a pair of MC90 loaded 1x12s (Thiel & open-back)

Orange OR15H -> matching V30 1x12

Fillmore 50 combo (MC90) is on my shit list now (3rd blown preamp tube in past 6 months)

I have both a 40 and 100 watt Jensen Blackbirds and like them quite a lot.

I have 1988 T75 that is decent. I prefer to mix it with other speakers though.

Not sure what to think of Mesa C90s. Have a few and only like it in the Electra Dyne combo.

Do you think something could be wrong with the Filmore? I rarely blow tubes.

 

[Deadpan]

In b4 Jay talks in riddles.

Definitely think the construction of the cabinet is a bigger factor than it gets credit for online (without taking away the influence of the speakers). Studio monitors aren't treated just as a wooden box that houses a speaker - its a sum of all the parts.

Aside from the material its made from, the dimensions, the baffle layout, baffle angle, baffle material, way the speakers are mounted, the material of the back panel, any internal wadding, tightness of the screws, open or closed back all factor in. Some may be small in isolation but things add up to the sound you end up with.

Cabs are where its at, they have such a huge mark on the overall tone and they can really alter things a lot if you experiment.

Agree totally. I would dislike the best cabinet if it had Chinese T75 in it though haha

 

[Deadpan]

I tried a few modern Celestions;
Redback, Creamback H75, Creamback M65, G12-EVH, Classic Lead 80, G12H Anniversary, G12H Heritage 75Hz, Alnico Blue, Greenback, Vintage 30.
I still like my 2011 Vintage 30 even in an oversized 1x12, I'm just so familiar with its tone.

Finding the perfect V30 is the dream :)

I do quite like the Anniversary.

The EVH is OK...CL80 is not bad...

 

[gearJunkie]

Do you think something could be wrong with the Filmore? I rarely blow tubes.

Mesa techs suspect (and I agree) that it is just a set of questionable tubes, since the failures have been in different positions.

 

[bikescene]

I have a few cheaper cabs that I bought over the years to try out speakers with my amps. Modest stuff, and I’m sure bigger/better cabs would be even better.

I have a Jet City Vertical 2x12 that I put a G12M25 and Creamback H75. I like how this combo sounds for most tones that I dial in.

I have an Eminence 2x12 with a V30 and CL80. I think it’s okay. I don’t get quite the low end out of the V30 that I want. Maybe it’s the cab. I’m more of a Marshall-Greenback fan in terms of tone.

I use an Eminence 1x12 open back that I swap between a Weber Blue Dog and a Silver Bell for lower gain clean stuff. I like how these speakers respond with my Tweed clones.

I gutted out my old Roland Cube 60 and mount various 10” speakers into it with a baffle adapter. Despite it being such a weird setup, I’ve really liked the Weber 10A125 in the cab. I’m happy with the recorded tone with Tweed and Plexi amps.

 

[gearJunkie]

Not sure what to think of Mesa C90s. Have a few and only like it in the Electra Dyne combo.

They work well with the Mark VII, but I'm willing to experiment with alternatives.

The primary reason for selecting them is for appropriate power handling when using the Mark VII with a single 1x12 cab.

 

[Orvillain]

On Sunday I had a jam with a mate. I drove up to the practice room and I took my Egnater 4x12 with V30's. He doesn't have a cab, so he used the practice room one. It was a Marshall MG421A; cheapo undersized 4x12 with OEM Celestions, basically.

He used his Soldano SLO-100 into it, and I used my Dual Rectifier.

His tone was great. My tone was great.

I found it quite interesting anyway.

 

[Deadpan]

On Sunday I had a jam with a mate. I drove up to the practice room and I took my Egnater 4x12 with V30's. He doesn't have a cab, so he used the practice room one. It was a Marshall MG421A; cheapo undersized 4x12 with OEM Celestions, basically.

He used his Soldano SLO-100 into it, and I used my Dual Rectifier.

His tone was great. My tone was great.

I found it quite interesting anyway.

Wonder what the speakers are in the MG? I can see the SLO handling an oddball cabinet more than a Recto.

 

[Orvillain]

Wonder what the speakers are in the MG? I can see the SLO handling an oddball cabinet more than a Recto.

They are these:

Super cheap. Meant to pair with their solid state practice amps, more or less. But I was quite impressed with the overall tone.

 

[la szum]

Posted this at TOP but thought someone might find it useful and I would like to hear your experiences also.

In my exploration of tone I purchased many different cabinets. 1x12, 2x12, 4x12, open back, closed back, 8 ohm, 16 ohm etc...They all have their differences but I find they are only as good as the speaker you put in them.

There are the widely known Celestion Greenback with Pulsonic cones, these are very nice and not harsh with plenty of character. The Eminence Private Jack is similar in a way. In my experience the newer versions are not the same but can be good. I have a 1971 Greenback G12M I have is nothing like the modern G12M. The modern G12H Greenback is pretty nice, woody and not harsh like the modern G12M.

Creambacks are nice. In my experience the H75 is a little better that the M65 but it is more a preference.

I would throw the Fane F70 and Scumback M75 in with the Green and Creambacks. Very nice speakers.

Celestion K100 is one that has an odd midrange for me. But when I picked up the Redback I felt like it was an improved K100 with a hint of the V30 character. Amazing speaker.

Love the Celestion Alnico Cream and Blue. The Gold is a bit harsh in comparison. Would like to try the Ruby.

My favorite speaker is the Vintage 30 so naturally I invested the most in them. I have many versions from 1998 to 2022. My favorite being a 1999 Mesa 16 ohm in a Mesa 2x12. I have the Marshall, Bad Cat, Mesa and even on from a 2001 Fender Tone-Master. Staying true with what said over and over on the net I prefer the UK made over those made in China.

Of course perception of the speaker can vary depending on the guitar, amp, style of music etc. I have tried many of them paired with many guitars and amps to form my opinions.

What are your experiences?

I hate Vintage 30s with a passion. Like hate, hate!


Why?

Because they are neither "Vintage" nor "30" anything.

The proper name for the Vintage 30 should have been the Modern 60.

Get with it Celestion.


(I get that V30s are not all created equal and they are part of the equation in delivering iconic tones. I still hate them. For me.)

 

[AutomationBias]

In addition to greenbacks and Fanes, I also have a Tone Tubby alnico red and ceramic green that I really like.

I have tons of speakers in boxes that I swap out periodically. Every time I switch, it's the same thing - "Wow, this is amazing! I don't know why I ever stopped using these."

 

[la szum]

I just snagged an easy-peasy 1 x 12 Cab, so I can swap in and out different speakers for shits and
giggles. Has the easily removable grill cloth and is front loading.

I have a bunch of speakers waiting in line for a spot in that Cab.

 

[laxu]

I'm not a huge fan of Vintage 30s. I've had several and always find that I only enjoy them when at band volumes, anything less and those spiky upper mids start to bug me. I might prefer the Eminence Governor to them as it's a bit more polite in that area.

I love Greenback style speakers. I have 4x10" UK made Celestion Greenbacks in my Bluetone cab, and the BluGuitar Nanocab's custom BluGuitar 1x12 speaker is like a mix between GB and V30, heavily leaning on the GB side.

Another favorite is the Celestion Alnico Gold. It's just exactly what the doctor ordered for any Vox style amp. I kick myself for selling a cab that had a well broken in Gold, because the cab itself wasn't that great and tended to have a bit of a resonance sometimes, plus it had boring black tolex.

I am definitely not a 4x12 person. I find that they have a lot of low end that I have to dial out whereas 4x10s or 2x12s don't have that problem. Then you have the sheer impracticality of the weight and size whereas I can lift my 4x10 with one hand if needed.

 

[JasonE]

I use a combo amp most of the time. I like the speakers that are in that. It is a hand built amp so the builder chose the speakers he put in it. As for cabinets I use with my heads, I haven't plugged the Mesa in for a very long time. I have a 2x12 with Vintage 30's in it. I can say that I have struggled with the top end with that amp and that is what made me stop gigging it. I was going to sell it but have been getting the itch to plug it in and give it a go again.

I have a couple of 1x12 cabinets that I use as well. They are both loaded with Creamback speakers. One is a Creamback 65 and the other is a Creamback 75. The cabinet with the 65 in it is a partial open back. The cabinet with the 75 in it is sealed. I like these cabinets and speakers a lot. I did a lot of research before deciding on these speakers and am happy with the results.

I am not much of a 4x12 guy anymore. I was back in my younger years. It is just too much these days. It is overkill for the places I have played in the past decade or so.