Speaker talk

Discuss the stuff that makes your ears bleed.

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GrantB
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Speaker talk

Post by GrantB »

https://celestion.com/product/216/Celestion_Ruby/

I see Celestion has a new AlNiCo....
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Re: Speaker talk

Post by rickenbackerkid »

Bet it's a loverly thing t0o. Wonder how it sits next to the Blue and Golds?

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Re: Speaker talk

Post by rickenbackerkid »

I recently did have a speaker swapping experience, and it was eye opening just how much difference it made.

So I have Pro Junior and it had a 25+ year old Fender (i think) blue frame Alnico speaker in it. The amp was dirty and angry sounding in the best way, very little clean, lots of dirt and a cool but pretty blown-out bass. Well of course I blew the hell out of that speaker (it was inevitable) and replaced it with a Celestion Vintage 10.

It is a completely, completely different amp. The most noticeable thing is that the amp is now LOUD and CLEAN. I can turn it up to 5 and still have a clean tone. Gone is the farty, dirty bass and now it has a warm, clean bass. It turns out that most of that aggressive, dirty tone was the speaker.

So now I had a new problem in that I could no longer get amp distortion without turning the thing up to an absolutely ridiculous volume, which is a pretty big deal to me, as I like to keep the pedal situation very light and get the tone I want between guitar and amp. So this is situation led me down a few nights of amp modding so I could get back my amp overdrive.

The amp is now fitted with a potentiometer that sweeps between the original plate resistor and one twice the size, so I can tailor the amount of gain. I made the negative feedback switchable.
Now I have an amp which distorts early, but in a much more controlled fashion than it used to. It's capable of cleans and has a nice full warm bass.

Moral to the story is that speakers can completely change your sound, so much that you might have to change other elements to make it all work together.

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Re: Speaker talk

Post by GrantB »

el byrdo wrote:Good news! I might be able to buy back the Goodmans 12ax I foolishly sold ages ago.

Image

these thngs are absolute beasts - like a JBL on steroids, - 100 conservative alnico watts - I'm going to pair it with a Celestion Gold in my vertical Holden cabinet. It should be just the right combination of loud and bright to suit the Jansen 6/40 (which is actually 55 watts!).
Good Lord man...space/time considerations please!
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Re: Speaker talk

Post by Single coil »

I like invaders :shifty:

My speaker experience is minimal. Found the wharfedale ac30 more enjoyable than the greenback. Never played one with blues.
Wonder if there’s anything for the bandit to tighten it up (that isn’t the switch at the back)
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Re: Speaker talk

Post by willow13 »

bbrunskill wrote:I recently did have a speaker swapping experience, and it was eye opening just how much difference it made.

So I have Pro Junior and it had a 25+ year old Fender (i think) blue frame Alnico speaker in it. The amp was dirty and angry sounding in the best way, very little clean, lots of dirt and a cool but pretty blown-out bass. Well of course I blew the hell out of that speaker (it was inevitable) and replaced it with a Celestion Vintage 10.

It is a completely, completely different amp. The most noticeable thing is that the amp is now LOUD and CLEAN. I can turn it up to 5 and still have a clean tone. Gone is the farty, dirty bass and now it has a warm, clean bass. It turns out that most of that aggressive, dirty tone was the speaker.

So now I had a new problem in that I could no longer get amp distortion without turning the thing up to an absolutely ridiculous volume, which is a pretty big deal to me, as I like to keep the pedal situation very light and get the tone I want between guitar and amp. So this is situation led me down a few nights of amp modding so I could get back my amp overdrive.

The amp is now fitted with a potentiometer that sweeps between the original plate resistor and one twice the size, so I can tailor the amount of gain. I made the negative feedback switchable.
Now I have an amp which distorts early, but in a much more controlled fashion than it used to. It's capable of cleans and has a nice full warm bass.

Moral to the story is that speakers can completely change your sound, so much that you might have to change other elements to make it all work together.
yeah this is a Rabbit hole I have avoided at all costs. It's why at gearfests I never plug my shit into other peoples cabs ... last thing I need is to have no money to buy speakers I hardly ever use :rofl:
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Re: Speaker talk

Post by GrantB »

Honestly, the ole John Gilmore (Hamilton) adage of 1/3 guitar, 1/3 amp, 1/3 speaker is fricken on the money. Speakers are a whole new blanket off the front revelation.
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Re: Speaker talk

Post by jeremyb »

On the subject of Celestion, does anyone else think that Eminence makes a better Celestion than Celestion does?
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Re: Speaker talk

Post by TmcB »

I do not - make a GREAT American voiced speaker though
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Re: Speaker talk

Post by GrantB »

jeremyb wrote:On the subject of Celestion, does anyone else think that Eminence makes a better Celestion than Celestion does?
Hmmm, good question. The Red Fang was a high powered Celestion AlNiCo. Then Celestion caught on, made their own. Is the Red Fang better? It's similar, but different in all the right ways. I like both brands for what they bring the genres....my e.g. being AlNiCo vintage sound with different flavours.

So I'm not sure we'll get Apples with Apples here.

I do like Eminence in that their price has less brand BS involved! But a "better" Celestion? Hard to do....
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Re: Speaker talk

Post by jeremyb »

GrantB wrote:
jeremyb wrote:On the subject of Celestion, does anyone else think that Eminence makes a better Celestion than Celestion does?
Hmmm, good question. The Red Fang was a high powered Celestion AlNiCo. Then Celestion caught on, made their own. Is the Red Fang better? It's similar, but different in all the right ways. I like both brands for what they bring the genres....my e.g. being AlNiCo vintage sound with different flavours.

So I'm not sure we'll get Apples with Apples here.

I do like Eminence in that their price has less brand BS involved! But a "better" Celestion? Hard to do....
To be fair my only experience is with an Eminence Wizard and it was wonderful, it's their take on a G12H30 and I would definitely trade again, just sounded fuller than an actual G12 (IMO).
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Re: Speaker talk

Post by Bg »

bbrunskill wrote:I recently did have a speaker swapping experience, and it was eye opening just how much difference it made.

So I have Pro Junior and it had a 25+ year old Fender (i think) blue frame Alnico speaker in it. The amp was dirty and angry sounding in the best way, very little clean, lots of dirt and a cool but pretty blown-out bass. Well of course I blew the hell out of that speaker (it was inevitable) and replaced it with a Celestion Vintage 10.

It is a completely, completely different amp. The most noticeable thing is that the amp is now LOUD and CLEAN. I can turn it up to 5 and still have a clean tone. Gone is the farty, dirty bass and now it has a warm, clean bass. It turns out that most of that aggressive, dirty tone was the speaker.

So now I had a new problem in that I could no longer get amp distortion without turning the thing up to an absolutely ridiculous volume, which is a pretty big deal to me, as I like to keep the pedal situation very light and get the tone I want between guitar and amp. So this is situation led me down a few nights of amp modding so I could get back my amp overdrive.

The amp is now fitted with a potentiometer that sweeps between the original plate resistor and one twice the size, so I can tailor the amount of gain. I made the negative feedback switchable.
Now I have an amp which distorts early, but in a much more controlled fashion than it used to. It's capable of cleans and has a nice full warm bass.

Moral to the story is that speakers can completely change your sound, so much that you might have to change other elements to make it all work together.
Yes, there is a reason a few if us like those farty alnico 10's
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Re: Speaker talk

Post by Slowy »

GrantB wrote:Honestly, the ole John Gilmore (Hamilton) adage of 1/3 guitar, 1/3 amp, 1/3 speaker is fricken on the money. Speakers are a whole new blanket off the front revelation.
Yikes! I have 14 guitars, 4 amps and 4 speakers.
Wanted to buy: 10 amps and speakers.
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Re: Speaker talk

Post by sizzlingbadger »

I have one of each, so perfectly balanced.
Tube amp and guitar tones straight from 1958… amazing how believable the sounds were back then, even without the modellers...

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Re: Speaker talk

Post by Dharmajester »

Grant's 1/3 analogy is no understatement. The cabinet is another factor as the speaker's performance is heavily influenced by it's enclosure. This is where it gets expensive, matching speakers with cabs/ amps / guitars. I'm a big EV fan. Put in the design specific Thiel cab they go from great to steller. Finding an amp head that looks cool sat on top of the box though?????
Love to hear a Ruby although I'm very happy with the Alnico Creamback.
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