Celestion - how much is hype?

[chille01]

I've never owned a cab with Celestions.  Looking around online to put some new speakers in a couple of 212 cabs, and notice that Celestion always seems to be a little more dear than say... Eminence... or WGS.  Are they actually better, or do they just get away with charging more because of their name?  I know "better" is a subjective term, and if it sounds good to me it is good etc. etc.  But if I'm buying online without a chance to try, it would be nice to know if the other brands are comparable in quality, or if there is any real reason to pay more for "real" Celestions.

[rayinreverse]

I like my celestion loaded cab much more than I liked my eminence loaded cab.
I dont really like the speakers in marshall cabs though. I like V30's. I have another cab that has eminence man o wars in it that I just cant get a good tone out of.

[Jake]

Speaker taste is such a subjective thing that it's hard to say whether or not something is "worth" the money.

Go over to your turntable and play just about any great rock record, and chances are there's a Celestion to be heard in some form or another. Many, many famous examples to the contrary, but a Celestion-powered 4x12 is ubiquitous to rock and roll guitar.

But insofar as speaker buying advice goes, personally I feel that there are a number of great alternatives these days that are priced more affordably. Eminence and WGS come to mind. That being said, those companies tend to put out speakers that use various models of Celestions as a starting or "jumping off point" for good reason.

[Mr. Foxen]

Eminence tributes to Celestions seem to do the same thing well enough. I use celestions in bunches of cabs, but the OEM ones that Celestion make for other manufacturers, they are basically the same as their proper lineup but go for no money on ebay, you can usually figure what they are, usually a made in China version. The Hayden ones are V30s, and the Line 6 ones are 70-80s I think, either of those sound pretty good in a decent cab, although might need wearing in, the sound changes with time, think its probably same as any new speakers, but those are what I've heard from new.

[chille01]

Yeah... I know it is all subjective.  I'll probably start at Eminence or WGS, and if I still don't get something I'm happy with I can sell them off and try Celestion.  I see no reason to jump right to the most expensive choice right away though.

[Jake]

When I get a minute, I'll type out a little review of sorts of all the guitar speakers I have experience with. It's a pretty decent variety, and might help someone in some small way when it comes to making big, loud, dumb, dropped tuned rock music with them.

[everdrone]

I am trying to figure out which neodymium speakers to put in my orange 212PPC closed back cab to make it weigh 15 pounds less.  I am on the verge of getting the celestion century, or the eminence lil' texas.  The clip shows me that I like the eminence a lot more. but is a cabinet designed for a certain speaker?

here is my ongoing thread:

http://forum.orangeamps.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=48799

here is the soundclip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWK0sa7tlfI&feature=related

any insights on lightweight neodymiums are appreciated, thanks

[Danny G]

A dolly is much cheaper than lighter speakers, heh


Sent from a can on some string using Tapatalk

[everdrone]

thanks Austin brutha

I do use a dolly, the rocknroller

[chille01]

When I get a minute, I'll type out a little review of sorts of all the guitar speakers I have experience with. It's a pretty decent variety, and might help someone in some small way when it comes to making big, loud, dumb, dropped tuned rock music with them.

Would be very much interested in reading it. Seems like a lot if speaker reviews, and gear reviews in general, are just written to talk about how awesome the gear in question is. They don't always seem to be that subjective.

[everdrone]

When I get a minute, I'll type out a little review of sorts of all the guitar speakers I have experience with. It's a pretty decent variety, and might help someone in some small way when it comes to making big, loud, dumb, dropped tuned rock music with them.

rock on! lookin forward to it too

[Jake]

Most of these I'm still using right now and others I've had enough firsthand experience to feel comfortable offering an opinion.


Celestion:
G12H30 (55hz) – Mine are from 1970. Got them in a beat to shit Marshall in the late-90s for dirt cheap. Best sounding guitar speaker I've come across, but they're rare as hens teeth. I've been offered obscene money for them, but have turned it down. More common, and nearly the same are the later "Blackback" and "Creamback" 30-watters. Also great speakers to be on the lookout for.

If I were pressed to buy a Celestion speaker off the shelf, it would be a G12H30. Although technically, it would be the broken-in and rebadged Hellatone 30.

G12M25 (Greenback, 75hz) – I've also got a pair from 1970, but owned a nice quad from 1992 for a while. Love em. Huge, woody mids on these bad boys. Only 25watts, so be careful with what you toss at them.

Vintage 30 – I've never truly bonded with a V30 (alone). They have all been very, very harsh in the upper mids with my amps. But I've heard them sound great with other's amps, though. I have been able to play to their strengths and diminish their weaknesses by mixing them in cabinets with other speakers.

I believe that the Hellatone version of this speaker is probably a better sounding speaker and a better value.

G12T-75 – The stock Celestion in Marshalls, etc. They get a worse rap online than I think they deserve. But then again, some amps just sound better/worse with certain speakers. I was always able to eq out their infamous harsh highs with my amps. But I would not seek them out or ultimately keep them in a cabinet.

G12-65 – I had a quad from (I think) the late '70s. The predecessor to the (inferior) 75 above. Much smoother output across the upper spectrum. Very good workhorse rock speaker. Lots of info online, as there is a pretty big fanbase for them.

G12K-100 – Got these in a newer Orange cab that was to be matched with the AD200. HUGE magnets on these. I wanted a cab I could use for guitar/bass/baritone. Didn't really work out. I was sacrificing too much tone for the colossal bottom, but ultra-scooped mids. I don't recommend these speakers.


Eminence:
Wizards – These are their nod to the V30 I believe. I find them to be too bright and shrill. This might be in part because they're very loud and efficient speakers. Again, strengths can be enhanced and weaknesses diminished with the right pairing of other speakers.

Private Jacks – Smoother, more powerful Greenback-style speaker. I seriously can't think of one bad thing about them. Plus, the guy at Avatar sell them for like $65 each.


WGS:
WGS Reaper 55hz – I bought these when I was looking for a speaker extremely similar to my G12H30 55hz. The Reaper has really, really great lows as one might expect, but sacrifices highs. I was pretty disappointed... until I popped them in a cab with V30s in an X-pattern – now that cabinet really crushes ass.

Note: I've also owned some Jensons and other OEM speakers that came in vintage cabs I had (old Univox. Sunn, Ampeg, Kustom, etc.). Nothing I felt worth keeping or reviewing for this type of music. I also owned and old Mesa metal grill cab with the 200-watt EVs (like Zakk Wylde uses). Meh. Sounded flat and sterile, like a PA cabinet.

[Mr. Foxen]

Some of the harsh on V30s seems to go when worn in, sound a bit rank new and stay like if for ages because they are really loud so don't need pushing so much. But the Celestion V12-80 Silver Series jobs are the same without the harsh bit, and more power handling.

[Ombrenuit]

+1 for private jacks. I like them over my g12h30. Never played through a g12m but I dig my eminence enough to be happy.

[Jake]

In case anyone's wondering how I use like a zillion different speakers, here's the rundown:

[mutantcolors]

Hey Jake, mind spilling some beans on "obscene money"? I have 4 1972ish g12h30s that, while awesome, might be on my chopping block. Not sure what to expect but I've seen 2 bills a speaker if I remember right.

[Jake]

Sure. But I have to qualify it w/ a couple of things. First and definitely foremost, it was back in '05 or '06, when gear prices were still in the stratosphere. Second, it was to complete a quad in which the fella had two speakers that were made within the same month as mine. Almost a "numbers matching" type situation.

If I remember the offer was for $400 for both, plus he was going to pay for me to have the replacements of my choice. I think that it was either going to be Scumback or Weber's version of the G12H-30 55hz, whichever is/was supposed to be dead-on...? Either that or the Celestion Heritage version. I'm a little foggy on which.

I wouldn't expect that they hold that much value these days. But if they're the 55hz & 014 cone versions with the Pre-Rola stickers, you're still in pretty good shape – apparently Hendrix's speaker of choice.

That being said, can I just have them?

[mutantcolors]

I'd a said yeah if I didn't find this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Original-Pre-Rola-Celestion-G12H-30-Matched-Set-of-4-Greenbacks-100-Original-/251172040281?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a7b052e59

[mutantcolors]

They really are the best speaks I've ever heard but that's a big chunk of funding my way to a globe trek next year.

[Lumpy]

Thanks for the descriptions -- you're the Pope of Chili Town.

[chille01]

A WEALTH of quality info there Jake, thanks! I'm kicking into full research mode to populate both my 212 cabs, and this is immensely helpful. Will report back when I have a game plan of sorts.

[chille01]

Well, spent a couple of hours nerding out on this tonight.  I even made a spreadsheet and shit... lol.  Anyway, I have a couple of possible combos in mind that maybe you all could comment on.  To reiterate my situation... 2 different 212 cabs, one open one closed.  Orange OR50 head (when it arrives).  I play in a two guitar band, standard tuning.  Its rock and roll, and I largely play rhythm with some leads once in a while.  Looking for primarily a solid, thick 70's style rhythm tone, but one that won't get buried in the mix.

Combinations under consideration below.  Feel free to tell me if something is nuts, because I don't really know much.  Would probably put one of each in each cab, unless someone has a better plan.  That way I have essentially an X pattern, and have the same speakers if I decide to only bring one cab to a gig.  I've listed the Celestion version in brackets, were applicable.

WGS Invader (Greenback style, but 50 watts) + WGS British Lead (Classic Lead 80)
WGS Reaper 50 (G12H30) + Veteran 30 (V30)


Looked at G12-65 type speakers to, and those could probably be swapped out for one of the other style speakers above.  Those are the five types on my list right now though.

[Ombrenuit]

FYI: Private Jacks are on sale at Avatar for $55 each.

[Instant Dan]

My limited experience with them has been the Hellatone 30's and 60's in my Avatar 4x12 (run a 50 watt JCM800 head through it) but I am loving them over the Eminence Wizards. The 60's would work great in a two guitar band but by myself I prefer the 30's due to the creamier sound and speaker break up.

I would love to try the 65 watt celestions as they are supposedly 'the speaker' designed for the JCM800.

[Jake]

FYI: Private Jacks are on sale at Avatar for $55 each.

This.

I like your pairings up there quite a bit, but for the money, you should get at least a pair of the P Jacks in the mix.