Speaker Recommendation(s)

[skelt101]

Hello folks,
I'm putting together a 2x12" extension cabinet with a convertible back for my Retro 50 head, and would like some recommendations for speakers. The specs for the cabinet can be found here:
http://www.stagecraftgear.com/servlet/t ... %2C/Detail
I currently have one speaker: a Vox NeoDog (i.e. Celestion G12 Century Vintage), and am thinking of pairing it with a G12H, or one of its many clones, e.g. Scumback, WGS Reaper, Eminence Wizard. Do you guys have any suggestions? 55hz or 75hz? A different speaker altogether? For reference, I play mostly blues/classic rock, but occasionally venture into heavier rock. FWIW my guitars include a Fender Telecaster and a Gretsch Duo Jet with DynaSonics. Thanks for any help!

[Bensen]

I like Eminence speakers and play two Red Fangs in my AD30. If your after the Greenback Sound you could try the Private Jack or the GB12 - Sound pretty much like Greenbacks but also have their own thing (wich I like but some don't ) and are priced reasonable

[sunshine_killer]

If you do a google search, or search these forums, there's some good info and sound clips on different speaker combinations for the AD30.

I'm going to try the G12H with the V30 myself in the AD30, seems to be a popular choice.

[a.hun]

I currently have one speaker: a Vox NeoDog (i.e. Celestion G12 Century Vintage), and am thinking of pairing it with a G12H, or one of its many clones, e.g. Scumback, WGS Reaper, Eminence Wizard. Do you guys have any suggestions? 55hz or 75hz?

Yeah, I'd go for a G12H-30 myself. Standard 75Hz 'Anniversary' version is fine. The more expensive 55Hz 'Heritage' version is superb too with a bit more bass but otherwise similar.

Had also heard from my old tech that he reckoned the NeoDog was pretty much just a relabelled CV. Can you 100% confirm that then?

You sussed on impedances? Two 8 ohm drivers in series giving a 16 ohm cab would be ideal. That would allow using a second 16 ohm cab with that amp at some point. If only ever planning on using the one cab an 8 ohm cab would do fine though.


Andy.

[skelt101]

Hey guys, thanks for the responses so far! One speaker I forgot to mention as a possibility is the Weber 1230. Anyone have any experience(s)? Any other suggestions?

I currently have one speaker: a Vox NeoDog (i.e. Celestion G12 Century Vintage), and am thinking of pairing it with a G12H, or one of its many clones, e.g. Scumback, WGS Reaper, Eminence Wizard. Do you guys have any suggestions? 55hz or 75hz?

Yeah, I'd go for a G12H-30 myself. Standard 75Hz 'Anniversary' version is fine. The more expensive 55Hz 'Heritage' version is superb too with a bit more bass but otherwise similar.

Had also heard from my old tech that he reckoned the NeoDog was pretty much just a relabelled CV. Can you 100% confirm that then?

You sussed on impedances? Two 8 ohm drivers in series giving a 16 ohm cab would be ideal. That would allow using a second 16 ohm cab with that amp at some point. If only ever planning on using the one cab an 8 ohm cab would do fine though.


Andy.

Andy, I am not 100% on the NeoDog being a relabeled Century Vintage. However, I did read on several forums, e.g. Vox Amps and the Vintage Amps Plexiboard, that is the case. According to one post, this came from Celestion's Dr. Decibel himself.
I'm pretty well fixed on using 2 16ohm speakers. The whole idea with this cab was not to spend too much money on it. I already had an extra speaker, the Century Vintage, that I had pulled from my Vox AC30CC1. According to a few members here, they sound really good with Orange amps. So, I figured I'd use it paired with something else...

[irish_admiral]

The CVs are great with Orange amps. I've got a pair of them with my AD30R combo, where I swapped out the Vintage 30s. Much prefer them.

I also have a pair with my Matamp 1224 in a closed back cab - again, much better than the Vintage 30s that were there previously.

For reference, I have a 1x12 cab with a Celestion G12H Heritage speaker. It's a great speaker, but I can't find much tonal difference between it and the Century Vintages. Similarly open and balanced sounding. If you can find one cheap, go for it. If not, the CVs or a Neodog will do very well too.

[a.hun]

I have a 1x12 cab with a Celestion G12H Heritage speaker. It's a great speaker, but I can't find much tonal difference between it and the Century Vintages. Similarly open and balanced sounding. If you can find one cheap, go for it. If not, the CVs or a Neodog will do very well too.

So I take it the CV has noticably more bass than the V.30 then Joe? I am thinking of replacing the V.30 in my R.30 for just that reason, and the slight efficiency drop wouldn't be an issue. I'd put in my old 55Hz G12H-30 but really don't want to blow it - a real possibility.


Andy.

[skelt101]

The CVs are great with Orange amps. I've got a pair of them with my AD30R combo, where I swapped out the Vintage 30s. Much prefer them.

I also have a pair with my Matamp 1224 in a closed back cab - again, much better than the Vintage 30s that were there previously.

For reference, I have a 1x12 cab with a Celestion G12H Heritage speaker. It's a great speaker, but I can't find much tonal difference between it and the Century Vintages. Similarly open and balanced sounding. If you can find one cheap, go for it. If not, the CVs or a Neodog will do very well too.

Well, I decided to jump on G12H Heritage! I was bidding for a used one on the 'bay, but got sniped in the last few minutes! Oh well! Dave at Avatar Speakers gave me a really good price, actually cheaper than the used one went for! (Some people are crazy bidders. ) The speaker should be in my hands before the cabinet, by Wednesday!

[baytamusic]

I think you'll dig it. I love my 70s greenbacks. Yours should sound very similar I'd think.

[a.hun]

Good choice. My own old 55Hz G12H-30 is easily my favourite all round speaker for electric. Should be a great sounding cab!


Andy.

[jason41224]

glad to hear you got your speaker avatar's got some great people over there, not to mention some great prices. love them.

[BrianGT]

So I take it the CV has noticably more bass than the V.30 then Joe? I am thinking of replacing the V.30 in my R.30 for just that reason, and the slight efficiency drop wouldn't be an issue. I'd put in my old 55Hz G12H-30 but really don't want to blow it - a real possibility.

Hi Andy........the CV does have more bass than a V30...or rather it handles it much better and the bass is rounded rather than a dull thud with the V30!

I was actually comparing the two this morning!

I had 2 Matamp 2x12 cabs plugged in to the back of a JCM800 clone..one with V30's the other with CV's and as I couldn't really tell which was louder I unplugged them and swapped about a few times.....to me the Cv's were just as loud even if on paper they aren't.
They were just so much clearer though...more open and refined.
I still have a hard time finding anything better for my own personal tastes......just know that they DO warm up after breaking in!!

[a.hun]

Hi Andy........the CV does have more bass than a V30...or rather it handles it much better and the bass is rounded rather than a dull thud with the V30!

I was actually comparing the two this morning!

I had 2 Matamp 2x12 cabs plugged in to the back of a JCM800 clone..one with V30's the other with CV's and as I couldn't really tell which was louder I unplugged them and swapped about a few times.....to me the Cv's were just as loud even if on paper they aren't.
They were just so much clearer though...more open and refined.
I still have a hard time finding anything better for my own personal tastes......just know that they DO warm up after breaking in!!

Thats great Brian. Thanks for confirming what I was thinking.

Yeah the 'on paper' specs can often be a bit deceptive. I mean the G12M-25 used to be rated 97dB efficient, now gets 98, and still sounds through fine when paired with an 100dB H-30 in a cab. Also frankly I've never found graphs of a speakers frequency response much use in finding out what they actually sound like. You have to hear them or at least get useful comparisons with others.

Other speaker I am seriously thinking of putting in the R.30C is a Mesa MC90. Only thing making me hesitate is that they are too darn efficient. (Don't have a figure, but I'd estimate probably going on 2dB more than a G12H or V.30. One MC90 in a Mesa combo was markedly louder than the same amp through a G12T-75 loaded Marshall 4x12 anyhow!) So the R.30 would probably sound more like a 50-60W 1x12, which frankly I don't need. Still may end up going that route though - those modded Celestions are great sounding drivers too, and at least I'd never run out of clean headroom with the clean channel.

Anyway thanks again!


Andy.

[Le Chat Noir]

Other speaker I am seriously thinking of putting in the R.30C is a Mesa MC90. Only thing making me hesitate is that they are too darn efficient. (Don't have a figure, but I'd estimate probably going on 2dB more than a G12H or V.30. One MC90 in a Mesa combo was markedly louder than the same amp through a G12T-75 loaded Marshall 4x12 anyhow!) So the R.30 would probably sound more like a 50-60W 1x12, which frankly I don't need.

To me, the R30 already sounds like a 50w amp

I think one reason the G12T-75 seems quieter is that it has less mids to it... for the same reasons but in reverse, a G12M can hang with other speakers rated higher. It's all about the midrange, which makes it stick out when paired with more efficient but less midrangey speakers.

[irish_admiral]

Hi Andy

Probably just re-emphasise what Brian has said... I don't think it has that much more bass, if any, but the speaker as a whole being more balanced than the V30, and the faster attack of the neo magnet lets you hear the bass notes a bit more than the V30s. It's just a better speaker, I think. I don't normally trot out a statement like that without a caveat, so here goes... it can do what the V30 will do, if you tweak the bass and treble down a bit, and hike the mids up, but does it better given the additional clarity of the speaker.

I was playing my Riviera through the AD30 the other day, and there was plenty of bass coming through then. I had to roll off it a bit.