CELESTION BLUE -vs- JBL D120F - U.K. vs U.S. AlNiCo Guitar Speaker Tone!!
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- Опубліковано 4 чер 2020
- We compare the two quintessential British and American Alnico Guitar Speakers: Celestion Blue VS JBL D120F. I'm playing both using a 2013 Gibson SG Standard CS and a 1976 Marshall Super Lead modded by Daniel Forsberg. The Celestion Blue (T530) is from 1964 and the JBL D120F is from the early 1970s.
The JBL has such a percussive and satisfying attack
Man...I learned so much from this. Thank you for all your awesome video's!
Both sound good, but I prefer the American tone a bit more. God bless and rock on 😎👍🎸
Thanks J, have a great weekend!
These are some of THE BEST TONES I have heard on your channel! Wow that blue is sick man. I love how it sits further back in the mix but at the same time not dull. Wow. Both are great but the blue is just so chewy and delicious
Thanks, glad to hear it
Wow. Unintentional ASMR combined with vintage guitar gear. This is amazing. Subscribed.
The JBL would get the nod for playing metal, I believe. That clarity and sizzle works great with high gain. The Celestions would work great for rock and blues. Of course, you'd be lucky to own either one, as they are both classics.
I’m surprised how much I actually like the JBL, despite it being quite scooped.
I think it actually has a flat response and the Celestion has an enhanced mid. But it sure sounds mid scooped! Cheers
I agree the Celestion is mid heavy making the JBL sound mid scooped. Those JBLs have a rising on axis treble response, and solid bass but are not mid scooped. They are also crazy loud!
Yes the JBL did it for me across the board........a fuller sound, thanks for the very good demo Johan.
Ahhh... My first tube Amp, 15 years ago, was a Vox ac15 cc1x with blue alnico speakers in it. Nostalgia hit! Great playing as always Johan
Thanks Théo!
Great vid Johan,............I see a lot of folks have voted for JBL but for my part ,.I think the Blues are richer and warmer sounding ,.........some high peaks I didn't dig for the JBL
Thanks Lou!
Johan.....wish you were my neighbor. You are doing a great public service to anyone interested in sound. You’re bringing it right into the rural world. I happened onto the the JBL’s that had been thrown into a a Carvin solid state amp...never mind the ohms. I find this so damn interesting....playing music, what I’m playing, and what I’m playing into. Intoxicatingly fun!
Glad to hear that! Cheers!
Well done Johan! Love them both of course! Tele say's " I wanna play too!" Thanks for sharing brother and have a great weekend! Be Well All!
Thanks, yeah the Tele was supposed to feature too but time ran out. Cheers brother
Wow, I hadn't imagined they would sound that different. I use a Celestion Blue with my 1watt DSL. It is in a custom closed back cabinet. Messing around playing Crazy Train with a great drummer, I found out what people meant by "having punch." I like the sounds you are getting out of both Johan, it is like someone turned a frequency dial between the two. I'm thinking that the blue would sit better in a mix with vocals. Tks for posting. Blessings from Tennessee.
Thanks, glad to hear it!
Hey Johan, do you know what the differences between the different Alnico Blue types throughout the years are? Are they voiced differently á la the Vintage 30's? Great video, cheers!
The Celestion sounds better for low gain blues, the JBL for high gain rock! Like someone else mentioned, both in a cab would sound sweet!
It comes down to personal preference, but the Celestion sounds smoother and less shrill to my ears. Thanks for another good comparison! Youre awesome man!
Master, good to see you. Abrazo desde CDMX
Haha johan my feet are bouncing with yours! Your playing is amazing!
Both Shake camera when loud .how awesome is that..great video many thanks John for all your tests....
Thanks, glad to hear it!
I liked the JBL with the SG. How bout another go with the Tele that's my preferred guitar. Awesome video.
You have such great demos.
Speakers make such a big difference! Thanks for the comparison. Cheers
They do indeed, Cheers!
the JBL sounds really massive, nice! How much power were the speakers getting? Did you use an attenuator? Thanks!
Thanks! The Super Lead is modded for a master volume, I think they saw maybe 20W. Cheers
Hmmm... surely a Celestion Sidewinder would have been a better match to the JBLs punch and power? Have you tried one? I enjoy your videos very much.
I guess you better be cautious while using either one of theese beauties. Depending on what else you have in your chain, perhaps you might get caught beeing "too much" but I guess that's the risk that comes with the asset theese elements really do offer.
Love both of them! Especially the JBL, so sweet and yet versatile! NICE UPLOAD!
Thanks, yeah the D120 especially is an extreme speaker that easily can sound harsh. But in the right signal chain it’s amazing
At 2:34 Wonderful how the harmony sounds when the fingers are going to the 4'th fret. I guess that's the kind of really useful sound people keep searching for their whole life....
Thanks man!
Just had an idea... what if you glued a JBL aluminum dust cap to a Celestion speaker? Maybe not a vintage greenback, but a reissue, or a common and cheap G12T75? Is that most of the JBL sound, or is it the voice coil (4 inch edge wound aluminum vs. 1.75 inch copper) or the cone? Cheers!
the dust cap would have to be the same diameter as voice coil former, it touches it.. if you glued 4'' alu dust cap on the celestion's smaller diameter voice coil , It wouldn't be so good because it would be glued on the paper..
Hi Johan very nice video. I prefer the JBL. It's much more focused and detailed. Please use it again in a upcoming video. I would use perhaps the Celestion for low drive blues stuff. BTW you're sounding more and more like an 80s metal guy, Yngwie should take care 😀.
Have a nice weekend and see ya next monday. Cheers.
Thanks Jorge! ;-) Have a great weekend!
those are some great tones, seems like the JBL sounds better at higher gain and the Blue is more musical for clean sounds. I remember in the late 70s when I worked in a guitar store and we would sell Silverface Twin Reverbs with JBL, gosh I hated having to lift them off the trucks and to the stock room! Thanks for the great demo and playing, have a safe weekend, Johan!
Thanks man, yeah they’re insanely heavy, especially the E-series. Have a great weekend!
Incredible demo showcasing the massive influence of the speaker. Which do you think would stand out in a traditional classic rock band mix better?
Thanks Scott! The Celestion has the mids for most mixes, but an added JBL can help with the sense of presence
It would be great to have your AMAZING sounding EVM15L in this comparison johan!
They both sound great. Have you ever demoed the Weber Alnicos?
Thanks Daniel, no not yet. I’ll keep them in mind!
What would you prefer between the two in a pro reverb or blackface fender? I’m considering a swap after this video
I really like JBL especially with Blackface Twins
Got a Fender Twin (73) with D120F's ... love how well it takes pedals. JHS Bosai, BOSS OS2 and MXR Bad A$$ distortion. Great demo. I know .... I'm a little late to the party!!!!
Good stuff 👍 Hey do you know who made the gold alnico's for Vox in 1973 ? Thanks
Hi, I think those were Celestions But they switched to Greenbacks around then too
www.voxshowroom.com/equipment/index.html
@@JohanSegeborn He thanks yes I used to run a 73 50watt Marshall thru them and man what a tone Love your channel man Good stuff 👍
The way each speaker seems to shelve at it's own EQ mid-point it might be interesting
to do a wah pedal shootout... (?)
This sounded really cool BTW Cheers
Thanks man, yeah it’s definitely time for a Wah video!
Hi Johan, have you tried any of the modulus amp kits yet? They look like a good deal.
Yeah, check this one out
ua-cam.com/video/fvjaaqqgevI/v-deo.html
@@JohanSegeborn cool. Thanks again
Wow! Really significant difference!
2:32 That is the deal!
I listen to this riff over and over with rock drum tracks at 130 bpm. What a cool riff!
May I ask you to do an experiment, please? How would a 2x12 or even a 4x12 Marshall cabinet sound with 12" car speakers - Sony, JBL, Pioneer or any woofer type of speaker?
Johan, please make this same video in a comparision with the band playing along! Drums, bass, another guitar... How each of them would sit on a mix? Cheers!
Hi Rafael! I’ll keep that in mind! Cheers
Please make a depth video about your 2018 57 champ!
Hello Johan, both speakers sound great! The Celestion sounds darker and middier, the Jensen broader in High frequencies and scooped on the mids, apple and oranges, both good!🤟🏼
Thanks Vincenzo!
JBL with an original cone I like the d131 over the d120f as it has more chime, and cheaper- but they are Heavy, great for Hi-fi tube stereo use also playing record's
Very different, but both sounds great. The JBL seems to have a more even frequency range, while the Celestion has more mid presence.
Thanks Inge!
JBL is my preference, sounds much more clear & un-colored across the frequency range. A lot like EVM 12L's, which are my personal favorites.
Thanks Byron
That JBL is killer!!!!!
I don’t have a preference for either one. I like both. I use a lot G12 Celestions in my amps and I used a D-130 in my Ampeg B15 clone. Your test would have been more valid if you used the same amplifier for both tests. Either a seperate cabinet or a Deluxe reverb and change the speaker for each test comparison.
does anyone what is the lowest rated speaker ever made for guitar or that can be used for guitar ? 10 watts ? (those old goodmans say ''15 UK WATTS /30 USA Watts'')
That’s a good question. I have never had a 12” below 15W in my amps.
In the intervals between playing with extinction I watch your comparisons, God sent you to us, bless you and good vibrations, hallelujah :)))
Thanks my friend! :-)
I think the JBL was the Allman classic tone.
Yeah, Duane used 4 of these in an open back 4x12
I always wish high end us speaker had a high end roll off similar to the blue but leave the rest of it alone. I find them good but when i add some verbs or chorus its just a bit painfull
Together in the same cab they would sound very good
Combining them in a 2x12 cab would be fantastic !
Maybe the JBL paired with a Celestion greenback or even a G12H75 would an interesting match in a 212 or 412. Clarity + midrange thrust.
I recall Johans upload about the Van Halen tone (and VH really took tone further the first thing he did back in those days).
I ALSO recall a video where Johan is combining a bunch of different elements in left/right channel, playing the same riff over and over. And that I was not the only one to like the greenback together with some AlNiCo element (might have been Jensen?). Anyway, I think having some kind of overtonish element to make Greenbacks company gives you a posibility to use two mic's for a useful sound and a nice tone for the recording room or stage too. Imagine one freaking expensive JBL D120F along with three good old Greenbacks/Scumbacks or such.
👍🇺🇸❤JBL.........100% no contest !!!!!!!!!
Thanks David!
Dupcia goła to modyfikacja
IMO the D120F is the 'winner', the celestion blue is to tubby and unfocused.
A shootout between old Fane speakers and current production Fane could be interesting. Eg Crescendo vs F90 vs F70 vs Specialist range vs OEM (hiwatt sound city branded)
Such great tones on both! Have the lead guitarist use JBLs and the rhythm use the Alnico blue. JBL is really up front and the Alnico blue is so much more muted/far away
What speaker(s) made today sound like the JBL D120F ?
Tone Tubby Purple Haze?
Celestion Cream Alnico. Doesn't sound exactly like a D120F but has many of the same qualities and feel. In many ways it's a speaker much more suited to all types of music and all types of rigs.
2:31 what a grunge riff !
i go with the celestion
I couldn't decide so I have a 2x12 with Celestion Blues and a 2x12 with D131.... And another cab with a E120. Obviously my 2 favorite speakers.
They’re great complements indeed
Both are classics, The Blue is a masterpiece for lower wattage tube amps but JBL's were built different. I don't think any other speakers were built like that. 4" voice coil, Alnico 5 mags and aluminum ribbon wire. Kinda of a freak design for decades. They punch well above their weight too.
Hard to choose one. I think using both in a 2x12 cab would be great.
More sizzle w the US spk UK a bit smoother One of each in a 2/12 would be nice
In my opinion, you should have used a JTM45 as that is what the Celestion Alnicos were paired with originally for that classic “beano” sound. I know you love the Supers though 😂 cheers bro🤙🏼 I still like the scooped Celestions more if playing alone but in a mix the JBL would be a more proper choice
Cheers!
I had two of those Jbls in my twin, and it fuckin ruled, but now I prefer Celestions. Funny how tastes change! I like salad now too, never thought that would happen!
Hahaha! ;-)
combining the two in one amp will sound pretty awesome
Yeah they’re great complements
great work in demos, I prefer the Celestion.
Thanks, glad to hear that!
Pretty big difference to me. The JBL brings out the high end whereas the Celestion gives you more mid to low range sounds. As you said, not an 'apples to apples' comparison. If I were a metal player, I would prefer the JBL. Not for nothing that the Celestion Blue is more associated with that classic 'Brit' tone (meaning darker).
Wow. What a difference. I'd like both in a 2x12.
Hello. To my ears -> For a lot of the soloing, I liked the JBL. For playing chords and riffs, I preferred the Celestion. The former had more treble, while the latter had more midrange.
Thanks
Why not both in one cabinet? :)
Johan, test the JBL D123 in guitar and compare!
Wow what a difference. I like the JBL!
Thanks Jens!
Johan sitting on a jcm800 combo is a meme by itself
Would love to see this JBL up against the ALTEC 417C
How can you tell you haven't got balanced outputs why didn't you balanced the outputs to be the same
The blue has the sound, very familiar with out being harsh, JBL not as dynamic, more in your face aggressive,almost annoying to me ! Thanks again Johan, another ear opening lesson, when I need to replace a speaker or two!
Thanks Joe! :-)
JBL's get better and better w/ more use... beyond breaking them in, they just sing, at least the "older" JBL's did. I love Celestion's too, CREAMBACK is my fave.
@3:13 -3:19 Johan just can't escape his love for Ace Frehley.
JBL is tighter more efficient sounding and cuts through the mud.
I just completed rebuilding one wit ha paper dust cap and it sounds well different in my 65 Deluxe Reverb but in a better way.
I was running a Hemp Cone Ceramic Tone Tubby and also a Jensen Jet Blackbird Alnico 100 watt.
The JBL with a good push the amp pedal gives my H150 Heritage a good honking Allman Brothers tone.
Also bring the amp up just before breaking up and turn the guitar down and sling out some Jazz runs.
Vox fan here .. saying JBL all the way in isolation. The Blue might cut / seperate well maybe. But That JBL sounds alive and joyous here \0/
Thanks
The JBL has that upper mid emphasis like modern Greenback "reissues." Like actual vintage Greenbacks don't have. It sounds remarkably like Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Up Around The Bend." The Celestion sounds to me like it has less top end and less bottom end and more "low-fi." That may be a result of the size and type of cabinet it's in. Was it open-backed?
Which speaker is preferable would depend, to me, on what my bass player's tone and my singers voice sounded like. Both generate perfectly serviceable rock tones.
Nice video. As usual.
Thanks! Yeah both were open back cabs. The grill cloth was a bit thicker for the blues I think though. Cheers
great video again, but I don't like both of them. you could cut concrete or even diamonds with that jbl's highs. and I tried more then one celestion blue, they sound "too nice" when the amp is set clean, and there is something I don't like, when I play them loud. guess I stay with my greenbacks and jensen speakers. but that is just my taste... :o)
Thanks Frank!
200 pounds each for the blue re-issue. and around 4-500 for a d120 if you can find one.
Found the blue back has a compressed tone while the jbl is opener across the board. Both are classics however
Both speakers sound great but I prefer the JBL. It sounds like it has more clarity and is brighter sounding
Thanks!
Definitly the celestion is my winner. The jbl sounds harsh. But a jbl e120 sounds a lot better. You should try to compare these.
Pan one of them hard left and the other hard right and it’s delicious. You get the best tone!
There was a reason why evh used the JBL D-120
Man, the vox has such a narrow frequency range compared to the JBL. Both are great, but the JBL will absolutely smoke the alnico blue in a real world setting.
Thanks, yeah the JBL goes up 1000 Hz higher than the Blue
I got two Canis Major eminence speakers 🔊
Which gets me my alnico speaker fix
JBL all day for me. I like the top end sizzle and the sparkle, it's always easier to tame that, than muddy sounding IMO
I prefer a ceramic speaker over alnico's, ceramics just have more of a "direct drive" feeling to them, but this jbl sounds good.
But alnicos have this magical response
As a deadhead I’ve always heard how much the JBL speakers were a part of Jerry Garcia’s sound. In this comparison the JBL sounds very mid heavy and “distant” to me while the Celestion sounds more even and present. They are definitely different flavors, and as we all know there is no right or wrong, only personal preferences with these types of things. The Celestion sounds better to me, but the best sound might be had by putting one of each in a 2x12 (or two of each in a 4x12) 🙂
Yeah, Van Halen used to mix Celestions and JBLs in his 4x12 cabs
The higher the gain the more I liked the JBL’s, overall I think I preferred the blues. But my favorites are still good ol’ greenbacks, thanks for another great comparison! 😉
Thanks Dean, yeah Greenbacks are the benchmark
both great speakers.plexi plexi plexi is amazing
Thanks, yeah that’s a killer amp
@@JohanSegeborn some amps can never be recreated ever,marshall plexi and vox ac30 also selmer amps the 60s one.
Together?
Take the Blue out of that Vox combo cab, drop it into any Closed back and it would sound a lot less tired and more aggressive. JBL wins the day for ear candy sitting at home noodling around. But in the mix...……..? ;)
Yeah it depends on how your band mates sound
I like them both but I'd take a pre rola greenback over either
Greenbacks are the pinnacle indeed
I thought Celestion Blues were supposed to be "chimey", This one sounds fatigued. The JBL is very open sounding in comparison but maybe a bit too bright with the Marshall. I was hoping you would mix them together and some magic would happen.
These are actually the speakers used with the 63, two clips ago. I think they need the sparkling tone of a Vox to sing
I use a JBL with a Celestion Gold (similar to blue) in a Fender Twin style amp. Hard to dial in, but they bloom when I get it right.
I have a early 60's ac30 (non top boost). I'd describe it as 'dark' when clean but crunchy when cranked i.e. no fizz. I think brian may uses the normal channel, smashed with a treble booster?
@@redearthpaul178 yes that's correct about Brian's set up. Normal channel is always up full, treble booster is always on and he controls gain with the guitar volume
be they would sound nice blended
They do! Cheers
JBL for me too.
Shit ! The JBL D120 is awesome !