Do Vintage Guitar Speakers REALLY Sound Better?
Вставка
- Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
- Does speaker type matter? In this episode we test whether speakers of different types and from different eras actually make a huge difference. Rhett Shull, Dave Onorato and myself compare a NEW Celestion Vintage 30 12" Guitar Speaker vs VINTAGE 70's Celestion G12H 12" Guitar Speaker inside the same Orange 4x12 Cabinet. Using a 1972 Orange Overdrive OR 120 we recorded the V30's then swapped them out for Vintage G12 H's. The results will surprise you! Ley me know your thoughts.
Rhett Shull - / rshull07
Dave Onorato - Instagram @dojoguitarrepair
THE BEATO EAR TRAINING → beatoeartraini...
THE BEATO CLUB → bit.ly/322AGO1
BUY THE BEATO BOOK HERE → bit.ly/2UsvaTD
MY HELIX PRESETS →flatfiv.co/pro...
KEMPER PROFILES → bit.ly/34mF3EY
SUBSCRIBE HERE → bit.ly/2eEs9gX
--------------------------------------
My Links to Follow:
UA-cam - / rickbeato
Follow my Instagram - / rickbeato1
Personal Facebook - / rick.beato.1
Follow On Twitter - / rickbeato
------------------------------
Special Thanks to My Supporters:
Joe Armstrong
Brian Smith
Brandon Combs
Robert Hickerty
comboy
Alan Nance
Peter DeVault
Bill Grubbs
Phil Mingin
Tal Harber
Rick Taylor
Bill Miller
Gabriel Karaffa
Brett Bottomley
Matthew Porter
Frederick Humphrey
Paul Noonan
Scott Thompson
Todd Geisler
Harry Brocious
Jaime Villescas
Jeff Peters
Jared Vogt
Todd Geisler
Kaeordic Industries LLC
Duane Blake
Terry Van Belle
Ilya Kravchenko
Nathan Hanna
Thom Theriault
Kai Ellis
Zack Kirkorian
Joe Ansaldi
Jonathan Wentworth-Linton
Pzz
Marc Alan
Rob Kline
Calvin Wells
David Trapani
Will Elrics
Chris Defendorf
Debbie Valle
JP Rosato
Dave Hawkey
Orion Letizi
Mike Voloshen
Ashley Thompson
Peter Pillitteri
Jeremy Hickerson
Travis Ahrenholtz
I actually think that Rick’s part sounds better with the newer speakers but Rhett and Dave need the older ones for sure
I was thinking the same thing while listening to the back to back section.
Can only agree with this.
Actually, will emphatically agree😉
Even I was thinking the same
I agree too!
I thought the opposite. I liked Rick with the older and Rhett and Dave with the newer ones.
Easy way to make it WAY more controlled: record a loop (on any looper pedal, like a ditto or something) and play it for both speakers (or amps, or whatever you're trying). This is the best way to test anything that comes after the pickups.
Also: blind test. Record both and then make the other guys listen to it blindly (if they can't see your face when choosing, even better). Make it blind for us for some time too!
There's an entire recording studio. I couldn't figure out why they played twice.
Exactly what I was thinking! Especially when Rick said "scientific" ..
This would have allowed a direct A/B as well, switching back and forth between tracks.
I like the Vintage 30s over the G12H. More crisp and the definition is much better and more together sounding. (I listened to these over studio monitors)
VIDS2013 likewise.
"More crisp" is a good way to put it.
I agree, although the difference is not as much as I expected. The V30's just have that cut and bark that cuts through the mix live like a knife.
Me too.
I thought the V30’s sounded better with all three guitars and players.
To me the G12H’s sounded just a bit buzzy in the high end.
I could see those getting irritating sounding very easily.
To me the V30s sounded controlled and focused. The G12Hs sounded more hairy and open.
If only my smartphone had Vintage 30s, then I'd be able to tell the difference!
Lol
They do have a headphone jack.
Yup. Were all hearing what these amps and guitars sound like through Logitech computer speakers really ;)
The common folk will never know the difference , they both sound good to me , cheers from Canada
@@TrashcanGarage Too right. Old silvertone amps were the equivalent of those monoprice amps nowadays, and people loved them for sounding weird and less pristine than Fenders of their time. Hell, Fender were always looking to save money. It's entirely subjective. Personally I prefer playing V30s, but those G12Hs sound great.
"Common folk". From the lips of a guitarist? LMFAO!
I much prefer the vintage speakers. The modern ones sound too harsh and biting, for lack of better words. P.S. Love the banter and these "team" videos!
I do like the G12 H’s a little better due to the mid-range coming through a bit better. As usual, Dave is right.
Probably why Rick and Rhett call on Dave so often... We know who has the "mad skills"... but no youtube channel.
Hahahahaha Thanks!!!
honestly don't think one sounds better than the other. Just different.
This, basically. If you'd have told me that the second set of speakers were new-production G12H 30s, I'd have gone 'yep, fair enough, bit different to V30s' and that would have been it. For most of what I play, I could use either quite happily.
I agree. If i ended up with a tone like either of those i would be happy.
Yep
I listened "blind" while doing paperwork and, barring one section of Rick's playing, I found I'd preferred the '70s set-up when I went back and saw the on-screen captions. It's just a more "open and fuller" sound that, for me, works better on most of the samples here. Purely subjective, of course, and there's no "right or wrong" - and, as Rick said, he'd have sculpted anything we've heard here before it got anywhere near going into a finished mix.
The black-backs do sound better to my ears. The sound is more cohesive without the scoop.
They probably shouldn’t have used orange since they’re one of the only amp companies that just keeps getting better
Especially with Rick's chords.
This is right up my alley! I’ve got a newer Orange cab with vintage 30’s, a 70’s Marshall 4x12 with Black Backs and for years my main amp was a mid 70s Orange Overdrive 120. Knowing first hand what these combinations sound like, I actually expected a LOT more of a difference in your recording! The difference is obvious, but I just expected more. My experience is that vintage 30s work great with modern amps, BUT when paired with a vintage (or even vintage type) amp... nothing beats the black backs.
I'm a classic rocker, so for me the old speakers sounded tighter, and a little clearer than the new. Thanks for the video guys...it was cool to hear those speakers back to back like that.
First, thanks for all of your efforts in putting this test together. I really enjoyed participating in this exercise. Second, my personal preference is for the G20 vs the Vintage 30s. The reason for my preference is that I am the same age you are Rick and the G20s is the sound that remember growing up with in in the 70s. I thought they both sounded good and was skeptical that I would be able to tell a difference, but was surprised that my preference was consistent across all of the listening tests. Thanks again for putting this test together. I enjoyed being a part of this test.
I’m convinced Dave is just Rhett from the future
I could very well be...🤣
That’s pretty darn funny
LMFAOOO
Rather evident (and impressive) the thought that went into designing these speakers to meet the needs of each time.
To me anyway the vintage 30's sound like they were designed when guitar was the star of the show. Current speakers sound like designed to take a more supportive role and to fill those frequencies (narrower range overall when including the low end) and would sit better in the mix accordingly.
Yeah just what I was thinking, makes a lot of sense as I was wondering why they sounded so different.
You guys always make these sound the best and high quality equally! Also very pleasant to see the 3 Amigos make a comeback!
The vintage speakers sound surprisingly warmer to me. Amazing!
Warmer with more depth on the vintage sound it stills rules.
I definitely agree. The new speakers had a little too much high end for me.
I agree.
Vintage 30's all day long. Sounded crisper to my ears.
Same, the Gs sounded muddy to me
So, Vintage 60s?
The vintage speakers have a much dirtier sound. I do like them more.
I was going to say, the modern speakers sounded cleaner to me. If that is good or bad, that's your bag.
Agreed, but that's why I personally like them less. :)
Totally agree. Would love to hear some Volbeat put through those!
I liked the Vintage 30s because they weren’t breaking up as much in the higher frequencies.
@@richardhighsmith that's a very interesting thought. Rick said it's literally a brand new cabinet.
Good to see all you guys together again! Really enjoy the content, expertise, and seeing the love of music you guys share. Keep up the great work!
To make the experiment apples-to-apples, record into a looper so you always get the exact same input.
I was wondering why they didn't pump the same audio through both.
Add try vintage vs new of the same speaker kind. V30s vs GB or whatever, of course there will be a difference.
@@abrackas1 Yeah, my thoughts. These speakers are voiced differently anyway...
Yeah, G12H Heritage instead of a vintage 30 which is a modern speaker that is not a copy of any older speaker. But really I think they were going for comparing what Orange had back in the day vs what they have now.
Indeed, that would have been the real test, along with perhaps some non-saturated licks/chords?
Rick, Great video! It'a amazing how much different the speakers are! It's not subtle. I'm listening on PC speakers (admittedly very good ones). It really shows why you need several cabinets. I'd love to see more of these comparisons. I'm rebuilding an 80s fender amp and figuring out what speakers to buy is challenging! I design and build HiFi speakers for a hobby when I can get to my woodworking tools and the expectation is the amp does not color the sound, but the speaker absolutely does. But with Guitar, the combination of amp and speaker make such a difference! Thanks for the great videos!!
Did this really answer the question "Are Vintage speakers really better?". It certainly demonstrates that different types of speakers effect tone (was that really in question?), but to answer the original question shouldn't the vintage G12H have been compared to a new G12H?
That's a good point.
This.
Exactly what I was saying with my comments
It did. The answer is, they can be. Also, that question is really hard to answer, because rarely are speakers made the same way they used to be
Indeed...
This right here is why I fitted vintage blackbacks in my Marshall cab.
Vintage 30's are more clear and have more definition, G12h more punch but also muddier. I really prefer V30s.
Only honest opinion on here
I completely agree. I preferred the V30s as well.
I also preferred the V30s overall, especially for Ricks part, they are much cleaner and I didn't feel that the originals offered more mid, they simply don't seem to have the benefit of the cleaner more detailed V30s
Got that same impression, the G12H were muddier in the mids and highs; they'd be better as bass speakers, while I'd prefer the V30s for lead instruments
@@zackhagains3739 Me too. The G12h sound like they're a recently constructed ruin. The V30s like finding a real dinosaur fossil. I know that's a weird analogy but hey.... :) I'll go with the *real* bones.
best trio on UA-cam! Rigby Atto, Rat Shelf and Dave Avocado!
I feel like this is a matter of context. Different sounds for different songs.
This is the correct answer.
That Les Paul DeLuxe sound freakin' GLORIOUS.
I have a 76 Deluxe, all original, and it's the best rhythm guitar in the world. I use a Standard for leads.
It'll never work. You've let the vintage air out.
😂😅😆
yes new electrons and different air..no chance
Not enough cigarette smoke, marajauna smoke, joss sticks you mean?
@@jsullivan2112 Silly me.
even a smoke filled room wont help, weed is different these days, acid gives different buzz...
we don't have the tools to recreate the classics
It's weird to hear real amps, cabs and mics. It really does sound different than the digital stuff. I love it. Both of the speakers sound great to me.
It’s like a mic shootout. Hard to say which one is “better”. I can hear both comparisons useable depending on application. Plus, isn’t “better” really a subjective analysis? It depends on what your ears like. I think both sets had great sound. I can hear that scooped sound on the newer speakers but it sounded good still. You all play well too so that helps. With Ricks lines, I too think the newer set sounded a little more pleasing to the ears. Great comparison. It sounded to me like someone flipped a “presence” switch to on with the older Celestion’s. Cool vid. 🤘😎
I think it's "which do you like better". I like the old ones. Obviously both are perfectly fine pro level speakers.
I can't completely agree with your thought about depending on what your ears like because if you haven't heard or more importantly, experienced both sounds or even many different sounds, you might not even know or understand there is a difference. When I plug into my A rig it's golden, but if I heard it next to one of Rick's A rigs, or Rhett's, I might think I have trash for tone. I'm just sharing the first thing that came to mind while reading your thoughts. My ears don't even know what to like with certainty. I'm starting to realize, I like the wide variation of possibilities, but until youtube, I wouldn't have known as in my example. I have only owned maybe 8 guitar amps in my whole life including some really basic stuff, yet I always made music with them, while wishing for the killer guitar tone. Now I realize, there was some serious value in even the lower quality stuff I wish I had back, oh and the guitars I wish I could have back, nother topic.
The objective question would be "Can you tell a difference between them", and apparently there is a noticeable difference. I like the old ones, personally.
Thomas, good points. I think what I was trying to say is “better” is such a hard thing to differentiate. It is always fascinating to hear the differences between these speakers and it’s amazing how much difference magnets, paper, and coils can make. But when you’re recording or playing, you get used to a sound that is pleasing or acceptable to your ears. That becomes your sound per se, so to play through a different cab or speaker and change your tone with a more expensive speaker for example, may not be as pleasing to what you’re used to. So i think taste would be more important than better. I think Ricks comparisons were really fascinating and what a great thing for them to take the time to do.
I can’t even tell you how much of my gear I wish I still had. Especially some of my earlier basses. There’s something to be said for history, quality, and the way things were made back in the 70’s and 80’s versus now. I can’t even think about some of it as it makes me deeply sad.
The real beauty is that we have so many choices these days. So achieving our “best” in sound and gear is something that shouldn’t be too hard to do. And with videos like this one, it really helps us to make informed decisions. 👍
@@kensteckelberg7013 I love these guys taking the time to make these videos. They even go scientific with tape. I always use tape, just but without the science part.
Good to see the guys back together again!
Surprisingly I prefer the vintage speakers. They had more of that thick Jimmy Page-y tone to them, which I think makes the sound a lot more cohesive.
I really enjoyed this guys. I like the chord voicings you used to really work the full range of the speakers. It's good to see Dave back in action. I had a brief moment of panic. At first I thought that Rhett had an ascot around his neck. Lol. Thankfully, it's just his mask. Not everything from Scooby Doo is cool. I was also thinking that having Rhett and Dave opening the cabinet only to find a couple of wise guys in there would have been a priceless moment. Seriously, another well done video.
The V30s sound lifeless by comparison. The 70s speakers have much better midrange response. Less choked off. Less "refined" but with more life. Nice video, dudes!
ok boomer ;)
u are correct sir.
Agree.
I think other way around...the 70s ones are duller and more mid scooped ie lifeless and less/worse midrange response, you may be listening thru laptop spks if you cant hear that. Better yet I have in person, I have these exact 70s blackbacks that came stock in a 70s orange 4x12. Didnt like em, knew they were weird in the mids. Dont like the V30 either tho...too sharp and crunchy hot in the upper mid spike. Greenbacks too dull. Ended up w/ a WGS veteran 30 for now that seem to be a nice balance of all the above, tho still looking at others
My takeaway from this is that Orange makes the best amps ever. Wow, beautiful sounds.
Too bad they don’t make an amp that sounds like that now. 70’s Orange vs. Modern Orange might as well be two different brands.
7:55 thus might be my new favourite sound clip.
I use a early 90’s Marshall 4x12 with vintage 30’s powered by an Orange AD30HTC. With a Plimsoul pedal, everyone seems to love it! (Including me!) Everything from a clean tight sound to an incredible classic crunch. Oh yeah, my original Marshall 30th Anniversary head, well it was stolen. Great stuff guys!✌️🤪🎸🎵🎶🎵🎶🎵🎶
Vintage 30's sound better to me, less muddy, I feel that just like this, without additional processing, they would sit in most mixes better
The whole point is the mix. I don’t see much point in comparing them solo. A lot of tones that sound good in a mix sound weird when isolated.
@@kylec2761 true
I wonder if the new Vintage 30s we’re properly broken in before the test. That might make some difference. Otherwise, I prefer the older speakers for the styles being played here. I also thought Rick’s stuff sounded pretty good on the new speakers. Great test!
I had the same thought. Un-broken in V30s are terribly harsh and that’s what my ears heard here. Not sure this was really a fair fight.
The new speakers sound tighter than the old ones just as one would expect, time takes it's toll on paper. Nothing profound about that.
Busted Junk Studio I was an engineer on tissue paper machines for two decades. Our large rolls of paper went into storage sometimes vs going straight to the equipment that cut it and rolled it into the small toilet rolls. The operators constantly told us the stored paper degraded over time and under tension. We tested the stuff and they were right. It loses elasticity, strength etc...
So this makes scientific sense to me.
Well obviously you record on busted junk anyways.
Tighter???!!! Are we listening to the same recording?
Dave really needs a youtube channel for his killer riffing.
He get's service at the guitar store faster than Wayne
Should have recorded your parts into a looper pedal, so we know the only difference is truly the speaker, and not your playing dynamics.
I mean, it's a pretty substantial difference that simply can't be playing dynamics.
@@Guitarisforgrins just takes any potential playing differences and dynamic differences out of the equation.
I agree. Reamping through the different cabs would be the better way to go. But it's obvious enough
@@mikeanaro Jesus dude... settle down. At least Rick would unlikely call someone a "huge idiot" because they did something differently than he expected.
Also they could've recorded the DI signal and then re-amp the recorded DI signal into the testing takes.
Agree. Playing is a very sophisticated, brain-modulated, feedback loop and everyone adjusts their playing to the sound coming back to their ears. Can't be helped.
Dave Rocks! Love that riff around the 10 min mark.
THE OLDER SPEAKERS SOUND LIKE THE 70’S THE NEWER ONES SOUND LIKE A TYPICAL GUITAR CENTER ON ANY GIVEN DAY.
Lol😂
I like the older ones for sure. More grind and definition in the mids. Really cool video guys.
The vintage speakers were definitely "warmer". The difference, to my ear, is like the difference between an MP3 and vinyl. The MP3 is louder, less dynamic range and thin. Vinyl is warm, more range but the upper frequencies aren't so overbearing.
yes
I'm kind of drooling at the sound of that v30 to hear in a full band mix, double tracked and slightly panned. That said , I would use them both, the G12H's for detailed passages and solos. Thanks for doing this Rick. A pleasure to hear these.
G12H for me, Vintage 30’s have a spongy feel that I’m not keen on.
Spongy is a good word for it. Spongy and slightly...hollow?
New subscriber - totally love the whole vibe around this. Great guys and awesome fun (really looking forward to Rhett's live shows). Its exactly the kind of conundrum I've debated my entire playing career - For the record I felt the G12H's had that mid range omph that I love.
The last time I was this early I was being super jealous at a kid's perfect pitch
The vintage g12h speakers really have that same vibe as the current g12h speakers to my ears.
Vintage sounded warmer to me and the new sound a bit "tinny" to me ? jm ear....
i wouldn't have called it tinny, nice term so, i call them more transparent :))) but tinny does the job
I agree.
Agreed - I said "richer" but warmer is also what I meant.
@Rick Beato, I can tell you going from having modern Celestion Alnico Blue speakers to hearing the original T530's (and the mid-60s silver T1088s) was just-about a life-changing experience. I immediately sold the modern Blues (and some modern clones), and picked up 3 more pairs of silver Celestions as fast as I could find them.
I prefer the blackbacks, it has that old school rock tone for sure
Rick, that was a great experiment. As I explained to someone else, if I had the new cabinet and had never known about the other speaker possibility, I would live my life thinking this is how this cabinet is supposed to sound. What would also be interesting is to see if EQ could make both so similar as to not notice unless it was pointed out?
Vintage 30’s all day. Such a more rounded sound.
You've got to watch out getting vintage speakers as very few people on ebay or reverb test them properly, it can be a bit of a mine field. Great video.
That was a fun podcast you did with Christopher Ryan
First I saw some ear training from your kids, then I saw some recording vids at a friend’s house, then I found your UA-cam page and subscribed, then followed on Instagram, and I still didn’t feel like buying your book. But then when I watched “I helped the fall of rock music”
I thought harder. And now this. I thought surely no way, they’ll mess up the study, or won’t be noticeable... but damn! The vintage was so much clearer hearing your major 6/9 chords, which get hard to pick out when overdrive is used. The new ones were much muddier. So, in other words, thanks. Just bought your 4.0 book. See if the book will help find the holes in my voice leading skills.
I actually think they both sound great though the vintage ones have a bit more heft. It would be interesting to do this test and not tell people which speaker is which and see their reactions. Honestly, the think I was most struck by was how much better than Les Paul Deluxe sounded than the other two guitars. Mini-humbuckers, who knew?
Outstanding video! I actually loved both sounds, each for it's own attributes. The vintage set had that killer warmth and texture that most of us only hope to get out of a guitar rig, while the V30 allowed all of the harmonic texture and subtle overtones to come out. With that being said, the V30's would definitely need so EQ sculpting to get the "quack" out of them on all but Rick's part..... and quite honestly, if Rick had not played those cool interval chords that made the v30's come alive (12:08-12:23), I would have said vintage takes the prize hands down.
I feel like the older speakers honestly sounded a lot more bold then the vintage 30s did. I feel like even metal players would appreciate that strong mid-range.
Love that riff at about 8 minutes that you play, Rick! I might nick it!
I'm geeky enough to love this.
The focus on the mini humbuckers is interesting, I love it.
Going al Johan Segeborn here.
Yeah!
Johan shows up with some 80 grit sandpaper and Rhett gets a woody.
Tone.
Brb getting sandpaper
I'm a drummer who now plays guitar (mainly rhythm), so be nice :) Overall, I prefer the tone of the vintage speakers. Although, considering I could hear the tone of the vintage speakers in the newer speakers, their brighter tone allows for more versatility giving you the best of both worlds, especially in the mix (live and recording) with other instruments.
When looking for the best value for money regarding amps I only considered buying a valve amp until I came across the Blackstar ID 150 combo digital amp. I was seriously impressed with the way it replicated the classic valve/vintage amp/speaker tone, and the range of built-in effects with the convenience of downloading more if needed.
The new speakers sound washed out compared to the bite of the vintage ones.
Well, there you go. I thought the Vintage 30s had more bite than the G12Hs. Another example of how it's pointless to try to declare one sound "better" than another.
I prefer the 30watt BlackBack.
Also glad to hear Dave get some more camera time. He’s an incredible guitarist. Smokin ‘
I like the G12 H’s a little better, the mid-range is more pronounced.
In this test, there were things about both of them that I liked. The bright, scooped sound of the Vintage 30s would sit well in a track for rhythm guitar parts with big chord voicings. The G12Hs have a more focused midrange that brings out the "kerang" of the guitar tone. They would work really well for lead and solo tones in a track. Either speaker could be tweaked to sound similar to the other by adjusting the amp's tone controls
Never mind the speakers, that red Les Paul sounds absolutely phenomenal!
@@wingracer1614 Well, we can be blasphemous together then.
"Good thing it's not heavy" - made my day :D
As for my assessment, I'm not sure what I like better.
For me, when comparing one against the other, regardless which way you look at it, there is something missing from the other. The new drivers are missing mid-range and highs, the old ones are missing low-end. One example of the latter is in Rhett's sample, the new speakers have a definite rumbling low E in the in-between spaces that is missing on the older ones.
I think, barring electronics issues (matching impedance et. al.), in a live setting, you might be best with 2 and 2. Mic'ed up in the studio might be different though.
Pardon my nitpicking, but actually the G12H's on this video are from the late 70's, not early as Dave said. Amongst guitar speaker aficionados they are called "blackback" speakers because of their black magnet cover. The date code on the speaker frame (appears to be "MK22") reveals that they were made on December 22, 1977. Those are some great speakers though, but just to point it out. Early 70's - as well as late 60's - Celestion speakers used to have either green ("greenback" anyone?), cream or grey magnet covers. The most important difference sound-wise though is the cone: Celestion speakers up until around year 1974 used Pulsonic cones. Unfortunately the factory burned down and the original cone formula was lost. Celestions with Pulsonic cones are very sought after nowadays: they do exist, but are scarce, so prepare to pay top dollar for ones in good condition.
First of all, I like the older Celestions because the weaker magnets cause the cone to run out of flux density, but you need to watch for overheating which will lead to failure. I need to play through a G12-100 because my amp has only one speaker and it has 120 watts RMS output. Keep making your interesting videos, Rick!
You could start a series called Music Mythbusters.
Johan does that in many videos
Would love to see this type of video on the impact of the effects loop on overall tone!
I prefer the modern speakers as they have a much cleaner / brighter sound, you can always dirty a clean sound if you want but you cant clean up a dirty sound (if that makes sense)
Makes sense to me. But can you add mids to a scooped sound?
Phil Rogers is this Helicopter Phil?
@@BradPham somewhat, but it's not the same. The V30's are only scooped in the lower mids. There's an upper mid nasal sound to them. I mixed 2 G12H-75's with 2 V-30's and thought is was amazing for any music and easier to EQ. The V-30's seem to have an upper mid spike that is nice when you need it but hard to EQ out when you want less of it. The mix of speakers tamed the V-30's while retaining what I liked about them. Of course this is an opinion but one many others share.
@@qua7771 I hope to try a G12H-75 at some point. I do recognise the honk of the V30 cab. Presently I'm mixing V30 with G12T-75 which is nice to my ears but perhaps not for everything.
@@BradPham I never tried a G12T-75. I have 4 Eminence clone AX-75 that people say sounds similar. They were in a 4x12 particle board Marshall cab that arrived, destroyed by shipping, over a decade ago. I ended up getting it for free and stripped the speakers and hardware. The G12T-75 V-30 combo sounds like it would be an exclent combination for high gain and metal. I think it would lack some warmth in the mids for southern and classic rock. The T-75's have about 3 db less sensitivity than V-30's so the V-30's will over power them (not necessarily a bad thing). H-75's and V30's are the same 100 db/ watt @ 1 meter so they have the same volume.
The tone that I get from the H-75 and V-30 is sort of granola with bass, plenty of creamy mids with a little fizz on top. Articulate. The combo still has some of the honk from the V-30's. It works with my amp (Bad Cat Cougar with Raython 12ax7's and les Paul).
I can scoop the mids with EQ for metal but I usually leave it alone.
It's a matter of subjectivity, but I hopes this helps.
I would guess, players will pick the speakers that sound like the tone closest to what they're playing with at this moment. For example: When I started playing through my brand new, Solid State, Fender M-80 Chorus amp head through a ROSS 4X12 cab with Jensen's in it, I suddenly had the best tone I've ever heard because I'd been playing through some Peavey head that was probably made in the late 60's and would drop out on me at random times. I played through that Fender from 1990 to 2015 so, those V30's would have been heaven for me, at the time(and a tube head wouldn't have hurt, either.) I finally had enough money to splurge on a used Marshall JCM2000 TSL100 with a 1960A cab and I've been in guitar heaven for five years so, those G12 H's are more to my liking!!! Thank you for doing these comparison videos and all of you're videos and thank you for all of your guests that bring their professions and perspectives for an extremely informative review!
What makes this song great?
The King is Half Undressed by Jellyfish
There is more clarity in the new speakers but I love the way the Vintage 30's seem to break up a little more. Could be the difference in speaker power rating. I do agree what Rick was playing sounded better with the new speakers. Different styles led to a different sound. Thanks guys! Great video!!
To my ears, the vintage 30s had a thinner, crisper sound. The G12s had a fuller, muddier sound. Admittedly, the sound was out of my phone.
I prefer the sound of the 30s, but they both sounded great.
I want that '72 Deluxe! I had a '60 something Wilshire 12-string with mini-hums. I loved the sound of those pickups.
I am always disappointed when comparisons like this are done without comparing the cleans.
This is a non-master volume amp. It's not like you can just switch to the "clean channel", you'd have to radically change all of the settings on the amp and then hope you get them back. It would have been more of a nuisance than a help in this case.
I wouldnt think that i could differ that much these two sounds with a youtube video. However i definetly did ! (using my AKH studio headphones). Now I wonder why is the VINTAGE 70 sounds a lot better? :) New Celestion, was like listening a song from a CD or MP3 player , however the 70 was like the real deal in a concert or listenin to an Original Vynyl of the same songs. Comparison was like a song as a raw recorded version (new model) vs. mastered version (70 s model). On the 70s model model i could hear the Frequencies much more clear , separeted well adjusted not one top another.
In the end thats my opionion maybe i lıke 70 s music muc much more than todays . Its a magical thing nice know about this . Thanks!
vintage speakers. all the way! more nuance, musicality and more even timbre.
I think the V30s sound more expressive, intimate and/or articulate and the G’s to have a distanced sorta party or stadium rock sound. I can see both being useful to keep in a studio. Just my 2 cents listening to my iPad which I find sad, interesting and funny... that we debated the great sound characteristics to be recorded in HD, converted to mp3 and played on mobile phones. Great video! I’ll have to watch again with some decent monitors 👍
You can answer every "Are/Is vintage X better?" the same way:
No.
Lol, yeah. It's pretty simple. Maybe modern lower end stuff aren't great but any solid piece of modern tech is miles better than vintage stuff
@@adamgillespie3393 how do you define better?
Absolutely true.
David Yates Since there is no such thing as an “objective” tonal advantage to anything vintage, I would say it comes down to material things like price, design, availability of components, and ease of maintenance and repair. Modern is better than vintage for all of those.
But value is subjective, of course. If you really want to shell out 75 grand for that particular 50s strat because you saw your favorite player had one on a record cover when you were thirteen, knock yourself out. Just don’t try and tell me it sounds or plays “better” than a $600 mexi made yesterday.
@@eightfootmanchild I thought this video was about speakers, not collectible guitars. Now to these ears, those vintage speakers sound better than the modern ones. Not dissimilar to my experience of owning vintage Marshall 4x12 cabs from the early 70s, as opposed to ones I bought new in the 1990s. So, in that respect, vintage can sound better than current. And if modern is so good, why do all these manufacturers try as hard as they can to recreate the technology and sound of the past? Why is the plexi circuit so revered? Why do so many boutique amplifier brands make amps based on that circuit? Why are the vast majority of guitars based on designs from the 1950s? If modern tech is so good, why do they struggle, like modern rock music does, to come up with something different and groundbreaking?
Hey guys good to see you three making another video, i love your scientific experiments, i did prefer the vintage speakers apart from Ricks parts i actually prefered the new G12 H speakers. But lets be honest they all sounded fantastic. Great video Rick. Will we see a video on your Mrshall Plexi you recently purchased?
*Music equipment exists*
Rick: Dave? What is this?
Hahaha 😊
I bet they’d blend splendidly together
Not hearing what everybody is talking about. The G12H speakers sound like crap, like a blanket of fuzz over the top of it, so much added distortion. The newer Celestions sound high definition and clear, and less added distortion. I feel like im hearing the amp more and less of the speakers.
The different speakers call for different gain and EQ settings in my opinion.
It's a different eq curve. There is all the same treble to my ears, but there's some BALLS to the sound now, ya know?
With my decent quality studio speakers the G12 sounded fatter, fuller and also just a tad bit louder which kind of made it harder to do a fair comparison. Don't know if my speakers just boosted the midrange of the G12 or if they just were slightly louder. So my opinion is the G12 sounded nicer on all of you guys. BUT maybe not best choice every time in the context of a full mix. I am not close to a pro at this stuff but I have learned sometimes I think my guitar tone is good at home. Then with the rest of the band at practice it's not blending as well or even cutting through. If I had my choice I'd go with the G12 with the confidence I could eq them in nicely if they were a little too full for the mix of the band. Thanks for this great demo. You guys all are the best.
30's because they have more definition and clarity.
Agreed, my thoughts exactly.
There is a thing called EQ... and its on your amp...
Put a rag between the terminals and cone when soldering. Great video, as always, guys.
i’m sure rick won’t see this, but i would be so excited if he did a what makes this song great on a jimmy eat world song!
i did the same test at home and when you play your own gear the differences are much more evident !
The confirmation bias is strong in this comments section.
Hats off to Dave and all the knowledge he has in that brain...damn!