Scumback S75-PVC AlNiCo...The Ultimate Speaker For Vintage British-Voiced Jangle?
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- Опубліковано 24 лип 2024
- So, I finally have a Scumback speaker to feature on the channel! They're a company I've heard a lot of great things about over the years...and this particular offering, the Alnico S75-PVC, certainly hasn't disappointed!
Said to totally sit somewhere between the old Silver Alnicos and the Celestion Blue, it's most definitely a speaker voiced after those old-school clanky, chimey British tones. They make two versions of it - a 25-watter with old-style paper coils (though Scumback themselves say these can catch fire should they be given a lot of power!) and this 65-watter with a Nomex coil. (Rest assured, these higher-powered ones do not catch on fire :P)
As well as shelving off just enough low end to stay tight, even with a thumpy JTM45, this is certainly a bright speaker, but to my ears, it never sounds harsh....it has a gorgeous clarity & glassiness, but without that in-your-ear crack of something like the Celestion Gold. The low mids are also right where I was hoping they'd be...thumpy and woody, but without ever sounding undefined.
Today, I'll be putting it through its paces with a selection of different guitars and amplifiers.
What do you think? Epic vintage British tones? Which guitar/amp combo was your favourite? Or is it not a speaker for you? Comment below!
Guitars:
- Gibson Les Paul Standard w/ ThroBak SLE-101 PAFs
- Fender Strat w/ Fralin Real '54s
- Gibson ES-330 '61 VOS Reissue w/ OX4 P90s
- Gretsch Duo Jet w/ TV Jones T-Armonds
- Fender MIJ Telecaster w/ Monty's '53 bridge & Bare Knuckle Flat '50 neck
- Danelectro MIK U2 '56 Reissue w/ Curtis Novak Lipsticks
- Gibson SG Standard w/ OX4 PAFs
- Heritage H-535 w/ Monty's PAFs
- Hagstrom Viking w/ OX4 Beano PAFs
Amps:
- Vajra JTM45 Clone
- Orange Retro 50 Custom Shop
- Cornell Romany Plus
- Dr Z Z-Wreck
- Dr Z DB4
Cabinet is a Zilla Studio Pro 2x12 with only the Scumback S75-PVC connected and active. Speaker recorded with Aston Spirit Condenser, Shure SM57 and sE RNR1 ribbon mics, with a Schoeps CMC6 room mic.
0:00 Intro
1:40 Playing Excerpts
13:41 Outro
joeperkinsmusic
jp@joeperkins.co.uk
Vector images by freepik.com
Holy cow, Joe! My guitarist & I are are designing new small cabs. Your vids are influencing us us because no one else shows a driver powered by different amps under different settings, thanks! Wanna hear our choices for our unique needs? I've never heard of Scumback. I love C 'blues, but I need a driver to handle bass & full-range at >15 watts, maybe this Scumback will do, if it's available in USA unlike the Fane that I initially wanted.
Glad the approach was useful! Scumback are USA-made so should be very available & affordable over there. :-)
This is my favourite speaker Scumback produces. It works well with greenbacks - I have one in a 2x12 paired with a Weber 1225 greenback. Getting the mid-range detail from the SC75-PVC and the punchiness from the greenback gave me the sound I was chasing.
I really like it - this one definitely divided opinion in the comments, but it's one of my favourites for a JTM45 type amp :-)
You rock kind sir!
It's an outstanding all-around speaker that pairs exceptionally well with just about any amp that I've paired it with (British and American circuits alike). Personally, I rate it favorably in comparison to the Celestion Alnico offerings. It's woody, chimey, and sounds perfectly-EQ'd to me.
Fwiw, the M75 is worth tracking down as well!
I'd love to check out some more Scumbacks...expensive to import though, and sadly rarely come up second hand here in the UK!
Love the es335 with P90s. Sounds amazing.
That guitar is an ES330...P90s and no centre block (fully hollow, so feedback central!!) But the recent P90 335s look super cool!! :-)
Really thought this sounded great with everything, especially the JTM45 and the DB4. Would be interesting how this would do in a blackface style amp.
I've been trying to decide between the S75 and the Scumnico, and I think this has sold me on the S75! Great playing, as always!
From what I've heard, the S75 is a bit brighter than the Scumnico...that's the main reason I went for this one :-)
@@JoePerkinsMusic Exactly. I was worried that the S75 could be too bright, so it's reassuring to hear you say it never gets harsh. I think it may be the perfect speaker for me!
Joe - how about a Scumnico and Fane A60 comparison? I was about to pull the trigger on the Fane but this demo has me thinking ... 🧐🧐
What sort of music/which amp would you be using it for?
@@JoePerkinsMusic Straight up rock and roll - think Tom Petty, Stones, Cheap Trick, Social Distortion, nothing ganier than, say, Green Day. Amps are a Victory VC35 (4xEL84 Vox-ish), BC Audio #8 (6SL7 octal preamps, 2x6V6, Tweed to Marshall-ish when cranked) and a Dr. Z Jetta (2x7591, in the Ampeg vein).
@@timmytVA Both would do a great job of that tbh and would be fairly similar. I'd say the Fane is likely _slightly_ thicker in the lower mids; and the Scumback likely _slightly_ more jangly like an old Celestion. But both will rock!! I'd go for whichever is cheapest for you based on your location, import fees, etc personally...both are wonderful speakers. (P.S. If you're buying from Fane directly, the code PERKY10 should still give you 10% off. 🙂)
Wow! I have have a Train Wreck style amp (Red Iron T Rex) and was looking at the M55s but this might be the better way to go after hearing it through your Zwreck. How does it sound in the room through the Zwreck? Thanks!
Sounds ace - I love it!
i'm going against the trend. I didn't like this speaker. I don't know if it's my ears but it sounded a bit muffled and lacked dynamics. When you played extremely gentle with the Hagstrom into the JTM45 it sounded really good but as soon as you started to rock out it went a bit downhill for me (not because of your playing style of course). There is an exception, the LP with the Throbak into the JTM45 sounded great.
Like you said, the low-mids are really good but to me, there is a problem with the highs and mids in general.
Anyway, great video as always.
No reason we always have to agree :-) We each have our own preferences! 👍
How do you feel about the speaker in a tweed deluxe?
Haven't tried this one specifically - but there _is_ a video coming on 5 March comparing Jensen & Celestion Alnicos in a tweed amp (and this one is very Celestion-ish) so that might be useful in helping decide :-)
@@JoePerkinsMusic thanks for the heads up!
Joe I thought that one sounded very poor indeed, no cut whatsoever and muffled.
Interesting - I didn't really find it muffled at all. But there's no reason we have to agree on everything :-)
Always sounded too dark and undefined now clarity to my ears, never understood the SB obsession...
Compared to other speakers I've played, this particular one seems a pretty bright speaker, but not harsh. It's the only Scumback I've played though, so can't comment on any of the others!