So I've been rabbit-holing on guitar speakers for a while. I'm trying to have a bunch of options aside from the V30.
...Not to **** on the V30 mind you. There's a reason why V30s are the "standard" for most things. But options are always good!
Speakers that I've used (after a 30+ hour break-in) and enjoyed so far include:
- V30s.
That big midrange hump and the bright\open top end is awesome for anything with gain. They sit killer in a mix, and once you notch out some harsh high-end frequencies they're pretty awesome. A bit over-done, but there's a reason why.
- Greenbacks
I loooooooooove the top end of a greenback. Possibly my favourite speaker would be a V30 mid-range, with a GB top end. They can sound a tad snotty and the bottom end is a bit murky, but when properly pushed, they open up in a glorious way.
- G12H30 Anniversary
These are potentially becoming my favourite speaker. They've got such a wide frequency range. This makes them seem "scooped" compared to a V30 but they do have plenty of mids, they're just...distributed evenly. They just sound so clear and open, however they do require a bit of taming. The top end CAN be a tad bright and ice-picky. I'm finding that a lot of amps like the treble\presence to be rolled off though...
- Cream Alnicos
These are my favourite "PRETTY" speakers so far. Big soupy mid-range, slightly fizzy top (but in a friendly, non-abrasive way), super smooth, super detailed and glorious. Makes everything sound "expensive." I wouldn't use 'em for high gain (too fizzy) but aside from that...
Speakers I DIDN'T like:
- T75s
Fizzy top, scoopy mids, hated any form of post-processing...I get why they're a bit of a "standard" speaker to come in cabs because they don't suck at anything but they're not good at anything either. Could be great fun for if you want something a bit gnarly and nasty though. Might be pretty sweet for Punk
- Eminence DV77
Dark and thuddy. The top end had a weird snarl to it and any time I tried to get a bit of brightness\open-ness out of it, it just went harsh. Kinda stiff in the mid-range too and they didn't seem to enjoy much post-processing. I don't know how Kohle gets his sounds out of the DV77 'cos my experience with them was completely opposite.
So basically, overall I tend to like open-ended speakers with a bit of brightness to them. Most of the time when I listen to people play Creambacks online, I hear something murky with a real "blanket-over-the-cab" vibe. Occasionally I hear something cool in the mids, but...
Creambacks seem to have this absolute die-hard following online. I also see a lot of people call them a high-powered Greenback (which I think was the original intention, but that was the same deal with V30s...) but the thing which I love most about Greenbacks (the top end) seems to be the big thing missing from Creambacks?
But the last kink in this equation: YouTube demos of how speakers sound are such a mixed bag. You can check out 12 different samples and get literally 12 different results.
So...I defer to gear nerds. What is cool about Creambacks? Why do people love them and what am I missing?
...Not to **** on the V30 mind you. There's a reason why V30s are the "standard" for most things. But options are always good!
Speakers that I've used (after a 30+ hour break-in) and enjoyed so far include:
- V30s.
That big midrange hump and the bright\open top end is awesome for anything with gain. They sit killer in a mix, and once you notch out some harsh high-end frequencies they're pretty awesome. A bit over-done, but there's a reason why.
- Greenbacks
I loooooooooove the top end of a greenback. Possibly my favourite speaker would be a V30 mid-range, with a GB top end. They can sound a tad snotty and the bottom end is a bit murky, but when properly pushed, they open up in a glorious way.
- G12H30 Anniversary
These are potentially becoming my favourite speaker. They've got such a wide frequency range. This makes them seem "scooped" compared to a V30 but they do have plenty of mids, they're just...distributed evenly. They just sound so clear and open, however they do require a bit of taming. The top end CAN be a tad bright and ice-picky. I'm finding that a lot of amps like the treble\presence to be rolled off though...
- Cream Alnicos
These are my favourite "PRETTY" speakers so far. Big soupy mid-range, slightly fizzy top (but in a friendly, non-abrasive way), super smooth, super detailed and glorious. Makes everything sound "expensive." I wouldn't use 'em for high gain (too fizzy) but aside from that...
Speakers I DIDN'T like:
- T75s
Fizzy top, scoopy mids, hated any form of post-processing...I get why they're a bit of a "standard" speaker to come in cabs because they don't suck at anything but they're not good at anything either. Could be great fun for if you want something a bit gnarly and nasty though. Might be pretty sweet for Punk
- Eminence DV77
Dark and thuddy. The top end had a weird snarl to it and any time I tried to get a bit of brightness\open-ness out of it, it just went harsh. Kinda stiff in the mid-range too and they didn't seem to enjoy much post-processing. I don't know how Kohle gets his sounds out of the DV77 'cos my experience with them was completely opposite.
So basically, overall I tend to like open-ended speakers with a bit of brightness to them. Most of the time when I listen to people play Creambacks online, I hear something murky with a real "blanket-over-the-cab" vibe. Occasionally I hear something cool in the mids, but...
Creambacks seem to have this absolute die-hard following online. I also see a lot of people call them a high-powered Greenback (which I think was the original intention, but that was the same deal with V30s...) but the thing which I love most about Greenbacks (the top end) seems to be the big thing missing from Creambacks?
But the last kink in this equation: YouTube demos of how speakers sound are such a mixed bag. You can check out 12 different samples and get literally 12 different results.
So...I defer to gear nerds. What is cool about Creambacks? Why do people love them and what am I missing?
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