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I am more or less an amp collector. I own six different amps, and I only have four cab options. Most of the cabs I own are inexpensive, unpopular, or something you would never catch me dead in public with. One is loaded with a quartet of G12T75's from the 90's, one is loaded with a pair of G12M's (China-made), and the other two cabs are loaded with the Peavey Sheffields that were in the Triple XXX cab that the G12T75's are loaded in. Despite the hate that the G12T75's get, I rather like them in the 4X12 cab I have. I feel they are fairly neutral speaker that isn't overly powerful in any one frequency range, you could say I feel they are honest. If your amp sounds good through these, it will sound good through anything.
I picked up a pair of G12M's to put in a H&K Rockdriver 2x12" cab I own, which is perhaps one of the ugliest, and weirdest cabs ever made. It is a bluish-purple, velvet-covered, and ported cab that is oversized, heavy, and extremely uncomfortable to handle... I can go on... It didn't sound great when I got it ( loaded with the original Rockdriver speakers ) and having tried half a dozen speakers to improve it, the G12M's are I think as good as it will get. So if you are not sure what to do with a cab that just doesn't sound good, a G12M is always a safe choice in my book. I would sport for the heritage model if you can though, it is a better-sounding version of the modern G12M offerings. I only bring this cab up to add context for the next two cabs.
I own perhaps one of the cheapest 2X12" cabs ever made, it was left at a venue I did sound at many years ago. The band never called back or even tried to reacquire it. It sat there for over a year before I was told to get it gone. I brought it home and instantly knew why it was left at the venue. It was loaded with some brand of speakers that I can't even find on the market anywhere, YUK... Interestingly the cab itself sounds great with any set of real speakers you put in it. I originally had the G12T75's in it, and that persuaded me to finish off my 4X12" with them. This cab is currently waiting for a replacement of the Peavey XXX speakers that I put in it. The XXX speakers are just too, um, weird for me. They have a very nasally, plastic kind of sound that I just have never gelled with no matter what cab they were in.
And finally the cab of interest. I own two Seymour Duncan convertible 1X12" ported cabs that are very much from the late 80's to early 90's. When I got them they were loaded with the Mesa Boogie Black Shadow MC-90s. Very much not the original speakers for that cab. In fact, I have not yet been able to find out what the original speakers for those cabs were supposed to be. I believe mine is a 90's model and must be rare, because they are extremely difficult to find pictures of. They have the splashed S symbol and simply say Duncan. Perhaps they were still using the Celestion G12K-85's at that time? In either case, the MC-90 was not cutting it for me, and I have yet to find a speaker that compliments the cab. It needs something as thunderous as the G12K to make it balance out in tone. I like the cabs though, solid and I'm sure they can sound amazing with the right speaker.
Enter the Celestion G12M-65 Creamback. I always wished I had more money to acquire cabs and speakers with, as it is my belief that the speaker probably makes up at least 50% of the sound that you hear from your amp. I.E. most amps will sound the same through the same speaker and cab, with only minor flavor and character added from the amp itself. This is likely why most amps that are truly boutique, or at least boutique in nature are sold as combo's, or with companion cabs that finish the aesthetic to justify the money spent. Dr. Z said it himself, using your own speaker and cab design options means you can control the sound of the amp to fit the sound that was intended. If you take a Z Wreck and play it through just any cab, it may not sound quite the way it was meant to. I am looking for a speaker that suits the SD 1X12" cabs I have and I also need to find a speaker that I want to use in my own build that I have going on for a fundraiser. I want something that is smooth, full, not too bright but doesn't leave you wishing for more and still has that woody mid-range growl. I think the G12M-65 is that speaker. I installed it into the SD cab and immediately was gratified with a full, balanced sound that was not too bright, not too nasally, and not too bassy.
The G12M-65 has a very controlled low end yet is still very full sounding. Most speakers I have come across that have a full sound just flub and or start to break up in the low end. The G12M-65 doesn't do that. It reproduces the low end very well and without distortion and flub. The highs are sweet and not too bright, but also not too dull, just right. The mid's are its only weakness, it has that woody sound the G12M Greenbacks are known for, but it also has a little more honk to it, not too much, but it's there. That could be the cab though, as most speakers I have put in it suffer from excessive honk, but it is certainly not problematic.
The cab I am looking to build will be a convertible open or closed back, slightly oversized 1X12" combo setup ( a combo amp ). The amp will be a 5-watt single-ended design of mine, and the focus of the amp is bedroom, studio, and small stages or PA-supported use. It is a clean pedal platform design that does haunting cleans to mild class-A crunch. I wanted a speaker that would stay true to the incoming sound, not break up, flub out or get in the way, while still having a character. If ever you wanted a speaker that is not too much of any one particular thing, I think the G12M-65 might be your best bet. So far it is the only speaker I have ever tried and was instantly happy with. I bought a pair and will be buying several more to fill out my other cab options.
I picked up a pair of G12M's to put in a H&K Rockdriver 2x12" cab I own, which is perhaps one of the ugliest, and weirdest cabs ever made. It is a bluish-purple, velvet-covered, and ported cab that is oversized, heavy, and extremely uncomfortable to handle... I can go on... It didn't sound great when I got it ( loaded with the original Rockdriver speakers ) and having tried half a dozen speakers to improve it, the G12M's are I think as good as it will get. So if you are not sure what to do with a cab that just doesn't sound good, a G12M is always a safe choice in my book. I would sport for the heritage model if you can though, it is a better-sounding version of the modern G12M offerings. I only bring this cab up to add context for the next two cabs.
I own perhaps one of the cheapest 2X12" cabs ever made, it was left at a venue I did sound at many years ago. The band never called back or even tried to reacquire it. It sat there for over a year before I was told to get it gone. I brought it home and instantly knew why it was left at the venue. It was loaded with some brand of speakers that I can't even find on the market anywhere, YUK... Interestingly the cab itself sounds great with any set of real speakers you put in it. I originally had the G12T75's in it, and that persuaded me to finish off my 4X12" with them. This cab is currently waiting for a replacement of the Peavey XXX speakers that I put in it. The XXX speakers are just too, um, weird for me. They have a very nasally, plastic kind of sound that I just have never gelled with no matter what cab they were in.
And finally the cab of interest. I own two Seymour Duncan convertible 1X12" ported cabs that are very much from the late 80's to early 90's. When I got them they were loaded with the Mesa Boogie Black Shadow MC-90s. Very much not the original speakers for that cab. In fact, I have not yet been able to find out what the original speakers for those cabs were supposed to be. I believe mine is a 90's model and must be rare, because they are extremely difficult to find pictures of. They have the splashed S symbol and simply say Duncan. Perhaps they were still using the Celestion G12K-85's at that time? In either case, the MC-90 was not cutting it for me, and I have yet to find a speaker that compliments the cab. It needs something as thunderous as the G12K to make it balance out in tone. I like the cabs though, solid and I'm sure they can sound amazing with the right speaker.
Enter the Celestion G12M-65 Creamback. I always wished I had more money to acquire cabs and speakers with, as it is my belief that the speaker probably makes up at least 50% of the sound that you hear from your amp. I.E. most amps will sound the same through the same speaker and cab, with only minor flavor and character added from the amp itself. This is likely why most amps that are truly boutique, or at least boutique in nature are sold as combo's, or with companion cabs that finish the aesthetic to justify the money spent. Dr. Z said it himself, using your own speaker and cab design options means you can control the sound of the amp to fit the sound that was intended. If you take a Z Wreck and play it through just any cab, it may not sound quite the way it was meant to. I am looking for a speaker that suits the SD 1X12" cabs I have and I also need to find a speaker that I want to use in my own build that I have going on for a fundraiser. I want something that is smooth, full, not too bright but doesn't leave you wishing for more and still has that woody mid-range growl. I think the G12M-65 is that speaker. I installed it into the SD cab and immediately was gratified with a full, balanced sound that was not too bright, not too nasally, and not too bassy.
The G12M-65 has a very controlled low end yet is still very full sounding. Most speakers I have come across that have a full sound just flub and or start to break up in the low end. The G12M-65 doesn't do that. It reproduces the low end very well and without distortion and flub. The highs are sweet and not too bright, but also not too dull, just right. The mid's are its only weakness, it has that woody sound the G12M Greenbacks are known for, but it also has a little more honk to it, not too much, but it's there. That could be the cab though, as most speakers I have put in it suffer from excessive honk, but it is certainly not problematic.
The cab I am looking to build will be a convertible open or closed back, slightly oversized 1X12" combo setup ( a combo amp ). The amp will be a 5-watt single-ended design of mine, and the focus of the amp is bedroom, studio, and small stages or PA-supported use. It is a clean pedal platform design that does haunting cleans to mild class-A crunch. I wanted a speaker that would stay true to the incoming sound, not break up, flub out or get in the way, while still having a character. If ever you wanted a speaker that is not too much of any one particular thing, I think the G12M-65 might be your best bet. So far it is the only speaker I have ever tried and was instantly happy with. I bought a pair and will be buying several more to fill out my other cab options.
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