Celestion G12H Anniversary of G12H-75 Creamback for a 1x12?

[Rex_Rocker]

I've got this Orange PPC112 which seems like an OK cab. However, I feel it sounds a bit boxy at times compared to my 4x12, which is to be expected. So I thought I might be able to counter that a little by changing the speaker to something with more lows and highs and less mid-focus than a Vintage 30. I don't want to go to the extreme opposite speaker-wise and get something super scooped like a T-75, though. I also want to keep that H magnet big, loud, punchy vibe and the 100dB efficiency (which I feel does really make a difference).

So has anyone tried and compared both the G12H Anniversary and G12H-75 Creamback? They both seem be what I'm after EQ-wise compared to the V30. I get the impression that the Anniversary is a bit brighter, and the Creamback is a bit fatter, though. Am I right? Which would you go for and why? Also... any other suggestions?

Thanks.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Celestion G12H Anniversary of G12H-75 Creamback for a 1x12?

cant help since ive never tried any of the creambacks but i do love my g12h-30 anniversarys. good bottom, gritty mids and strong high end with a little rasp that gives it great character with a dirty tone. big fan of the 55hz cone too for a darker sound but that may not suit your purpose

 

[Despair]

Re: Celestion G12H Anniversary of G12H-75 Creamback for a 1x12?

cant help since ive never tried any of the creambacks but i do love my g12h-30 anniversarys. good bottom, gritty mids and strong high end with a little rasp that gives it great character with a dirty tone. big fan of the 55hz cone too for a darker sound but that may not suit your purpose

I love the sound of a G12H30-55, very Hendrixy. Malcolm Young was claimed to have used them on some AC/DC rhythm tracks. Dark treble, but with a reasonable presence bite. Warm and huge. Even if you generally prefer brighter sounds, can work well with a bright amp and guitar.

The 75Hz cone is similar, with frequency response shifted up a bit. Treble is a bit brighter, part (but not all!) of the way to a G12M25 sound. Stay deeper and fatter, though.

I'm also not familiar with the Creamback, I've only played around with the free IR Celestion gave away a while back, and it is a mix with undocumented configuration so I can't tell how much of it is the mic/production and how much is the speaker that makes that IR sound so warm and round. That IR is a bit lacking in bite, and I've heard that sort of sound from some Creamback recordings [some of which don't specify if they are the neo Creamback or the other...]

It is always a good idea to overrate your speaker if you can. Twice the power handling of the biggest tube amp you want to use it with is the common rule of thumb to minimize blowing speakers. [Which is why the 100W Marshall into two 100 watt cabs was such a thing.]

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Celestion G12H Anniversary of G12H-75 Creamback for a 1x12?

Thanks for the replies, dudes! I'm honestly leaning a bit towards the Annis because I have tried them in person and know they sound great. Still undecided, though, as the CB's sound great in the clips, IMO.

Despair, so you think the Anni would have trouble handling a 20W head? The most I plan to use with that cab is my 20W Krank.

 

[Despair]

Re: Celestion G12H Anniversary of G12H-75 Creamback for a 1x12?

Thanks for the replies, dudes! I'm honestly leaning a bit towards the Annis because I have tried them in person and know they sound great. Still undecided, though, as the CB's sound great in the clips, IMO.

Despair, so you think the Anni would have trouble handling a 20W head? The most I plan to use with that cab is my 20W Krank.

20W should OK, as long as you don't crank the amp or slam it at volume with boosted bass [no subharmonic synths/octave down effects!]

For bulletproof, I'd want more. G12H-150 is supposed to be the same speaker in a 150W power rating. Or if you want lightweight, there's the Neo Creamback -- really nice for similar tone and 60W power handling while weighing 4.2 pounds instead of 10.4 pounds! It is 3dB less efficient than the rest of the G12H-variants, though. Higher power efficiency is great for a tiny rig that can hang with larger 2x12 rigs, but not always as nice for practice or home playing.

I have an old Thiele EVM12L, don't think I've used it with an amp over 15W in last 20 years. So don't be afraid of using a speaker that has "too high" a power rating. No such thing, in my experience. Plenty of people like a 300W-rated EV speaker with a 5W champ...

Best advice I can give is try them in person if you possibly can. You can might also look at WGS Reaper 50 or Scumback BH series, for high powered G12H30 variants, though they tend to aim for a slightly more "broken in" sound, IIRC. Or an Eminence Wizard, 75W rated.

All this has me thinking of Matchless and their specially treated [fabric softener to remove doping & pre-breakin the cone a bit] G12H30 & G12M25 pairing for the DC-30...

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Celestion G12H Anniversary of G12H-75 Creamback for a 1x12?

Thanks for the replies, dues!

The cab is going to be used primarily for home use (with my 5-watt Randall), but I also want to be able to take it out to play with a drummer (with my 20-watt Krank), so I think I'd prefer to go for higher-effiency speakers.

Speaking of higher-powered speakers, I'd also consider the K-100, but the Celestion dealer here cannot get the 16 ohm version. Bummer. I'd really like to try that speaker out.

The Alnico Gold is a bit left field, but that'd be great to try as well. A bit pricy, though. Not 100% sure about that one, since in the clips, I prefer the sound of the Blue, but I'm pretty sure my Krank would all but destroy that speaker.

Unfortunately, no Eminence for me. I don't think there's an Eminence dealer in town, and I'd rather not go through the trouble of having to order one, especially since shipping those bigger things is kinda expensive. I think I'd rather spend that extra expense in a nicer speaker like a Celestion Heritage or Alnico.

 

[dave74]

Re: Celestion G12H Anniversary of G12H-75 Creamback for a 1x12?

Which krank do you have btw? I had the original REVjr but the one I've always wanted to try is the Krankenstein50 in the same small-size chasis.

K100 might be a good fit. It's moderately dark but with good presence up high. It's tight and flatter in the EQ.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Celestion G12H Anniversary of G12H-75 Creamback for a 1x12?

I have an original Rev Jr. too, haha. I love the thing, but I'd love to try the 50W version as well as the Ninteen80 and the Krankenstein.

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Celestion G12H Anniversary of G12H-75 Creamback for a 1x12?

I have a Randall RG-80 1-12 cabinet that I converted to closed-back (albeit ported due to some openings where the amp guts used to be). I've had G12M Greenback, Vintage 30, G12H Anniversary and G12H-55 in it. The differences were all in the upper midrange in that cabinet. I never could get significant bottom end differences out of it, even using a G12H-55. I think I settled on a G12H Anniversary finally as it was the clearest and most even, exposed what the amp was doing, and sounded the best both to the ear in the room and when mic'd into a P.A.

 

[Despair]

Re: Celestion G12H Anniversary of G12H-75 Creamback for a 1x12?

Brian May sometimes uses Golds, but he prefers the Blues. He's been known to have to replace 6 speakers at a time in 3 of his amps on a bad night, though. And have to have the amps all repaired...

AC-30 puts out exactly 30W, and he's using 2 15W Alnico Blues. I'd advise the Gold for anything over a 5W amp, in a single speaker configuration.

Blue/Gold are rather different sounding than the other speakers you've talked about. And yes, the Gold does sound a hair different from the Blue, but any change you make to a speaker tends to have an impact. They are designed to produce the same sound as much as possible, power handling aside, though.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Celestion G12H Anniversary of G12H-75 Creamback for a 1x12?

I ended up going for the G12H-75 Creamback just to be safer with the wattage... and in case I ever decide to use the cab with a bigger head. It's made in UK! Cool!

Thanks for the suggestions, dudes.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Celestion G12H Anniversary of G12H-75 Creamback for a 1x12?

sweet! i keep wanting to get one but i already have more speakers than i need

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Celestion G12H Anniversary of G12H-75 Creamback for a 1x12?

Thanks! I won't get a chance to play it until tonight, but I'm really excited!

 

[Despair]

Re: Celestion G12H Anniversary of G12H-75 Creamback for a 1x12?

Thanks! I won't get a chance to play it until tonight, but I'm really excited!

I'l be curious to hear how it works out, both with the 5W and the drummer.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Celestion G12H Anniversary of G12H-75 Creamback for a 1x12?

Don't know with a drummer, but I ran both my Krank and Randall through the speaker.

First impressions: Err... it's not THAT different from a Vintage 30. The Creamback seems to have more going on in the low-mids and a lot less high-mid emphasis, but the low and high-end aren't that different. The Creamback seems less strident, a bit more laid-back, and a bit more vintagey.

Don't get me wrong, it sounds killer... it just not exactly what I was expecting. I'll give it a couple more days.

 

[Darg1911]

Re: Celestion G12H Anniversary of G12H-75 Creamback for a 1x12?

Definitely give it some time. I cant speak for the Heritage H-75 but the G12H-30 is one of my favorite speakers but it sounds a bit rough out of the box (Anniversary anyway).

For future reference, check into the Hellatone (Avatar) alnico or the Eminence Red Fang if you are looking for a less expensive alternative to the Celestion alnico's. Not saying that either or both top the Celestions but, in the least, I see them as viable alternatives, especially if money is tight and/or paired with a Ceramic. The Red Fang (or Hellatone) sound great with the G12H-30.