celestion v30 question

[drew_half_empty]

everyone says it works well under high gain, does that mean it cleans up the distortion & gives you less crunch? or, i dunno, how does a speaker 'work well under high gain'


also, what are the cleans like, compared to like an eminence legend 125

 

[Young Angus]

Re: celestion v30 question

I dont know about compared to an eminence legend 125, but the V30 is a great high gain speaker...easily the best in many peoples books.

Just listen to some of the greats who use high gain and lots of them are using them, like slash, petrucci, vai etc...and yes they no doubt use other speakers too for all those of you about to correct me, but whenever you read a gear list for them (from what i can remember) they are using vintage 30's.

I guess they just have good characteristics that sound better under high gain than other speakers to lots of peoples ears, you've just gotta try them. They've got chunk and in-your-face qualities about them

As for cleans, yeah they clean up really nicely but i prefer other speakers for cleans.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: celestion v30 question

Yep...great speaker. A true classic. It and the Celestion G12H30 are my two favorite ceramic magnet 12" speakers.

The V30 sounds great clean or with high gain pumping through it. It's also a very efficient speaker so if you use it in a low wattage amp like a Fender Deluxe Reverb it'll seem to give the amp a little more volume and clean headroom when you're playing it clean...though it'll rock like gangbusters when you crank the amp up or push it with an overdrive unit like a TS-9 or DS-1.

The only complaint I hear about the vintage 30 is that some people think it's a little bright...especially for bedroom players or guys who play low volume gigs like church gigs.

 

[badco33]

Re: celestion v30 question

I just did a lot of research before I changed the speaker in my Peavey Classic 30 and I decided to go with the Celestion G12H30. As Lew said, some people seem to think the V30 is a little too bright especially if you put it in a combo and are just playing around the house like I am. When I looked at all the feedback I got from different forums it seemed to come down to this. V30= Crisp, G12H30= Smooth. I decided to go for smooth and it really turned out well. I get a great overdrive sound with that speaker and I basically just use the amp and a Boss BD-2.

I've heard that a great compromise is to use a cab with a mix of V30's and G12H30's. Then you get the best of both worlds.

 

[No effects]

Re: celestion v30 question

The Dr. Z Best Cab uses the V30 / G12H30 combination (closed back cab). I thought it sounded quite balanced with my plexi RI, although a little warm for my taste (might of been the G12). Vintage Marshall cabs use the V30 or Greenback RIs. Again these are closed back and might explain why they sound better there than in a an open back combo amp. I just ordered the 4x12 w/ V30's, I'll post a review later...

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: celestion v30 question

The Greenback (G12M-25) sounds nice in a closed back cab. The closed back 4 x 12 gives it the deep, full bass response it lacks in an open back cabinet. I wouldn't use it in an open back cab but it's still better in an open back cab than most stock speakers. The G12H-30 sounds fine in an open back cab. The V-30 sounds nice in either, but the G12H-30 has more bass and sounds better to many people than the V-30 when used in an open back cab or combo amp. Lew

 

[Jeff5]

Re: celestion v30 question

The only complaint I hear about the vintage 30 is that some people think it's a little bright...especially for bedroom players or guys who play low volume gigs like church gigs.

Well that's definately not me! P.

I'm going to upgrade my cab next year to...something with V30s in it. Currently I use a Carvin 4X12, that I think has 75 Watt celestions in it. They're actually not bad but I think I can do better. I'm thinking of Boogie, Bogner, maybe Orange? (know a lot of folks use them) Not sure yet!