I feel like I understand T-75s now...

[Peaj]

These are utilitarian speakers, at the end of the day. High wattage to handle basically any head, and the highs and lows, though extreme, can be leveraged to meet a variety of needs and play many different styles. They're not nice to listen to by any means, but to some extent electric guitar doesn't need to be nice to listen to. It's a harsh instrument to some extent, and if you're someone who leans into that part of the sound of a guitar, I can see loving these speakers, and I totally get why they've got a certain cult following despite also being maligned.

Billie Joe from Green Day is a great example of someone who leverages the strengths of the T-75 to achieve a specific goal, which seems to be providing a foundation for his guitar tone, lots of lows and highs, and then fills it in with a Greenback or V30. (which I believe is the method he used on American Idiot and 21CB)

Me personally, I'm probably going to sell my T-75 cab, partially because I own 3 4x12s for my JCM2000 DSL, and a DSL 40CR, and can't justify having this much gear. But also, I do like guitar to sound a little "nice" as well as harsh. I recently fell in love with the Celestion V-Type, which has plenty of utility, but also just has a pleasant mid range as well. I'll also be holding on to an EVH 4X12 with Greenbacks, again, for that nice mid range.

 

[Ascension]

The GT 12 75 has been one of my favorite speakers since the late 1980's . If you think they cant get sweet your running them with the wrong amp cab combos. In an open back cab it's the V 30 I find nasty and harsh.
I now have GT 75's in 2 of my cabs including the cab I'm running at my Church. Have had a WGS Retro (REALLY love these in open back cabs BTW) a Vin 30, Heritage 30 and a WGS G 12 in the same cab before finally settling on the GT 75.
LOVE my tones with this combo of amp cab and speaker.

 

[Top-L]

and I totally get why they've got a certain cult following despite also being maligned.

Cult following? Its not a cult. Its everyone who is not a cork sniffing metalhead.

 

[Cynical]

Cult following? Its not a cult. Its everyone who is not a cork sniffing metalhead.

Nah, it's not cork sniffing to dislike the T-75. They've got a super-ratty top end and a booming bottom end that combine to create a sound that removes almost all of the *musical* information of a distorted electric guitar and reproduces only the ugly noise. I could see them working in a band where the guitar is little more than a background noise generator, but anywhere that you want it contributing to the actual music being played, the T-75 is a useless speaker.

Before you suggest EQing around the awful treble response, guitar amps don't work like that aside from the Mesa Mark series -- incidentally, the amps responsible for about the only good recorded tones that ever came from a T-75. Turning your treble knob down shifts the mids lower, which is a disaster given the T-75's bloated low end, and turning your presence down changes the harmonic texture of your distortion (there's no such thing as a clean power section in a tube amp; the phase inverter always introduces artefacts even before it clips from too much signal, and turning the presence down affects the character of these artefacts).

 

[Top-L]

Nah, it's not cork sniffing to dislike the T-75. They've got a super-ratty top end and a booming bottom end that combine to create a sound that removes almost all of the *musical* information of a distorted electric guitar and reproduces only the ugly noise. I could see them working in a band where the guitar is little more than a background noise generator, but anywhere that you want it contributing to the actual music being played, the T-75 is a useless speaker.

Before you suggest EQing around the awful treble response, guitar amps don't work like that aside from the Mesa Mark series -- incidentally, the amps responsible for about the only good recorded tones that ever came from a T-75. Turning your treble knob down shifts the mids lower, which is a disaster given the T-75's bloated low end, and turning your presence down changes the harmonic texture of your distortion (there's no such thing as a clean power section in a tube amp; the phase inverter always introduces artefacts even before it clips from too much signal, and turning the presence down affects the character of these artefacts).

Its the most recorded rock and metal speaker in history. My guess is user error.

 

[dave74]

Used to own an early 90's 1960a cab, and one thing that was very apparent was how much fuller it sounded when the amp was really cranked-up loud. Down lower it suffered all the typical t75 complaints, but when internal cab pressure was created everything balanced-out more evenly.

 

[Securb]

Its the most recorded rock and metal speaker in history. My guess is user error.

Yep! Some folks can dial in a speaker some can't

Let's be honest Celestion, Jenson, Eminence don't make any sub-par or bad speakers. They just might make a speaker that does not fit your needs.

 

[Demanic]

People seem to like it more than my favorite, the 12M-70.

Sent from my SM-A115A using Tapatalk

 

[Cynical]

Its the most recorded rock and metal speaker in history.

Highly unlikely. It *might* have been the most recorded in a narrow period of the '80s, although even then, most studios preferred Greenbacks. The Mesa OS 4x12 cabs have been the most commonly recorded cab for about 30 years now in rock and metal, and those are loaded with V30s.

 

[Ewizard]

As of now, it is probably my favorite speaker next to the G12M. I don't find the T75 to be too boomy or too bright. I think it is actually fairly neutral sounding. It has mids, it has lows and it has highs, none of which are overbearing to the other. All my T75's are from the '90s though, so that may be why?

I think many guitarists like a speaker with a sound. I really like the G12M because of its woodiness and semi-bright in-your-face sound. The T75 to me just seems to be a more rounded-out version of the G12M. I can't stand the V30, it just has such an odd sound that I cannot get my head around.

Another thing I have found is that the impedance of the speaker has an effect on the overall sound as well. If you purchase an 8ohm version and a 16ohm version of the same speaker, the 16ohm version will be brighter sounding. Depending on how the cabinet you have was wired, you can have a different sound than you would associate that speaker to have if the cabinet is loaded with 8ohm speakers for instance.

 

[Demanic]

That explains why I like 16ohm speakers more. Though I do like the 8ohm 70/80's.

Sent from my SM-A115A using Tapatalk

 

[Cynical]

As of now, it is probably my favorite speaker next to the G12M. I don't find the T75 to be too boomy or too bright. I think it is actually fairly neutral sounding. It has mids, it has lows and it has highs, none of which are overbearing to the other. All my T75's are from the '90s though, so that may be why?

I think many guitarists like a speaker with a sound. I really like the G12M because of its woodiness and semi-bright in-your-face sound. The T75 to me just seems to be a more rounded-out version of the G12M. I can't stand the V30, it just has such an odd sound that I cannot get my head around.

Another thing I have found is that the impedance of the speaker has an effect on the overall sound as well. If you purchase an 8ohm version and a 16ohm version of the same speaker, the 16ohm version will be brighter sounding. Depending on how the cabinet you have was wired, you can have a different sound than you would associate that speaker to have if the cabinet is loaded with 8ohm speakers for instance.

If you're looking for a "rounded-out"/more-even speaker, why go with Celestion at all? That's Fane territory; you'd be better off with a F70 or F90.

 

[dave74]

There is also a made-for-Rivera Celestion t85 model. There's one on my local CL right now, but my speaker needs are already handled nicely.

 

[AcVox]

It does seem that Celestions T-75 has taken a back seat in the preferences of guitarists over the last few yrs or so which is a shame. Im a big fan of using mixed speakers in my open and sealed 2x12 cabs. The T 75 mixes superbly with other Celestions in a way that the Vintage 30 does not always deliver.

 

[Gtrjunior]

That explains why I like 16ohm speakers more. Though I do like the 8ohm 70/80's.

Sent from my SM-A115A using Tapatalk

Ha! I typically prefer an 8ohm speaker. Or 8 ohm load if we are talking a multi-speaker cabinet.

 

[Peaj]

Highly unlikely. It *might* have been the most recorded in a narrow period of the '80s, although even then, most studios preferred Greenbacks. The Mesa OS 4x12 cabs have been the most commonly recorded cab for about 30 years now in rock and metal, and those are loaded with V30s.

Yea I think the reputation of the T75 as "the 80s speaker" is unearned, I think they probably were more heavily recorded in the 90s, to be honest, lots of guys were mixing different heads to Marshall cabs that sounded "T75ish" in the grunge days.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

The thing I hate about T-75's (and K-100's and CL-80's) is the large dustcap. I never know where to point the mic with those things. Where the dustcap meets the cone is way too far off center, and it usually translates into a very distant sound.

 

[Ewizard]

As a sound guy ( for a living ), I don't rely on sight so much as my ears. While using the dust cap as a reference is typical, it still comes down to pointing the mic at something, listening, and then adjusting based on what the assessment is. I can't say that I am usually very happy with my first placement, but depending on the amount of time I have and the level of the band I am working with, I either accept what I have, or I go and move the mic. Often times I can get what I need on the second go. I will say that pointing at the edge of the dust cap is not usually where I end up. I try and listen to the guitarist play before I set the mic. If they are pretty bright sounding, I know I need to plan on going into the cone a little more. If they are rather dark sounding, I know I need to stick pretty close to directly on-axis of the center of the speaker. If I don't get that luxury, I split the difference by shooting at the edge of the dust cap, a quick listen to the mic will tell me what I need to do next.

In my experience it doesn't matter what speaker the mic is in front of, you can get something. The hard part is dropping the perceived idea of what you think it should be. A great guitar tone doesn't always start with a great raw sound, it starts by having a guitar tone that suits the music and sets in the mix nicely. Sounding good subjectively after that is just icing on the cake.

For me, I don't care for speakers that have " A SOUND ", I prefer speakers that sound balanced and neutral, or have a characteristic that I enjoy. The G12M is woody, and has a bark to it, but is balanced enough to not be overwhelming in any one frequency spectrum. The T-75 is just a balanced speaker with what I guess would be underwhelming characteristics that don't make it appealing to modern guitarists? I like that about it. It is honest and can be made to sound pretty much any way you need it to. I have heard many say that micing it is difficult, I don't understand why? It just requires you to drop your pre-conceived ideas and think blank slate.