I've got a love/hate thing with the Vintage 30

[SoCalSteve]

I keep swapping this speaker in and out with the Eminence V12. The V12 is much smoother but lacks the 'liveliness' or fidelity of the Vintage 30 but when I crank the amp more than 1/2 way with the Vintage 30 I get that harshness. Maybe it still hasn't broken in enough? I've had the amp for about 9 months but don't play it above 1/2 way too often-do you think it should be broke in by now?

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: I've got a love/hate thing with the Vintage 30

I keep swapping this speaker in and out with the Eminence V12. The V12 is much smoother but lacks the 'liveliness' or fidelity of the Vintage 30 but when I crank the amp more than 1/2 way with the Vintage 30 I get that harshness. Maybe it still hasn't broken in enough? I've had the amp for about 9 months but don't play it above 1/2 way too often-do you think it should be broke in by now?

Is your V30 new and not broken in yet Steve? I Love V30s and I never find them harsh with my setups and I use them in 2 different cabs.

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: I've got a love/hate thing with the Vintage 30

V30s work in some amps and suck in others. I find V30s really shine in Bogners because of their dark and compressed tonal signature. The highend and brightness can be really fatiguing if it's through an already decently bright amp.

 

[Shnook]

Re: I've got a love/hate thing with the Vintage 30

I have the same love/hate with my V30. However, I found a nice compromise by trying an Eminence The Governor. It's not fully broken in yet, but so far I like it better than the V30.

 

[Marcel]

Re: I've got a love/hate thing with the Vintage 30

I love em ... can't wait to get my cab

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: I've got a love/hate thing with the Vintage 30

Beam blockers or eqivilant really help with the V30 as you turn up. I just glued some acoustical foam on the inside of the grill cloth right opposite of the center of the cone.

Some harshness at higher volumes can attributed to the properties of ceramic magnets. Alnicos warm up a bit more when pushed.

 

[DeadSkinSlayer3]

Re: I've got a love/hate thing with the Vintage 30

V30's are badass, especially for recording. For live work, I prefer to have something more ballsy paired with them (Preferably a C90. )

 

[suislidE03]

Re: I've got a love/hate thing with the Vintage 30

I know what you mean by the brightness of the amp really affects the speaker. I think V30s would make you go deaf if they were in my laney. I actually have 2 of the V12s in it right now WITH beam blockers to really cut those highs. Im pleased with the sound at the moment, but once I get my Splawn 2x12 i think it will really rip!

 

[SoCalSteve]

Re: I've got a love/hate thing with the Vintage 30

I was just reading an interview with Dave at Avatar at his site from a Tonequest report about how he ages his Hellatones by running a bassy cd through them for 15 hours so I think I'll try that technique to ensure it's good and broken-in before giving up on it. I may go the opposite direction and try a Texas Heat in my combo.

 

[Metalman_666]

Re: I've got a love/hate thing with the Vintage 30

I was just reading an interview with Dave at Avatar at his site from a Tonequest report about how he ages his Hellatones by running a bassy cd through them for 15 hours so I think I'll try that technique to ensure it's good and broken-in before giving up on it. I may go the opposite direction and try a Texas Heat in my combo.

Interesting. Would the music be run at high volumes? Or do you just make sure there's sound coming out of the speaker to break it in?

 

[Sludgenutz]

Re: I've got a love/hate thing with the Vintage 30

Steve, I think it is important to remember that your combo has an open back, and is a single 12" that is going to express all that it IS...nothing more, yet nothing less.

A sh8tload of glory that is heaped upon the Vintage 30 is based on the high current, closed-back 4x12 Marshall cabinet. Closed-back cabs tend to have fewer spikes and lulls across their range. The closed-back cab uses the air behind the cones for support (like a bra!). The wide speaker excursions that are normally harsh in an open-back cab are held in check to a great degree by the air that is captive in the closed-back cab.

A closed-back cab is literally a SHOCK ABSORBER!

edit: I doubt that one should bother "breaking in a speaker" they do not like. Potatoes are potatoes...boiling the hell out of them won't turn them into a rib-eye steak! I totally stumbled onto the "stoner tone" of my dreams: A dark all-tube bass/guitar amp, with a heavy cone/ultra-heavy (16 pound) ceramic magnet...with an open back cab. This is a rather extreme combo. The heavy magnet both propels/brakes the cone (another issue: back-EMF/"inductive braking"), and acts like a relatively tight cab with rear dispersal.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: I've got a love/hate thing with the Vintage 30

I hate openback cabs...nothing but diffused crap sound

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: I've got a love/hate thing with the Vintage 30

Open back cabs do have their place. In a small club they give a more 3D sound with a nicer sparkle on the cleans. Open back cabs are less directional too. Highs from a closed cab can be like lazer beams, depending on your listening location.

I use both, depending on the circumstance. If possible, combining an open back cab with your closed cab can be a good strategy. FWIW, Duane Alman used to leave two speakers in his Marshall cabs enclosed, and had the other two open backed.

The G12H30 or eqivilant seems to be a better choice for open cabs than either the G12M Green back or the Vintage 30. It's got smoother highs than the V30, and it's got the heavier magnet compared to the G12M.

 

[JeffB]

Re: I've got a love/hate thing with the Vintage 30

V30s and Marshalls/Marshall type amps sound like a nasty :fart:

AFAIC

They really need a darker amp, IMO. MESA for example.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: I've got a love/hate thing with the Vintage 30

Vintage 30's sound great in just about any good tube amp, IMO, and they are among my two or three very favorite 12" speakers. IMO, they make just about any amp sound better, especially an amp like a Deluxe Reverb.

I've never heard one sound harsh unless I was playing at home all by myself and playing to loud, with to much treble and standing to close to my amp.

IMO, they're a little like the JB pickup...sounds awesome on stage or in a band setting, but played loudly at home and standing to close to your amp they can be a little penetrating.

The G12H30 is a little smoother and fatter sounding. I tend you use the G12H30 more often than the V30 these days, but I do have the Vintage 30 in both of my Matchless amps and in my Mission Crusader...an amp Bruce and I built together.

Lew

 

[SoCalSteve]

Re: I've got a love/hate thing with the Vintage 30

Open back cabs do have their place. In a small club they give a more 3D sound with a nicer sparkle on the cleans. Open back cabs are less directional too. Highs from a closed cab can be like lazer beams, depending on your listening location.

I use both, depending on the circumstance. If possible, combining an open back cab with your closed cab can be a good strategy. FWIW, Duane Alman used to leave two speakers in his Marshall cabs enclosed, and had the other two open backed.

The G12H30 or eqivilant seems to be a better choice for open cabs than either the G12M Green back or the Vintage 30. It's got smoother highs than the V30, and it's got the heavier magnet compared to the G12M.

I was going to try a G12H30 but my combo is 50 watts so I found a slightly used Wizard (G12H30 clone but 75 watts) that I'm gonna try out. The matching cab is closed back with a Vintage 30 so I might pick one up down the road-it isn't really that necessary right now. If the Wizard works out I may have a Vintage 30 for sale in the near future.

 

[SoCalSteve]

Re: I've got a love/hate thing with the Vintage 30

Vintage 30's sound great in just about any good tube amp, IMO, and they are among my two or three very favorite 12" speakers. IMO, they make just about any amp sound better, especially an amp like a Deluxe Reverb.

I've never heard one sound harsh unless I was playing at home all by myself and playing to loud, with to much treble and standing to close to my amp.

IMO, they're a little like the JB pickup...sounds awesome on stage or in a band setting, but played loudly at home and standing to close to your amp they can be a little penetrating.

The G12H30 is a little smoother and fatter sounding. I tend you use the G12H30 more often than the V30 these days, but I do have the Vintage 30 in both of my Matchless amps and in my Mission Crusader...an amp Bruce and I built together.

Lew

Lew, if the Wizard doesn't work out I may get a Texas Heat from you. From what I've read they're pretty versatile with a hint of British flavor.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: I've got a love/hate thing with the Vintage 30

Lew, if the Wizard doesn't work out I may get a Texas Heat from you. From what I've read they're pretty versatile with a hint of British flavor.

Those are real nice speakers too! More American sounding but not like any specific American speaker. I really liked the Wizard when I played through it at NAMM. Good luck! Lew

 

[kevlar3000]

Re: I've got a love/hate thing with the Vintage 30

The upper mid focus of the V30 drives me insane. I personally do not get the appeal of these speakers. I actually hate them!!:fingersx: I think there are so many better sounding Celestions out there.

On the Eminence side, the ToneSpotter ( G1265), Wizard ( g12H30) and Swamp Thang ( has some Fane qualities) are loaded in a couple of my cabs. The tonespotter is so smooth and warm with the mids, does not have the forward crunch that the Wizard does but that is simply an issue of taste. The Thang is fat with great clarity and warm treble response. In particular, the Swamp Thang and the Tonespotter do wonders to smooth out harsh amps or bright guitars. Heaven with a Fender IMO. Takes the ice pick out, I feel the V30 does nothing but add ice pick. YUCK!!!

Here is a live clip with my Wizard loaded cab. I am doing the first solo as a reference.

lo-fi URL: http://www.soundclick.com/util/getplayer.m3u?id=3384889&q=lo
hi-fi URL: http://www.soundclick.com/util/getplayer.m3u?id=3384889&q=hi

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: I've got a love/hate thing with the Vintage 30

The upper mid focus of the V30 drives me insane. I personally do not get the appeal of these speakers. I actually hate them!!:fingersx: I think there are so many better sounding Celestions out there.

On the Eminence side, the ToneSpotter ( G1265), Wizard ( g12H30) and Swamp Thang ( has some Fane qualities) are loaded in a couple of my cabs. The tonespotter is so smooth and warm with the mids, does not have the forward crunch that the Wizard does but that is simply an issue of taste. The Thang is fat with great clarity and warm treble response. In particular, the Swamp Thang and the Tonespotter do wonders to smooth out harsh amps or bright guitars. Heaven with a Fender IMO. Takes the ice pick out, I feel the V30 does nothing but add ice pick. YUCK!!!

Here is a live clip with my Wizard loaded cab. I am doing the first solo as a reference.

lo-fi URL: http://www.soundclick.com/util/getplayer.m3u?id=3384889&q=lo
hi-fi URL: http://www.soundclick.com/util/getplayer.m3u?id=3384889&q=hi

A few players say that. But the list of brilliant guitarists who can play rings around most of us and who LOVE Vintage 30's is a very, VERY long list.

I prefer the G12H30...but the Vintage 30 is my #2 favorite.

And one of each in a two x 12 cab is pretty unbeatable.

The Wizard sounds pretty good in that recording of yours...but it needs a little more "upper mid focus" IMO! :laugh2: A little to smooth and not enough bite for my tastes...but I like to hear a little breath and space in the tone.

Lew