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

[SoCalSteve]

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

Oh man, now you guys are gonna make me wish I got the Governor instead!

Actually I decided on the Wizard from reading Earcandy cabs opinion of them, Fuchs uses them, Tonequest guys chose it over others for their Clarksdale amp, and an Eminence guy saying they may be the best speaker he'd ever heard so I think I'll be happy with it.

 

[Lewguitar]

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

They're both great...don't sweat it.

They don't sound exactly like the Celestions they are based on though.

The Celestions have more crunchy honk and are a bit brighter...at least that's what I thought at NAMM...

I prefer the Celestions but the price is so great on the Emmy's...and they're made in the USA and not China!

Lew

 

[kevlar3000]

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

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...

Lew

Lew, I could honestly care less what pros use them:smokin: . I can only apply what my ears want to my tonal equation. I have never worried who uses what, one look at my pile of rust bucket amps and it is clear that the namesake means nothing, only the tone.

Now with that clip,those are two room mics about 10 feet back into a CDR, No mixer, no nothing, just the sound of that room. You throw a 57 on the cone and you got mid crunch galore.... Wait a sec, I hate 57s too.:dance:

 

[Lewguitar]

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

Lew, I could honestly care less what pros use them:smokin: . I can only apply what my ears want to my tonal equation. I have never worried who uses what, one look at my pile of rust bucket amps and it is clear that the namesake means nothing, only the tone.

Now with that clip,those are two room mics about 10 feet back into a CDR, No mixer, no nothing, just the sound of that room. You throw a 57 on the cone and you got mid crunch galore.... Wait a sec, I hate 57s too.:dance:

Yep...when in doubt (or even when there's no doubt!) always go with what feels right to you.

Some of my favorite players use gear I could never get MY tone out of.

Lew

 

[kevlar3000]

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

Amen!!

 

[SoCalSteve]

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

By the way, thanks for posting the clip! I should have the Wizard by the end of the week to stick in my EL34 Traynor:fingersx:

 

[Lewguitar]

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

Amen!!

:laugh2: I play alot of acoustic guitar...so when I play electric I tend to use a little more treble and play with quite a bit clearer tone for rythym than it seems most of my friends prefer.

I like to hear those notes chime and ring out, and like to hear the harmonics ring like an acoustic even when I'm playing chords on an electric.

Always liked Pete Townshend's electric tone.

It's another reason I prefer single coils for rythym and don't really love humbuckers for playing rythym: to flat and full and....dull.

When I go hear my friends play and they ask my what they sound like, I often tell 'em to turn down the bass a little and turn up the treble just a little.

Lew

 

[kevlar3000]

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

Now it ain't them years of gigging is it... Little upper mid loss?? lol

 

[Lewguitar]

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

Now it ain't them years of gigging is it... Little upper mid loss?? lol

At 56 years old, that's part of it...sad but true. :smack: Still though, I do like Pete Townshend's rythym tones. He, like me, also plays alot of acoustic guitar...and he's always played with a little more sizzle on top.

Even when my hearing was still perfect, I felt that many guitarists played loud but not clear or articulate enough for my tastes.

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

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

I just want to commend Kevlar and Lew for carring out such a civil and mature debate. Informative and fun. I'm starting like things around here.

 

[some_dude]

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

My love/hate relationship....

....V30 up close = hate

....V30 from 40ft away = love

 

[Marcel]

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


<3

 

[SoCalSteve]

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

My love/hate relationship....

....V30 up close = hate

....V30 from 40ft away = love

That could very well be my problem as Lew has also said. Or maybe my amps bright. Anyways, since I don't gig I'll try the Wizard!

 

[Rainmaker]

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

Would a beam-blocker be relevant in this discussion of taming V30 highs?

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

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

Beamblocker factor 20 and Tremstopper#56
Just be sensible with where you put the cab, it won't change the nature of the V30's, I use clear amps(Hiwatts, and other Britstyled amps) with GH12 30's, it is just that midspike those V30's has that makes them tiresome in the long run to my ears
Hmm those Eminence speakers needs more attention then

 

[SoCalSteve]

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

The Wizard arrived today thanks to quick shipping from the guy I bought it from (just paypal'd him Saturday). Sounds great. Smooth but has that 'liveliness' or clarity that was missing from the Legend V12. Should only get better as it's played.

 

[KLINKDETROIT]

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

Would a beam-blocker be relevant in this discussion of taming V30 highs?

I have 2 like new beam blocker of 2 different sizes for sale $25 shipped on the trading post that I bought for my v30s.

 

[Kelsey]

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

I can identify with the love-hate thing here. The pre-treated vintage 30 in my Bad Cat Cub 2R 1x12 combo sounds great, but the Vintage 30 in my Orange AD15 1x12 combo sounds too bright and harsh too often with my Fenders. I guess there must really be some magic in the treatments that Bad Cat, Matchless, and others apply to their speakers. My AD15 is currently on consignment, but I may try something like the G12H30 in it if it doesn't sell quickly.

 

[SoCalSteve]

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

Kevlar3000, if you happen to return to this thread, do you find the Wizard has a nasal character to it? I don't know if I'm gonna be able to tolerate it. Any country players want a good deal on a Wizard. This really sucks. Maybe it's back to the Vintage 30 with beamblocker.

 

[kevlar3000]

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

Kevlar3000, if you happen to return to this thread, do you find the Wizard has a nasal character to it? I don't know if I'm gonna be able to tolerate it. Any country players want a good deal on a Wizard. This really sucks. Maybe it's back to the Vintage 30 with beamblocker.

In a dark cab I love these speakers, in a bright cab I do not. They are aggressive in both the treble and mids, it will definately improve dramatically when you break it in. It is worth some time to do that, to really get a feel for it. You can also spray some fabric softener on it, let it dry fully ( fan on it over night) and that really helps to loosen it up. Warmer and a bit more vintage vibe sooner, if you do this.

One of the reasons that I am so into the Swamp Thang and Tonespotter now is that they are both very warm and smooth on the treble side. Very warm in the mids and do not have a tone of sizzle like the Wizard and Private Jacks. That traditional Greenback tone and g12H30 is something I moving away from. I like it smoother and warmer on the top with fatter bottom.