New HB cabinets with green/creambacks

[Securb]

Your the one that pointed me towards my HB 2X12 With V30'S, just repaying the favor! Lol how can they make these cabs so cheap? And these cabs are better Spec'd than the one I have with V30'S. They're made from birch and you can take the back off of them. Definitely a better cab than their old ones.

Not sure how they make them so cheap but I am eyeballing one of their empty 1x12 cabs for a home for one of the G12H Blackbacks I have in storage.

 

[Mikelamury]

I don't have any recordings of my own with Greenbacks, but here's video from Zilla cabs.

Sounds great for most of it, but after 3:10 in video the high mid spike is very prominent, that I so much detest. It literally gives me a headache if I listen it too long.

That was a good comparison. I definitely hear the upper mid spike, once I have some distortion it doesn't pierce through my head anymore. Thanks for sharing that.

 

[Ewizard]

Not IME.

IME, Creambacks are darker and chunkier than Greenbacks. At least the RI ones. The EVH/Heritage Greenbacks are another story.

Not that they're really dark per se, but the RI 25W Greenbacks are pretty ratty in the high mids/highs (compared to Creambacks). That's exactly what gives them their character, especially once you start pushing them.

Creambacks are tighter, yes, but not because they've got less lows, but because they break up less are less ratty overall.

I've had them both in my old Marshall cab. Both Creambacks and Chinese and British RI Greenbacks.

I *personally* prefer the ratty character of Greenbacks, but Creambacks would by my second choice. I prefer them both to V30's. In the room, at least. Recorded, that's a tough call. V30's are THAT sound.

Compared to V30's, Greenbacks/Creambacks are more balanced. Chunkier in the low mids, not as honky in the core mids, and the higher end isn't really *more*, but it's more open-sounding compared to the V30's midspike, so they can come off as smoother, IMO.

Similar to my experience as well. I own a new set of both, so I have the benefit of a direct comparison in the same cab. For me, the G12M ( greenbacks ) are almost too bright, the lows are mild, but it did have that woody lower mid-range thing going on. Overall, not bad for a cheap rendition of itself. The REAL G12M's are closer to what the off-the-shelf Creamback 65 sounds like. The Creamback 65 is a pretty balanced speaker tonally. It has strong lows, and a balanced mid and top end. My favorite speaker thus far. For my guitar amp builds, If I build a combo ( which is not very often ) I load it with Creambacks. The creambacks work great in 1X12" options and open back options. I think a 4X12" option of Creambacks might start to show their weakness. Too solid and round once you get 4 of them going.

 

[esandes]

Thanks for the description, I think I'm starting to lean more towards the greenbacks from what I'm hearing so far. I don't really play clean alot of the time and always use a good amount of gain.

For your style of music I think you'd be making a mistake using greenbacks. Great for blues, cleans or ACDC but flubby for high gain palm mutes and weak for wattage.

There are two creambacks. The 65 and 75. They are completely different. I prefer the 75 but what's wrong with your v30 cab? They're great speakers.

https://youtu.be/du5sn1wtZWA
65 vs 75 creamback comparison

 

[Mikelamury]

For your style of music I think you'd be making a mistake using greenbacks. Great for blues, cleans or ACDC but flubby for high gain palm mutes and weak for wattage.

There are two creambacks. The 65 and 75. They are completely different. I prefer the 75 but what's wrong with your v30 cab? They're great speakers.

https://youtu.be/du5sn1wtZWA
65 vs 75 creamback comparison

There's nothing wrong with my V30 cab I just wanted to try something a little different but kinda in the same ballpark just for some options. I'm still not sure which one I'm going with. How do you think the creambacks would sound for playing punk and ska/punk compared to the V30's?

 

[Synapsys]

I think Greenbacks chug alright. I overdid the bass a little on the amp on that clip, but they're pretty good for anything gain, IMO.

They are kinda saggy, true. But honestly, more than saggy, I'd call them dirty.

I think they're a perfect match for EVH and naturally tight-sounding amps. But true, they're kinda fat, so they wouldn't be my first choice for a Rectifier, for example.

Creambacks, on the other hand, have got a cleaner and slightly bigger yet more controlled low-end.

But honestly, most of the CHUNK on Greenbacks or Greenbacks come from low-mids, rather. In the grand scheme of things, they're definitely no T-75's in the low-end department.

Great AILD riffing, btw!

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Great AILD riffing, btw!

Thank you! I love the tone on that record so much.

Many people think the TEOH record is the ultimate metalcore tone. I think its Shadows Are Security. So Swedish-sounding. So much grind and chunk.

 

[Synapsys]

Thank you! I love the tone on that record so much.

Many people think the TEOH record is the ultimate metalcore tone. I think its Shadows Are Security. So Swedish-sounding. So much grind and chunk.

I totally agree, although I think SBF to be one of the greatest sounding Metal records of all time, mainly because of stellar production, but also due to the musicianship on show.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

SBF?

 

[NegativeEase]

In my experience Greenbacks are more gritty and midrangy with less lows than a creamback and the greenback lows are pretty loose .... but I think the modern ones are a little darker and tamer

 

[Rex_Rocker]

In my experience Greenbacks are more gritty and midrangy with less lows than a creamback and the greenback lows are pretty loose .... but I think the modern ones are a little darker and tamer

They do vary A LOT not just between country of manufacture, but between dates of manufacture as well. There's a video with Nolly where he goes over how the year of manufacture of V30's makes them sound vastly different. It's the same with Greenbacks, Creambacks, and other Celestions. I guess Creambacks less so, because they were introduced relatively recently.

I have two British GB's in my Marshall cab which are pretty bright and grindy. They're newer. Celestion in the past like 2 or 3 years has moved most of their Classic seies' production back to England. Not all, but most of the decent mid an upper tier Celestion are manufactured in England nowadays.

I have two other Chinese ones in my Marshall cab which are super dark. Those are older, and probably more broken in, but the difference is too big to be just caused by break in, TBH.

Mixed together, they sound good in the room, but I much prefer mic'ing up the brighter British ones.

Greenbacks used to be British in the early 2000's, then Chinese, then back to British recently. Creambacks have always been British-made, except for the rare version of the speakers they put in those cream-colored Vox amps.

I honestly don't know what Harley Benton is puting in their cabs nowadays. Probably cheaper Chinese versions. I have nothing against Chinese Celestions, though. I had a couple of 25th anniversary Chinese V30's that sounded great.

 

[NegativeEase]

They do vary A LOT not just between country of manufacture, but between dates of manufacture as well.

I have two British ones in my Marshall cab which are pretty bright and grindy. They're newer.

I have two other Chinese ones in my Marshall cab which are super dark. Those are older, and probably more broken in, but the difference is too big to be just caused by break in, TBH. Together, they sound good in the room, but I much prefer mic'ing up the brighter British ones.

Yeah, Ive heard modren ones that were darker -maybe those were Chinese -I have 60s 2x12 Silvertone greenback cab 70s 2x12 Marshall Greenback and a 90s 4x12 TV reissue Greenback cab that all are pretty similar

and they all seem slightly more brittle and angrier and maybe a little less dimensional and more in your face than my V30s or G70s or 75s or any Eminence or EV speakers (Black Windows etc) i have in the studio.

Greenbacks arent great for deep tones or feedback either -if you want a killer papery gritty aggressive rhythm tone (Think Kinks or Who) I think Greenbacks are the best thing in town Which is good for recording as they sit differently in a mix than most speakers.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Yeah, Ive heard modren ones that were darker -maybe those were Chinese -I have 60s 2x12 Silvertone greenback cab 70s 2x12 Marshall Greenback and a 90s 4x12 TV reissue Greenback cab that all are pretty similar

and they all seem slightly more brittle and angrier and maybe a little less dimensional and more in your face than my V30s or G70s or 75s or any Eminence or EV speakers (Black Windows etc) i have in the studio.

Greenbacks arent great for deep tones or feedback either -if you want a killer papery gritty aggressive rhythm tone (Think Kinks or Who) I think Greenbacks are the best thing in town Which is good for recording as they sit differently in a mix than most speakers.

Well, I think the tone in the clip I posted is a little too bass-heavy, so I wouldn't say I agree, LOL.

Even my brighter Greenbacks are fatter in the lows than any V30 I've had. In the grand scheme of things, I wouldn't say they're the fattest-sounding speakers around, but I think they're far from papery.

Then again, you're right. T-75's are bassier.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

I honestly think it's a misconception that the heavier magnet speakers from Celestion are broader-sounding.

Brighter, yes. My H Creambacks were brighter than my M Creambacks.

But the fattest-sounding Celestions I've had have all had the M magnet.

 

[Synapsys]

SBF?

Shaped by Fire, AILD's most recent album.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Shaped by Fire, AILD's most recent album.

Ohhhh, yeah. I like that as well! But they've evolved they're style A LOT over the years to the pint where I think the tone on Shadows wouldn't fit that record at all.

 

[chadd]

In my experience Greenbacks are more gritty and midrangy with less lows than a creamback and the greenback lows are pretty loose .... but I think the modern ones are a little darker and tamer

This matches my experience. I had a Marshall 4x12 with older greenbacks, Randall 2x12 with newer ones and an Avatar 2x12 with Creambacks. Swapping the newer greenbacks to the Avatar oversize cab and creambacks to the smaller Randall cab balanced the tones quite a bit.

For the OP, playing metal, the Creamback would definitely be the better option in my opinion.

 

[Mikelamury]

This matches my experience. I had a Marshall 4x12 with older greenbacks, Randall 2x12 with newer ones and an Avatar 2x12 with Creambacks. Swapping the newer greenbacks to the Avatar oversize cab and creambacks to the smaller Randall cab balanced the tones quite a bit.

For the OP, playing metal, the Creamback would definitely be the better option in my opinion.

Thanks for your response, just to clarify I'm not playing metal, I play punk and ska/punk. That being said, would you still recommend the creambacks? I plan on getting a 2x12 and plug it in to my amp with my 2x12 with V30'S in it.

 

[chadd]

Thanks for your response, just to clarify I'm not playing metal, I play punk and ska/punk. That being said, would you still recommend the creambacks? I plan on getting a 2x12 and plug it in to my amp with my 2x12 with V30'S in it.

My bad, I misread. I don't think either would sound good run in tandem with V30s. If you have the amp dialed in for one speaker type, the other isn't going to sound great. As for the difference between the greenbacks and creambacks, you can adjust at the amp and get the same tones for the most part.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

I'm pretty sure GB's or CB's would mix well with V30's. Friedman cabs come with Greenbacks on top, V30's at the bottom.

To be completely honest, though, believe me, I tried, but I never could get into mixing speakers. After going through A LOT of iterations in that Marshll cab I posted in the clip, there's always one type which I like best, and I feel like I'm just watering it down with the one that I like less. But that's just my personal view.

Second downside I see to it, and this one is a bit less personal, is that sound guys usually don't want to mic up two of your speakers. So you're going to have to choose which one you like the sound of better mic'd, and adjust your sound for that. Which would probably make your sound a bit unbalanced in the room.