Swapping speakers

[STLMTLHD79]

I had great results swapping out the stock speakers in my Peavey 5150 combo. I listened to numerous sound clips and ended up getting some Celestion Creamback 65's. Sound wise, they were exactly what I was looking for. I also have them in a extension cab. I'm seriously considering switching those out for a pair of Creamback 75's.

I am also considering swapping one of the G12M 65w Creambacks for a G12H 75W Creamback. I have read that the 97 vs 100 db difference is very audible so im a little hesitant. Anybody here have experience with something like this?

 

[jeremy]

100db sensitivity is very noticeably louder than 97db

 

[Rex_Rocker]

People mix V30's (100dB) with T-75's (97dB) all the time, so it works... for some people. One pair is always dominant, though.

I remember once I brought my Marshall 1960 to practice. It was loaded with Creamback H75's and Relic 30's (back when I hadn't made up my mind about mixing speakers), both H magnet 100dB speakers. My guitarist at the time had an Orange PPC412 with Creamback M65's and T-75's, both M magnet 97dB. Bot cabs were good sounding 16 ohms cabs on their own. We plugged them both out his Rockerverb, and not even exaggerating, we were wondering at first if the Orange cab was even plugged in and working. It was, and it actually sounded pretty good, but that's my anecodote mixing speakers with different sensitivity.

3dB is kind of a lot. People sometimes say "it's just 3dB". But the louder it gets, the more exaggerated I feel it might get, as dB's are logarithmic.

 

[marcello252]

100db sensitivity is very noticeably louder than 97db

+3dB is double the efficiency, it's not double the volume but close so

 

[marcello252]

Changing the speaker is a HUGE way to modify your sound, trust me, huge.

In my Princeton for example (modified for 12") I tried :

- Eminence red coat (loud, bold but way too much 'marshally', my amp came with this cone mounted)
- Jensen C12N (loud but mid scooped as hell)
- Weber Alnico AS (too rounded and mid forward, sweet but it lacked the crunch and definition I like)
- Jensen C12Q (the choice! definitely quieter but the sound I like)

 

[Bill Dennis]

I am also considering swapping one of the G12M 65w Creambacks for a G12H 75W Creamback. I have read that the 97 vs 100 db difference is very audible so im a little hesitant. Anybody here have experience with something like this?

It really depends. If you have experience with various speakers, you will know what to expect from them and you will hit far more than you miss. If your a rookie, its a coin toss because you just don't know and are somewhat firing blind

 

[GuitarStv]

+3dB is double the efficiency, it's not double the volume but close so

I think there's a frequency component involved in how your ear hears stuff too. The C. Rex is a 103 dB speaker, but mixed with the V30 (100 dB) . . . they sound pretty balanced in volume to my ears.

 

[Archer250]

For those of you who have swapped speakers in a cab, did the results live up to your expectations? Ä

I have two setups, one 100w EVH 5153 running through the matching 4x12 cab, it sounds amazing.
My home setup is the 50w hooked up to a vertical 2x12 Engl cab loaded V30s. I've never liked any V30 cabs with the EVH amps, they always sound harsh to my ears.

I'm thinking maybe replace the speakers with Celestion EVH branded G12Ms, but I've no idea if it's going to sound like crap because the cab wasn't designed with those speakers in mind.

Yep

Swapped 2 Chinese G12Ms to the EVH sig Celestions

To be clear, it sounded amazing as-is, but I wanted some more softness I knew the Heritage/EVH had

 

[Jeffblue]

I replaced the two lower stock Celestion speakers in my Trace Elliott Bonneville 4X10 to a pair of Weber Alnico Californias and it was a vast improvement in tone and amount of air being pushed. I also enlarged the baffle opening in my 1968 Silverface Fender Vibro Champ and replaced the speaker with a 10 inch 4 ohm Peavey Scorpion.

 

[jeremy]

i have a tweed princeton clone with a 10" and what a difference it makes from the 8". ive tried a few 10's in there and settled on a weber alnico

 

[Jeffblue]

i have a tweed princeton clone with a 10" and what a difference it makes from the 8". ive tried a few 10's in there and settled on a weber alnico

Weber makes outstanding speakers. If I could afford it, I'd build a Weber amp kit.

 

[jeremy]

they do indeed. ive had them recone a few over the years as well, and they turned out great. little longer break in time than some, but that hasnt been an issue since they sound great out of the box and only get better with use

 

[Sam SG]

Listen to sound clips galore with headphones on. Try as many types as possible too.
I dont like V30 either they have a mid honk thsts irritating and barky.
Also learn about H magnet speakers vs M magnet. Most H are 100db sensitivity. Most M are 97db.
i prefer M magnet Celestions. Hs are too barky to me. I do like the G12H-30 but again its loud and requires you to turn your master down for the same volume level.
My favs are G12-65 Heritage and pre rola G12M-25.

 

[Sam SG]

RI G12M-25 very presensy and not allot of lows
G12T-75 scooped mids treble sizzley
G12-65 take a greenback roll off the presense and add lowend. AC/DC Back in Black speaker.
V30 mid bark galore.
G12H-30 kinda like a G12-65 but louder and a bit barky

 

[Rex_Rocker]

RI G12M-25 very presensy and not allot of lows

Not my experience.

I have four RI GB's in my Marshall cab. Two of them are Chinese, two are British. Both are from the 2010's. The MIC's are really dark and fat, the MIE are brighter and more aggressive, but still full in the lows.

My GB's have been fuller-sounding than any other speaker I've tried in the cab (V30's, Relic 30's, Creamback H's) with the exception of T75's (those are bassy bois although scooped) and maybe on par with EVH's.

 

[jeremy]

thats interesting. i also find a g12m to be lacking a big bass response, though not thin sounding at all. thats actually part of the reason i like them. there is bottom, but its a mid/upper mid focused tone. the high end isnt harsh or overly bright and theres some bark from the mids that helps cut through in a mix.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Well, to be fair, I wouldn't really say the bottom end is deep deep like rumbly super low frequency as some more modern-sounding speakers, but I think Greenbacks are known for having a "woody" tone, which IME, means full lower mids and upper bass.

I suppose my hot take is that in the Celestion lineup, I've always found the M magnet to be chunkier sounding. Maybe not as tight and controlled as the H magnet counterparts, but I would say all of the M magnet versions of the speakers I've tried by them where the only thing changing is the magnet size (M Creamback vs H Creamback and RI Greenback vs 70th Anni), the medium magnet always sound fuller to me.

 

[Sam SG]

Yes...wasnt meaning the RI greenies were thin. But that are more that classic 70s sound no real BIG bottom.
I had a 1960AX cab from 1999 with england greenies. It was a hair presensey and aggressive. I also had a 1969 4x12 with 3 of its original pre rola greenies totaly different speakers much warmer and smoother.
Also to add if you ever come accross Celestion G12M-70.....they will be cheap. Dont be tempted they SUCK. Had a Laney 4x12 with them. Yuck!