Tried a Creamback 65 for the first time today…

[ebagjones]

And good lord all mighty did I hate it. I’m pretty loyal to the G12-65 speakers, and also enjoy Celestion’s Classic Lead and Greenback speaker. Big fan of everything by Fane I’ve played too. Knowing the Creamback 65 shared a heritage going back to the Greenback, and loving the G12-65 which was the original touted high powered greenback (although its resemblance is highly debatable) I tried two heads through a 112 Creamback 65 loaded cab and I could not dial in a single satisfying sound. The bass seemed loose and spongy, and the mids managed to sound both scooped but still honky somehow, and similarly the top end was rolled off but what was there was very harsh.

Now this isn’t me dumping on this, this is probably the second most popular speaker amongst amp and cab manufacturers today, and it seems to have a legion of fans, so clearly it’s something I’m doing. Since so much of what I’m hearing seems to contradict what I think I should be hearing, I’m having a heck of a time dialing it in. Anyway got any tips?

 

[NegativeEase]

I love the 60 Watt V30 and 25 Watt Greenback -let the hate come from those fancy lads who have moved on

 

[eclecticsynergy]

The circa 1980 G12-65 is my favorite Celestion. Less happy with my 90s G12T-75s. For now, I'm pretty happy with V30s too.
Haven't tried any of the myriad younger variants, except perhaps unkowingly in Marshall backline cabs.

 

[Ewizard]

I am perhaps on the other side of the fence? I particularly like the G12T-75 model perhaps just a little more than the G12M. Granted I do not have the G12M Heritage ( British model ) and can say with certainty the China-made variant isn't quite like its namesake, it is still much better than most other models I have come across. I have had V30's, can't stand them, and I have even had some Mesa Black Shadows, Some Eminence Lucky Lady's, and several other OEM models. None have quite hit my happy spot as much as the G12T-75 and the G12M.

Another thing I have found is that the cabinet they are loaded in makes a HUGE difference in how they sound. I have a cheap 2X12" cabinet that for whatever reason makes whatever I put in it sound MUCH better than any of my single speaker cabs or even my 4x12" cabs. It is just such a cheap POS cab that I can't stand to even think of putting two speakers in it that cost more than the cab did when it was new. I have an H&K Axis 2X12" ported cabinet that is VERY particular to the speakers in it. With the G12M's it is pretty decent, but other speakers are either WAY too boomy, WAY too bright, or WAY to something. Again another type of cabinet that doesn't look nice and is never going to be seen in public. I have a pair of Seymour Duncan 1X12" ported cabs from the Convertable series ( 1980's era if I'm not mistaken? ) and they are also quite particular. I wish I knew what was originally in them so I could see how they sound with the original speaker, but I have not been able to sus it out. If you know, let me know! The only cab I have that doesn't seem to care what is in it is my Peavey XXX 4X12". It sounds good with anything really.

 

[alex1fly]

That has to be the most suggestive name for a speaker I've ever heard. I wouldn't trust it.

 

[Demanic]

I think that those old Duncan cabs originally came with Celestion 12-K85's.

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[GuitarStv]

I love the 60 Watt V30 and 25 Watt Greenback -let the hate come from those fancy lads who have moved on

I think these are the two best speakers that Celestion sells.

 

[NegativeEase]

I think these are the two best speakers that Celestion sells.

Agree, especially for closed back application -I have some great WGS and Jensen speakers but they are more of an open back voicing to sound awesome.

 

[PFDarkside]

I don’t know, 65W Creambacks sound great to me. I have them in the Victory cab that matches the V40 Deluxe. Kind of a “mid Atlantic” tone, between Britain and California.

 

[Karloff]

I love the 60 Watt V30 and 25 Watt Greenback -let the hate come from those fancy lads who have moved on

I've been stuck on the Vintage 30's for years now. thats all I use.

 

[NegativeEase]

I've been stuck on the Vintage 30's for years now. thats all I use.

I love the tone overall and they have just a little taste of that greenback style breakup too.

 

[beaubrummels]

And good lord all mighty did I hate it. I’m pretty loyal to the G12-65 speakers, and also enjoy Celestion’s Classic Lead and Greenback speaker. Big fan of everything by Fane I’ve played too. Knowing the Creamback 65 shared a heritage going back to the Greenback, and loving the G12-65 which was the original touted high powered greenback (although its resemblance is highly debatable) I tried two heads through a 112 Creamback 65 loaded cab and I could not dial in a single satisfying sound. The bass seemed loose and spongy, and the mids managed to sound both scooped but still honky somehow, and similarly the top end was rolled off but what was there was very harsh.

Now this isn’t me dumping on this, this is probably the second most popular speaker amongst amp and cab manufacturers today, and it seems to have a legion of fans, so clearly it’s something I’m doing. Since so much of what I’m hearing seems to contradict what I think I should be hearing, I’m having a heck of a time dialing it in. Anyway got any tips?

Is the 1x12 open back? I was using my old defunct Randall RG80 as an extension cab, and I tried stock Greenback, V30, V30 Anniversary, Heritage Greenback, the Hendrix 50hz Greenback and none of them sounded 'right' until I closed up the back. Open back let's the cone 'warble' a little more wildly leading to loose bass. Closing the cab puts the right amount of back pressure on the cone so it settles quicker, suppresses a bit of the loose bass, and has more detail and the mids come out.

 

[Demanic]

Is the 1x12 open back? I was using my old defunct Randall RG80 as an extension cab, and I tried stock Greenback, V30, V30 Anniversary, Heritage Greenback, the Hendrix 50hz Greenback and none of them sounded 'right' until I closed up the back. Open back let's the cone 'warble' a little more wildly leading to loose bass. Closing the cab puts the right amount of back pressure on the cone so it settles quicker, suppresses a bit of the loose bass, and has more detail and the mids come out.

I played my 1x12 cab with a C-Rex, closed, for years. It sounded good with my 5 watt Picovalve head. Maybe a bit boxy.
Took the back off the cab and it really woke up. It's in a small room at low volume and it sounds huge.

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[GuitarStv]

I think the C. Rex likes an open back cab. V30s and Greenbacks tend to enjoy closed.

 

[aiaosu]

I've had a similar experience and like the same speakers you do. I've done open, closed, and semi open on the same cab and didn't like the Creamback 65. That being said, I think it has more to do with matching with my Laney GH50 head as it tends to run dark. I use a Marshall (Celestion) G12 Heritage that sounds amazing with the Laney but bright and brittle with other amps. I have had to decide what amp I really like and then find the right combination of speaker that fits it well. If I change my amp, I'll probably have to find a different speaker again.

 

[Semetery]

I didn't think I liked the Creamback 65 either until yesterday when I put 2 together in a 2x12 and played them with a JCM. For whatever reason, they sounded incredible all of a sudden. Don't know if the cab change or what.