Rocket Speaker recommendations...celestion blue vs gold???

[amplifiednation]

I'm finally speaker shopping for my Rocket, which has been built for about a year now. I'm not really sure where I want to go with it, but I was thinking about a 2x12 combo, or maybe just a matching 1x12...

So Celestion Blues are one of the best options for this amp due to the Rocket's Voxy voicing...but they are only 15 watts, so I'd need a pair @ $200 a piece...and that's $400.

So my question is, what about the Celestion Gold? It's another high end AlNiCo speaker, but it's rated (from what I read) at 50 watts, so just one speaker could handle the Rocket in all it's glory.

How does the Celestion Gold compare to the Celestion Blue?? And do you see it being another good choice for the Rocket, or is there something I'm missing?

Could i get away with just buying ONE of these at $200 vs having to buy two Blue's for $400??

My apologies if this is covered in past posts, I feel like hearing some new replies!!

What speakers are you using for your Rocket???

Some others i was considering:

Weber Blue Dog
ASW K70
Scumbacks

[MCK]

Z-Wreck cab comes with one gold + one blue and it sounds glorious!!! Just an idea if you can make it work.

[pablogt]

I've tried greenbacks, Weber bluedogs, Celestion gold, G12H30, V30 and EVM12Ls, and combinations between them. 2xElectrovoice EVM12L in closed cabinet work best for me. Golds and Blues sound too nasal to me, but may be the best for you if you like voxy sound.

Pablo

[jeff12]

I like my Weber ceramic blue hemp cone pre rola doped speaker in an open back single 12" cabinet. Closed back 4x12 vintage 30s sound good as do green backs in a closed back to me. Alnico blue is a little to bright or harsh to me in a single 12"open back. I have a 2x12" closed back with silver vintage bulldogs that is not quite as bright as the blue alnico reissue. Have not tried the alnico gold but my ears like the Weber best. Evm 12" open back was a close second to my ears, just so heavy.
Just my 2 cents.

[sliberty]

I can't really comment on the Celestions, but I will tell you about what I use.

I have a StageCraft 1x12 with a Fane Studio 12L, and it is glorious. I also have a StageCraft 2x12 with a JBL K-120 and an EVM 12L, and it sounds amazing too.

I really like speakers that don't break up. I prefer amp breakup and transparent speakers, and this works especially well (IMHO) with a Rocket.

[redshark]

I play it with one GOLD in an avatar 1x12 and sounds amazing.
If I wanted to go with a 2x12 I would use a weber blue dog with prerola doping 30 watts 8ohm and put it in series with a scumback H55 30 watts 8 ohms or the weber legacy equivalent 50 oz magnet 30 watts bass cone 55hz and 8 ohms to make it a 16 ohms cab.
My only gold is 16 ohms by the way.

2 Blues would work but too pricey or you can go one blue and one G12H55 both 8 ohms in series. That would work too.

[M Fowler]

I tried my Dr Z open back 212 with blue/gold but only care for those speakers with my Stangray.

I like Celestion Vintage 30's with the Rocket but my favorite so far is a Lopo line vertical slant 212 cab loaded with Scumback H75-16HP-LHDC.

Mark

[telentubes]

I had a Gold in my Rocket for a while and it was WAY too bright. Coulda just been the newness of the speaker but it really ripped your head off. Tried a Blue, which I liked a lot, but you can only run it at lower volumes or you'll fry it.
Tried a G1265, and finally settled on a Vin30 which seems to be the best all round choice for me.
I have a Swamp Thang, and a Weber Blue Dog (30 watt) but haven't tried them in the Rocket yet. I love the Weber in the DR type of amp I have.
In my 15 Watt Rocket, the Celestion Blue is hands down the king. So, from my limited experience, I like the Vin 30 for a 30 Watt Rocket.

[Clyde]

Try a Weber Blue Dog alnico with a Silver Bell, either alnico or ceramic. The 15-watters will be fine.

[amplifiednation]

Man these suggestions are all over the road. Maybe I will give that gold a try then see about the blue once I stock up on spare cash again.

Vintage 30 and EVM I was not expecting. This at least gives me some good choices to mull over. Thanks so much for the feedback. Carry on! Carry on!

[paulster]

I run a pair of Golds and love them. A slightly different character to Blues but a great sound with this amp. I'd love to try a pair of Scumnico's too at some point but would need a spare cab as I'm changing nothing with this one!

[amplifiednation]

Well one of our TAG brethren hooked me up on a Blue so I'm on my way. I don't like the low power of the speaker, but I think I am going to rebuild my Rocket soon and I will be happy to try it with something other than my Dumble style speakers!! One more blue and a 2x12 cab and maybe I will hit Rocket glory?!?!

Maybe I'll grab a gold too and attenuate the amp down and see the difference between the two and report back...

Thanks everyone for the feedback, I appreciate it.

[redshark]

Don't worry about the lower rating of the blue (15 watts). Ken was involved in the reissue of that speaker by celestion and he mentioned or wrote somewhere that the blue is capable of handling 25 watts.
That is why 2 of those 15 watters last for a long time in the AC30's.
An AC30 cranked can produce close to 50 watts and probably the rocket too.

[amplifiednation]

Don't worry about the lower rating of the blue (15 watts). Ken was involved in the reissue of that speaker by celestion and he mentioned or wrote somewhere that the blue is capable of handling 25 watts.
That is why 2 of those 15 watters last for a long time in the AC30's.
An AC30 cranked can produce close to 50 watts and probably the rocket too.

My Rocket kicks ass when its cranked. The sweet overdrive has been haunting me all week...its too loud while the neighbors are home and too compressed attenuated.

[amplifiednation]

I finally got around to testing my Rocket out with the Celestion Blue.

Holy moly!! This rocks!! I attentuated the beast a little bit (-6db) to not blow the speaker since it's pushing twice the wattage rating.

I figured I would post a clip. Do we have any clips of the Reverb Rocket? I don't think so...

This was Normsters layout and I had a lot of help from Angelo and Mark Fowler!

Amperex BB in V1,
Mullard Blackburn in V2,
Fender Yugo AT7 in reverb tube,
Amperex in PI.

Saratov El84s

Amperex GZ34 (first time trying this tube in the amp)

I wouldn't mind cutting the decay down a bit, but it sounds pretty killer with this combination

I have a switchable marshall voicing in the amp which you can hear about 2/3rds of the way into the clip, where it gets a little more mid-ranged focus. I also have a 25uf cathode bypass boost that is switchable. The shot below is from over a year ago...I've added these mods in and also taken out the impedance selector, it's hardwired for 8 and 16ohm.

Guitar is an Anderson Hollow T

Thx to everyone who has contributed to this amp!!!