Best 12" speaker for ODS and Open or Closed-Back Cab

[jaysg]

Some guys think the Tonker sounds like a Fane. Is the Tonkerlite the same basic tone as a Tonker? (I'm working on the speaker cross reference in the Wiki.)

[stelligan]

odourboy,

Really liked the clip! I found it unique that the chordal passages had this nice high end OD crunch, but when you solo the tone is mostly singing and clear after the initial attack. Cool sound. How would you assess the low end in the room? Is it a little more than I am hearing on tape? And is this now in your open back cab(8" deep)?

Thanks!

[odourboy]

Some guys think the Tonker sounds like a Fane. Is the Tonkerlite the same basic tone as a Tonker? (I'm working on the speaker cross reference in the Wiki.)

Wish I could help, but I've only tried the lite myself.

odourboy,

Really liked the clip! I found it unique that the chordal passages had this nice high end OD crunch, but when you solo the tone is mostly singing and clear after the initial attack. Cool sound. How would you assess the low end in the room? Is it a little more than I am hearing on tape? And is this now in your open back cab(8" deep)?

Thanks!

Thanks Stelligan! The low end in the room is solid - no concerns. Not quite the thump of the EMV 12L, but vary comparable to the C-Rex and RW&B. To be fair, my room is a bit bassy, so in a more open setting, that may change a bit. Yes, that is in the 8 inch cab - open back (just some small 'cosmetic' panels at the top and bottom).

[drpastorbob]

I finally made a sound clip with my Lopo single-12 cab and the Celestion Legend 1218. You can go to my other post to hear it: http://ampgarage.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5028 I think it sounds pretty good. What I think we are discovering is that there are many excellent possibilities that will give great tone out of our amps.

Enjoy the clip.

Bob

[odourboy]

A bit of an update first:

I've been using the Tonkerlite for well over a month now so I thought I'd provide a bit of an update. I'm overall satisfied, but left wanting. The only configuration I've found fully acceptable for this speaker is in a ported TL806 type box. Otherwise, I've been less than satified with the bottom end. In the TL806 box, it's pretty damn good - just a little bit ice-picky. There seems to be a small hump in the upper midrange that grates my ears. So, for price and weight, it's a good choice, but it's not quite a Heritage G12-65 or an EVM 12L.

Next...

I got a deal on TGP for a ever so slightly used Celestion G12 Century neodymium. I loaded it in an oversized 'Dumble Approved' 1X12 pine cab with oval open back and a floating baffle. All I can say is WOW!!! I'm infatuated with this speaker! I'm so taken with it, I haven't been able to part with it long enough to try it in a different cab. It's right up there with my Heritage G12-65 reissue. Very similar tone with a touch more bottom end and slightly more efficient. Not cheap ($218 more or less street price), but under 4 lb. and sounds great.

Anyone else try one of these with their D-clone?

[doveman]

Update: If you recall, I purchased a G-1265 and put it in a 1x12 Brown Note open back cabinet. I also already had a Eminence 105 2x10 sealed cab. Both were fairly new ... while the Emi's were broken in .. the Celestion was not.

I had been using a 1x12 EVM-12L in a sealed cabinet for the last 25 years, as well. I played around with it too ... in both open and closed cabs. I eventually gave it to my son along with the '78 Boogie that I had been using with the EVM-12L.

My rig seems to have broken in quite nicely ... I prefer the Celestion G-1265 just slightly to the EVM-12L. If using the EVM-12L I would use a sealed cab though ... just prefered it that way.

The G-1265 has a completely different sound than the Emi 105s ... but I really like them both. I have come up with a system that mics both and mixes them through PA, monitors or recording using a bluetube stereo preamp. This gives an incredibly flexible rig.

Both cabs are 8 ohms ... so I can run it at 4 ohm or 16 ohm ... I prefer 4 ohms. Using the 5881 tubes, it's a 25w rig. With three speakers it moves quite a bit of air.

[IMG:490:799]http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m168 ... eFinal.jpg[/img]

[drpastorbob]

Hi Everyone,

Unfortunately, my tastes seem to not go with everyone else's. I recently bought a 1981 Celestion G12-65 on ebay hoping it would be the "grail" speaker that everyone else had described it to be. What I found was that it is much brighter sounding than the Eminence Legend 1218 that I had settled on before (at half the cost). However, I wanted to make sure that for a couple hundred bucks I wasn't missing something, so I sprung for the vintage speaker. Personally, I think that the Legend speaker sounds smoother, more complex, not as bringt, and yet still brings out the harmonics of my ODS better than the G12-65. What I am wondering now is if people are tending towards the G12-65 (brighter in my opinion) to compensate for having made their amps too mid-range farty sounding. Hope I don't offend any of you with that statement. I am just an idiot-savant novice amp builder who seems to have stummbled on a amp tone configuration that works for both single-coils and humbucking pickups. You can listen to my clips. What I was looking for was being able to play all my guitars and hear all the notes of the chords clearly with distortion while also being able to call up enough gain for a good solo tone. For my amp and my ears I can't endorse the G12-65. I'll try it in another amp of mine or you will see it for sale.

My two cents worth,

Bob

[drpastorbob]

Sorry - double post/server issues

[doveman]

... I recently bought a 1981 Celestion G12-65 on ebay hoping it would be the "grail" speaker that everyone else had described it to be. What I found was that it is much brighter sounding than the Eminence Legend 1218 that I had settled on before (at half the cost).

... I think that the Legend speaker sounds smoother, more complex, not as bringt, and yet still brings out the harmonics of my ODS better than the G12-65.

No problem Bob ... I really like the Emi 10" Legends, as well. They are not as bright as the G-1265. But the G-1265 is not nearly as bright as my old EVM-12L. My best sound is mixing them ... as I mentioned.

My thoughts:

• Have you tried mixing the two ... like I'm doing?
• It did take a bit of time for the new G-1265 to break in ... yours is an older '81 so that's not a problem. I wonder if they are really the same speaker ... good or bad.
• Open back seemed to work better for the G-1265 while sealed cabinet was nicer for the EVM-12L.
• Is your amp a Brown Note? I don't think it was a D'Lite. I became sold on the G-1265 with clips of the D'Lite from albeit "monster players". But I did like what they were getting.

I guess it all boils down to the entire chain being so complex. The amp, tubes, speakers, cabs, settings, guitars, pickups, and even the player. You just try to hit on something that works ... but it all relates. I guess that's why we all don't have the same gear. But the hunt for the tone is half the fun ain't it?

[drpastorbob]

My thoughts:

• Have you tried mixing the two ... like I'm doing?
• It did take a bit of time for the new G-1265 to break in ... yours is an older '81 so that's not a problem. I wonder if they are really the same speaker ... good or bad.
• Open back seemed to work better for the G-1265 while sealed cabinet was nicer for the EVM-12L.
• Is your amp a Brown Note? I don't think it was a D'Lite. I became sold on the G-1265 with clips of the D'Lite from albeit "monster players". But I did like what they were getting.

I guess it all boils down to the entire chain being so complex. The amp, tubes, speakers, cabs, settings, guitars, pickups, and even the player. You just try to hit on something that works ... but it all relates. I guess that's why we all don't have the same gear. But the hunt for the tone is half the fun ain't it?

You are right, my amp is not a D'Lite, but a scratch build using the D'Lite schematic/diagram to build from. I have not mixed the speakers since I was trying to stick with a single 12 to cut down on the weight, but maybe I need to. Unfortunately, the 1218 is 8 ohm and the G12-65 is 16 ohm (poor planning on my part). Also my cab is a single-12 open back cab. Nothing more money can't fix if I choose to go that route... Thanks for your thoughts.

[dogears]

Buying old used G1265 speakers is hit or miss. My old ones don't sound nearly as nice as my new reissues.

[AdrianJ]

I got a deal on TGP for a ever so slightly used Celestion G12 Century neodymium. I loaded it in an oversized 'Dumble Approved' 1X12 pine cab with oval open back and a floating baffle. All I can say is WOW!!! I'm infatuated with this speaker! I'm so taken with it, I haven't been able to part with it long enough to try it in a different cab. It's right up there with my Heritage G12-65 reissue. Very similar tone with a touch more bottom end and slightly more efficient. Not cheap ($218 more or less street price), but under 4 lb. and sounds great.

Anyone else try one of these with their D-clone?

That's good to hear, I'm planning a D-type build and was thinking of using 2 G12 Century Neo in a 2x12" Dumble-style oval ported cabinet (still trying to find a plan - anyone help with that?).

You think that would make a good setup?

[greiswig]

Anybody compare the standard Century with its Vintage neo brother?

[nickm57]

just tried a new jensen black bird jet.
Mounted in a 1x12 closed cab, about to be ported, initial impression is it sounds pretty balanced with a nice celestion blue style chime.

[odourboy]

Anybody compare the standard Century with its Vintage neo brother?

As of this week, I have both. My initial reaction is: The Vintage sounds very good. It is somewhat similar in tone to the regular Centry Neo but the Vintage is audibly less efficient and the Vintage has a little less bottom end. However, my speaker is brand new - just a few hours of playing. I'll report back when the G12 Century Vintage is broken in.