Speaker Shootout – Vintage 30 – G12H30 – G12T75 – K100

So, I’m going off on a tangent this morning. This has NOTHING to do with pedals, but has to do with our guitar tone. Why I wanted to post about this, because I wanted to illustrate how the variance in equipment can drastically change your tone. Somethings that can change your tone you can easily take for granted, for example guitar instrument cables, pedals, etc. Other things you have to settle with like guitars and amps. But with amps and cabinets, you have the luxury and the ability to change the speakers without breaking the bank. Another factor, that someone could end up writing a book on is changing tubes as well.

I’ll talk with people about speakers, and often it’s perceived that a speaker is a speaker and is ‘neutral’ when it comes to guitar tone. The amp creates the color and the speakers make it audible. But it’s very important to note that amp manufacturers pair up their amplifiers with speakers that compliment the tone that they were going for. This is especially true with high-end boutique amps (Matchless, Rivera, etc, etc).

I came across this great speaker shoot out video produced by Rivera. It compares the Celestion Vintage 30, G12H30, G12T75 and the K100 speakers. Same amp, same amp settings, same guitar, same riff. When you see them side by side, you clearly hear what each speaker provides or lacks, which you would normally need to compensate with EQ or settle with. I really with Green Backs were included in this shoot out.

My rig (using a Rivera head) is a Marshall 4×12 cabinet with Vintage 30s and a Avatar 2×12 cabinet with 1 Vintage 30 and 1 G12H30. The Vintage 30/G12H30 is a very popular combination these days. Do you have any thoughts about speakers with your gear? Please comment. Let me know what you think!