Celestion Redbacks: What's your opinion of them?

I love them. They’re smoother/darker on the top end than small dust cap speakers, but I think they sound fantastic.
For reference, Celestions I like, other than the RB, are RI Greenbacks, EVH Greenbacks, V30’s (not the Chinese, with the old Marshall ones being the best), and old G12-65’s.
 
Everyone seems to love them. I hated them. But I only used in an oversized, ported 1x12. Sounded dark, boomy, and mids didn’t sit right for my Marshally amps.

I preferred CL80 and lowly G12T-75 in the same cab. Settled on a neo Creamback after testing tons of speakers over a 3 day period. Not because it’s light……because it kicks ass.
 
They’re the one non-vintage speaker that have a place for me. Love them, but they can be dark or loose with the wrong amp/setup, but otherwise are great with unique chewy, creamy quality in the low mids I haven’t heard the same way on any other speaker. They’re for the most part dark and smooth, yet the midrange character gives them cut and aggression in its own satisfying way

They also work very well with bright speakers like my JBL’s. One of the best combinations I’ve heard so far
 
braintheory said:
They’re the one non-vintage speaker that have a place for me. Love them, but they can be dark or loose with the wrong amp/setup, but otherwise are great with unique chewy, creamy quality in the low mids I haven’t heard the same way on any other speaker. They’re for the most part dark and smooth, yet the midrange character gives them cut and aggression in its own satisfying way

They also work very well with bright speakers like my JBL’s. One of the best combinations I’ve heard so far
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This description is right on. They also mix amazingly well with with other speakers if you want to ad chewy, low mid girth and warmth. I’ve mixed them with Greenbacks, V30’s, Alnico Golds and JBL’s, and every mix sounded great.
The Reds just blend beautifully with the others, while letting the others qualities shine through.
 
They don’t cut through like a V30, rather darker and smoother. They do work well for a wide array of styles imo.
 
I seconds the low mids statement, rich low mids and plenty of them. Not the beefiest speakers ever but they have some of that big magnet girthiness in the lows. As said, they mix really well with a bunch of other speakers. The 4 of them I have range from dark to bright.
 
boltzthrower said:
I seconds the low mids statement, rich low mids and plenty of them. Not the beefiest speakers ever but they have some of that big magnet girthiness in the lows. As said, they mix really well with a bunch of other speakers. The 4 of them I have range from dark to bright.
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Are you saying the individual speakers each have a different tonal balance ???

I find this true with all speakers. Some more than others.
 
stephen sawall said:
Are you saying the individual speakers each have a different tonal balance ???

I find this true with all speakers. Some more than others.
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Yes, I know that’s typical of all speakers but one of my Redbacks is super dark and one is really bright. They’re all broken in. The dark one has the black cardboard gasket and the other 3 I own have the cork gasket.
 
I had a quad of 8 ohm Redbacks. At first I really liked them a lot, until I recorded them and heard the hollow fizz that so many modern Celestions have, and could never un-hear it after that so off they went.

Mark-


Recto-


If anything I did prefer them in the 2x12 since it naturally seems to have more top end & less bottom end than my 412s.
 
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