Are Celeston V30s the worst sounding speakers ever created?

[Spaceboy]

I do think my Ampeg VH140C could sound better through Vintage 30s than my Vader/Eminence Legends. I was messing around backstage at a gig with a friend's Mesa Recto 4x12 (that I sold him awhile back), and A/B with the Vader at a comfortable room volume it seemed like the Mesa 4x12 had more punch and sizzle, which the amplifier needs. The Eminence Legends sound great but they are very flat and cold and I think they suit more cutting/mid-range amps than the Ampeg VH140C, which is itself a flat and somewhat cold amp. After all, Vaders were created based around the Peavy XXX and is popular with 5150s.

 

[D-Rock]

I have 70w UK V30's, 75w Retro30's & 60w Chinese 30's. I like and use them all and results do change from cab to cab.

But what I have gathered is that V30's don't go well with a dry sounding amp. With them, they can sound flat and somewhat offensive.

I like V30's more with amps that are really liquid, with a fair bit of compression to the gain

 

[some dude]

It's funny. I've always found the v30 a scooped sounding speaker with a pronounced bass which is why I think they became so popular in the 90's. Helped make midrange amps of the time like jcm900's etc. Sound a lot fatter than through a 75 cab. Personally I think they hurt an amp's ability to cut in a mix. It would be my last choice for a modern heavy amp if I wanted cut. If I want clarity and cut Classic 80. Everything else greenbacks.

I think you're confusing V30s with G12T-75s. V30s are mostly midrange and don't have nearly as much bottom or top end as a G12T-75.

 

[JakeAC5253]

I've voluntarily kept out of this thread for one reason or another, but wow there are some sweeping generalizations going on here.

When I ordered my Recto cab with V30's it was because of how it sounded on tape, thick, punchy with an undeniable growl that I didn't hear with other cabs. When I received the cab and plugged it in after playing my old cab for comparison, there was a definite 'omgwtf' moment where I debated the functionality of the cab. It sounded different than my old cab, that's for sure, but it didn't immediately sound $1000 better.

Now realize that my amp was dialed in to sound good with my previous cab... a Crate 4x12 made with particle board and loaded with speakers which got horrible reviews all over the internet. The speakers were buzzy and rattle-y with no discernible low end, very flat and matter of fact, no personality. I had the bass rather high on the amp, the mids at midway, and the treble low to compensate for the poor speakers and cab.

The V30's combined with the oversized Recto cabinet brought a completely different personality to the table. At first comparison, the new cab sounded bass heavy and dull. It wasn't until I lowered the bass on the amp that the low end became much more defined. And it wasn't until I upped the treble that the tone became really clear with lots of cut without being harsh. I ended up lowering the mids on the amp as well because as mentioned previously the speakers are very mid heavy. Nowadays I am very close to the tone that I've always wanted and indeed why I purchased the cab in the first place. It is balanced, wide, and punchy with tons of personality. The whole process took a few weeks.

But yeah dude totally, plug in and play for 5 minutes and if you aren't immediately impressed it means the gear is bad and you should tell everyone so they can avoid such a terrible piece of gear.

 

[9ball]

is this the most stupid thread ever created?

lol

 

[9ball]

As long as they dont have a Marshall label, they are good. Not all V30's are created equal.

What specifically is wrong with V-30's that say Marshall on the back of them?

G.

i have some marshall labeled V30's in my marshall vintage cab and i like them.
i have to wonder if the people who say they sound harsh or brittle or ear piercing tried turning the gain/treble/presence down on their amps?

 

[Ayrton]

I have an older Uber cab that has a mix of the V30 and G12T75 and its one of the best combos I have ever played or heard. I dont like them alone but they sound incredible mixed.

+1 the combo is awesome, on their own not so much for either...

Ditto...

 

[TheMagicEight]

Not all V30s are the same!

I had a couple of Mesa cabinets loaded with "Mesa V30s" and they were awesome! I also have owned / used V30s from cabs made by Marshall, Bogner, Divided by 13, Diezel, Egnater, etc. and have hated them. From what I've gathered, "Mesa V30s" have a certain frequency response; whatever the difference, I love these V30s and regard them highly. Otherwise, I've found V30s to be harsh (in a band mix or out), brittle, fizzy and undefined.

 

[9ball]

Not all V30s are the same!

I had a couple of Mesa cabinets loaded with "Mesa V30s" and they were awesome! I also have owned / used V30s from cabs made by Marshall, Bogner, Divided by 13, Diezel, Egnater, etc. and have hated them. From what I've gathered, "Mesa V30s" have a certain frequency response; whatever the difference, I love these V30s and regard them highly. Otherwise, I've found V30s to be harsh (in a band mix or out), brittle, fizzy and undefined.

yes of course - the ones you have are "awesome", and all the others are just harsh and brand and no good at all lol
these message forums crack me up sometimes lol

 

[guitarslinger]

IMO, the V30 is best suited for an amp that has a slightly scooped midrange. The V30s help to bring the mids back into balance. V30s with an already midrange heavy amp can sound harsh. Once again, this observation is just from the cabs and amps that I have owned. YMMV.

This^

I couldn't have said it any better.

They work great for Engls, Cobras, Diezels, etc.

They suck with nice, middy hair metal amps (like mine)

 

[9ball]

They suck with nice, middy hair metal amps (like mine)

maybe it's just you. they sound pretty damn good with my marshall lol

 

[TheMagicEight]

Not all V30s are the same!

I had a couple of Mesa cabinets loaded with "Mesa V30s" and they were awesome! I also have owned / used V30s from cabs made by Marshall, Bogner, Divided by 13, Diezel, Egnater, etc. and have hated them. From what I've gathered, "Mesa V30s" have a certain frequency response; whatever the difference, I love these V30s and regard them highly. Otherwise, I've found V30s to be harsh (in a band mix or out), brittle, fizzy and undefined.

yes of course - the ones you have are "awesome", and all the others are just harsh and brand and no good at all lol
these message forums crack me up sometimes lol

My experience is invalid because you don't agree with it?

Your clips sound pretty good, but there's a high end fizz that's reminiscent of what I didn't like about V30s. Mesa V30s are different, and I happened to like them quite a bit more than any other V30 I've tried. This isn't a difficult concept.

 

[skoora]

It's funny. I've always found the v30 a scooped sounding speaker with a pronounced bass which is why I think they became so popular in the 90's. Helped make midrange amps of the time like jcm900's etc. Sound a lot fatter than through a 75 cab. Personally I think they hurt an amp's ability to cut in a mix. It would be my last choice for a modern heavy amp if I wanted cut. If I want clarity and cut Classic 80. Everything else greenbacks.

I think you're confusing V30s with G12T-75s. V30s are mostly midrange and don't have nearly as much bottom or top end as a G12T-75.

Thanks for clearing that up for me. I've only been playing since well before V30's were available and did many A/B tests recording and in the room when looking to buy cabinets. Specifically 75's vs V30's in the early 90's. I actually chose V30's at the time because they helped my Marshall have considerably more bass and less mids and therefore sound more like the metal tones I was after at the time. A boogie V30 cab is not a midrange heavy cab. There have been be so many complaints for years that a rec (almost always paired with a V30 cab) doesn't cut well. Granted a portion of that is the rec circuit, but as we know a speaker is a big part of the sound. Rec's perform much better if you need midrange cut when through a Cel 90 or 80 or 75. You'll get a tighter focused bass, some perceive as less bass, and a much more defined midrange that cuts where guitar should.

I'm sorry but I get pissed when people assume I'm confused/misguided or whatever. How about something is just in your opinion. Don't assume how I am about it. Everything I stated above is from personal experience and yes, just my opinion.

and JakeAC5253 you ridicule someone who slams the gear. For someone with any decent experience....it is the gear. You sound like someone who's been playing 2 years and finds great revelations regularly. Especially if your main cab was a Crate. When you've been playing a long time (myself over 25 years) you don't need 2-3 weeks to dial in an amp with a cab. Maybe 15 minutes. I know it sounds arrogant but some folks come on so strong with statements to me that are just so ridiculous. If you are having revelations about gear and your setup, that's great. We all start out and discover things along the way that excite us but try a little humility when you do as so many of us have been there many years before you.

 

[9ball]

My experience is invalid because you don't agree with it?

Your clips sound pretty good, but there's a high end fizz that's reminiscent of what I didn't like about V30s. Mesa V30s are different, and I happened to like them quite a bit more than any other V30 I've tried. This isn't a difficult concept.

it just sounds funny because you pretty much did say that only the mesa V30's are "awesome", and all other V30 variants pretty much suck ass. like there's some big difference between them or something.
which is just pretty much typical of what is on these forums where people get on here and blabber on about how every little stupid thing sounds so different lol. just shut up and play something lol
it's not really directed at you personally, i've just been lurking these forums for so long - it's funny how it never ends lol.

my clips aren't really a true representation of what my half stack sounds like in person - close - but not quite. i recorded them - half assedly at that - on a BR 1600 that i never really sat down and figured out how to use lol. i sold it a couple months ago.
there's one in there of my RG and every time i lisaten to it i think "god damn i need to clean that 5 way switch lol"

 

[moltenmetalburn]

it just sounds funny because you pretty much did say that only the mesa V30's are "awesome", and all other V30 variants pretty much suck ass. like there's some big difference between them or something.

there is a big difference between them.

The Mesa v30 were made to Mesa spec and therefore sound different than any other stock v30.

I have compared many a mesa v30 and stock v30 and they are quite different with the Mesa also being my preferred favorite. Less of the harsh mid spike people tend to dislike about that speaker.

It seems as if you are jumping to conclusions and jumping on a forum member about a topic you don't even know about.

which is just pretty much typical of what is on these forums where people get on here and blabber on about how every little stupid thing sounds so different lol.

This is a gear forum where we come to discuss the intricacies of our gear. As a professional guitar tech I can tell you these "little things" do matter when chasing your ultimate tone.

If you don't care enough about your sound to care about the little things why are you perusing our gear forum anyway? Get a crate halfstack for $20 and rock out to your hearts content.

 

[JakeAC5253]

and JakeAC5253 you ridicule someone who slams the gear. For someone with any decent experience....it is the gear. You sound like someone who's been playing 2 years and finds great revelations regularly. Especially if your main cab was a Crate. When you've been playing a long time (myself over 25 years) you don't need 2-3 weeks to dial in an amp with a cab. Maybe 15 minutes. I know it sounds arrogant but some folks come on so strong with statements to me that are just so ridiculous. If you are having revelations about gear and your setup, that's great. We all start out and discover things along the way that excite us but try a little humility when you do as so many of us have been there many years before you.

 

[Tonemonster]

A lot of really dumb comments here. Skoora,your pretty impressed with youself eh.

 

[romanianreaper]

Slash uses a Marshall 4x12 with V30s. He gets a pretty killer tone. Not sure if his pickups smooth things out or what, but he has great tone.

 

[dicky sofa]

This!

V30's are great speakers. They're just misunderstood.

 

[9ball]

which is just pretty much typical of what is on these forums where people get on here and blabber on about how every little stupid thing sounds so different lol.

This is a gear forum where we come to argue about the intricacies of our gear. As a professional guitar tech I can tell you these "little things" do matter when chasing your ultimate tone.

If you don't care enough about your sound to care about the little things why are you perusing our gear forum anyway? Get a crate halfstack for $20 and rock out to your hearts content.

lol i figured somebody would get all butthurt and bent out of shape about that - didn't take long either haha.
here we go with mr. "i'm a professional guitar tech and im chasing ultimate tone blahblahblah" lol.
"go buy a crate half stack then because you dont care about tone blahblahblah every different cable has a different tone blahblahblah" lol
not everyone has to be a complete fucking nerd about every little detail of all of the gear they play to have good tone/ be a good player.

by the way - i didn't jump on anyone. lol