FourT6and2
Well-known member
Thoughts on reissue Chinese vs UK?
Thoughts on reissue Chinese vs UK?
SBlue
Well-known member
Scumbackmakes the best cone and do the best re-cone for those Pulsonic era Greenbacks. I would imagine you're going to like it.
They actually do take a lot of punishment. Not as much as the 25 or 30 watts, for obvious reasons, but they are not a fragile speaker by any means.
Especially you running a master volume amp, with both master and gain bellow 2:00, you should be fine with them. I've been using them with a 65 JTM-45 and a 67 50w JMP, both on 10 all the time, or two cabs with a 66 JTM45-100(output measured at 180w) cracked, all that for almost 20 years and they are just fine.
Again, as long as you don't run a 100 head with everything on 10, or a very loud amp with a fuzz pedal(speaker voice coils absolute hate square wave), you'll be fine.
Well, EVH never blew the ones in his main 4x12, that he owns since VH-1. And those were his all time fave speakers. The G12m-20 75 hz.
Greazygeo
Well-known member
I ran my 20’s for a long time with my 100 watt plexi on 6. Never killed one. They just got tired.
Exo-metal
Well-known member
An expensive risk these days...
stephen sawall
SEMI ERECT MEMBER
There is so many variables between different rigs and players it is not exactly surprising individuals have very different experiences.
I prefer modern gear. But seem to waste a lot of time trying get vintage sounds out of it.
I prefer modern gear. But seem to waste a lot of time trying get vintage sounds out of it.
Greazygeo
Well-known member
Yeah I am not rolling the dice on 50+ year old speakers. The Scumback version is interesting.
SBlue
Well-known member
And that's not even the tip of the iceberg.
First you have to find the cabinet and buy it, which is not easy or cheap at all. Then you have to pray so both they are originals, and not re-covered or re-coned. Once that's settled, you have to pray so both the cab sounds good and the speakers are healthy. If both are good, and they sound great together, THEN you'll have a great sounding cab. Problem is, most likely you will, sooner or later, find another one of the exactly same that sounds better, and you'll start all over again.
Since 1998, I've owned and sold, easily, more than 40 basketweave cabs, to personally play, inspect and listen to all of them side by side, and cherry pick what I have.
Same with amps and guitars.
Not cheap or easy at all, but I finally can enjoy the gear I always wanted, and not have to wonder about upgrading it.
Is it worth doing it? To 99% of people out there, absolutely not. To me? Worth every minute and every cent I've worked for and invested on.
Again, I'm the exception here.
Greazygeo
Well-known member
Yep, cool you were able to do that. Can’t imagine doing that nowadays. I used to do the same thing, buy up about every Marshall head that popped up around me (late 80’s early 90’s). Kept the good ones. They were affordable back then. $300-400 average. Wasn’t able to do that as much with cabs. Were not that many around. I did score a basketweave cab mid 80’s with the T1511’s and used it quite awhile. Pretty nice condition. Early 90’s scored another with same speakers but really beat up for $250.00. Sounded way different and I liked it more. Still have both, but that beat up one is still best cab Ive had.
FourT6and2
Well-known member
I already have a cab (Bogner). Just looking for speakers. Currently has the stock V30/G12T-75 combo, but not digging those.
SBlue
Well-known member
I agree with you. And I must admit you did it at an even better time than me. I've started it in 1998. Was lucky to be in Los Angeles, where there was quite a bit of cool gear being sold at time. And during the 2000s, while at Hollywood Vintage, I used to have first shot at the gear we got at the store. That's where I've found quite a bit of the stuff I still have, like my 65 JTM 45 and my 71 Hiwatt DR504. I would not be able to go through not even a quarter of the gear I had back in the day with todays market price and scarcity. Yeah, those were the days!
E
EyesOfTheSouth!
Well-known member
Agree on the G12C's. I had a VM cab a long time ago and foolishly sold it to fund an amp. Got another pair from Mojo that were badged as "Watchtowers" at a later date. Wanted more and ordered a couple more Watchtowers later on and come to find out they weren't G12C's anymore........just regular GB Reissues. I felt violated!
The G12C's are a bit brighter, tighter, and oddly louder than the Reissues. They work better for really high gain IMO. I'm always looking for more.
Regarding the EVH, I didn't really care for them in the straight EVH cab.........but they are perfect in my angled 1960AX. I think that is because they have less mids than the Reissues and they are better on my ears coming off the slant.
I also have Chinese and UK Reissues on hand. The newer UK ones are a bit darker and not as aggressive as the Chinese in the high mids. I could be happy with either depending on the amp/application. However, my Chinese ones are currently in my closet.
I hate the 65w Creamback and don't understand the high wattage greenback claim. And I don't care for the Scumback BM-75's to be honest. They are too smooth and mid oriented to my eras. But I know people love them.
Right now, my favorite cab is the 1960AX with EVH up top and UK Reissues on bottom. I had them in an X pattern, but the Reissues were noticeably louder and it was a little unbalanced.
And for a sleeper speaker..........I also love the WGS Invader. I have a 2x12 with them that gets plugged into a LOT.
The G12C's are a bit brighter, tighter, and oddly louder than the Reissues. They work better for really high gain IMO. I'm always looking for more.
Regarding the EVH, I didn't really care for them in the straight EVH cab.........but they are perfect in my angled 1960AX. I think that is because they have less mids than the Reissues and they are better on my ears coming off the slant.
I also have Chinese and UK Reissues on hand. The newer UK ones are a bit darker and not as aggressive as the Chinese in the high mids. I could be happy with either depending on the amp/application. However, my Chinese ones are currently in my closet.
I hate the 65w Creamback and don't understand the high wattage greenback claim. And I don't care for the Scumback BM-75's to be honest. They are too smooth and mid oriented to my eras. But I know people love them.
Right now, my favorite cab is the 1960AX with EVH up top and UK Reissues on bottom. I had them in an X pattern, but the Reissues were noticeably louder and it was a little unbalanced.
And for a sleeper speaker..........I also love the WGS Invader. I have a 2x12 with them that gets plugged into a LOT.
B
BDC
New member
Non Greenback variants that I quite like.
Tend to buy my speakers from Avatar...
Fane F 25---in an Avatar 2x12 traditional next to a newer Made in England Celestion Greenback
Eminence Legend (50 watt rated version)Not available from Eminence, I believe Avatar exclusive (not on their site) but E-mail Dave.
This speaker is in a Marshall 1922 2x12 next to a Hellatone 30
Among real Greenbacks they all have a certain bloom, but small differences to me.....The cabinet they go in is the biggest difference maker for chasing your certain type of tone......
Tend to buy my speakers from Avatar...
Fane F 25---in an Avatar 2x12 traditional next to a newer Made in England Celestion Greenback
Eminence Legend (50 watt rated version)Not available from Eminence, I believe Avatar exclusive (not on their site) but E-mail Dave.
This speaker is in a Marshall 1922 2x12 next to a Hellatone 30
Among real Greenbacks they all have a certain bloom, but small differences to me.....The cabinet they go in is the biggest difference maker for chasing your certain type of tone......
B
BDC
New member
Not a clone but similar with it's own quack.... It sits in the cabinet next to a green back and sounds good. I can't really make much of a distinction between the two sitting side by side. Though I did buy the Fane after hearing it on YT and reading reviews. Read the reviews out there on the F 25...It does it's own thing in that GB zone. If I get around to recording I'll sample and compare, but that's already out there if you look.
shar-vell Dan
Well-known member
Pretty much my forever cab. 1978 G12M 25 watt 75 hz Blackbacks.
Its taken everything i can throw at it and comes back for more.
Anje
Member
Brings back some nice memories!
I've gone through that kind of long term process too; I agree, buying at least a couple examples of whatever gear you like to take the time to truly assess/compare in your own environment is the best way to build up. Overtime you can "improve" and refine, only keeping what you prefer and works best.
Lots of time & thousands of km/miles invested over few decades.
There are still a few particular pieces I wish I hadn't let go along the way though. An early Pinstripe slant cab with 20w Greenbacks is one of them! That one, especially when played on top of a slightly later '68 G12M straight Basketweave, was magical in a very unique way.
P
psychodave
Well-known member
99% of the people on this forum and world rarely play loud. Heck, most have never experienced what loud is... and I'm not talking bedrook/basement loud. There was a time in the very early 90's where I was blowing G12H30 blackback speakers when running two 4x12's while cranking my 67 plexi with a DOD preamp 250 out front. I would take it outside to a local shipping yard on the weekends, where they had outside plugs, and I'd crank it up. My friend a 1/4 mile away on his farm would hear me.
SpiderWars
Well-known member
I got lucky on some GC used or Craigslist cabs that had ‘70s Greenbacks and Creambacks and just collected a few over the years. Now spread amongst several cabs. Even a 1x12 combo.
Also fell into this cab. It’s killer and my go to for a 4x12 for EVH tones. All original except one speaker replaced with same era. They have a little extra sizzle over the earlier Greenbacks/Creambacks. Never had the pleasure with the earlier 20W.
Also fell into this cab. It’s killer and my go to for a 4x12 for EVH tones. All original except one speaker replaced with same era. They have a little extra sizzle over the earlier Greenbacks/Creambacks. Never had the pleasure with the earlier 20W.
Greazygeo
Well-known member
Sounds like fun.99% of the people on this forum and world rarely play loud. Heck, most have never experienced what loud is... and I'm not talking bedrook/basement loud. There was a time in the very early 90's where I was blowing G12H30 blackback speakers when running two 4x12's while cranking my 67 plexi with a DOD preamp 250 out front. I would take it outside to a local shipping yard on the weekends, where they had outside plugs, and I'd crank it up. My friend a 1/4 mile away on his farm would hear me.
Yeah growing up playing in bands and getting to gig regularly late 80’s to 2000’s was a great time. I just missed the real heydays of 70’s-80’s. I know guys that played back then, they have some great stories of playing.
Hauling 5 4-12’s, 3 heads, JC120 and a rack sure was fun…not gonna revisit that anytime soon
We still have fun playing out, using amps and cabs. Just not a big and not as often.
The~Kid
Well-known member
I mean in a sense too if your after vintage..... and you have the money......
Just get Scumbacks..... vs actual vintage......
Scumbacks are probably better too and more consistent quality wise vs anything made in the 60s and that goes with anything most manufacturers make nowadays vs crap back then.
Don't take my word for it......
Just get Scumbacks..... vs actual vintage......
Scumbacks are probably better too and more consistent quality wise vs anything made in the 60s and that goes with anything most manufacturers make nowadays vs crap back then.
Don't take my word for it......
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