Anyone Else Falling Out of Favor with the Alnico Cream?

McLeanAB

Active member
LOVED the 90 Watt Celestion Alnico Creams when I got them several years ago... sounded SO good...

But lately, since acquiring a little Avatar 1x12, and doing a lot of swapping speakers from cab to cab, I'm finding that in almost all my cabs, there's that unique and very alnico 'thing' going on that sounds so good... a little compression, tight, no eq setting actually sounds bad, etc. HOWEVER, it's just a little too much of that 'thing.'

Compared to the Greenbacks and V30, it just doesn't seem as 'open.' My little Boogie Mark V:25 sounds great with the Greenies in a 4x12, or my oversized 1x12.... (didn't like the Greenie in the smaller Avatar 1x12)... the V30 sounds good in the little Avatar 1x12, but NOT my oversized 1x12. And about the same in the 4x12 (not a huge fan of the V30... there's a 'flatness' to it that doesn't speak to me - not a flat eq, but that ever so nebulous quality of 'character').

But both the V30 and Greenies show off the Boogie very well... and given my other amps (ISP Theta and Egnater Rebel 30II), the Alnico Creams seems to make them all bend to her will... doesn't sound bad AT ALL, just doesn't open up...

Anyone else fall out of favor with the Alnico Creams?
 
They objectively sound "good" certainly

But I think theyre a bit overrated, even compared to some big name and very commonly available speakers - let alone the boutique or hard to find/vintage options

They're definitely a good sounding speaker but I feel like anything I would want out of the creambacks (high power handling celestion family) I would be better served by a million other things - my favorite at the moment being the scumback bm75ld

I still have v30s, I still have an EVM12L cab, but those are for other "purposes"

the scumback scratches that itch better than anything i've found, at least for me, personally
 
I like how they emphasize the highs. They have a crispy and clear sort of quality I don't hear in a lot of other speakers.
I don't know if I'd use them exclusively, if I did I'd probably get tired of them quick, thinking they're too strident, but they can be excellent when blended with other speakers.
 
Here's my favorite alnico cream

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