Celestion G12H30 70th Anniversary

[JohnnyGtar]

Howdy campers. I'd like to get your opinions on Celestion G12H30 70th Anniversary speakers, both UK and Chinese versions. Some of the clips I've heard sound pretty good. Thanks!

 

[EyesOfTheSouth!]

Hate them with a passion. I keep trying…..,but nope.

 

[Smash]

I love them. But you need to match with the right amp. Coincidentally, i found that redbacks match my amp better, so i am moving mine which are broken in if you decide to go that route

 

[Smash]

The thing about them is that they add presence to an amp. They are aggressive. It is somewhat like mixing a greenback and a v30.

So if you are a low mid guy, i say stay away. If you like the aggrssion of a v30, but without the fizziness, you will dig them

 

[Racerxrated]

There's a high end 'zing' that all H magnet speakers tend to have. Not for me. Although, I have a pair of 1966 H25 GBs that just sound like amazing vintage greenbacks. But the Pulsonic H30s I had from 72, that same unpleasant high end.

 

[Rex Rocker]

The thing about them is that they add presence to an amp. They are aggressive. It is somewhat like mixing a greenback and a v30.

So if you are a low mid guy, i say stay away. If you like the aggrssion of a v30, but without the fizziness, you will dig them

I feel like they're fizzier than V30's, personally.

They're great speakers for darker/fatter amps. They've got some sizzle to them. V30's are upper-middy, but these are trebly. They benefit from some good break in. But they've got a good core tone. They sound very Celestion.

 

[RaceU4her]

i have one in my recording 4x12, cant say ive dug anything ive recorded with it, has a weird high end. i need to mess with it more

 

[Smash]

i have one in my recording 4x12, cant say ive dug anything ive recorded with it, has a weird high end. i need to mess with it more

I have never mixed them, but have heard good things about it. Mine were used in bright amps, but i like aggression. I was actually surprised how much i liked the redbacks. Wish i could play them side by side

 

[skoora]

i have one in my recording 4x12, cant say ive dug anything ive recorded with it, has a weird high end. i need to mess with it more

Same here. It’s the one speaker in my mish mash 4x12 I never tend to use because it is so bright. I keep it in there in case that aspect will come in handy but it hasn’t …
Makes me wonder if the amp companies that put them in their combos are making dark amps that would suck if I ran them in a separate 4x12.

 

[RaceU4her]

Same here. It’s the one speaker in my mish mash 4x12 I never tend to use because it is so bright. I keep it in there in case that aspect will come in handy but it hasn’t …

yeah, i have a 4x12 with four different speakers in it just for recording purposes, thats the speaker ive used the least. i have heard some pretty great clips with them though so maybe i have to adjust my plan of attack with them, probably much less gain.

 

[RaceU4her]

I have never mixed them, but have heard good things about it. Mine were used in bright amps, but i like aggression. I was actually surprised how much i liked the redbacks. Wish i could play them side by side

i never had a redback but i dont like greenbacks at all for kind of the same reasons i dont like the h30

 

[Smash]

I love greenbacks. I am close to loving v30. Love h30s. Redbacks are amazing for high wattage speaker. K100s great til they fatigue the ear. Fane f70 great speaker. T75 very close to h30 without the body. Umm. That may be everything i have played

 

[braintheory]

i never had a redback but i dont like greenbacks at all for kind of the same reasons i dont like the h30

I don’t care for those speakers either (love 20w GB’s though). The Redbacks sound nothing like either though, almost polar opposites of the H30’s. I like Redbacks a lot in general. Nice low mid chewiness, but they can be loose with some amps (depending on setup) and dark with some. Brighter speakers pair very well with them

 

[braintheory]

I really don’t like any H30’s I’ve tried. They all have an inherent hollow midrange that I think accentuates the highs more in an unpleasant way. Like almost anything, if used in the right context (meaning the right combo of cab, amp, guitar. etc.) it can sound good, but never the optimal ingredient imo vs other options to optimize

 

[braintheory]

There's a high end 'zing' that all H magnet speakers tend to have. Not for me. Although, I have a pair of 1966 H25 GBs that just sound like amazing vintage greenbacks. But the Pulsonic H30s I had from 72, that same unpleasant high end.

H25’s are an exception. The main problem I find with the H30’s is the hollow midrange that I think further accentuates the highs in an unpleasant way. I don’t really hear the highs as zing-y though (maybe semantics). To me M20’s actually have zing (in a great way imo) and sometimes maybe JBL’s, Altec’s and Roger Charles/Cletrons (in a good way to me). Really for zing what first would come to my mind would be my all aluminum EGC’s (especially the open high e played acoustically) or a good Tele in the bridge position

 

[Smash]

I don’t care for those speakers either (love 20w GB’s though). The Redbacks sound nothing like either though, almost polar opposites of the H30’s. I like Redbacks a lot in general. Nice low mid chewiness, but they can be loose with some amps (depending on setup) and dark with some. Brighter speakers pair very well with them

I have found them dark with some amps also. Perfectly balanced with mine

 

[braintheory]

I have found them dark with some amps also. Perfectly balanced with mine

Agreed. They are dark, but a perfect match with some amps. Excellent fit IME with my Hermansson Recto’s, but a bit too low mid bloated with my Uber and VH4 BF. Also very good with most of my Marshall-y amps. They pair extremely well with my JBL D120F’s and E120’s. Some of the best speakers mixes I’ve tried so far

 

[Smash]

I hear a similarity in the quality as the h30 which is why i think i like them. They are just more smooth.

This is also why i would like to play both at the same time to a/b them

 

[braintheory]

I hear a similarity in the quality as the h30 which is why i think i like them. They are just more smooth.

This is also why i would like to play both at the same time to a/b them

Both smooth maybe somewhere in the mids, but there’s a lot of great chewy character and growl somewhere in the lower mids with the Redback that the other current celestions just don’t have

 

[Greazygeo]

Great speaker for a refrigerator magnet….