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G12H-30w vs. 25w Greenbacks

crossroader

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Aug 5, 2002
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461
I'm sure this topic has been discussed time and time again, but if some of you guys wouldn't mind, I'd really like to hear your opinions regarding the tonal differences between the 30w Celestion vs. the 25w Greenback.

I'm about to put a 4x12" cab together and I'm considering using either 4 30w Heritage, or 4 25w Greenbacks. For example, I love that compressed woody tone of a cranked 50. I'll be using both a 100w and 50w Marshall heads. Your experiences and opinions regarding the tonal differences between these two speakers would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks in advance!
 

Black58

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Oct 28, 2005
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10,139
Don't have any experience with the 25 watters, but I'm REALLY likin' the 30 watt Heritage! Even without it being fully broken in! Wide frequency range. VERY articulate and inspiring. Good solid bottom end. GREAT response to how hard ya whack them string thangs! :jim
 

RickN

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Feb 12, 2002
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I'm a huge fan of the old mid-'70s G12m-25s (Blackback, Creamback, Greenback... same thing, different color). I quietly troll ebay looking for the old originals to put into storage in case I cook one again...

Speaking of which, I noticed that you said you plan to play a 100w Marshall through the cab... If you go with four 25w speakers, be careful with the 100w... One of my Marshalls is a 100w metal-panel SL, and a few years ago while I was still living back east, my neighbors were away so I put in some ear plugs, cranked up the SL to about '9', and played through the 4x12 with the G12M-25s. Gorgeous sound... but after about 45 minutes, I started noticing some farting that wasn't there before. You guessed it - cooked one of my yummy old G12Ms. Shame on me!

These days I only run my 100w through my 4x12 that has two G12M-25s and two G12-65s. The 4x12 with a full quad of G12Ms only gets used with amps of 50w or less.

I've tried both the 30w and 25w you're asking about. This is a highly-personal choice, but I found that I didn't like the 30w. Maybe it's just my old ears, but I find the I like the medium-magnet speaker models better than the heavy-magnet speaker models. The heavy-magnet speakers are louder and more sensitive, and give you some breathing room, but since I tend to play with non-MV amps, I like to be able to twist the volume knob, and the amps get intolerable earlier with the heavy-magnet speakers.

That's just me though. A lot of others feel quite differently. As ass for every seat, as they say. :salude
 

82 Silverburst

Les Paul Froum Member
Joined
Mar 8, 2005
Messages
677
I'm with Dr.V, 4 GB's in a 4X12 are really nice but one must use caution.
I tried to like a new Heritage 30 and could not bond with it, although I hear they work a lot better in a closed back cab, the new Heritage GB's are awesome as are the G12-65's.

I'm guessing those new 65's would sound monstrous in a 4X12 and you would have zero worries too.
 

68goldtop

Formerly Omo
Joined
Mar 23, 2002
Messages
941
hi!
like dr. vintage, i prefer the "weaker" greenbacks. they crunch so much easier and just seem to "work" with you a lot better.
if you´re after a big, tight sound the 30watters will do better, but for that classic crunch i´d go with the greenbacks.

cheers - 68.
 

clay_finley

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Jan 28, 2003
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I had a friend over this weekend and we were comparing these two speakers.

I like the 25w with my 50w heads. I like the 25w speaker breakup along with the 50 watters compression. It seems to feel right and have just enough 'give'.

I like the 30w with my 100w heads. The 100 watters have better bass response as do the 30w speakers. It all adds up to a massive whallop!
 

crossroader

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Aug 5, 2002
Messages
461
Now that's the info I was more or less looking for.
How about this...
2 25w and 2 30w in a criss-cross pattern. I've read that more and more guys are starting to use this type of speaker configuration, whereas to get a sort of "best of both worlds" type thing going on through a single 4x12" cab. I love the compression of a cranked 50w Marshall....thus, I'm getting the impression that the 50w with 25 watt speakers will compress more than with the 30w. If that's the case, do the 30w compress similar to the 25s? Of is it a 25w Greenback thing?

Again, I'm using both 50w and 100w Marshall heads. Thus I'd like to be able to use the 100w and not have to worry about blowing the rags off the speakers.
 

clay_finley

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Jan 28, 2003
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...which means? They're more efficient and therefore don't break up as soon, or as quickly as the 25w Greenbacks? Would that be a fair assumption?

They're louder, so if you mix them the speakers will be at different volume levels, thats all.

The H30's don't break up as soon due to the heavier magnet.
 

59Vampire

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Feb 1, 2005
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4,223
I use a g12h30 heritage mixed with amcgourty 25 watt greenback clone they sound nice TOGETHER! wish i had as blue to mix with that heritage!
 

Roe

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Apr 6, 2006
Messages
463
I like g12Hs for punchy riffs and G12Ms for thick, compressed solos with a lot of breakup. the Ms has that middy, woody sound, but the Hs sound larger.

I recommend the scumbacks BTW
 

Wookie

All Access/Backstage Pass
Joined
Apr 15, 2005
Messages
1,267
I bought a pair of GH30 Heritage speakers a few years ago and popped them in a 2x12 cab in hopes to use THAT instead of a 4x12. I have to say in a comparison with G12M's, various Jensens, G35L's and even the 75 watters that are stock in most new cabs, I can honestly say I absolutely HATE GH30's. There has only been ONE instance where I have found them to be usable and that is when I play BASS. Huge Bass response, nice treble content, but the midrange sucks my ass. I tried pairing those speakers with a Marshall Plexi, and a 69 Fender Bassman and both amps (to my ears) sound fuckin horrible.

Now if I played hard rock or metal I think they would work great with a scooped midrange, but for my taste I cannot wait to get rid of them.

Anybody want to trade me for a pair of Greenbacks?? Shoot me an email.
 

gutpile

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Aug 28, 2006
Messages
318
... I can honestly say I absolutely HATE GH30's. There has only been ONE instance where I have found them to be usable and that is when I play BASS. ...the midrange sucks my ass. I tried pairing those speakers with a Marshall Plexi, and a 69 Fender Bassman and both amps (to my ears) sound fuckin horrible. ...for my taste I cannot wait to get rid of them... Anybody want to trade me for a pair of Greenbacks?? Shoot me an email.

Geez, with this glowing review you should be able to get rid of them in no time! good thing you don't sell cars for a living.... :wow :fc
 

RickN

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Feb 12, 2002
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They're louder, so if you mix them the speakers will be at different volume levels, thats all.

That was my exact experience. While I was still experimenting with the batch of H30s I had, I did try mixing them with M25s in a 4x12... for a very brief time. Two H30s and two M25s in a staggered arrangement in one of my 4x12s. The H30s completely dominated the sound. It was almost as if the M25s weren't there. :wow GONE! :rofl
 

JRW8214@AOL.COM

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Aug 10, 2003
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Ive only experienced the G12M vs. G12H with clones from Mojotone. First i had the BV-25M, which to my ears sounded icy and harsh(the amp head i had at the time though was a '68 Bandmaster). I sold them and bought a pair of BV-30Hs which sounded warmer. Im still not completely satisfied though. Im thinking of getting the bass models(H55s) from Scumback. That'll get me that Kossoff tone im after. However i just finished listening to a Jeff Beck Group bootleg at the Fillmore in July of '68. Anyone know what speakers Jeff had in his Marshall cabs, G12ms or G12Hs?
 

goldtop0

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Aug 19, 2003
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8,931
That was my exact experience. While I was still experimenting with the batch of H30s I had, I did try mixing them with M25s in a 4x12... for a very brief time. Two H30s and two M25s in a staggered arrangement in one of my 4x12s. The H30s completely dominated the sound. It was almost as if the M25s weren't there. :wow GONE! :rofl


And please correct me if I'm wrong but mixing the 2x30s with 2x25s is a 100w 4x12 cab and not above that capability.
 

Roe

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Apr 6, 2006
Messages
463
Ive only experienced the G12M vs. G12H with clones from Mojotone. First i had the BV-25M, which to my ears sounded icy and harsh(the amp head i had at the time though was a '68 Bandmaster). I sold them and bought a pair of BV-30Hs which sounded warmer. Im still not completely satisfied though. Im thinking of getting the bass models(H55s) from Scumback. That'll get me that Kossoff tone im after. However i just finished listening to a Jeff Beck Group bootleg at the Fillmore in July of '68. Anyone know what speakers Jeff had in his Marshall cabs, G12ms or G12Hs?

probably G12Hs - might be 75hz (or even 55hz). I've seen old pics of jeff with the marshall cabs with the "100" logo.
 
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