# 18W and what speakers?



## ezcomes (Jul 28, 2008)

i have a 2x12 with V30's that sounds ok...but thinking about moving to greenbacks...is it worth it? do they sound better/more authentic for classic rock?

i know the 18W sure isn't going to cause any speaker distortion with the V30's and it won't with the GB's either...just wondering if its worth thinking about...mostly because i've never used GB's before


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## Baconator (Feb 25, 2006)

Are they broken in? V30's can be a great speaker, but can sound pretty rough until they're broken in. It takes a long time and breaking a pair of them in with an 18 watt amp will be tough. Greenbacks are a great speaker, but they are a lot quieter than the V30 - not sure if that's an issue.


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## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

I like GBs more than V30s.


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## Stratin2traynor (Sep 27, 2006)

I have a Trinity 18W. Mine is loaded with a Greenback. I've tried other speakers out of curiosity (TT Ceramic, Weber Blue Dog and Celestion V30) and the Greenback wins handily, every time. It's just a great match with the 18W. It is a lot quieter than the V30 though. Sensitivity is 2 or 3 db lower I think.


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

There'll be less headroom, as mentioned, a GB should break up sooner too.

Look into the WGS Green Beret, or the Reaper, which is supposed to be a GB on steroids.
I have a 2x12 loaded with a Reaper and a Veteran 30.

I picked up a Carmen Ghia head and a 1x12 loaded with a well broken in V30, great combo actually.


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## Schmart (Jun 7, 2011)

I built a JTM-45 kit in an 18W cab with a 50W Weber alnico Silver Bell and I love it. For less money I'd go for one of their Legacy 12 speakers spec'd like a Celestion G12H , 30W, 50 oz, 75Hz cone. I'm also a fan of the Eminence Wizard, which is supposed to be a G12H clone. 

I have a 20W Celestion Heritage G12M that I really like but I think it breaks up very early.


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## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

sulphur said:


> I have a 2x12 loaded with a Reaper and a Veteran 30.


I have the same and I used it with an 18w phaez JTM clone. wonderful combination.

i also put it through a V30 and did not like it


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## ezcomes (Jul 28, 2008)

its a trinity plexi 18W...the 30's are broken in...got them used, and use the cab quite frequently...

even more on the fence now...


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## keithb7 (Dec 28, 2006)

I am quite happy with the WGS ET-65 speaker with my 18W Ceriatone head. Great speaker in my opinion.


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## WCGill (Mar 27, 2009)

Celestion Heritage G12H 55hz. *Nothing* sounds like these, exceptionally nice with 2 x EL84 IMHO.

[video=youtube;ITt3rVj9AGs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITt3rVj9AGs[/video]


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## Roryfan (Apr 19, 2010)

Schmart said:


> I built a JTM-45 kit in an 18W cab with a 50W Weber alnico Silver Bell and I love it. For less money I'd go for one of their Legacy 12 speakers spec'd like a Celestion G12H , 30W, 50 oz, 75Hz cone. I'm also a fan of the Eminence Wizard, which is supposed to be a G12H clone.
> 
> I have a 20W Celestion Heritage G12M that I really like but I think it breaks up very early.


I have somehow found myself with 3 dual EL84 amps ('69 JMP 20W trem head, 1974X HW RI & a Newall 18W TMB) so I asked for Schmart's ears in doing a little shootout. In addition to Schmart's clone loaded with the Weber Silver Bell (loved that amp!) we had the following speakers:

Open back 212 loaded w/ vintage Silver Bells - absolutely glorious chime, the Voxiest of the bunch

Marshall 1974CX (18W ext cab) loaded w/ aged G12M20 - the most aggressive/Marshalliest of the bunch, but also the easiest to push into "unpleasantness" (spiky, top end sizzle) - I'm guessing that this would be less of an issue w/ a big bottle amp &/or a closed-back cab

Convertible back 112 loaded w/ Celestion Gold - sparkly yet smooth, probably as loud as the pair of Silver Bells, definitely worth the $$$

Tone Tubby Green Ceramic mag, basically a hemp cone version of a Greenback - not as dark as a TT Red Alnico, but still darker than a Greenback. Too muddy on its' own but plays well w/ others.

My favourite tones were the Silver Bells (vintage & modern) & the pairing of the Gold + TT


Although I love a Blue in a 5E3, I once had the Gold paired with a Blue but the Blue couldn't handle the 20W JMP (too much sizzle) & I prefer the Gold on its' own. I guess the marketing is true (sorry Steadly), a Gold actually is a louder, smoother Blue. 

And I've always enjoyed the pairing of a Greenback + G12H30. Must be something about how two slightly different speakers mix together & cover a broader spectrum of frequencies.

And don't forget Scumbacks. Maybe an M & H series mix? Just remember to order the LHDC


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