Guitar Speaker Shootout

[miroslav]

OK...finally got all the audio clips cut up and sorted from my speaker shootout, so here they are.
Maybe we can use this thread for any other speaker comparisons...kinda similar to the Tone thread, but just for speaker comparisons.

Amp used was a Carol Ann OD2r, 30W - 6L6 power tubes...here's how the clips are sorted, they will make more sense if you know that.
They are all MP3 format converted at 320 Kbps.

There are two different amp settings. The ones marked "A" are from a lighter crunch setting, and the ones marked "B" are from a heavier crunch setting on the amp.

There are 7 different speakers...so all 7 are done with the A setting and then again all 7 done with the B setting.
There are 5 sections (different types of playing) for each A setting...and each B setting...and each of those sections are done first with the neck pickup and then with the Bridge pickup.

I think the best way to audition these is to download the "complete" A and B clips into your DAW and, one per track, and just line them up evenly at the start, and you will be able to skip from speaker to speaker...and also try the speakers in combination.
I would not mix the A clips with the B clips...that will not make any sense...apples and oranges.

Here are the "complete" clips, of each speaker, A and B amp settings, with all 5 sections in a row on each clip.

A Complete - Lighter Crunch Amp Setting
Celestion G12H30 - A - Complete
Celestion Greenback - A - Complete
Weber Chicago - A - Complete
WGS British Lead - A - Complete
WGS Invader - A - Complete
WGS Reaper 55Hz - A - Complete
WGS Retro 30 - A - Complete

B Complete - Heavier Crunch Amp Setting
Celestion G12H30 - B - Complete
Celestion Greenback - B - Complete
Weber Chicago - B - Complete
WGS British Lead - B - Complete
WGS Invader - B - Complete
WGS Reaper 55Hz - B - Complete
WGS Retro 30 - B - Complete

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If you want to just do quick comparisons, these are the "complete" clips broken up into their 5 sections.
Again...don't mix the A with the B...apples and oranges.

Section A1
Celestion G12H30 - A1
Celestion Greenback - A1
Weber Chicago - A1
WGS British Lead - A1
WGS Invader - A1
WGS Reaper 55Hz - A1
WGS Retro 30 - A1

Section A2
Celestion G12H30 - A2
Celestion Greenback - A2
Weber Chicago - A2
WGS British Lead - A2
WGS Invader - A2
WGS Reaper 55Hz - A2
WGS Retro 30 - A2

Section A3
Celestion G12H30 - A3
Celestion Greenback - A3
Weber Chicago - A3
WGS British Lead - A3
WGS Invader - A3
WGS Reaper 55Hz - A3
WGS Retro 30 - A3

Section A4
Celestion G12H30 - A4
Celestion Greenback - A4
Weber Chicago - A4
WGS British Lead - A4
WGS Invader - A4
WGS Reaper 55Hz - A4
WGS Retro 30 - A4

Section A5
Celestion G12H30 - A5
Celestion Greenback - A5
Weber Chicago - A5
WGS British Lead - A5
WGS Invader - A5
WGS Reaper 55Hz - A5
WGS Retro 30 - A5

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Section B1
Celestion G12H30 - B1
Celestion Greenback - B1
Weber Chicago - B1
WGS British Lead - B1
WGS Invader - B1
WGS Reaper 55Hz - B1
WGS Retro 30 - B1

Section B2
Celestion G12H30 - B2
Celestion Greenback - B2
Weber Chicago - B2
WGS British Lead - B2
WGS Invader - B2
WGS Reaper 55Hz - B2
WGS Retro 30 - B2

Section B3
Celestion G12H30 - B3
Celestion Greenback - B3
Weber Chicago - B3
WGS British Lead - B3
WGS Invader - B3
WGS Reaper 55Hz - B3
WGS Retro 30 - B3

Section B4
Celestion G12H30 - B4
Celestion Greenback - B4
Weber Chicago - B4
WGS British Lead - B4
WGS Invader - B4
WGS Reaper 55Hz - B4
WGS Retro 30 - B4

Section B5
Celestion G12H30 - B5
Celestion Greenback - B5
Weber Chicago - B5
WGS British Lead - B5
WGS Invader - B5
WGS Reaper 55Hz - B5
WGS Retro 30 - B5

[JD01]

Miro, this is a great comparsion and it seems like a really fair test for eliminating any bias. Will take me ages to go through them in detail but I'm already getting preference for a the Weber Chicago and the WGS Retro 30.

[miroslav]

Like I said...it's easiest if you download the "Complete" clips, and just stack them in your DAW...group A and group B...and then you can skip between the tracks at will, and do speaker combos, so you can see which speakers work well together.

[JD01]

Will do.

[Bill L]

Wow, great job. Hopefully in the next day or 2 I'll get to go through them all. Thanks for taking the time to do this.

[Lt. Bob]

wow .... that's impressive.

I actually don't know when I'll have time to go thru all this but I will.

I have a Weber Michigan in my Mark V.
It's pretty cool.

[Greg_L]

Holy crap miro! That's a lot to go through. I'm gonna need some time to digest all of that! Very impressive.

[Minerman]

I haven't forgotten about this Miro, & I'm gonna give 'em all a listen tonight, it'll just take me a while to get through all of 'em, I'm waaay behind here on everything...

[Greg_L]

Okay, finally made it through all of this.

The listen seemed overwhelming at first, but it all makes sense.

For me, the clear winner is the simple ol Greenback. I just like it all around. The Invader and British Lead were nice too. My least favorite was easily the Weber Chicago.

Special nod to the WGS Retro 30 for sounding very much almost exactly like the G12H30. They did a good job with that speaker.

[miroslav]

Yeah...I like the Invader, the Retro 30 has just a pinch more smoothness on the top end than the G12H30, IMO...but it's splitting hairs.

AFA the Weber Chicago, which is supposed to be the closet they had to the Lead 80...although, mine is an older one from about 6-7 years ago, and The current Chicago has the smaller diameter voice coil, plus I think they changed it all around. The Chicago I got was personally recommended by Ted Weber, maybe a year to two before he passed away...and he told me this was their closest to the Lead 80.
Anyway...the main reason I'm using it, along with the WGS British Lead (WGS version of the Lead 80) is because the Carol Ann amp is recommended to sound best when used with the Lead 80 type of speakers or those monster EV speakers....can't remember the model.
Anyway...when you combine the Chicago and the British Lead...the tone is real nice. I did that for a few tracks recently and really liked it.

That's why I suggested people download the "Complete" files...line them up in the DAW...and then you can actually do speaker combinations and see which ones work well together.

I'm pairing the Retro 30 and an Invader in another 212 cab I have.

[liv_rong]

Wow, dude, crazy props for putting this all together! Ill be honest, unless Im in the market for any of these or speakers in general, which Im not, I probably wont listen. But holy hell at the amount of effort you put into this!

[miroslav]

I just hope the guitar clips are acceptable...I just went for a variety of chords-n-strums, as I think they give you the best idea of what the speaker is doing...as opposed to some lead noodling. With chords, you can hear the attack and the decay a lot better, and you get the full harmonic blast, since you're hitting all the strings...so the speaker really has to work, and I think that's when a speaker either does what you want or it shits the bed for you.

I tried to be as clinical as possible with the shootout. I actually have 4 more speakers that I didn't include...but at some point, I may do them too, and post up the clips...right now I'm busy with other studio shit.
Because of the way I did it, I have all the settings saved, all the files, the whole setup...so if/when I do some more speakers, I will be able to simply add them to the pile of existing sound clips, and everything will be the same, as though they were all done at the same time....at least that was my idea when I was thinking about how to approach it.
That way, even if I were to buy some new speakers, I could run them through the same paces...and add them too...as long as I have the same amp and cab...it will work even a year from now...
...though I've got too many speakers laying around right now, I don't need more.