Vox ac30cc Speaker upgrade

[radcliff]

I have a Weber Blue Dog in my AC15 and I love it

 

[blackba]

Why 16 ohm? The typical amp w/212's (my experiences thus far) are setup 8 ohm stock (2x16ohm speakers wired for 8) w/4 and 16 ohm jacks allowing for other speaker values or additional cabs.

That is the case for most amps, but not the AC30CC2. If you get 2 16ohm speakers, the amp will need to be rewired to parallel, not a big deal to me, but may be for some. the AC30CC does not have a 4ohm tap on the transformer, only 16ohm and 8ohms.

I totally agree about the 30Watt Weber Blue dogs, those are what I would get if I wasn't going to go with the Celestion Alnico Blues....

 

[68_Custom Shop]

I have been on the computer for hours searching tone samples. I am leaning toward the G12h30 or The Governor.The Red Fangs don't sound too bad either. They have the same freq. response as the blues but take more watts. That could be good for less natural breakup. Could be a benefit for tighter bass response.The problem with sound bites is they aren't in MY signal chain. I thought about a mixture myself , but which one would I mic. My amp is backstage at church in a sound proof room. The good- I can crank it to get awesome tone. The bad- Left to the ear of the house sound man for overall tone/sound. Our church is way too big for me to use my amp on stage and be heard , so it has to be that way I have a sound proof room at home to play in so my tone always rocks here, I like it loud and the neighbors can't hear to call the cops!

 

[908SSP]

Scumnico all the way. It is the most authentic clone of a mid 60s alnico on the market that I have tried and I have tried most of them.

 

[jcshirke]

Scumnico all the way. It is the most authentic clone of a mid 60s alnico on the market that I have tried and I have tried most of them.

What makes it "authentic"? Have you heard enough broken in '60s Alnico Celestions to make that judgment? I've heard the same thing said about 30w Weber Alnico Blue Dogs, btw.

 

[jcshirke]

I totally agree about the 30Watt Weber Blue dogs, those are what I would get if I wasn't going to go with the Celestion Alnico Blues....

Why 30w instead of 15w for the Webers? I keep hearing that the 30w Blue Dog sounds more like a broken in Celestion Alnico, and Weber's 15w sounds more like a modern issue Celestion Blue. Is that why you'd choose the 30w?

I guess what I can't get my head around is why a lot of people go for 30w when the original Celestions were 15w. Please fill me in if you have a chance.

I realize people are going for different sounds and have different needs. When I told Ted I wanted authentic, JMI era Vox AC30 tone, he recommended 15w Blue/Silver Alnico combo, both with pre-rola treatment. Shrug.

 

[zzmoore]

Why 30w instead of 15w for the Webers? I keep hearing that the 30w Blue Dog sounds more like a broken in Celestion Alnico, and Weber's 15w sounds more like a modern issue Celestion Blue. Is that why you'd choose the 30w?

I guess what I can't get my head around is why a lot of people go for 30w when the original Celestions were 15w. Please fill me in if you have a chance.

If Ted Weber jumped off The Golden Gate Bridge...

 

[jcshirke]

If Ted Weber jumped off The Golden Gate Bridge...

Thanks for an absolutely useless reply. Any replies from non-trolls?

Thanks in advance.

 

[soul1]

Thanks for an absolutely useless reply. Any replies from non-trolls?

Thanks in advance.

hmmm, my guess is that the original blue speakers were a bit warmer than the current celestion blues, and ted has mentioned this as well. I know with Ted's blues the higher the power rating the warmer the speaker, so the 15w is probably a very bright speaker (current model Celestion Blue clone) and the 30w is a tiny bit warmer therefore replicating the original blue.

 

[blackba]

Why 30w instead of 15w for the Webers? I keep hearing that the 30w Blue Dog sounds more like a broken in Celestion Alnico, and Weber's 15w sounds more like a modern issue Celestion Blue. Is that why you'd choose the 30w?

I guess what I can't get my head around is why a lot of people go for 30w when the original Celestions were 15w. Please fill me in if you have a chance.

I realize people are going for different sounds and have different needs. When I told Ted I wanted authentic, JMI era Vox AC30 tone, he recommended 15w Blue/Silver Alnico combo, both with pre-rola treatment. Shrug.

I have read just what you posted tha tthe 30W Blue dog sounds more like an older Broken in Alnico blue. Plus I think the 30Watt is a goot comprimise between speaker breakup and head room compared to a 15Watt or 50Watt. That is why I said I would go with the 30Watt.

As for wattage ratings, my guess is that a 15Watt ratting from Celestion is not identical to a 15Watt rating from Weber. Supposedly Celestion conservatively rates their speakers. Weber probably does too, but who is more conservative on their rating, I am not sure.

Sorry I don't have any direct experience between the Alnico Blue, and Weber blue dogs. I have only used a Celestion Alnico Blue and Alnico Gold and other weber speakers.

Another option would be Weber Ceramic Blue Dogs, they are cheaper than the Alnico blue dogs and might be a good option....

 

[ed_dale007]

I have one Red Fang and one of the original wharf's in my AC30CC2 and I am loving this combo. The red fang is great and the price was right. $300 bucks for a speaker (in Canada) is a rip-off. I almost always play w/ my amp mic'd so I make sure to mic up the red fang. Sounds awesome.

 

[68_Custom Shop]

ed dale007- Thanks for the input. I can afford any speaker I want,but that said, I dont wanna pay $300 a speaker myself either.I was looking into the red fang myself. How does it sound when pushed hard with OD?

 

[ed_dale007]

I find it way more smooth and chimey than having both warf's in there. I do think they compliment each other well. I was in the exact same predicament that you were this past summer. Every review I read said that the Red Fangs were very close to the Blues, but the blues were a little sweeter. What does that mean? lol My AC30 is warm, crunch, chimey, everything I could ask for in an amp. In the end, its all personal opinion and I think that the Red Fang sounds awesome. I think that 300 bucks for a speaker is just complete lunacy. I think that the Red Fang will get you 95% there.

I have to take what I read here with a grain of salt because 99% of real guitar players don't play dumbles, matchless, bad cat, etc. When I bought my Red Fang it wasnt about the price, I just couldnt justify paying an extra $150 bucks for that 5% of sweetness. But thats just my opinion, the red fangs sound super wicked and I highly recommend them, they have the tone you are looking for.

 

[68_Custom Shop]

I got a celestion G12H-30.I just put one in for now,on the side I mic. It sounds way better then the "warf".I am gonna use it this Sunday night at church.I bet that/know it is gonna sound soo good.I am considering installing a red-fang/celestion blue on the other side.I cant really go wrong,and I'm sure it will sound even better! That will also give me different mic options.I travel with this baby and a different speaker can make it really flexible for different sound systems. Thanks to ALL for the help.You guy's really made the difference in my decision making. Much Thanks!!!

 

[jesse v]

Good thread... I'm looking for a speaker for my AC15cc1 (wharfdale), and was looking for this kind of info regarding "alternatives" to the alnico blue, such as weber and wharfdale. Yay for the search funtion! (read: bump)

 

[greeny]

ed dale007- Thanks for the input. I can afford any speaker I want,but that said, I dont wanna pay $300 a speaker myself either.I was looking into the red fang myself. How does it sound when pushed hard with OD?

I would have thought that the way the Pound has plummeted recently you should be able to get the Blue somewhat cheaper than a few months ago, I would expect somewhat south of $250.

 

[Randy Van Sykes]

I would have thought that the way the Pound has plummeted recently you should be able to get the Blue somewhat cheaper than a few months ago, I would expect somewhat south of $250.

Or you could pay over $300 and have Vox put a Chinese made Blue speaker in there for ya.

 

[mobis8]

I know this is unorthodox, but I am running my AC30 through an Orange 2x12 with vintage 30s as an extension speaker to my combo with the blues... I really like the combination as the blues tend to be really bright, the V30's bring back some of the low end. I think they pair well together.