Some of you have been wanting that "Greenbackish" sound from a Marshall type of amps but with something extra. Me too! Because of that I've been testing quite many different speakers combinations.
The amp I am using is a stunning (both the looks and the sound. Bluetone - a custom made amp here in Finland. It has three channels. A Blackface style channel that uses 6L6 power amp tubes, a Plexi style channel and Friedman style hot rodded channel that both uses EL34 tubes.
Earlier I used 212 cab with Celestion V30 and G12H 75 Creamback but got tired to that high mid/treble spike that made the amp lack thickness and warmth so it was a time to go with WGS.
So far I've tested following combinations: Veteran 30 + ET65, Veteran 30 + Invader, Veteran 30 + ET90, ET65+ ET90, Invader + ET65, Invader + Reaper HP. Out of these combinations, my favorite is the Invader + Reaper HP. It is just perfect for that brown sound but it still works great with that Blackface channel as well. Just a perfect balance of cut and warmth. Super tight sounding yet very open. Not fizzy, ice-picky, muddy or boomy. Yet is has surprisingly much character and persona. It can go from that 70's Plexi sound to 80's shred to modern drop tuned 7 string metal to great blues and even country sounds. Just loving it. Best speaker combo I've come across in my 17 years of guitar playing as a semi-professional player with over 800 live shows played.
Veteran + Invader worked also great (as did all the other combinations so it is just a matter of taste).
If I'd be playing only the clean Blackface channel I'd go with the ET65+ET90 combo. With the Marshall type channels that combo seems to go out of that "Greenback" zone.
It is 2 o'clock at night here in Finland so I'll catch some sleep now so that I can play that lovely Invader + Reaper HP combo tomorrow.
Hi everyone I am going to introduce myself, I am Daniel and I come from Italy. I am looking for a pair of WGS to put in my 2x12 cab, I already have got a pair of ET 65 and a pair of Celestion V30 in my 4x12 Carvin cabinet (the Steve Vai one). I am looking for a versatile cabinet, I am more into the crunch and lead tone Marshall style ( something like EVH but a bit more modern, Joe Satriani, ANdy Timmons etc) is really hard to choose the right couple of speaker, I have seen a lot of good combination like the ET 65 + Veteran, Et 65 + Retro, Et 65 + invader, and I am really considering the Invader 50 + reaper hp ( Vesa looks really happy about this mix) or Invader 50 + veteran. I really need your help
I'm looking to replace the G12t75 in my 2x12 Cab for something more in phase with my needs since I'm mostly using it for lower volume practicing, playing Blues and Rock and those speakers only come alive at higher watts/volume.
Main guitars are a Les Paul Trad with Classic '57's and a SRV Strat w/Texas specials.
I'm driving the cab with a Laney Cub 12R 15watts British voiced amp (based on a Jcm800). Often using the 1w input of the Laney for in house practice/playing. I also have a '59 Tweed Champ with AlNiCo for the Fender cleans and blues, might plug it in once in a while too but mostly looking for a speaker option to cover the Brit sound.
I read all the post here and the ET65 and Retro 30 seems to be a very good option but since I'm using low Watts/low volume most of the time would I be better served with lesser watts speakers options ? My thinking being that lesser watts speakers are probably more responsive at lower volume since they don't have to be as stiff to handle the higher requirements of more capable speakers. I am right in that assumption ?
Any suggestions are welcome, it's hard for me to actually hear the speakers before buying so I'll take it from you people that actually had that chance and/or knowledge. ;)
I've got a Super Reverb (reissue) that I had converted into a head, and had a Mercury Mag OT with 2/4/8ohm taps installed so I would not be limited to a 2ohm speaker load. I tried a Retro 30/ET-65 pair in there and really liked it. My Super is not inherently bright, so the Retro 30 brought that out nicely. The ET-65 filled out the low-end. Together, they were a good EQ pairing across the board for clean and my dirt pedals (wide range of OD, crunch, distortion and metal). The only problem was that I started to hear the two speakers separately. i.e. more treble/mids on the left, less treble/more bass on the right. My OCD got the better of me and I've moved on to a pair of G12C's [same amp, same cab]. (Another reason I sold off the Retro30/ET-65 pair is that they were both 8ohm speakers, and I wanted to 16ohm the next go-round.) For the record, the G12C pairing is not 'too bright' with my amp; with the statement from WGS about how the G12C is their brightest speaker, it gives me some baseline from which to reference. The G12C pair are bright/tight, and they sound really good (not 'great') played clean and with dirt pedals. However, the EQ is not nearly as musical as with the Retro 30/ET-65 pairing. The latter pair sounded MUCH better 'straight out of the box' than the G12C pair.
Really thinking about going with a Retro 30 + ______ speaker again. I love the clarity and how dirt pedals sound with the mids (full, but not cocked-wah) Considering the following matchups: Retro 30 + Retro 30 - would give me a solid mids & treble section, high-end might tame down some after break-in? Retro 30 + Veteran 30 - less meds & treble than above, but wouldn't be as drastic as with an ET-65. Retro 30 + Invader 50 - bright plus rock-n-roll? just wondering if this would be too much midrange, and the low-end might start to get too loose here. I have the least confidence in this pairing.
Any other suggestions? Again, my Super is not exactly a bright amp, and that circuit has more mids/lows than a Twin.
I Hear ya ... I've got two Super Reverbs, a '67 to gig out and a '64 lives in the studio ... and NO they are not bright ... they are HUGE, fat, full, thick and JUICY! (and that's with the tens :-)
The problem with the G12C's is that they are too stiff a cone and they will make the amp sound more like a Deluxe Reverb on steroids than a fat, juicy Super!
I actually think the two Ret 30's would work well ... but of all your combinations ... I like the Ret 30/Vet 30 idea idea the best ... the Vet will bring back a tiny bit of thickness in the mids ... but the difference will be very subtle, so you won't have the same "too different" thing going on that you didn't like with the Ret30/ET65 pairing ... which you would probably also have with the Ret30/Invader pairing, even though it would sound EXCELLENT!
I'm still in the honeymoon phase with this speaker combo, so far I'm blown away! Reaper HPs and ET90s in a Marshall 4x12, x-pattern. They replaced Weber Silver Bells and Blue Dogs I was using for about the last fifteen years. The Webers are 30watts each, I used them with 50watt Plexis and dirt pedals for hard rock and metal primarily and they worked well. I started playing through a Mark IV and it just seemed like the Webers were being pushed a bit much and were a little harsh. I didn't want to go completely neutral with my speakers, I figured from what I was reading about them the ET90s would sound big, smooth and clean while the Reaper HPs would give me a little of the hair I was used to hearing. Well, the info and opinions on here were spot on, both these speakers are well balanced IMO, while they have their own character these two speakers are one hell of a match!!!
Hey Vaughn! First, I love WGS speakers ! I have the Invader and a ET90 There are killers. Now it’s for a Marshall DSL 100 HR. And the cab I want to reload is a 1936. So I want a load pair of combined speakers. I know, love and have the ET 90 witch is perfect for the job cause its power handling of 90w. What other speaker model would you pair it with considering it’s a 100w Head for a 2x12 , so I want power handling and a nice round warm but crunch when needed. Also wattage and sens to bring to the equation. Is a 75w will weaker next to a 90w ? Thanks a lot in advance
No, your fine mixing different wattage speakers ... as long as together they can take the 100-watts! Your Invader/ET90 pair is already REALLY a good choice for that cab given you want " I want power handling and a nice round warm but crunch when needed." soooo ... that's my #1 suggestion. #2 would be a Vet 30 with the ET90.
I have a Mesa Royal Atlantic with a 2x12 Mesa cab. I have the Reaper HP with a Veteran 30 and it's absolutely killer, they compliment each other perfectly from blues to Alice In Chains it's perfection.
Hi...I have a pair of WGS speakers in a 2X12 cab: a Retro 30 and a Reaper HP. Nice speakers. I find them to be warmer or slightly darker than their advertised Celestion counterparts. That's not necessarily good nor bad, just different; depends on what sound you're chasing. There are sound demos on the WGS site and on YouTube as well to help guide you.
I recently bought a used Reaper 55hz 30W speaker, and I'm actually considering to put it in a 2x12 closed cab configuration for rocking a Orange Rocker 15 Terror Head. I would use it with a Rock/Stoner cover band (QOTSA, Red Fang, Clutch...), but also with a Shoegaze/Post-Rock kind of project on the other hand.
Any pairing suggestion to match with the Reaper ? I'm actually kind of lost between all the WGS speakers, being a complete beginner with this brand. I have the opportunity to take either a used Veteran 30 or a used Retro 30. Does those speakers are any good choices for my purpose? What about Green Beret/Invader, or ET65 ?
Thanks in advance for any help ! Cheers form wine city Bordeaux, France.
I just bought a Bogner Shiva with KT88s do you have any suggestions as what to run in a 2x12 Mesa cab. Right now I have Vet 30/ Reaper HP sounds great but does anyone have any other combinations that work, thanks.
I've seen a lot of people, including professional musicians, starting to go with a rigless setup and just use pedals and amp/cab simulators for their sound. What do you think about this?
Some of you have been wanting that "Greenbackish" sound from a Marshall type of amps but with something extra. Me too! Because of that I've been testing quite many different speakers combinations.
The amp I am using is a stunning (both the looks and the sound. Bluetone - a custom made amp here in Finland. It has three channels. A Blackface style channel that uses 6L6 power amp tubes, a Plexi style channel and Friedman style hot rodded channel that both uses EL34 tubes.
Earlier I used 212 cab with Celestion V30 and G12H 75 Creamback but got tired to that high mid/treble spike that made the amp lack thickness and warmth so it was a time to go with WGS.
So far I've tested following combinations: Veteran 30 + ET65, Veteran 30 + Invader, Veteran 30 + ET90, ET65+ ET90, Invader + ET65, Invader + Reaper HP. Out of these combinations, my favorite is the Invader + Reaper HP. It is just perfect for that brown sound but it still works great with that Blackface channel as well. Just a perfect balance of cut and warmth. Super tight sounding yet very open. Not fizzy, ice-picky, muddy or boomy. Yet is has surprisingly much character and persona. It can go from that 70's Plexi sound to 80's shred to modern drop tuned 7 string metal to great blues and even country sounds. Just loving it. Best speaker combo I've come across in my 17 years of guitar playing as a semi-professional player with over 800 live shows played.
Veteran + Invader worked also great (as did all the other combinations so it is just a matter of taste).
If I'd be playing only the clean Blackface channel I'd go with the ET65+ET90 combo. With the Marshall type channels that combo seems to go out of that "Greenback" zone.
It is 2 o'clock at night here in Finland so I'll catch some sleep now so that I can play that lovely Invader + Reaper HP combo tomorrow.
Hi everyone I am going to introduce myself, I am Daniel and I come from Italy.
I am looking for a pair of WGS to put in my 2x12 cab, I already have got a pair of ET 65 and a pair of Celestion V30 in my 4x12 Carvin cabinet (the Steve Vai one).
I am looking for a versatile cabinet, I am more into the crunch and lead tone Marshall style ( something like EVH but a bit more modern, Joe Satriani, ANdy Timmons etc) is really hard to choose the right couple of speaker, I have seen a lot of good combination like the ET 65 + Veteran, Et 65 + Retro, Et 65 + invader, and I am really considering the Invader 50 + reaper hp ( Vesa looks really happy about this mix) or Invader 50 + veteran.
I really need your help
My Vote is for the ET65 and Retro 30! Best Speaker combination ever!
Hi all,
I'm looking to replace the G12t75 in my 2x12 Cab for something more in phase with my needs since I'm mostly using it for lower volume practicing, playing Blues and Rock and those speakers only come alive at higher watts/volume.
Main guitars are a Les Paul Trad with Classic '57's and a SRV Strat w/Texas specials.
I'm driving the cab with a Laney Cub 12R 15watts British voiced amp (based on a Jcm800). Often using the 1w input of the Laney for in house practice/playing. I also have a '59 Tweed Champ with AlNiCo for the Fender cleans and blues, might plug it in once in a while too but mostly looking for a speaker option to cover the Brit sound.
I read all the post here and the ET65 and Retro 30 seems to be a very good option but since I'm using low Watts/low volume most of the time would I be better served with lesser watts speakers options ?
My thinking being that lesser watts speakers are probably more responsive at lower volume since they don't have to be as stiff to handle the higher requirements of more capable speakers. I am right in that assumption ?
Any suggestions are welcome, it's hard for me to actually hear the speakers before buying so I'll take it from you people that actually had that chance and/or knowledge. ;)
Thanks
I've got a Super Reverb (reissue) that I had converted into a head, and had a Mercury Mag OT with 2/4/8ohm taps installed so I would not be limited to a 2ohm speaker load.
I tried a Retro 30/ET-65 pair in there and really liked it. My Super is not inherently bright, so the Retro 30 brought that out nicely. The ET-65 filled out the low-end. Together, they were a good EQ pairing across the board for clean and my dirt pedals (wide range of OD, crunch, distortion and metal). The only problem was that I started to hear the two speakers separately. i.e. more treble/mids on the left, less treble/more bass on the right.
My OCD got the better of me and I've moved on to a pair of G12C's [same amp, same cab]. (Another reason I sold off the Retro30/ET-65 pair is that they were both 8ohm speakers, and I wanted to 16ohm the next go-round.) For the record, the G12C pairing is not 'too bright' with my amp; with the statement from WGS about how the G12C is their brightest speaker, it gives me some baseline from which to reference.
The G12C pair are bright/tight, and they sound really good (not 'great') played clean and with dirt pedals. However, the EQ is not nearly as musical as with the Retro 30/ET-65 pairing. The latter pair sounded MUCH better 'straight out of the box' than the G12C pair.
Really thinking about going with a Retro 30 + ______ speaker again. I love the clarity and how dirt pedals sound with the mids (full, but not cocked-wah)
Considering the following matchups:
Retro 30 + Retro 30 - would give me a solid mids & treble section, high-end might tame down some after break-in?
Retro 30 + Veteran 30 - less meds & treble than above, but wouldn't be as drastic as with an ET-65.
Retro 30 + Invader 50 - bright plus rock-n-roll? just wondering if this would be too much midrange, and the low-end might start to get too loose here. I have the least confidence in this pairing.
Any other suggestions? Again, my Super is not exactly a bright amp, and that circuit has more mids/lows than a Twin.
I Hear ya ... I've got two Super Reverbs, a '67 to gig out and a '64 lives in the studio ... and NO they are not bright ... they are HUGE, fat, full, thick and JUICY! (and that's with the tens :-)
The problem with the G12C's is that they are too stiff a cone and they will make the amp sound more like a Deluxe Reverb on steroids than a fat, juicy Super!
I actually think the two Ret 30's would work well ... but of all your combinations ... I like the Ret 30/Vet 30 idea idea the best ... the Vet will bring back a tiny bit of thickness in the mids ... but the difference will be very subtle, so you won't have the same "too different" thing going on that you didn't like with the Ret30/ET65 pairing ... which you would probably also have with the Ret30/Invader pairing, even though it would sound EXCELLENT!
mostly interested in building my wet/dry/wet live guitar rig after we finish our projet.
I'm still in the honeymoon phase with this speaker combo, so far I'm blown away! Reaper HPs and ET90s in a Marshall 4x12, x-pattern. They replaced Weber Silver Bells and Blue Dogs I was using for about the last fifteen years. The Webers are 30watts each, I used them with 50watt Plexis and dirt pedals for hard rock and metal primarily and they worked well. I started playing through a Mark IV and it just seemed like the Webers were being pushed a bit much and were a little harsh. I didn't want to go completely neutral with my speakers, I figured from what I was reading about them the ET90s would sound big, smooth and clean while the Reaper HPs would give me a little of the hair I was used to hearing. Well, the info and opinions on here were spot on, both these speakers are well balanced IMO, while they have their own character these two speakers are one hell of a match!!!
Hey Vaughn!
First, I love WGS speakers !
I have the Invader and a ET90
There are killers.
Now it’s for a Marshall DSL 100 HR. And the cab I want to reload is a 1936.
So I want a load pair of combined speakers.
I know, love and have the ET 90 witch is perfect for the job cause its power handling of 90w.
What other speaker model would you pair it with considering it’s a 100w Head for a 2x12 , so I want power handling and a nice round warm but crunch when needed.
Also wattage and sens to bring to the equation.
Is a 75w will weaker next to a 90w ?
Thanks a lot in advance
No, your fine mixing different wattage speakers ... as long as together they can take the 100-watts!
Your Invader/ET90 pair is already REALLY a good choice for that cab given you want " I want power handling and a nice round warm but crunch when needed." soooo ... that's my #1 suggestion. #2 would be a Vet 30 with the ET90.
I have a Mesa Royal Atlantic with a 2x12 Mesa cab. I have the Reaper HP with a Veteran 30 and it's absolutely killer, they compliment each other perfectly from blues to Alice In Chains it's perfection.
Hi...I have a pair of WGS speakers in a 2X12 cab: a Retro 30 and a Reaper HP. Nice speakers. I find them to be warmer or slightly darker than their advertised Celestion counterparts. That's not necessarily good nor bad, just different; depends on what sound you're chasing. There are sound demos on the WGS site and on YouTube as well to help guide you.
Hi there,
I recently bought a used Reaper 55hz 30W speaker, and I'm actually considering to put it in a 2x12 closed cab configuration for rocking a Orange Rocker 15 Terror Head. I would use it with a Rock/Stoner cover band (QOTSA, Red Fang, Clutch...), but also with a Shoegaze/Post-Rock kind of project on the other hand.
Any pairing suggestion to match with the Reaper ?
I'm actually kind of lost between all the WGS speakers, being a complete beginner with this brand. I have the opportunity to take either a used Veteran 30 or a used Retro 30. Does those speakers are any good choices for my purpose? What about Green Beret/Invader, or ET65 ?
Thanks in advance for any help !
Cheers form wine city Bordeaux, France.
Hi! I'd definitely go with the Retro 30 ... EXCELLENT combo!
Hi there. What's your experience with Blackstar combos?
https://www.sanmateofenceexperts.com/
I just bought a Bogner Shiva with KT88s do you have any suggestions as what to run in a 2x12 Mesa cab. Right now I have Vet 30/ Reaper HP sounds great but does anyone have any other combinations that work, thanks.
For the Shiva (AMAZING amp btw) ... start with a search:
https://wgsusa.com/search/node/shiva
https://wgsusa.com/search/node/blackstar
I've seen a lot of people, including professional musicians, starting to go with a rigless setup and just use pedals and amp/cab simulators for their sound. What do you think about this?
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