I just got a BS HT40 which is a 112 combo. I'd say it's a semi-closed back design. I'm looking for something that would give me an early VH vibe. I have to play at pretty low volumes too if that needs to be taken into consideration.
I was set on a green beret or invader but read that these speakers might not be the best choice for a 112 combo. Given that, what would you suggest?
Thanks, Jerry
I would say you are correct about the GB - probably not the right speaker for that 1x12 combo ... however, the Invader should be perfect, and will certainly nail the VanHalen Brown Sound!
Ok, thanks. I think I'll give one a try.
So... how do you like the new speaker? I have the same amp and I like the EVH sound too.
Is the Invader really a good choice? That would be a 50w speaker for a 40w amp... I'm sure that's fine if restricted to playing at pretty low volumes but what about if/when you have the chance to turn it up?
I have a BS HT 40 too and am trying to figure out what speaker to try out too. Torn between a couple of these WGS British speakers.
50W is not enough. A 40W tube amp can make up to ~60 watts RMS.
I'm looking for a speaker, that would make my HT-40 growl and give it a little more bottom end. I love 80's hot roded plexi, kind of EVH or Ratt sound. HT-40 with its volume over ten hours on the Class A OD mode can do it for sure, but needs a hell of a good speaker.
Got a Celestion G12H-100 in it at the moment and it's the worst thing I could ever put in there. Thin, boring sound. It's definitely not suitable for this kind of amp.
I had a Classic Lead in it before. Sounded great at higher volumes, but in a band scenario only. I couldn't get a decent recording sound. Too flat.
I like the V30's growl, but I hate it's ear-cutting breakup. Maybe Retro does not have it?
I don't know if it's that important, but the amp's cabinet volume is about 56 litres and it's sealed. It only has a small vent hole. The material is a chipboard (sigh...).
What's the right speaker for me?
Bump! Need answers...
Hi ya all ... I've been away from this forum for a while. I've stated it here before ... but here it is again:
WGS rates speaker wattage the way the great speakers of the 50's & 60's did. If a speaker is rated at 50 watts, that means it is safe in a TUBE amp of up to 50 watts true RMS.
There is no marketing hype or outright BS in WGS power handling specs!
Hope this helps!
Extremely satisfied WGS user here. I have an ET-65 in my Tech 21 Trademark 60, and I wanted to get a WGS speaker for my Blackstar HT40 also. I tried the ET-65 in there (it is 8 ohms as opposed to the 16 ohm stock 70/80) and found it to be an improvement. But I find the HT40 to be a somewhat dark sounding amp, which I like, but I wanted to go with a brighter, more articulate speaker. So I went with a Retro 30 16 ohm. Also a big improvement over the stock Celestion. Still has a nice full bottom. Clear highs, and articulate mids. I have not gigged with the amp with the Ret 30 yet (just got it last week). Just at house levels so far, I like it a lot. I have a full-on band gig this Saturday, and I'm looking forward to putting the amp through a workout.
By the way, although the Blackstar amps seem to be geared toward metal players, I play jazz, blues, and rock, and the amp and speaker combination seem to be great for my needs.
I got a chance to put my HT-40 and new Retro 30 through the paces over the weekend, and I must say I was very impressed. The tone was deep when I needed it, thick when I needed it, and bright when I needed it. The Retro 30 seems to be a very musical sounding speaker. Never muddy and never piercing, sounded good clean or distorted. Overall, I would not hesitate one moment to recommend the Retro 30 to anyone else who is looking for a speaker upgrade in their Blackstar HT-40 Club Combo. The only downside is that the Retro 30 seems to have added a few pounds to my combo, but it's a tradeoff I'll take any day! Thanks, WGS!!
Looking to snag either the retro or invader for my blackstar, any clue which would be the best choice? Good for classic/hard rock like AC/DC, GnR, VH, Alice In Chains, Motley Crue?
I’m having a rather frustrating problem trying to change the speaker in my HT 40.
Easy fix right? Take it out drop it in. Nope. It came out ok, but when I dropped the reaper in and tried to put the bolt in, it wouldn’t tighten up, ok take it out try again. Well, it wouldn’t come out. It would just spin and grind away part of the baffle board. I had to cut away the bolt. Nice. Got it it to connect and went to the next mount, same thing happened. The t nut came away from the baffle board. Had to cut it away. The t nuts are very small and the wood? is very soft and grainy. It sucks. I’ve managed to get the job done by buying new larger t nuts and counter sinking them. Hopefully this cures my problem. Just wanted to pass this on. Thanks
William: Invader for you ... Ret 30 is a bit more "modern" in tone.
Chris2... Yes, the downside to cheap Chinese manufacturing often shows up not only in the speakers themselves ... but also in the way they are attached. I had that happen to me once also, and ended up making a mess out of a $269 AlNiCo speaker ... it sucks!!!
So, a warning to all: be VERY careful when changing the speaker in a cheap Made-in-China speaker baffle ... they often use t-nuts into particle board, and once those nuts loose their grip and start to spin... you've just entered hell!
1) Before re-installing the mounting bolts, check the integrity of th t-nuts and if they are slipping at all, replace them with bigger/higher quality ones (home depot, Lowes, etc).
2) Make VERY sure not to start a bolt cross-threaded in a T-nut, that's the quick road to hell.
3) When you do get all bolts installed, don't tighten them much past finger-tight ... use lock-washers if you want to help make sure those not-so-tight bolts don't vibrate out.
Oh ... and complain to Blackstar, but I'm thinking that might not do much good ;-(