I want it all. kind of. I am looking for a suggestion for 12" 50 watt that give me good Marshall JCM800 tones, while still giving me good clean sparkle if I plug my Fender head on to the 1x12. most the time it will just be the one 12" cab. Suggestions? I must say the Invader sounds pretty good, but looking for a couple other suggestions.
Thanks!
I LOVE the Invader ... but it's not really great at the Fender sparkle.
I'd probably recommend the Retro 30 as the best 1 speaker does it all choice. Oh ... unless you can afford AlNiCo, then the Blackhawk is your best choice for sure.
Vaughn - Thanks for the reply. A little more info - there are two heads I will be using on this 1x12 - a Fender Super Champ XD2, and a Carvin V3m. The cabinet is a closed back. I will say after listeing to a number of clips (including ones you did) I am liking the HM75. I will sacrifice that upper range chime - but it still sounds like there is good clarity at clean tone. And I love the modern punch I hear.
I did listen to the Retro 30, and will consider that.
Am I way off the mark with a HM75, or possibly ET65 (more versatile)?
- Brian
Yep, that's a good overall take on the HM 75 ... but it is a good all around speaker. What you would give up there is the more organic warmth and woodiness.
On the other hand ... the ET65 is all about organic warmth & woodiness. I usually only recommend a single ET65 for folks who have an amp they are trying to tame, though ... because it's VERY warm!
I've never heard the little V3 ... looks very intriguing!
The Liberator should be a consideration. It's very like a ET65, but with some added midrange urgency ... kinda lands in between the ET & a Vet 30.
Vaughn,
Thanks again. So I listened to some more clips. I think my top picks right now are the Retro30, Liberator, and HM75. Here is what I'm thinking:
Liberator - Some chime, but not as much chime as on the Retro30.
Retro30 - despite it's name, it sounds like it can handle moddern metal-ish tones well. As much chime as I need.
HM75 - If I was mainly punching out Metal-ish tones this would be the one. But it is nice to hear some sparkle from time to time - probably not going to get that w/ this speaker.
ET65 - I think because I am asking for a do it all, or do a lot well, I don't want to go too far into the woody side. So I think I have taken this one out of consideration.
I would say my top choices right now are the Retro30, and Liberator. I can say the tones I dig the most are Krank-ish, Marshally, with some time spent in Mesa land, and once in a while Fender Clean country. To me one tone I strive for is Jimi - Voodoo Child. Also like Led Zep tones - but again - occaisionally stray to 90's metal. Can you help me decide on either the Liberator, or Retro30?
Thanks!
- Brian
Personally, I'd go with the Retro. It's a great speaker that I installed in a Fender Super Sonic 22 and it would handle all your amps well. And I agree with Vaughn: if you were to purchase an ET65, you'd sacrifice a lot of chime. By the way, I also have a V3M that I thought would be great, but it just doesn't have that brightness and chime. A great amp for metal heads, maybe, but for not for me.
I actually did order the Retro30 last night. The only reason I would have gone to the Liberator is if it had a tighter bottom. But after listening to a lot of clips, I could not hear a big difference in bottom between the two. I want the Retro to be able to handle modern tones, and I think it will.
As far as the V3M. yeah, it is not a Fender replacement. For me it does do clean, but more of a Vox clean. But there are all kinds of different flavors of crunch, and high gain, and that totally works for me.
Thanks for the replies.
I got the Retro 30 this week. I installed it into the Fender closed cab today. I wanted to report back and post that I am very happy so far. I tested it with my Super Champ XD2. Vaughn was right on the money as far as getting a nice Fender bell tone. Chimey but not brittle. The cleans are beautiful. The crunch is very nice. Does a nice job with high gain, although I think I prefer a open back cab. I want to get the cab off the ground and see how that impacts tone. Thanks to Vaughn and others who weighed in.