Speaker Comparison: Fender speaker from Fender Blues Deluxe vs Celestion V type

[Stacey]

I used my Peavey Classic 20 head unit with a Birch Plywood Speaker cabinet (that I made in my garage.) I used a strat with single coils and my PRS Modern Eagle V with humbuckers. Blending different types of guitars along with amps and speakers seems to me to be an important element in developing as an electric guitar player (along with technical skills and music theory). The purpose of the video is not to showcase my playing skills (as they are admittedly average and full of mistakes) but to give a taste of the tonal differences between 2 guitars, 2 amp channels and 2 speakers. I hope some on the Active Melody forum will find it helpful.

Stacey

[6stringer Pete]

question
Celestion V type… is it Chinese made?

Celestion V-Type speakers are generally made in China, not England. The easiest way to confirm is the label on the speaker: if it specifically says “Made in England” or “Ipswich, England,” that would indicate UK manufacture, otherwise it is usually Chinese-made
For the V-Type specifically, the market listings and general Celestion guidance point to it being a Chinese-made model rather than one of the UK-made Heritage/older OEM lines
The company’s ownership changed over time, and the key point from the available history is that Gold Peak of Hong Kong owned Celestion and later most production moved to China.

I had the British made ones in my Marshall amp some 45 years ago. I was greatly disappointed when I found out made in China.
Here overseas in Asia, Fender of Vietnam and other companies use Celestions made in China, but that is how it is. The amps have a sticker on them “Celestion Speakers”.

The melody of the notes is what expresses the art of music . 🙂 6stringerPete

It really is all about ”melody”. The melody comes from a language from our heart. Our heart is the muscle in music harmony. The melody is the sweetness that it pumps into our musical thoughts on the fretboard. 🙂 6 stringer Pete

Pete
Active Melody
Forum Moderator

[Stacey]

Hi Pete. Thanks for adding hisorical background as I am fairly new to the Celestion brand of speakers. .This mid to budget priced Celestion speaker is Chinese made. I listened to many reviews of the speaker before purchasing it. Admittedly, it is difficult to have a high degree of confidence when listening to online reviewers (possibly paid) but it helps a little. I have a recently purchased Celestion H12 75 currently in my fender deluxe reissue and it is made in England. I believe. It is a nice sounding speaker to my ear.

Stacey

[6stringer Pete]

Stacey wrote:

Hi Pete. Thanks for adding hisorical background as I am fairly new to the Celestion brand of speakers. .This mid to budget priced Celestion speaker is Chinese made. I listened to many reviews of the speaker before purchasing it. Admittedly, it is difficult to have a high degree of confidence when listening to online reviewers (possibly paid) but it helps a little. I have a recently purchased Celestion H12 75 currently in my fender deluxe reissue and it is made in England. I believe. It is a nice sounding speaker to my ear.

Yes, I understand a few years ago the very high end ones were still made in England. My Marsall amp I mentioned was made in England. If you ever want to venture into another new speaker, Check these out. https://www.tedweber.com/

I always thought if I still had my Fender Super Reverb with JBL’s I would try out the weber speakers. For the most part they are right up there with the old British Celestions.

The melody of the notes is what expresses the art of music . 🙂 6stringerPete

It really is all about ”melody”. The melody comes from a language from our heart. Our heart is the muscle in music harmony. The melody is the sweetness that it pumps into our musical thoughts on the fretboard. 🙂 6 stringer Pete

Pete
Active Melody
Forum Moderator

[Stacey]

Thanks Pete. I will check them out.

Stacey

[Michael Krailo]

At least for the tube amp designers, the speakers used with any given amplifier circuit is very important. The designer will usually go through many speakers to find the one that works well with the specific output transformer used in the design. So the point is, finding a great matched speaker takes a lot of experimentation or at the very least a fine tuned ear for obtaining the best one.

If you can’t be with the one you love, love the one your with.

Go slow and practice correct technique, and your abilities will dramatically improve.

[Stacey]

Michael, thanks for the reply. I noticed that Marshall, Suhr and Fender have amps using the Celestion V type as stock speakers in their amps. Key Amplifiers Featuring Celestion V-Type Speakers:

Fender ’68 Custom Deluxe Reverb: A legendary tube amp known for its “Custom” and “Vintage” channels, which comes stock with a Celestion V-Type to improve headroom and low-end definition.
Fender Hot Rod DeVille ML 212: This 60-watt Michael Landau signature 2×12 combo comes loaded with Celestion V-Type speakers to deliver excellent pedal-platform tones.
Suhr Hombre: An 18-watt 1×12 tube combo heavily inspired by the classic brownface Deluxe, heavily praised in the community for coming equipped with a V-Type speaker.
Marshall Origin20C: A highly popular, all-valve 1×10 combo that features a Celestion V-Type speaker (or VT-Junior in some specific production batches.

Celestion seems to be a brand most associated with British mid boosted chime and Fender for its scooped mids American tone. How did Celestion come up with a speaker design that appeals to both camps?

Stacey

[Michael Krailo]

My background is in electronics engineering and I did some amp repair on the side. One thing I do know is that speakers are selected to match the output transformer which is the most important part of the amplifier. No one speaker will just sound outstanding on any amplifier, there are compromise’s being made if the same speaker is used on different amps or more importantly amps with different output transformers. To get the absolute best sonic sound possible the speaker must be matched up to the amp. The type cabinet used also has an effect as well but not nearly as much as using the right speaker/amp combo. In the end your ear will be the ultimate judge, but there is very good reason to find the right amp speaker combination.

Go slow and practice correct technique, and your abilities will dramatically improve.

[Stacey]

Thanks for your input Michael. Interesting background you have. It lends itself well to the inner workings of the electrical world doesn’t it? I matched the 8 ohm impedance rating of my amps with 8 ohm impedance of the speakers. I thought having 8 ohm amps with 8 ohm speakers might give some mix and match options with the head units. I am a physician by training and have just enough electrical background to make me dangerous.

Stacey

[Michael Krailo]

Yea, impedance matching is a given, but each speaker driver has it’s own sonic character for a given amp circuit and it’s all important output transformer. I tried to look up some of the interviews on the subject, but cannot locate one I wanted to post at the moment. It’s fascinating from the perspective of someone who has modded the rigs of some big names in the industry and got the sound they were looking for.

Go slow and practice correct technique, and your abilities will dramatically improve.

[Stacey]

The elusive hunt for the preferred tone. I think I am there and then the goal post gets moved when I stumble upon somebody else’s great tone. The search goes on.

Stacey

[Author]

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