Vox AC30 Speaker Showdown (UK Celestion Blue vs. Wharfedale GSH-1230-8)

[DanThomasMusic]

I am selling a pair of the Wharfedales on eBay if interested... search for 150747269251

[bootlegapples]

It wasn't until I yanked the Blue that I realized the effect it has on the tone/envelope.The Blue,and alnico speakers in general,react differently to pick attack.Ceramics sound fast and stiff by comparison.

The attack envelope is softer and "bloomy",giving a perception of depth to the sound.Once you identify it you don't want to go back to ceramics,at least I don't.

[DanThomasMusic]

Wow. Currently experimenting with a Brian May setup with a CC2 and Wharfedales... I was prepared for the Blues to sound much better but going by your clips, I think I prefer the Wharfedales!

[lennythefence]

The Blue sounds a bit more nasal than the Wharf, maybe a bit more present. Probably cuts through the mix better. But tonewise, sounds different, not better. And definitely not $280 apiece better. Although I am a bit partial to the G12H-30's sound.

[LarryRickenbacker]

IMHO the most dramatic difference between the two speakers would occur at lower volumes; think "Green Onions" type of tones. Honestly, this AlNiCO snob came away pleasantly surprised with the "lowley" Wharfdale's ability to hold it's own, at least for the more heavily distorted passages. Of course Ceramic speakers are best for heavily distorted or very clean tones..

[philgottengains]

I've got an Orange closed back 212 loaded with Celestion Golds. I run a handwired AC15 through it and it's breathtaking!

The alnico goodness is pumped right into your guts :-)

[philgottengains]

The wharfedales are all rattle and unmusical. The blue is like a high end studio treatment, clean filth that sits nicely in the mix and compliments the other instruments.

[affirmedatheist]

The blue does sound smoother, I'll have to say that. I think the ideal speaker for this amp would have qualities somewhere a bit between these two speakers; A bit of the dirt from the Wharfdales, but some of the smoothness of the Blues.

[millen19]

@affirmedatheist like the Greenback! :D It is the best speaker in my ac30c2 for me!

[Meteotrance]

no definitly, i prefer the real blue alnico, it's the way a vox ac 30 should sound, with the wharfedales the sound is too clean and like there was a limiter on the sound XD, there is more extra dirt and hamonic with a speaker like the bluedog or the greeback. in some case using a good tech 21 liverpool pedal with a fender deluxe can reproduce a good old vox sound, but not as good as the real vintage.

[iLoveTeabaginRetards]

WOW !!! All of the Wharfedale clips clearly have a more compressed and professional tone. Although, some say that the alnico blue is a better sound, I now see that it simply is not. As far as the "Blues" and "Alternative rock" sound goes, I clearly see that the Wharfedale is much better and the Alnico Blue bandwagon stops here.

[benzondog]

wharefdales..any day!!

[benzondog]

wharfdales..any day!!

[Guppy915]

Yeah, the Bluebells sound better at thr rhytm or beginning of these clips. But, for the money and the uniqueness, or rawer sound I like the Whafedales on these clips on the Zeplin and SRV parts. I own the AC30cc2 w/Wharfedales, and they are not so bad. I like them , the Blues sound too clear on some parts, not any breakup in the speakers. They have a superb Sonic quality on the open chord rhthm parts, I will say that. If you play a lot of open chords,they would probably rule.

[BluesHeavy]

The Blue has a more focused sound than the wharfedale the Wharfedale is harse tinny not much low end response .The blue could use a little bit more high but much more focused. In five years I would probably describe it all differently again as you get older your ears find the bright sound less appealing

[GroovyGuitar02]

oh my , i hate the way blues speakers sound .

The wharfedales sound cheap too . something makes me think it will sound a lot better (not to harsh , but still balanced tone) with some eminence ...

[KedmenecMartin]

the difference is so hearble! :O

never thought they would be so different from each other...

Tnx for posting!

[jattle]

hey there ! I made the video. I have to correct a little bit, it is very close, the sound, not exatly the same, but it is closer that the Custom Classic with the Bulldogs

[suffXmusic]

@danthewelch Well, I´ll do, but I can´t promise when I find

the time, maybe this weekend or next week. So long, any tips for recording for a "real" sound, I would record with a beta 57A mic, in case my camera mic is great but it will be too loud for it.

I´ll post it under my personal account ´cause this is the band´s ones

[danthewelch]

@suffXmusic Sounds like you've got a good setup. For this video I used a sm57 recorded @ 96k, 24 bit. The music was imported uncompressed as I edited the video so that there is only one step of compression. Feel free to post on here once you have the video ready. There is a lot of discussion on user forums comparing old vox amps to the new ones, so I'm sure you'll get tons of views for the real deal.

[suffXmusic]

part 2: So theres no Winner if the Blues or the Wharfedales, it really depends on the Amps. That´s everything I want you to tell. AC30CC2 with the Wharfedales but no way in the AC30TB.

Sure the AC30C2 is also different. But I can confirm in the CC2, the Blues sound very thin and without any bass but a lot of treble and hiss noise.

Clean there´s a slight difference but nothing to tell.

[suffXmusic]

One interesting thing...

I´m owning an AC30CC2 with Wharfedales and an old end 60s AC30TB with the original Greenbacks AND I also got a cabinet with UK Celestion blue. So I tried several things and SURPRISE. The old AC30TB sound exactly the same with the Blues as the AC30CC2 with the Wharfedales... So they do with my settings which are queen-like, normal channel fully up with treble booster. So the new with the Wharfedales gets the classic vox sound like in the old days with the blues... part 2

[danthewelch]

@suffXmusic Prove it. I'm legitimately curious. Would make a great vid.

[suffXmusic]

@danthewelch Well, I´ll do, but I can´t promise when I find the time, maybe this weekend or next week. So long, any tips for recording for a "real" sound, I would record with a beta 57A mic, in case my camera mic is great but it will be too loud for it.

[suffXmusic]

@danthewelch Well, I´ll do, but I can´t promise when I find

the time, maybe this weekend or next week. So long, any tips for recording for a "real" sound, I would record with a beta 57A mic, in case my camera mic is great but it will be too loud for it.

I´ll post it under my personal account ´cause this is the band´s ones

[bootlegapples]

@danthewelch

HA ha,that was a bogus claim by suffx.I too owned a wharfedale and Blue and a vox AC30cc1 as well as an AC15cc.

The Blue has a blooming/compression effect the wharfs do *not* have,especially noticeable on lightly muted E chords(with low E)..the notes bounce at you like a rubber ball.I hear it quite easily here.

Great speaker in open venues and recorded,but too upper middy in close quarters.

[keaulana1]

@suffXmusic wanna get a ac30 cc, which one sound better?, the alnico blues, or the other ones

[suffXmusic]

@keaulana1 Depends on what you like and also on the type of AC30 you wanna get. AC30 CC ist discontinued, you just can get a used one. For AC30 CC, I like the Wharfedale better, it´s a rockier type of sound. The Flues are more bluesier I think, and sound more open than the wharfedales. After a while I think, the wharfedales are better for clean and distortion and maybe the blues are better for a crunch sound. My suggestion.

[suffXmusic]

If you can get a CC (Custom Classic), get one with the blues and if you´re not sattisfied, try the wharfedales (or similar celestion g12h30). You can get the wharfedales on ebay for around 30Euro. If you get an AC30 C (Custom), get the cheaper ones with the Greenbacks and if you´re not sattisfied, try the blues. The reason why is, that you can resell the greenbacks much better than the wharfedales (just cause it´s named celestion) but you can buy the wharfedales much cheaper than the blues.

[melindagreenjeans]

@suffXmusic That's just not really going to happen by any real stretch of the imagination when you start to turn up the volume they won't be the same by a long shot.

[lambsio]

lol intro song is gay

[rjduval]

The Blues sound thin, no "beef" although they do sound smoother...

[Guppy915]

@rjduval They do sound thinner I agree, but if you just played open chords like the Beatles, then sonically they are nice, but too thin for other, or "better" guitar parts! I like the Wharfs.

[joshuarugg]

id take a greenback over the blues anyday!

[budbud619]

the blue is so much better the warfdale is so uneven and trebely

[777jordan]

This is a very good representation of what the speakers sound like! Great!

[777jordan]

word on the street is that since january 2010, vox have been using the UK cones.

[Zigtoe]

After hearing this, I prefer the Wharfedales in favour of the Celestions. Or is there something wrong with my ears?

[Guppy915]

@Zigtoe Thank You! I agree, I read so much beef on the Wharfs...saying the Blues are better. I think the Blues sound kind of cheap and too clear. I got this amp with the Wharfs, and now I am happier because of this vid. Can't buy Me Love. See Vox knows what they are doing...nice comparison, can't just always go by the ink or pricetag until you actuall hear them.

[letziey]

way way blues ...