Re: My review of various 10 inch guitar speakers

Well just like grapes can turn into shriveled raisins,
it's all good - just a matter of taste.
From a younger perspective - the Ramrod's sound great
and are adaptable to many types of music.
Better than Mesa Black Shadow's too and those old musty Fender Jensens
of dayz long passed by.
My amp (as you prolly noticed) is way old skool - but
I don't want any mold coming out of my speaker cabs thus the
more modern voice Ramrods
I like to mix the old and the new - suits me fine and prolly many others too.

Believe it or not you actually influenced me to get the
hand wired PTP 5E3 Deluxe.
One of the best amp choices I ever made.



Keith Adams <keithadams@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

No I dont think that I'll take your word for it.
Sound is subjective and quite frankly you aint old enough to have had much
experience.20 years is just getting warmed up.


"Squier" <squier@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:200520071856429689%squier@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Review of various 10 inch guitar speakers:

Weber Silver 10 (Alnico)
Weber CVA 10 (Alnico)
Celestion G10 Vintage
Eminence Ragin Cajun (10 in)
Eminence Copperhead (10 in)
Eminence Ramrod (10 in)


Besides the obvious difference in how a speaker will sound
depending on what guitar & pickups are being used and what amp
(and effects/pedals) are driving the signal there also seems
to be a big difference in how speakers can sound depending on
whether they are installed in a closed or open backed cab or combo.

The variables of guitar and amp and cab will be dismissed here since
all the speakers mentioned above were played using the same
Fender Stratocaster (Lone Star "Fat" Strat w/ Dimarzio Virtual Vintage 2.1
pups in neck and middle and Dimarzio PAF Pro humbucker in bridge)
and using the same amplifier (Frenzel 5E3 Deluxe) and installed
into the same closed back cabs (EarCandy Boa cabs).
The same guitar settings, amp settings, etc were used to eliminate
most of the variables down to the main variable - the speakers themselves.

The speakers were installed into 2x10 setup (actually 2 separate 10 inch
cabs
that are chained together). All speakers used were 8 ohm rated.

I also installed these into a friend's 2x10 open backed cab
but used my own amp and guitar to hear differences between these
speakers in closed back and open back situations.

The clear winner in closed back cabs was the Eminence Ramrod.
The second place goes to the Celestion G10.
I don't consider anything below this as none of the others
really sounded good at all in the closed back cabinets.

The Webers both had this nasal mid and too much farty boom
at the bottom end (kinda like they sounded they were coming
from inside a trashcan with a blanket inside). However both
Webers performed excellent and sounded good inside the 2x10 open back.
I liked the sound of the Weber Silver 10 a bit better than the
top end chimey Weber CVA 10. I find the CVA10 to be overly
chimey at the top end almost shrill. (at least with the Strat).

The Weber Silver 10 was better behaved but it did not sound great when
pushed too hard. It did not have a pleasant break up and it
really did not sound good with overdriven power tubes although
it handled preamp distortion fairly well. Nice cleans but don't
use it for harder rock and any sort of overdriven tones.

The Celestion G10's sounded very good in the closed back cabs
and reminded me of Greenbacks. Breakup came a little early but
it remained smooth until you really pushed them. A little flubby
at the extreme bottom end but if you were rockin loud in a live
situation you might not even notice it. Big mids and tapered highs.
What was nice is that it did not have a hokey mid range 'honk'.
It was smooth but obviously had midrange push type of sound.
Again - think a cross between a Greenback and a Vintage 30 and
that's about what it sounds like. It has a nice focus to it but
there as always some sort of little flub or fizz when pushed hard
that was minor but bothersome. I really think it would go unnoticed
in live band setting - but in the practice room it can be heard.
These speakers were my "2nd place" choice. Very nice.
I was pushing them with all the 40 watts I had.
In reduced volume and power settings - these speakers really
shine and sound acceptably good even at lower volumes but they
really come into their own when I had it cranked up about half way.
(On 1-10 the preamp was a noon or 5 and the main was at 5-6 (1 o'clock)

The Eminence Ramrod from their Red Coat series (actually the cones are
made in England
and then shipped to Eminence where it is all assembled) was the
clear winner when installed into the closed back cabs. They sounded
much better than anything else. They sounded great even at whisper
volumes and they just keep getting better as they get louder and
you start to kick in the power tubes. Nice tight bottom end with
enough bass to shake the house. Even with the amp 'dimed' the
speaker did not flub out or fart out. It stayed tight the whole way.
There was no 'boomy' inside a trashcan sound to it. Truly amazing.
The mids come out at you but they are not as pronounced as the
Celestion 'british' type voicing. The Ramrod pushes just enough mids
to get things rocking but has no nasal 'honk' sound. The highs
on this speaker are also amazing. Clear ringing highs without
any sort of shrill sound or treble ear piercing sounds.
This speaker can do acceptable Fender classic sounds with a bit
more 'oopmh' and slight grind and then you can easily take it to
AC-DC and on too metal land. This is the most amazing 10 inch
speaker I have ever heard. If no one told you, you would think
that there is a 2x12 cab being used. You would never think that
the sound coming out was from 10 inch speakers. These Ramrod
speakers keep that upper mid and high end focus but push out
mids and lower mids and bass like a 12 inch. Great note articulation too.
I really can't say enough good things about this speaker.
It also sounded excellent in the 2x10 open back cab. In fact this
was the only speaker that sounds great in both closed and open back.
I am not sure what mojo Eminence put into these Ramrods but
they were clearly a lot better sounding than any of the other
speakers tested no matter whether in open or closed back cabs.

Eminence Ragin Cajun (10 in):
Well this is a mixed bag. I have found this speaker to be a one trick
pony although it does it one trick extremely well. It has this
gritty overdrive sound no matter what volume you play at. Turn up
your amp volume (or master) and it just gets grittier. Big bottom end.
sorta scooped out mids and then full on treble. Instant kinda gritty
blues sound. Makes you want to set up a bar and have lots of cigarette
smoke wafting around. You can almost hear the beer brawls as you play.
However, it does not sound at all good in a closed back cab.
It just has this over bottom end boom and the highs have no where
to go apparently because it gets kinda shrill. However, in a 2x10
open back cab these speakers give you that gritty bluesy sorta sound
no matter what volume you play at. With the amp cranked up the speakers
just kept sounding the same - just louder except the bottom end
really gets too bassy for me but the top end in the open backs sounded
good.
The mids are just there to growl a bit and add to the grindy blues thing.

Eminence Copperhead (10 in):
Personally this speaker was the best in the 2x10 open back cab for that
classic Fender chimey clean and then onto that singing compression and
sustain when you start to crank up the amp. These sound BETTER than any
classic 'Jensen' and better than any of the "Weber alnico" speakers.
If you were doing clean, country, country rock and classic rock then
this is the speaker to put into an open back cab. If you want a really
cool and unique sound - I suggest in a 2x10 the Ramrod and the Copperhead.
The compliment one another nicely and meld together to make one incredible
smooth and meaty sound. I liked the Ramrod a little better but when you
use both you are in for a treat. It is a shame the Copperhead sounds
so bad in a closed back or I would use both in the closed back cabs.
(I use 2 Ramrods for the 2x10 closed back setup I have now)

The 2x10 open back with Coperheads sounded like a Fender 2x10 but
with guts and bigger balls. Smooth as silk high end and tight
but not overly pronounced bass. The mids are not punchy but they
melt right into the highs like one smooth sound. Perfect.
When you start to crank the power tubes these speakers get louder
but they sound the same even as they get louder. Lots of clean
headroom with these speakers. They don't ever really 'break up'.
But they also sound good at lower volumes too. Ok - you have
to crank them up a little to really get the focused bass out of them.
These would work great for the classic Fender Telecaster and Strat sounds.
But once again - don't even try to use them in a CLOSED back cab.
These Copperheads were the most unusual in that they loved to
be in the open back cab. They hated to be in the closed backs.
In the closed back cabs they had the dreaded 'inside the trashcan'
type sound and worse. The highs got muffled and it was a mess.
But put them into open back cabs and they sing like you never
heard anything so sweet before.

I admit I did not do a long written review of the Weber 10's
but that is because I was so let down with them. For the money
that was paid for them it would seem they should at least sound
good -- but it was a sorry let down. Some weird gear head people
may be insecure enough or feel they have the show that Weber blue
magnet cover through the back of their combos but don't believe
the hype (at least not with the two 10 inch speakers I tried).

So finally my 10 inch guitar speaker ratings::

Closed back cabs -- clear winner was Eminence Ramrod
Open back cabs -- Eminence Ramrod for any type of music
Eminence Copperhead for cleans, country, jazz, country
rock and classic rock.
(the Copperhead has higher end and less bottom than
Ramrod)
Both the Ramrod and Copperhead (especially the Ramrod)
will
have you and anyone else thinking these are 12 inch
speakers.

The Celestion G10 is also worth a listen to but
if you intend to really push the speaker(s) then
you might want to take the time to listen for that
fizz or flub that is there at high volumes (at least
the G10's we used had these sounds at high volume but
not at lower volume). Too bad because otherwise they
sounded kinda nice - but also did not have quite the
presence of the Eminence Ramrod or Copperhead (You knew
when listening to the G10 it was a 10 inch speaker).

ok. that's my review.
And so in the end - my closed back 10 inch cabs now
have Eminence Ramrod speakers inside. Sounds great.
Sorry I can't post up sound clips but how the heck are
you supposed to tell listening through computer speakers
from some squished down mp3 anyways ?

You'll have to take my word on it.


.

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