Speaker swap in a Blackstar HT Studio 20

Looking for some technical as well as some tone advice if I may.

I've got a Blackstar HT Studio 20 which has a 16 Ohm Celestion Rocket 50 speaker in it.  I also have a Jensen Jets series speaker.  I believe the Jensen is a 100W Tornado as it says N 12/100 TR 8 Ohm (and that's a Tornado according to a google search).  

So, the first question is whether this speaker is a worthwhile upgrade tone wise.  I guess I could just get on with it and see for myself (subject to question 2) but I thought  that as I haven't swapped a speaker out before, I seek some advice/opinions before getting the screwdriver out!

The second question is therefore, if it's a worthwhile swap, is it as straight forward as I think.  It's a 50W 16 Ohm swap for a 100W 8 Ohm, so I assume I use one of the 2 outputs marked "1 x 8 OHM or 2 x 16 OHM" instead of the "1 x 16 OHM" that it's currently plugged into.

Cheers all.
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Comments

  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71957
    *Any* speaker is a worthwhile upgrade over the Rocket 50 :). It’s probably the worst 12” speaker I can think of, and easily the worst Celestion.

    Yes, plug it into one of the 8-ohm outputs.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • FunkfingersFunkfingers Frets: 14322
    Blackstar likes to supply small valve amplifiers fitted with MIC Celestion-badged loudspeakers.

    I like to un-fit them as soon as humanly possible.
    Be seeing you.
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  • AlnicoAlnico Frets: 4616
    Blackstar likes to supply small valve amplifiers fitted with MIC Celestion-badged loudspeakers.

    I like to un-fit them as soon as humanly possible.
    Which begs the question...
    Are the V30's in the Series One cabs UK made or not?
    Is there any real difference if they weren't?
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71957
    I’m fairly sure all V30s are now made in China.

    There is no difference between UK and Chinese ones when they're both broken in to the same degree - someone in the US tested it after they found some NOS UK-made ones, so they were able to compare UK vs Chinese with the same known number of hours of use.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • AlnicoAlnico Frets: 4616
    ICBM said:
    I’m fairly sure all V30s are now made in China.

    There is no difference between UK and Chinese ones when they're both broken in to the same degree - someone in the US tested it after they found some NOS UK-made ones, so they were able to compare UK vs Chinese with the same known number of hours of use.
    Excellent,

    Thanks.
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  • ChrisRGChrisRG Frets: 55
    Ha ha, thanks for that @ICBM . Sounds like it’s a no brainer to swap it out then! I’ll get the screwdriver on it this morning :)
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  • longjawlongjaw Frets: 420
    I'm not too bothered where something is made - it's the design of the product and build quality control that matters.

    As the older Marshall DSLs (UK made and numerous faults) and newer ones (Vietnamese and no problems) attest to. ;)
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  • DiscoStuDiscoStu Frets: 5382
    edited January 2018
    @ICBM ;; whilst on a Blackstar theme what would you recommend for the HT Stage 60? Mine is stock and I really like it but if it could be even better I'd be open to make changes.
    I want sparkling cleans, nice OD for Radiohead/indie stuff and then full on Mesa type metal at the other end.
    I've seen a few options mentioned on forums but tbh I know nothing about speakers.
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  • DiscoStu said:
    @ICBM ;; whilst on a Blackstar theme what would you recommend for the HT Stage 60? Mine is stock and I really like it but if it could be even better I'd be open to make changes.
    I want sparkling cleans, nice OD for Radiohead/indie stuff and then full on Mesa type metal at the other end.
    I've seen a few options mentioned on forums but tbh I know nothing about speakers.
    Vintage 30's seem to pair well with the way Blackstar voice their amps. The other guitarist in my band swapped the speaker out on his Stage 60 to a vintage 30 and the difference was night and day.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71957
    edited January 2018
    kennedydream1980 said:

    Vintage 30's seem to pair well with the way Blackstar voice their amps. The other guitarist in my band swapped the speaker out on his Stage 60 to a vintage 30 and the difference was night and day.
    Blackstar seem to like them too - they put them in the Artisan series - but I hate V30s in them, it exaggerates the over-middy, too tight, dark muddy sound they have. On the other hand that seems to be what some people want...

    No question the V30 is still an improvement over the stock speaker - a Seventy/80 - but I would pick something much deeper, clearer and brighter-sounding, and preferably looser too. For a 'modern' sound I would use a Classic Lead 80, and for more 'vintage' a Creamback G12H-75.

    I think the Tornado will sound great too from what I've heard of it in Fender-type amps - the only issue is whether it will bring out any buzz from the overdrive channel, which more traditional Jensens can do.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • DiscoStuDiscoStu Frets: 5382
    Vintage 30 comes up in most threads about upgrading, but there's also a few Greenbacks mentioned and also a combination of the two. Not my area of expertise!
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  • ChrisRGChrisRG Frets: 55
    Well, the speaker swap out has certainly made a difference.  It seems to be clearer and tighter.  I haven't stuck any pedals through it yet but just using the amp OD channel, the sound seems less muffled and there's more definition when picking individual notes.  Very happy with the change :)

    I haven't noticed any increase in buzz @ICBM. ; I usually have a pedal board in front of the amp which is a bit noisy (under investigation) so I haven't done a comparison. Cheers for your help.
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  • DiscoStuDiscoStu Frets: 5382
    edited January 2018
    @ChrisRG nice to hear your change is for the better.
    I've had a look at some of the options mentioned and still undecided. I don't want an ultra modern bright/sterile sound, I want warmth and 'tone' and I'm mostly a rhythm player as opposed to soaring lead.
    Think Soundgarden/Tool/classic Metallica for the heavier side and Radiohead/Ryan Adams/Jeff Buckley for the lighter side.
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  • ChrisRGChrisRG Frets: 55
    Thanks @DiscoStu. ; I got loaned the speaker by a mate so I haven't had stump up any cash (yet).  Before that, I too was thinking about a v30.  Like you say, it seems to be the go to speaker for a lot of people.  The other speakers that @ICBM mentions (Classic Lead 80 and Creamback G12H) also came up in my searches.  I'd also believe him over random YouTubers :)
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