Celesetion Blue/Gold alternatives

MattG

Looking at upgrading the Speaker in my swart to something abit louder and cleaner with a nice break up i've been recommended a Blue or Gold but if i'm going down that route then i'll get a Tayden Ace or Vintage modern as they are the same money but UK made and apparently abit nicer.

Any other suggestions?

cheers guys

guitarfishbay

Are the Celestion Blue/Golds made in China now too? I know many others now are but the more expensive ranges and some OEM speakers eg Mesa speakers are still made in England by Celestion. I thought they'd be in that category.

Moe_Zambeek

Lots of stories of taydens failing. I'd stick with celestion (alnicos stil made in the uk) and throw in the fane axa alnico for a fresh flavour...

But for a Swart AST the gold was a really bad match IME.

MattG

i have been led to believe so, plus i would rather give the money to a smaller company

guitarfishbay

Who you buy from is your choice, I just thought they were UK made.

Moe_Zambeek

guitarfishbay;342440" said:

Who you buy from is your choice, I just thought they were UK made.

I'm pretty sure they are.

MattG

As i said i don't actually know i just gathered this from speculation on some of the other forums

ICBM

Celestion G12H-30 Heritage.

The Swart AST I tried sound much better with one of those than the Gold it came with.

Cirrus

Blues and golds are both uk made except for oem vox blues, which are made in chine but since 2010 exactly the same as the uk ones. I had to recone two tayden ace25s, both coil rub. But apart from that they were the closest to blues I've ever heard. But blues still have that something in terms of compression and harmonics.

Blues and golds are quite different to each other.

ICBM

Cirrus said:

Blues and golds are quite different to each other.

… despite what Celestion say!

To me the Gold sounds like an 'Alnico V30', or halfway between a Blue and a V30 - it's much chunkier and darker-sounding than the Blue.

musteatbrain

I must be tone deaf. I had two MJWs in stereo in my living room on Sunday. One with 2 golds and one with a single blue. I didn't perceive much difference, however I was playing clean and quite quiet. Perhaps the different characteristics come out with more volume and or dirt?

Van_Hayden

There should be quite a difference between the two clean and dirty, but you might need a bit more volume.

According to the chap who designed them the gold is intended to sound like a 40year old worn in blue.

The Fane alnico is nice but I had about five before I got one that didn't rattle. The 100w Jensen Blackbird is also good.

And Celestion still make alnicos over here. They make others here too, normally when it's the first run of a new speaker, once it's proved to be popular they make them in china but still use UK cones. My Greenback 10s were UK made but now they are made over there.

The Chinese made versions of speakers that have been made over here are a little brighter when new according to my source at Celestion, and they don't know why! They are more consistent these days though, the UK made stuff had much more variance in tone. I suspect they have tighter QA.

57Deluxe

Anyone tried those Harma speakers that Watford Valves stock?? Handmade in Angleterre apparently

http://www.watfordvalves.com/images/slide/2-montage-speakers-v2.jpg

http://www.watfordvalves.com/products.asp?ID=4&man=275

thermionic

By Tayden, I believe.

alanbass1

I have a Blue in my Swart AST and it took an already great amp to a higher level.  It really is a great match

57Deluxe

@alanbass1 - blue what?

alanbass1

Celestion Blue