Celestion Vintage 30 user reviews ( 6/10) - 14 user reviews

• 08/22/11

  nickname009's review

  

  My first experience with these speakers was in 2007. Since then they've been in a lot of amps and have become the industry standard speaker for high gain applications. And I can see why! It's a great sounding speaker with a specific midrange character to it that a lot of metal or high gain players can work with. However, there is some fizziness to it in the high mids and trebles that I sometimes HATE, but that's also the same character that adds to that midrange making the speaker so unique on it's own and thus famous! I have to say that it has generally been good sounding through almost any type of cab, whether it be 412s or 212s or even single 112 cabs. The V30 is sort of like the SM57 of guitar speakers. They've become the standard sound and it's not necessarily a good or bad sound but definitely a workable sound.
  
  
  
  In terms of headroom I have to admit there isn't much. Cleans are good but can lead to break up quite early depending on how it's used. This is of course what is known to help with the high gain applications, it breaks up earlier, which generally equals better for metal etc. More distortion is always better, apparently. It is generally a darker sounding speaker in comparison to other standard celestions for eg the G12T-75. Not REALLy dark but darker. And if paired with the right cab can sound great. I have found however that these speakers don't sound good to me, with the oversized mesa cabs. It's way too dark and actually sound too thick and muddy, notes become indistinguishable and the low end is all over the place, while the highs are generally fizzy. It could just be the character of the mesa cab itself too, I haven't had much luck with the oversized ones..
  
  
  
  But in general this speaker is decent and has become the industry standard rock/metal high gain speaker. Definitely can sound good, but maybe not the most versatile.
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• 06/18/11

  Hatsubai's review "My go-to speaker"

  

  The Celestion Vintage 30 has been one of the most used and most notorious speakers of the guitar world. This has been the predominant speaker when it comes to heavy metal recordings, and for good reason. It’s a standard 12’’ speaker with a ceramic magnet, 60 watts worth of power and comes in either 8 or 16 ohm format.
  
  
  
  In the midst of speakers delivering a classic breakup, there was a need for a higher wattage speaker that could handle the extreme riffs that metal players were dishing out left and right. Celestion introduced the Vinage 30 as a means to allow the guitarist to scoop their mids but still allow them to cut through even the most dense mix.
  
  
  
  This speaker is very polarizing. Some people love it, and some people hate it. Those that love it enjoy that it handles low tunings well, cuts nicely, records very easily and seems to really excel at a higher gain setting. Those that hate it mention the mids are too harsh, it doesn’t break up nicely and lacks that sweetness some of the more vintage speakers have.
  
  
  
  Personally, I’m a huge fan of this speaker. I’ve used this as my main speaker for the past decade, and it has never let me down. I never had issues cutting, and it handles the extreme low tunings without any problem. It also remains tight without sounding like cardboard or too stiff. I never really understood how people could complain about the harshness, but I guess it’s all in how you’re setting the amp. I find this speaker tends to work better with my 5150s and Dual Rectifier better than my JCM800, so it could also be the gear you’re using.
  
  
  
  I highly recommend the speaker, but considering how polarizing this speaker is, I recommend checking it out first. If you can, try it in a Mesa or Bogner cab as those tend to sound the best, in my opinion.
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• 03/28/08

  Rockmonster's review

  

  Celestion Vintage 30's... had them in a pair of closed back birch cabinets.. broke them in.. used for a few weeks.. so.. I did give them a thorough workout... This is a GREAT speaker for scooped out metal... where you are looking for sizzling highs and huge bottom.. not much character to get any sort of meaty leadwork (at least not in any 6L6 based rig) Never tried these with EL34's... which was probably a mistake on my part... It may have imparted a bit more "organic" flavor. Using it with a Carvin T100 (6L6), Voodoo Lab Preamp, GT8 preamp or Digitech GSP2101 preamp... had the same characteristics with each. I know these are the stock speakers in the Vai Legacy cabinets from Carvin.. and he DOES get a very balanced tone...(after he runs his signal through about 15k worth of processors... hmmm. This music is expensive biz!) So, I would suggest trying both types of tube power amp sources if you go with these speakers. They may be a bit "screechy" with the 6L6 setup. Perhaps it is because these are TOO tight..(which is great for modern metal rhythm work..not so great if you want a round, detailed tone for single lead notes)
  
  Value..I think these speakers are a bit of a ripoff. $109.00 for a made in China speaker. I'm not impressed. Eminence seems to have much more balanced, well made speakers... at literally half the price and made in the USA. With 10 times the available choices that Celestion has! ( I don't want to sound like an ad for Eminence.. but I just don't understand Celestions prices. They are NOT great speakers.)
  
  Would I make the same choice... um, no. Absolutely not. I might try them in an EL34 based setup...but for that matter, I would just use the speakers I like much more (Cannabis Rex, P-50's, or even Celestion Greenbacks) and yes, I DO play metal... if I wanted this scooped out sound...I would just try the Governor from Eminence.. which is supposed to be the equivalent. Or even the Texas Heat's. Again... I think this is an overhyped speaker that has become kind of the standard tone for Nu Metal... but does not seem to cut it with any of my gear.
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• 03/27/08

  myriam63660_en's review

  

  - The all in one HP: great for cleans but also for distortion: thick sound, great bass and treble, spike in the mids. Brand new, treble fréquencies can be a little harsh but it's much better when broken in
  
  - had two of them in my 2x12 mésa vertical rectifier, i like the warm tone they provide, but i wanted more bite for my heavy distorsion patchs so i swaped one of the V30 for a century vintage. The century vintage sounds not as huge as the V30, but it has more clarity and definition.
  
  - V30 are excellent HP, you can't go wrong with it.
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• 01/13/13

  tuvok's review ( translated ) Improve this translation " blah blah blah"

  

  How long have you been using?
  
  I used 8 years on very good tube amp (Soldano SLO and Steavens Poundcake).
  
  
  
  Did you try many other models before buying it?
  
  No, it was after acquisition that I had the opportunity to compare.
  
  
  
  What is so special that you like most and least?
  
  What I like most: uh .... ben nothing (after comparison with other hp)
  
  What I like least: the name is completely misleading Vintage, it sounds too modern for that, more high-volume sound is aggressive, loud, nasal, too straight and mids are not creamy or singing, they sound too "metal" hard ".
  
  The Vintage 30 cab occupy most of the same high quality is really wonder how this is possible ...
  
  Makes you wonder if Celestion almost does not pay the builders for installing in V30.
  
  
  
  How do you rate the quality / price?
  
  Cher for performance.
  
  
  
  With experience, you do again this choice?
  
  Certainly not!
  
  I think his hp are ideal for youngsters playing metal today, for everything else they are not really recommended.
  
  Basically they seemed not too bad the V30, but hey I never had the opportunity to compare with other hp.
  
  Once the opportunity to be able to compare to other models hp, then I really realized how much they were "lame."
  
  For me, that price is one of the "worst" hp available on the market.
  
  I joined the opinion of Qillax we read everywhere that hp are great and wonderful and blah blah blah .... especially do not get trapped!
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• 09/04/12

  Qillax's review ( translated ) Improve this translation " uh ... no ..."

  

  it is a HP one hears everywhere that it is wonderful, wonderful ... we see that it is used by Slash then we say that the master has good taste and that is wrong and not taking it away .... it is not at all the vintage sound, warm with a nice round fat medium is just the opposite is brilliant, super straight, precise limit hi-fi I'm exaggerating a bit on the form but the substance remains the Similarly, on the Mesa for the modern is excellent after a Fender or Marshall is yuck ... suddenly I caught a Celestion Alnico Blue for my Fender and Marshall on a small Celestion Greenback Heritage, where it kills more than his mama ... dirty bluesy sounds a real wonder compared to V30, so after all depends on what you search ... for me it is not the ultimate in HP Celestion, they would have had to baptize the Modern Vintage 30 instead of 30, at least it would avoid confusion
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• 02/14/11

  fjohn's review ( translated ) Improve this translation

  

  I also know the GT75 (Marshall 8240), Special Design Eminence (blues deluxe). I use it for 2 months on a hot rod emerald.
  
  
  
  The Vintage 30 is a curious HP. The lower midrange is quite runny, treble is well defined. The bass are large (but not that much). It lacks high-medium, we regret even more the G75T ... Obviously, some do not, and yet so many people love the sound Marshall (G75T is still par excellence, the HP Marshall), who knows ...
  
  
  
  I do not particularly like the HP for heavy saturation, but to sound jazzy, funky, not bad, claps well (particularly acute). It's still nice on the crunch.
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• 10/26/10

  brui2fon's review ( translated ) Improve this translation

  

  One of the most famous among HP celestion
  
  Contrary to its name, it is not vintage and does not 30w
  
  his sound is quite modern type, even if he may agree with the sounds of older amps, and it's 60w
  
  this HP is appreciated for its low-delivered, its high gloss and medium granular
  
  LA, CA will depend on the amp that you put it and the sound you wish to reproduce
  
  I, for example, I have a carvin head, and clear AC blends very very well for a modern sound
  
  and the saturation, according to my pedals, I prefer HP differnetw
  
  Ibanez TK999 with HT, the V30 has wonderful sound, c is modern, there is gain and grain, although low husky, AC bites, harmonics out easily
  
  al reverse on HP G12-65, more vintage and old rock, this pedal does not sound
  
  and with another pedal, Abunai 2, c is the reverse, it s better with the G12-65, but the V30 is very accurate even with kan
  
  
  
  c is like after all c is a matter of taste
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• 06/13/09

  myriam63660's review ( translated ) Improve this translation

  

  - Used for two years
  
  - The V30 has a fairly solid, with big bass a little slobbery, but also treble Submitted a big bump in mdiums. New, the treble can seem aggressive but once trs Rod was a better balance in the frequencies.
  
  
  
  - For those who have a string with naturally dark and lments rglages mat, the V30 may seem a little too sharp right level, there is the ability to marry the century vintage, which removes ve a little thickness to the signal but provides a richer level of the sound spectrum
  
  
  
  - I started a cabinet with V30 in 16 ohms (SERIES correct) then I had a V30 into 8 ohms (in stiletto msa) and there is a big difference between the two versions:
  
  
  
  - 16 ohms gives the V30 sound moderneplus ampleavec more bass, the reserve of power, and just under mdiums, however I find that the cold estplus V30 8 ohms ... suited to me for mtal
  
  
  
  V30 8 ohms them give a more classiqueavec less bass, and a kind of small natural distortion at the speaker quirend the sonplus warmer than the 16 ohm V30 ... I think suited to blues, rock and blues rock gnral

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• 01/01/09

  Jp6l6's review ( translated ) Improve this translation

  

  I used them a couple of years trying all the time why my set-up lacked smoothness, where did these mediums between hard metal? It was the Vintage 30. I do not like them at all! Since I have replaced with a model in Eminence, I love all the sounds that my equipment (high-end anyway!) Is used to carve.
  
  These speakers are in the majority of cabinets and combos on the market when there is a plethora of competing models ... It makes you wonder if Celestion do not offer manufacturers amp to remove the markets?
  
  In my opinion, their reputation is grossly overrated !!!!!
  
  A good example of pollution psycho !!!!!

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