Opinions: 12" Celestion Alnico Blues?

[Reef Ranger]

Hello All,

I don't know if this is the right place for this post or not, but I'd like to get some opinions on the 12" Celestion Alnico Blue speakers for stereo use with electric guitar.

I'm a small, home-studio based amateur guitarist, and I play a 'clean', strictly instrumental (surf) style with a low-wattage (35w) vintage (stereo) tube amp driving a pair of 1X12 remote cabinets loaded with high capacity (300w) 12" EVM-12L's. Tonally, its an exceptional set-up, especially with vibrato and outboard reverb, and its got headroom to burn.

However, I've heard from multiple sources over the years that 'Alnico' speakers (especially the 12" Celestion Alnico Blues) are an extraordinary speaker for guitar relative to EVs and other mainstream speakers. For example, I've read or heard that the Blues are "stellar" in terms of overall clarity and bell-like chiming in the upper registry, and they're likely to be ideal in terms of power handling with my low-wattage amp (i.e., if I'm not mistaken, the Celestion Blues are rated at just 15w rather than the whopping 300w for the EVs).

Anyway, does anyone have any meaningful experience or advice for me on these particular speakers? I'd like to avoid spending the money unless they're 'highly' likely to yield a significantly improved tonal pallet than the EVs.

Thanks All.

[Strat-Talk]

Yes, the blues are that... and they do have "bell-like" tone but they are heavy on the mids and light on the highs. For super clean surf I'd say JBLs would be the speaker of choice. Or even one JBL and one Blue for a mixed sound.

I equate the blue (and have used them for such) as a great overdriven speaker with some hairy blues music like Led Zep or Cream.

PS. I moved your post to the amp forum as it is more appropriate there. No problem where it was, just more appropriate here.

[JKjr]

My absolute favorite guitar speaker. The sound of the British Invasion. Invented "chime". IMHO the most MUSICAL speaker I've ever heard. Plays well with others too. Mix with a G12H-30 in a 2x12 for a full spectrum sound that dances with every amp I have. Can't say enuff good.

[johnreardon]

I have a Celestion Alnico Gold, which is the 50w version of the Blue. I drive it with an Orange Tiny terror 15w head. For my mainly Blues style playing, it's an excellent speaker. Much better than the Celestion G12k speaker that Orange put in the 1x12 cab I bought. Can easily achieve both a 'cranked' and clean sound. They are expensive, but IMO well worth it.

If you are worried about the Blues being only rated at 15w, then the Gold is certainly worth looking at.