Speaker Help Marshall 1973x

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gridlock
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Speaker Help Marshall 1973x

Post by gridlock »

Thanks a head of time.

I recently bought a used Marshall 1973x and I’m back ito the 18 watt club again. The amp is in almost new condition except it was missing the two original 20 watt Greenback Speakers.

In place of the Greenbacks was a G12H30 Vintage Series and a G12-35XC. This combination actually sounded pretty good but I wanted Greenbacks in the amp.

So I bought two used but almost new Heritage G12H30’s (55Hz) Greenback speakers (big magnet bass cone speakers) and and installed both of these speakers in the amp. I thought that the 55 Hz speakers would add some more bottom-end to the amps tone.

Needless to say, I am not happy with my tone with these 55 Hz speakers. The amp’s tone is now kind of tight, sterile, and a little boomy sounding. Not good.

Could the experts here, please recommend the best sounding combination of speakers (that I currently own) from the options listed below?

1) Two 55Hz Greenbacks and give the time to fully break them in.
2) One 55 Hz Greenback and a G12H30 Vintage Series.
3) One 55 Hz Greenback and a G12-35XC.
4) A G12-35XC and a G12H30 Vintage Series.

Thanks,
Grid
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JMPGuitars
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Re: Speaker Help Marshall 1973x

Post by JMPGuitars »

This might not be the answer you want to hear, but those speakers are worth money. I would sell them and buy Greenback clones instead. WGS Green Beret, Eminence Private Jack, or if you can find an original used UK Greenback in good shape.

You can always experiment with what you have, but if doing that still leaves you unhappy with your speakers, get different speakers. ;)

Thanks,
Josh
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gridlock
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Re: Speaker Help Marshall 1973x

Post by gridlock »

JMPGuitars wrote:
Tue 09/10/19 5:29 am
This might not be the answer you want to hear, but those speakers are worth money. I would sell them and buy Greenback clones instead. WGS Green Beret, Eminence Private Jack, or if you can find an original used UK Greenback in good shape.

You can always experiment with what you have, but if doing that still leaves you unhappy with your speakers, get different speakers. ;)

Thanks,
Josh
Thanks Josh.
That’s kind of the way it is looking for now. It’s making me think that I should return the amp (still have 30 days) and maybe pick up another 1974x that seem to be much more plentiful.

I’ll experiment with what I’ve got for now. If I decide to keep the amp. Down the road get some proper Greenbacks.

Thanks for your reply,
Grid
Last edited by gridlock on Tue 09/10/19 8:14 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Speaker Help Marshall 1973x

Post by AussieTim »

I agree with Josh the last couple of Celestion,s I have had have been very disappointing, I personally find the WGS and Eminence speakers far better sounding and better bang for buck. Maybe unplug the current speakers and experiment with some others at a store or friends speakers, all you need is a speaker extension cord and try narrow the field down, as on a forum like this we can only make suggestions, in the end it is how your ears hear the noise you make that is important and what sound great to me may well sound like crap to you
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gridlock
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Re: Speaker Help Marshall 1973x

Post by gridlock »

AussieTim wrote:
Tue 09/10/19 6:55 am
I agree with Josh the last couple of Celestion,s I have had have been very disappointing, I personally find the WGS and Eminence speakers far better sounding and better bang for buck. Maybe unplug the current speakers and experiment with some others at a store or friends speakers, all you need is a speaker extension cord and try narrow the field down, as on a forum like this we can only make suggestions, in the end it is how your ears hear the noise you make that is important and what sound great to me may well sound like crap to you
Tim
Thanks Tim, I’ll be swapping speakers today. Still on the fence wether to just return this amp, cut my losses, and watch for a nice 1974x. It’s just that the 1973x’s are kind of rare, this one is like new, and I kind of like the 2x12 option.

If this amp still had the original speakers, it would have been a no brainer just to keep it.

I am a big fan of Eminence Speakers (currently running an Eminence Alessandro GASC64 in my BF Deluxe Reverb). Most of my Eminence owned speakers were American voiced and not British.

I have owned a couple of WGS speakers (in a Two Rock cab and in a Redplate Combo) and I wasn’t impressed with either speaker. I think that both of these WGS speakers were based on a Celestion Vintage 30, which I despise. Probably not a fair comparison of WGS speakers as a brand.
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Re: Speaker Help Marshall 1973x

Post by JMPGuitars »

gridlock wrote:
Tue 09/10/19 8:26 am
I have owned a couple of WGS speakers (in a Two Rock cab and in a Redplate Combo) and I wasn’t impressed with either speaker. I think that both of these WGS speakers were based on a Celestion Vintage 30, which I despise. Probably not a fair comparison of WGS speakers as a brand.
Ha, if anything that tells you how good WGS is. They replicated a speaker you hate, and you hated it. I'd say that's pretty darn accurate! :lol:

I hate Vintage 30s also (usually). I did have a Mesa a long time ago a V30 didn't sound terrible in...but it didn't sound particularly good either. And that was a UK V30.
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gridlock
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Re: Speaker Help Marshall 1973x

Post by gridlock »

JMPGuitars wrote:
Tue 09/10/19 9:42 am
gridlock wrote:
Tue 09/10/19 8:26 am
I have owned a couple of WGS speakers (in a Two Rock cab and in a Redplate Combo) and I wasn’t impressed with either speaker. I think that both of these WGS speakers were based on a Celestion Vintage 30, which I despise. Probably not a fair comparison of WGS speakers as a brand.
Ha, if anything that tells you how good WGS is. They replicated a speaker you hate, and you hated it. I'd say that's pretty darn accurate! :lol:

I hate Vintage 30s also (usually). I did have a Mesa a long time ago a V30 didn't sound terrible in...but it didn't sound particularly good either. And that was a UK V30.
Never thought of it that way, I guess the WGS version of a V30 was replicated spot on.

Anyway, I reinstalled the Anniversary G12-H30 and the G12-35XC. A vast improvement over the 55 Mz Greenbacks.

Guess these two Greenbacks will be up for sale soon. Good thing that I bought them used so not to take too much of a loss when I resell them.
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Re: Speaker Help Marshall 1973x

Post by colossal »

I will put up a vote here for a pair of 20W Celestion Heritage G12M Greenbacks. Fantastic speakers.
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gridlock
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Re: Speaker Help Marshall 1973x

Post by gridlock »

colossal wrote:
Tue 09/10/19 1:37 pm
I will put up a vote here for a pair of 20W Celestion Heritage G12M Greenbacks. Fantastic speakers.
Working on it, first thing, I need to sell these two Heritage G12H30’s.
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