You're in the right place, fellow guitar gear nerd!
Hi, my name is John Browne . No, not that guy but this is my real name. I'm a test engineer by trade and a passionate guitar gear nerd.
My mission statement: I want to make the videos I would liked to have seen when I was looking for gear. I have found that most amps, pedals, speakers or guitars sound pretty good in a given youtube demo but once you have it in your home with your other gear you might hear things you didn't hear before. Why? Because the demo(s) you heard lacked a reference for you to listen to. That's why (in most cases) I try to provide a reference for you to compare whatever I am demoing to.
I've got a bunch of experiments I want to do. You'll find them here sooner or later!
I enjoyed this video. I have the same cab with two DV 77s and a V 30 from 94 and a V 30 from a 2000 Mesa cab. Sounds killer. They sound great together. Great video!!
It's really good to have so many viable options these days. But to me hand down, once your ears gets adjusted to the odd frequency change of the V30, there isn't a more aggressive speaker out there that I've heard on RU-vid or in person.
Having been around during the rack craze of the late 80’s,yeah,I am old,anytime you separate the preamp and power sections of an amp head,there will be some differences..they no longer share the same power supply,smaller,etc..that said,it’s pretty damn close..with an EQ,you could dip the mids a touch,boost a little high end and get very close..in a mix,or live situation you would never know the difference…I love the Synergy stuff..I don’t care if it sounds absolutely,exactly the same as the head version..as long as it sounds good,that’s what matters to me…and this one is definitely close enough for Rock and Roll!
This is the best and most thorough wgs speaker I’ve seen yet. Though I don’t play much metal anymore I still have an idea about what the speakers sound like.
I love your videos! I have a question... You have obviously bought a lot of v30s and sm57s for your research... Do you intend to sell the ones that don't suit your taste to recoup the financial hit?? What about selling the amplifiers you are less excited about to fund further research? Also do you store all this in your house? 😱
I have already sold a few of the SM57s as they were all very close. I didn't really collect those with a shootout in mind. I just happened to stumble over a few great deals and figured out later that I could make a test. I have only sold a couple of the V30s as I have one more idea with them that I don't want to talk about just yet. I have also sold a bunch of amps to fund new gear for the channel. I sold the Peavey 6534+, JSX, a Kraken, the Powerball 2, KSR PA50, a bunch of Synergy and 500 series modules as well as a few cabs in the last year to have funds for new speakers, amps and cabs for myself and the channel
Heya John. Your content is very thorough but simple for folks to understand. Have your tried an eminence CV 75? It is supposed to be like an older vintage 30. Cheers
I have a solid state peavey amp that is a wedge shape like a monitor. It is 160 watts so it can crush most speakers. It's an open back design and is essentially the same distortion circuit as a bandit. I use it for the center sometimes in a wet dry wet system and I'm really considering the red back for it's power handling.
You said you don't really focus on microphones on your channel, but I think it would be brilliant to see a comparison of all the mics you have, with each of them in its' sweet spot. Would be cool to find some more interesting options than SM57
Depends what you're looking for in a loadbox. If you're looking for just a basic loadbox, the Driftwood loadbox would be my choice. If you're looking for extra features like IR loaders, FX, multiple in/outs, the St.Rock React:IR mk II will be hard to beat. Red Seven also make a great loadbox
Really depends on your needs and your situation. Ideally, I'd have both. A loadbox with an IR loaded will really allow you to hear what you're playing and improve as a player. Playing through a cab has its own challenges. There is a bit of a chaos factor but it's the most fun
I rather enjoyed this. Great questions and variety. Just an idea, since you talked about how your main focus with the channel is your methodology, could you investigate how swapping speakers might change the tone of a cabinet when you keep 1 speaker the same. For example, mic 1 V30 as the control, start with 4x V30s, then 3 V30s, then 2 V30s, down to just 1 V30. It would be interesting to see if speaker tone changes on one speaker as you slowly change speaker type in the same cab. I hope that made sense. Jim Lill did this, but I don't think he really dove into this for high gain tones.
Great video as always :) For added context, I have seen Kohle's and Nolly's discussion. (I would also like to add that I do not have any reason to doubt what Nolly says) However, I don't think I have seen anyone make a video comparison on the topic and I'd be grateful if you could find time to do it. Given that the room reflections are not a contributing factor, I reason that from the mic's perspective, it shouldn't matter if the slant is on the front or back wall of the cabinet. So, I am inclined to say it should be possible to improve the sound of a straight cabinet with a 10-euro piece of plywood. The only issue I see is the space between the added slant and back could resonate, rendering the idea useless. It might be possible to fix this issue by stuffing it with an old pillow, but I don't want to get ahead. There is another reason why I am interested in this topic. I find it wasteful that only half of the speakers in a slanted 2x12 or a 4x12 give optimal results when recorded. If adding the back wall improves the sound of the bottom speakers without affecting the upper ones, I could see this making many people with limited space happy. (Not to mention what combinations people with many cabinets and speakers could do :) )
Love hearing other people calling out the "hid it from the damn wife!" type Facebook posts. So much easier to just be in a supportive relationship. Wish I got comparisons as cool as a young Bruce Willis, all I get is Nikocado Avocado 😐
The fact you don't use the same boring, bullshit formats that make me lose interest in the other channels, which all do the exact same thing, is what keeps me around. Not to.mention the puns and of course, your knowledge!. Thank you!. This video was fun, definitely more.
Hi John, thank you for taking the time to make all of your great videos. I have 3 Mesa cabs from 2000-2003 and one from 2007, which is noticeably darker. The V30 video you did helped me to understand why! Also, I have come to like the g12t75's when using Marshall amps. They were popular to hate on for a while, but I have also heard videos where they sounded fantastic. Out of the three cabs I have with 75's, I prefer the one with 2000 speakers, but I initially attributed that to it being a B cab vs the other ones are slanted A cabs. However they also are from the 2010's so it will be interesting to see if it is the cab shape making the difference; the year speaker, or a combination of the two? Thank you again for your analytical videos!
I am waiting for more tests, Q&As, or whatever else you have for us. :) BTW, I have a T75s from 1995 (I love them) and one from 2022. Both have the same label on the back, but they sound like two completely different speakers. The new one sounds like a super scooped, fizzy toy, basically a meme speaker, unusable with any amp. But those T75s from the '90s sound amazing, especially with british voiced amps. Some forums say that they are basically G12-65s with a different coil former. I wonder what T75s were in that cab you used in the past.
That's very much in line with my experience. Maybe I'll have the chance to pop open that cab. I'm certain it's still at the practice space we used to use
Enjoyed the video! Really cool of you to use that free hour of yours to post regularly. I didnt put it together until you said it. But the consistency of the content and IRs. Good quality. Having celestion 30s as a baseline. That is a big part of the appeal. I dont know a dust cap from a cone and am risk averse. I feel like with some of the channel knowledge and some leg work i can make an informed decision how to shake things up with my cab/speakers. Thank you for that.
Great video! Great Channel :) I used a blend of your F70 & LCFR-150 IRs at a gig on friday and it sounded so good. I got many compliments on that sound.. so thanks for that IRs too 🙌🏻✌🏻 keep it up
Yes, good video. I appreciate sharing of knowledge in a casual manner :) Speaking of which.. I'm on the fence of purchasing a new speaker. Thanks to your video and that incredible IR of the LCFR, I might buy that one. The other option is a Bad Cat Custom speaker. I suspect you haven't tried it but it's like a tamed V30, less high mid, tight fat bass and very clear. It'll be installed in a 112 cab. Can't decide!! help?
I have two Bad Cat Vintage 30s from 2009 and 2010, I think. Both are Vintage 30s without the doping which makes them sound a little different to regular V30s. I like them. I don't know if current Bad Cats are still V30s. I heard that they used a G12H30 variant instead at some time but can't say if that's true. Between those two, you can't really go wrong. I'm certain they'd serve you well. Personally, I'd go for the LCFR-150. It's large power handling capabilities and extended low end would make me chose that for a 1x12. They should finally be available this month
@@TheOtherJohnBrowne Thanks for insight! In the end, I'll have to get both and put them in 2x12 ! My reasoning is similar to yours about the extended low end in a 1x12. It also seems the LCFR speaker produces a wide frequency stretch so to speak, it sounds full and this should be useful when recording. The later Bad Cat is something different, in their words "Lows of a g12h30, highs of an alnico blue". I only tried it through a few IR's i came across and there's something nice about it that draws my attention every time. While it seems tight enough for metal, It lacks the aggression or "dryness" of the LCFR.
@@TheOtherJohnBrowne Do you think that the higher power handling will compensate for the weakness of a 1x12? You know how small cabs sound "smaller" and boxy compared to 4x12s. Would the 150 watt deliver more "authority" so to speak? 😊
@@JonasDenVise to be honest, I don't think so. I have yet to find a 1x12 that I like as much as a 2x12 or 4x12. The wattage rating won't really make a difference in a 1x12. It'll just give you a larger safety margin when using a big amp. The LCFR has a little more extended low end that might help give the 1x12 a little more low end push
Are you interested in the modded Marshall world? Recently a whole bunch came out and most of them really sound amazing. Gower, Headfirst, Monomyth, etc.
I started along my hair about 20 years ago and haven’t paid a barber for a hair cut since. To those who poke fun at bald men: the money I’ve saved on haircuts goes towards more gear, so the joke’s on you! 😂
Actually, I love that and I try to answer every message. At this level it's very manageable but some people were specifically asking for a video. There's no growth in the comfort zone, so I gave it a shot
It's certainly not a bad speaker, just from a different time / for a different tone. Fwiw, it works well with Marshalls imo. They balance each other out a bit
I have a bunch of IRs ready for upcoming speaker videos and might try my hand at some Tonex captures again but currently there are no definitive plans for that
definitely do more of these John, i think people (myself included) would like to hear more of your thoughts on various things and answering questions from the land of youtube i think it can be forgotten sometimes that there's a real life behind these screens and cameras, so these sorts of videos are a good way of balancing that out if that makes sense
Hey Paul, those are some very good points and I agree. I myself enjoy the behind the scenes stuff from the creators I watch. However, I still need to get used to the thought of possibly being in that position myself. But if it provides value, that's all that really matters to me
@@TheOtherJohnBrowne totally understand, i only started doing the youtube thing a bit more seriously in december last year, as a way of sharing info, demoing things and learning stuff in the process (audio/video editing and as you said simply being in front of a camera and talking when you're not used to it, takes a while to get into) i guess it helps knowing that other people are quite OCD on guitar stuff as well 😄 putting yourself out there and giving up part of your 'privatsphaere' to use an appropriate german word, is however part of the process
just my opinion: if the automotive sector in your place pays anything like in germany, i'd keep that day job. i work in automotive, just as a maintenance tech and occasionally rework some workpiece carriers that our engineering team bring to me, and my pay is quite decent. i've heard from many youtubers who just turned their passion into a job, that the pressure of needing to provide content, to make a living, destroyed their passion for the thing. when you have to drop 2 video a week to keep up with the algorythm, it's becoming a chore rather than fun. regarding your wish for a Diezel cab: i own a front loaded diezel 4x12 with k100 speakers. i also have a straight engl pro cab with greenbacks. they seem quite similar in construction. i havn't taken them apart yet, but from eyeballing, the dimensions are very similar, the engl is front loaded too, and the pro cabs from engl are also this layered wood instead of particle board that's used in the engl standard cabs (which arent avaliable anymore) also thanks for mentioning the build quality issues of the marshall cabs, i have a jcm800 era 1960, i think i need to check the joints of that thing, cause it kinda rattles when playing through it loud. might be something knocked loose in there. i only opened it once to check for the speakers (g12-t75 with 1983 date code, apparently the very first production year, or so i was told in a facebook group) didn't bother looking for the construction or damages inside back then.
Yeah! I actually work in Germany too. I don't see this moving to becoming my primary source of income any time soon. It would have to be in combination with something else, like moving into engineering musical equipment. What would be nice would be able to invest maybe an hour more a day into that. I think I could do some damage with two hours a day. Either by doubling output or improving quality. I have to credit Kyle Bull for the Marshall cab thing. He first mentioned that in one of his videos after which I checked mine. I would not be surprised if the hardware was a little lose inside of yours too
@@TheOtherJohnBrowne funny. do you work for a supplier (bosch, conti, fuchs etc.) or a manufacturer? we might be colleagues 😂 at least for a while. the factory i'm working at is shutting down, and carving out production in the coming year. yeah i follow kyle too, he contributed to me buying 3 engl cabs (1×12" pro v30, 4x12" pro greenback, 4x12" standard V60) and a powerball 2 head. 😂 decent guy with lots of useful content, though his recordings aren't as "scientific" and easily comparable as yours, his stuff does give a general idea. now your good german pronounciation makes sense to me. i always wondered where that came from.
I used to work for Alstom at the beginning of my "career" but I moved into a smaller company after that. The pay isn't as great as working for the big guys but I enjoy the more dynamic environment. I work for a smallish company that developes components for articulated buses and light rail vehicles now
I think I already asked this and got an answer in case you forgot it lol: it would be so amazing to see the thing you did to all those V30's done with the T75 and Greenback speaker types from you. Like finding out what makes those speakers tic, which years a desireable etc. And I know it must be so f****** much work and a huge financial investment from you basically without any financial reward, but that would be so cool seeing the sort of "big three" from celestion getting a super in depth study the same way.
You'd know I'd love to do that. At the same time, it took me five years to get all the V30s for my test. Greenbacks go even further back and went through at least three different eras with different cone manufacturers with several differenr magnet types, so the Greenback rabbit hole is probably several orders of magnitudes larger than the V30 rabbit hole. Also, the earlier Greenbacks are terribly expensive. T75s are plentiful and cheap though
I think many Guitarists are obsessive compulsive by nature ( as am I ) but I have aged out of the game at sixty five, and I just want to make use of all the gear I have collected through my working years. That said..... nothing about Music has remained consistent with the technological game changing technologies - altering everything . It is nearly impossible to predict what the near future will bring, but the golden era of Music - turned into the golden era of entertainment. Which turned into this current transitional era, where physical instrumentation is no longer required or necessary. I have had to back up and take an obsessive gaze from the ten thousand foot view. But you feed my obsessive tendencies by doing the kinds of things I might have done ( in a younger version of myself ) I tend to agree with your conclusions, and enjoy your Meticulous approach. Blessings on you and your family !
@@TheOtherJohnBrowne Just don't let it override your love for your family / Wife, as I lost mine as a result of my deep obsession for these things, and now wish I had gotten more realistic - sooner than I did.
thanks for your input, I watched your videos since Herbert vs Hagan video, that helps me a lot and I enjoy your video, the Whole world is fuck up and I thanks you for producing this content that makes guitar community more fun I guess, thanks
