High VS Low Power Guitar Speakers G12-65 vs Greenback 

G12-65 is definitely better in a 1x12. Probably a good choice for a lot of fizzy high gain amps too

The G12-65 was the speaker used by Metallica on Ride the Lightning! However, they ran eq pedals and also had their marshalls pretty scooped (i think the mids were only 2). They used unmodded 2203's on that album, and also ran a tubscreamer as well.

Beautiful demonstration as always. I really like the G12-65. Seems to shine amazingly on its own.

I'm quite convinced that one Greenback alone simply doesn't work. Put 4 of them in a 4x12 and the dream sound is on!

They would be awesome both in a mix because their spectrum seems so different

My two favorite guitar heroes are Joe Walsh and Johen Segeborn

G12 65 sounds great but I like both speakers Johan you must record an album please I will buy it Your guitar playing inspires me to play more

Thanks for the video. Just put a G-65 from 1983 in my Peavey Classic 30 and it sounds like a Marshall on the drive channel now. Rocks the neighbours.

Dang dude? I keep landing on your page. Admittedly I almost typed the exact title to your viddy but really? You're like answering the question 2.5 years before I ask it. Nice!

Individually the 65 sounds better to me, but the 25 sounds better in a 4x12. Great test! God bless and rock on 👍🎸😎

First, I thought I liked the 65, then I preferred the Greenback. After that, I thought the 65 sounded muffled and when then the Greenback came on again I found it too sizzly. I think you get used to any sound after a while. Both are great!

Yeah, the attenuator did the glorious green a disservice!

I'm sure that both would have their applications, but I prefer the tone coming out of the 65. It definitely has more mids & less of the annoying highs. All around a warmer and fuller tone. Great video!

You my favourite music scientist. Love your tests. 👍👍👍😀

The G12-65 is definitely clearer (as you'd expect it to have more headroom). But the G12M-25 greenback definitely has that saturated overdriven sound you've heard on a million 60's/70's albums - very early Acadaca. What might be interesting is comparing the G12-65 and 2xG12-25's on a 50W head without attenuating it and see if that makes much of a difference?

Excellent. I remember mentioning to you about testing diff speakers and to see how the sensitivity affects tone. I was the guy who mentioned Roland bolt amps to you. Damn, love your channel mate!! Sell merchandise Johan. 1000s of us would support you. T shirts, plectrums, shorts, you name it

I have a 4x12 Marshall 1960A cabinet with original 65s from 1983. Now THAT is a sound.

The G12-65 is my fav celestion speaker of choice have a 1982 B cab loaded with them and it's a killer combination

Very interesting comparison. The G12-65 sounds like it would cut through in a band mix way better than a single attenuated Greenback. I like the way the Greenback sounds overall but a lot of the lower end frequencies would get lost in a band mix.

The EQ curve is too different to A/B them with the same settings IMHO. I think they both sound good in different ways and EQ compensation would help both as well. The 65 has a scooped mid-range and the 25 has a mid bump. They probably sound great mixed together (left and right) for a stereo effect.

I prefer the 83 on the chords and the 70 on the single note stuff. Great idea for a video Johan. Thank you.

The attenuated Greenback sounded like a master volume amp at bedroom level when compared to the G12-65. I could hear a pinging sound when you were playing percussively. I put soft foam under the strings behind the nut on all my guitars....the poor man's fret wrap :D

Loved both but yes in this context the G65 sounded a little better to my ear.

" I'll definitely pick Both!" They are Equally Great in their own way! Thanks for sharing brother! Be Well Johan!

i actually preferred the 65 because of the cleaner sound. you could hear that the greenback was on its limit.

I generally love your comparison videos but this one is flawed. The G12-65 is plugged straight into the amp but the G12M is running through a Hot Plate. These types of resistive attenuators rob bass and make the treble shrill, this is well demonstrated here. Using a lower wattage amp that could be run straight into both speakers would make for a more level playing field for this comparison. If you must use an attenuator - attenuating the signals to both speakers equally would eliminate it as a source of bias.

This was a tough comparo for you to do: with 2 different cabs, it's extremely easy to get the mike placement off by just a hair, which will make a huge difference in the recorded sound of close-miked cabs. From the sound you recorded, though, I prefer the 65-watt speaker due to its more balanced tone overall. The Greenback had a slightly "icepicky" (spike in the high end) tone. It wasn't horrible. It just wasn't as tasty as the 65-watter. Another factor to consider is speaker breakup. A 100-watt half stack with 25-watt Greenbacks in the cabinet, when cranked, is going to give some extra distortion due to overpowering those 25-watt speakers. Remember: a 100-watt Marshall head, especially a Model 1959, is rated at 100 watts because that's how much output it generates BEFORE measurable distortion. A cranked and distorting Super Lead can be putting out as much as 170 actual watts. I came across this issue when I cranked my reissue 1959 with 4 X 35-watt Weber Blue Dogs. It lost a LOT of crunch when I attenuated the output from the amp into the cab.

Honestly I like both sounds. On their own one is a little too thick or muddy and one a little too thin but you could double track them and it would sound huge! Thanks Johan.

Thank you Johan, you do an amazing job. Found your channel while searching for the right replacement of the harsh and fizzy sounding HH speakers inside my IRT112s that I use with my SC20H or 2525H at smaller venues. I didn't have the G12-65 on my list so far - shame on me ;). I love the sound of the old Greenbacks, but for closed 1x12s the G12-65 maybe exactly what I was looking for so I'll give it a try.

I have two original G12-65s in a 2x12 half-back pine cab that I had made for them and love them. They are smoother and tighter then the G12-75's they replaced. They do come up for sale now and then on the used gear sites.

G12-65 records better but I suspect the Greenback would play better in a live scenario. Great playing as always!!

The greenback sounds a lot more compressed. I have the 65s in my combo. Thanks for comparing.

Thank you for this and other comparisons, Johan. You do a great job! I have two G12-65s from 1980 and love them to death. I also have the same amp as the one you said is your favorite in another video - the 1977 2204. I haven’t found a better combination for the warm tone I prefer. I have a G12M 25w Greenback made in China last year and it surprisingly sounds quite good, though. Cheers, and thanks.

Huge difference...crème de la crème sound goes to the G12-65 here! might be different in a 4*12 though

Just listened to the 4x12 comparison Johan, isn’t it amazing how the speaker dynamics drastically change when placed in a bigger cab etc. 4x12 Greenbacks more pronounced in the mix, totally opposite to here. The science of sound is a wonderful thing my friend. :-)

Great video. I use an open back 1x12 Fuchs cab loaded with the G12-65 with my Friedman Smallbox 50.

As always great work Johan. Roben Ford uses 2x G12-65 on a open back cabinet with his Dumble! How do the new Heritage Series G12-65 compare to the vintage ones?

P.S.: for a single speaker setup i would suggest to try the new Celestion 100w Redback, studied to give in a single speaker setup all the frequency range of a 4x12" with slightly softened highs to stay true to the classic Greenback sound!

Another informative video. What I don't get is why a company like Scumback can develop a high powered speaker that sounds like a vintage Greenback but Celestion can't. If they did, it may be their best selling speaker.

Great video. Due to the nature of speakers and damage that can occur I still would rather hit a low watt speaker with a higher watt amp. When you look at the damage a low watt amp does to a speaker (driver overheat and eventual burnout) a high watt amp to a low watt speaker just blows the cone typically. This is due to the wave form as seen on an oscilloscope...besides the greenback is just so much more earthy to my ear. I like my cabs that I build with 1 greenback and one vintage 30 which gives an overall load capacity of 50watts while still giving the lovely break-up associated with the greenback and clarity of the vintage 30

G12-65 on it's own. Love the greenback, but you need a pair at minimum to get a fuller tone.

I like the G12-65 better in this demo, but the Greenback is a mighty toneful driver especially in a quad configuration. Just one green ain't enough...

"The G12-65, a great bang for the buck...." Until people see this comparison video and flock to eBay to grab one. In spite of the "Johan effect" (rising prices on eBay for vintage speakers), keep these great informative videos coming!

As you said Johan, the 65 has more balls and more refined than the 25. But hey, it’s all about the end mix at the end of the day, depending on style of music, other instruments etc, that greenback may sound great in a recording! Put a fuzz face in between and it’s early 60’s man. Groovy baby.

G12-65 my favourite speaker ever. I had 412 Park Cabinet with G12-65 - best 412 cab ever. Now I've got 212 openback whith G12-65 and Vox Ac50 - exellent!

The so-called "pre-rola" 75hz Greenbacks made from 1968 to 1974 used Pulsonic cones. Celestion started using the Mueller 1777 cones beginning in 1974. These speakers can be distinguished by the T1221 stamp on the frame, as well as 1777 printed on the cone. You can also date the month and year of manufacture on these post-1974 Greenbacks, Blackbacks, Creambacks, and Greybacks by the letter and number stamp on the frame (usually next to the T1221 stamp)- for example: I have some Blackbacks stamped "JH29X" which dates these as made in September 1975. You can find these codes in "The Marshall Book" by Mike Doyle. The post 1974 Greenbacks (as well as Blackbacks, Creambacks, and Greybacks) are printed with the "Rola Celestion LTD" on the sticker (Rola actually bought Celestion in 1946, so, contrary to myth and legend... there is no such thing as a "Pre-Rola" Celestion guitar speaker). By the way: Metallica used the Celestion G12- 65 on Master Of Puppets. I hope this sheds some light for you and your subscribers on what are some truly great speakers.

Hi Johan, Brilliant Video, 👍👍👍 I agree 100%, as the comment below mine say's it may be his age, to me its is the Magical Sound of the 70's Classic Rock Tone. Take care ♥️. Melbourne, Australia.

G12-65 seemed to handle the low end better here, nice and punchy.

Depends on what you need. The greenback seems to give more mid frequencies, while the 65 is flatter. The 65 could be a better live speaker while the greenback delivers that classic rock roar and is my studio speaker of choice whenever I need a powerful rock tone with punchy and roaring mids.

Hi Johan, the G12-65 is clearly ahead of the game! The greenback is something special! For a very good all-round sound, 2x Greenback + 2x G12-65 cross into the box. I have 2x12 ..1x UK Vintage 30 + 1x WGS ET-65 very good sound. Thanks for the test!

The G12-65 (to my ears) seemed to have more midrange in the tone.

The Greenback is the sound of ‘Born To Be Wild’ and the G12 65 is more AC/DC…….I am glad to be the proud owner of 4 G12 65’s!😎🤘🤘

GRea as usual, John! Love your playing, enhoy every time, great, man! BTW, could you, please, make a video telling us more about your living and your personality outside THIS "guitar-amp-box"?

I liked the 65 because it was a little darker….I’m a Marshall 2204 player (with a killer cold clipper mod….have you tried that ?🙏🏼)…..seems easier to add brightness than darkness from a Marshall head. Killer vid !

Both are crazy good, especially in your hands. Do you plan on doing something with the Crate Vintage Club series amps? They are crazy good...

That unmistakable g12 tone.

I've never been fond of the Greenback,though I understand it's iconic stature. I had a 4x12 with them and it just didn't have the grunt I was looking for. I've tried tons of different 4x12's and now have a Mesa Rectifier 2x12 close back with English vintage 30's. At the end of the day,no matter what amp I'm playing,I go back to a slap together Acoustic ported 2x15,with two cast basket yamaha reinforcement speakers. More than enough bottom and breakup as well as bite. Thinking about putting together a pair of JBL's,with the aluminum cone dust cap in it,chasing alittle Randy Rhoads. As always great job Johan,I'd be curious of the test minus the attenuator,as some have mentioned.

I think I actually like the G12-65 better. The G12M-25 In a lot of cases had a high end trash to it.

That 65... It's impressive! I just gave up for a 1980 Marshall jmp combo (2204) with a couple of rola g12-65... I chose a 1978 JMP (2204) with rola blackback instead. Tomorrow I'll go get it. What do you think of this choice?

Greenback has less bottom for sure but is more peaky in upper range with very characteristic mids 65s are great reference very balanced speakers for any amp,both are great with differences

Agreed w/everything you said.

Sorry Joh! G12-65 ALL the way! Better mid clarity, and clean headroom! The G12-25 was very nasally, & had speaker break up! The sound was very annoying!

Massive difference in tone! Many guitarists have no idea how much the speaker "colors" your tone. I like the G12-65, at least for the style I play, but both sound good!I think maybe you should be using the power conditioner on both to get a better idea of the true sound.

The 65 sounds sweet!

I agree with your post demo commentary

Using only one speaker... G12H-65 for sure. If I were to load up a 4x12 or two I would install G12M-25s or even better some M-20s... ;-) THANKS JOHAN !!!

The G12-65 is much better. The Greenback is really too biting. And awesome riffs as usual Johan!

that greenback instantly nails the AC/DC tone......i like AC/DC but i dont wanna have that as the cornerstone of my tone all the time. the 65 has more breathing room and sounds less compressed

G12-65. It is also my favorite speaker, it is so back in black that it's almost scary :D

Hi Johan! Greeting from Skövde! What a wonderfully nerdy channel you’ve got here, love it! I preferred the G12-65 in this set-up, but you can hear that the breakup in the M 25-75 could be really nice in a different scenario. I’ve got a JMP 2104 (2x12 combo) from 1982 with G12-65’s in it, do you think that the result would be similar in a 2x12 combo or would the M 25-75 fair better in that situation you think? Cheers och ha det gött! :)

that 1x12 G65 sounded like the pefect classic rock tone to me

Yours is an interesting comparison, thanks. Nowadays, you don't have that dilemma anymore, as you have all the Creamback range (although a bit differently voiced), that allows you to go up to 65, 75 or even 90 Watts for the Alnico. In your example, I found the 75Hz Greenback a bit boxy. The 55hz is more woody and compares maybe better to the G12-65, which gives a very wide, versatile tone spectrum.

Like the 12-65’s better. I ran one of these in an oversized 1x12 with a 50 watt head for years and loved it. I wish I’d never sold that speaker cab.

I like both Johan! I really like the mids coming cleanly from the G12-65.

I own a 4x12 Marshall cabinet with those G12-65 from 1983 and it's the best cabinet I've ever had. I'm not a big fan of Greenbacks, they are too much scooped in the mids.

The 800 was voiced for the g 65 but love both g12m is awesome in a 4 12

The G12M-25's are fizzy for sure. I've got two of those in a 1965a with two G12H-30's that cover more of the bass. It's a nice combo but I would feel safer with higher rated speakers, plus the sound of that G12-65 isn't bad at all.

In this video the 65 was the clear winner.

Would a G12 50 be an in between sound ?

Ya, much different.... not sure I have a preference. I think if you want a vintage tone go with the 25W if you want a more "modern sound" go with the 65W.

The original Greenback G12M20 (my favourite speaker ever) in a 1x12 sounds amazing, but the G12M25 sounds too nasal. The G12-65 is a beast on 1x12 and 2x12 aplications.

The 65 wins for me. It’s my favourite speaker.

a useful comparison. I liked the 65 more.

That G12-65 had better clarity and definition to my ears, in this application, but there's something magical about the tonal characteristics of the greenback. When not pushed to their limits, they're just wonderful. So, better in multi-speaker cabinets, for sure. I did some tests of SPL/watts on a V30 recently. Interestingly, though it will certainly handle 65w, it's response is not accurately logarithmic. Predictably, at lower power, each doubling of watts produced a 3dB increase in SPL. Above about 20W, however, the response began to level off as the cone reached maximum excursion, resulting in a peak SPL that was significantly lower than would be calculated. Rated sensitivity was pretty close. This, I believe, is the main reason multiple speaker setups produce "louder" results. With all the speakers running in their more "linear" region, operating more efficiently, SPL can increase to a higher level with increasing power input. I'm now using 2x12 cabinets for my bigger amps now, and reserving the 1x12s for 15W and under. (My back appreciates that all the old 4x12s are now mere memories of my distant past...)

G12-65 takes this one imo, really meaty sounding here

I like the 65 and 80 speakers with low resonance cones. I tune down use fuzz pedals, so the higher power handling Celestion speakers work with more low end work better for my purposes. I use a pair of 2x12 cabs with a late 70's/early 80's G12-65 and 80 in each cab. In this test the 25 sounded like dog poo. Totally nasal with a crappy top end This test confirms my bias vs the 25 watt Celestion speaker. You are correct that a 30 with a 55Hz cone works better as a single speaker over a 25. Maybe hook that test up next.

g12-65 sounds way better in this a/b comparison. Harmonics stick out way more.

+1 on the 55hz G12H.

Hi, Johan! I like the 1983. 70-s is very nice as vintage gear, but reminds me the story, how THE BEATLES played in USA. A little weakness of the amp exist. See you! Zigfrid

Definitely G12-65. Greenback is much more squeaky.

Everybody knows the bass responce is much better in the 65w and sound,to me much better as a stand alone speaker. Thats ahy my fav comb is green back/ gh3012 you get the highs and the bottom end without sounding muddy. But my 40 watt combo is sporting a creamback 65 but that shill green back in the mix is what sounds good in a three piece

It's hard to beat Greenbacks when they're running in pairs or quartets. For single speakers I prefer EVs.

G12-65 .. Back in Black Speaker !!!!

Of course in a single speaker setup the most powerful one sounds better, it handles better the overall frequencies, so in this case, the 65 sounds better! Cheers!

G12-65 wins for me this time. Might be interesting to compare two greenbacks to the single g12-65?

Wow! I love them both, in different ways. Don't make me choose. Okay, maybe I like the 65 a little better.

all I thought about ''know sound'' was shatered... but please : provide a soution ?

Johan was looking deep into my eyes at the end Anyway g1265 is clear winner I don’t like the little ghost notes I get with greenbacks I still got them a little with g1265 but an improvement I don’t know why those little ghosts come and go but it gets on my nerves

I'd probably like a blend of both tones

In THIS test I prefer the G12-65. That is the first time I’ve ever said that. I still prefer Greenbacks in a 412.