Speaker suggestions for my Express 5:25 1 x 10

[jpotts05]

Hi All,

Thinking about swapping out the stock speaker in my Express 5:25 1 x 10 and was looking for suggestions. After reading many of the other posts, here on some of the specs to help you help me:

- I'm a big Dead/Phish fan, and while I'm not trying to replicate that sound per se, we play many of those tunes in our band - along with Stones, Sublime etc.
- My favorite guitar player is Jimmy Herring. I love his overdrive creamy/crunch sound. Not too obtrusive, but with just the right amount of grit.
- I play a PRS SE Soapbar II Maple, modded with P90 Seymour Duncan Antiquities.
- I don't use very many effects - I want to use the burn channel for any OD/Dist, but I do own a Q Tron Plus for that Garcia mutron sound.
- I've replaced the stock tubes with a kit from Dougs and use Mullard EL84s for the power tubes.

It's so tough trying to describe the sound I want, but it amounts to smooth and creamy with some dirt mixed in. I like the amp the way it is now, but am always on the tweak ya know?

So feel free to chime in! Love the advice. Soundchaser - you out there?

Joel

 

[tonejam]

Smooth and creamy? Can mean different things to different people, but I put an alnico Weber Blue Pup in mine, and I'm very happy with it. If it had been available at the time, I may have opted for a Celestion Gold. Heard very good things about them, although they're apparently very expensive.

 

[Cobralust]

I swapped mine out for a Weber ceramic blue dog & sounds pretty good to my ears.

 

[Pappy]

I opted for the Celestion AlNiCo gold G-10 to replace the stocker Eminence 10".
The difference is amazing. My band members noticed something different the first time we played after install without me even telling them about the change. Been sticking w/ my R Cray MIM atrist model strat and it sounds great. Oodles of tastey Texas Strat tone. Punchy and crisp. In your face. Kick ***!
The G-10 was pricey, but worth it.

 

[THE TUBENATOR]

Joel, have you considered an extension cab? I have read posts on this board from members who have 1x12 or 2x12 extension cabs that they love and are easily portable. That option also gives you the freedom to continue to use your stock speaker plus the extension or just the extension or just the stock speaker. I have the 5:50 head with a Stiletto 4x12 cab and I think I have finally come to the realization that when I want to go to my buddy's house and play it sure would be nice to have a small cab that I can just carry in one hand and the head in the other! Even though I would like another 4x12 cab, I now realize that I should first invest in a "portable" cab! Because of this, I now find myself looking though old posts from members I trust, to learn of the preferred portable cabs available on the market. I thought I would share this thought with you.

Just a thought.
Al

 

[jpotts05]

Thanks for the suggestions all. I like the idea of an extension cab, but what the form factor of the 5:25 combo was one of its selling points for me as space is at a premium in my house. My Mom always said listen to my Grand Pappy, so I've asked Santa for the Celestion G10 Gold for X-mas. Hoping he comes through.

 

[FXR]

They make the matching cabinet I recnetly found out. Mesa Boogie Express 19 60W 1x12 Guitar Speaker Cabinet. So, same footprint, a little taller.

After shopping it, it's well worth the price. You can save a few bucks after market, but you lose the footprint and the Mesa 1/4 stack originality. You might have to special order one and wait though.

As for the 10", I have read of several folks going with the Alnico Gold 10. http://professional.celestion.com/guitar/products/alnico/detail.asp?ID=33

 

[soundchaser59]

The alnico G10 Gold is absolutely awesome. (and I do NOT like Celestion speakers, so that is worth a nickel!) If you dont do metal and you want smooth and creamy, you wont be disappointed. The only catch-22 with the G10 Gold is it is such a unique sound, if you start adding on other speakers/cabs, you will need to have G10 Golds in everything if you want consistency from one speaker to the next. Nothing else sounds like it, you have to dial in your settings specifically for that speaker, but once you dial it in you wont want to put your guitar down! Make sure you install it with kid gloves, it's a tight fit and the basket is not the same gauge metal as a Tone Tubby would be. If I remember correctly, I got mine to fit with the reverb tank still in place. Alnico is not (imo) a high-gain type of speaker, and I got my sweetest results using alnico G10 Gold when I put lower gain preamp tubes in. I think I may have had all 5751's in, with a 12AU7 (ECC82?) in the P.I. slot. But man it sure sounded like (brown?) sugar when I cranked it.

 

[Pappy]

jpotts05 - You won't be disappointed with the G-10.
We played an out door festival 2 Saturdays ago and I showed up w/ my trusty Celestion G-10 equipped 5:25. Mic'ed for an out door venue of course.
I used my Baja Players Tele, and man it sounded great!
Even some of the guitar players from the other bands playing there came over to see what I had under the hood. Got some compliments from the audience on my tone, too. Whether I'm using humbuckers, P-90's, or single coils, with a few minor tweaks of the amps controls I can get the tone I'm looking for. I really love my little 5:25 w/ the G-10!

 

[jpotts05]

C'mon Santa, don't let me down! Papa needs a new 10" speaker!

Love all the feedback folks! Thanks for making me feel so welcome in this forum. Happy Holidays to all!

 

[jpotts05]

Is it wrong to check the CC online statement to see if the G10 will be under the tree this year? Will this put me in bad standing with Mr. Claus?

 

[edward]

OK, you guys are killin me with teh talk of the AlnicoGold. I like my speaker, ok! It sounds great, so cut it out!!

...but, um, just for the sake of "conversation" mind you, how would you compare the tonal differences between the stock Mesa 10 and this Celestion? Details? Do tell....

Edward

 

[fridlmhupa]

if you don´t want to spend much money , the jensen P10R is
a good start into the world of Speaker swapping.
I like that speaker!

 

[jpotts05]

edward - I'm probably not the best person to poll regarding this as this is my first tube amp - hence my first speaker swap/comparison as well. That being said, and with the G10 right out of the box and not broken in, the one thing that has really jumped out at me is increase in clarity and definition. Very crisp. I'll post more findings later.

 

[edward]

edward - I'm probably not the best person to poll regarding this as this is my first tube amp - hence my first speaker swap/comparison as well. That being said, and with the G10 right out of the box and not broken in, the one thing that has really jumped out at me is increase in clarity and definition. Very crisp. I'll post more findings later.

...yes, please do.

With "clarity and definition" do you mean to say better individual note differentiation? And with regard to the bottom end, mids, and highs, how would you compare between the two speakers?

My "problem" is that I have grown to really like the stock spkr, not only on its own, but especially in tandem with my EVM-loaded Thiele cab. But either way, I dig it and have grown to really appreciate its own voice that it brings to the table (especially in contrast to my DC5 which is is markedly different with 6L6s and the MC90 spkr). Now all of this love for the G10 now has me thinking ...I hate it when that happens

Edward