1966b

Our good friends at Celestion International submitted a pair of their new Gold Series 12” speakers for review this month. The new 50-watt Alnico magnet speakers represent the latest in a line of legendary tones from a company that has had a significant impact on the history of guitar tone. We head off to the Tone Chamber to check out the latest in precious metal.


Installation
Talk about a pawnshop prize! I found a somewhat vintage ‘80s Marshall 1966B 2x12 cab at a pawn shop in Arlington, TX that was unloaded. This is the definition of a perfect score. I have owned another 1966B cab for years, loaded with standard 75-watt stock Celestions, which I use in smaller venues. I really like these cabs, as they are small and lightweight but punchy. Of course, these cabs are somewhat of a rare creature – they are square, not rectangular like the new style of Marshall 2x12 cabs. Needless to say, what an ideal home for a pair of Gold Series speakers.

Upon receiving the cab via UPS, I installed the two Gold Series speakers to the straight baffle cab. I prefer straight front cabs as opposed to angled, as I believe you get a bit more bottom end thump from straight baffled cabs. With the two cabs, I had a convenient way to A/B the new Gold Series 12s with the stock 75-watt 12s. We were wired for sound and ready to rock.


Sound Check
For testing purposes, I utilized a ‘80s JCM 800 Model 2205 two-channel, 50-watt head and set aside a ‘74 Les Paul Custom Black Beauty as well as a late ‘80s butterscotch Tele. I first plugged into the 2x12 cab with stock Celestions. Of course I am a fan of these speakers, but I wanted to refresh my memory of the tone of this original cab. More importantly, I wanted to provide an A/B comparison with the cab loaded with the “precious metal” Gold speakers.

In firing up the Marshall JCM 800, it was an instant reminder of the legendary tone of rock n’ roll – a Les Paul into a Marshall, out to a Celestion-loaded cab. The overdrive tone was big and ballsy, fat and warm with of course the gritty, throaty midrange that is the signature combination of tone. After throwing down for about 10 minutes, it was time to fire up the cab with the gold.

By simply re-routing the speaker output cable to the Gold Series cab, I could honestly hear the difference on the very first power chord. In a nutshell ... warmer! I noticed a tighter and punchier low-mid growl and, to my ears, a smoother midrange response. However, all of the topend bite and sizzle that Celestion is known for remains present and accounted for. Overall, the Gold Series speakers seemed more musical to me, with richer harmonic overtones. I also noticed a bit more volume, probably due to the 100db sensitivity rating of these speakers.