Bassman Speaker Shootouts - Short-n-Sweet
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Hey gang! Some folks have mentioned that my comparison videos get a little long ... and that I talk too much. Why would anyone get that idea?? Anyway, I always aim to please, so this week the vids are short! As always, my videos are pure speaker tone comparisons - in other words they are not, I repeat, are NOT guitar playing demos! I ain’t trying to get a gig here, just show the tone of the speakers as purely as possible. As promised, you get to hear my beloved 1965 vintage blackface Fender Bassman Amp, and we will be comparing it’s awesome (and long out of production) vintage Fane speaker to several of WGS’s coolest models. One more quick note: the Bassman’s output tranny likes to see 4-ohms, so I had Dean and Wayne at WGS make me some 4-ohm versions of these speakers for this comparison. That’s a VERY COOL thing about WGS - they actually do custom work (as time allows). How many other speaker manufacturers do that? Ummm, none. Final note, on these short videos, I am (for the most part) not giving my opinion on the results of the shoot-outs. That’s where you come in! Please post your comments on which you thought were winners and losers! We’re big kids, we can take it. Oh, and just in case you can’t get enough of me - I posted links to long-form video comparisons at the end of this blog. Ready, set, let’s get started, READ ON!
I’ve got several weeks of WGS vs. WGS speaker shootouts "in the can" and ready to roll, but I’ll hold off on posting them for a few weeks, until the newsletter speaker video contest is over. It’ll be coming though, I promise! And, you’re gonna love it!
Now for those who just can’t get enough, here are those long-form video links I promised:
WGS Reaper vs. Vintage Fane 12" speaker
WGS G12C vs. Vintage Fane 12" speaker
WGS Veteran 30 vs. Vintage Fane 12" speaker
WGS ET65 vs. Vintage Fane 12" speaker
Let me know your thoughts on the comparisons, oh, and tell me if you prefer the long or short videos! You wish it and I’ll make it happen. Sign-in and comment away gang! -Vaughn-
- VAUGHN SKOW's blog
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Vaughan, excellent shootout on your Bassman. Short and to the point. The comparison was quite dramatic and I would have to agree that the ET65 sounds closest with the Veteran 30 bringing up a close second. Keep up the good work. Peter
Sorry but the Fane is starting to sound a little muddy. ALL the WGS speakers sounded brighter with ,what sounds like a better sensitivity level about 100-101dbs @1db at 1meter. they also had better string definition.
I liked the Reaper of the bunch you compared. It does match up well with a Fender for a British speaker. Which model was it? The low or high power... 55hz or 75hz?
Yes, I've always said that the Reaper has one foot on English soil, and one on American! It was a standard Reaper, except for the 4-ohm voice coil, which can also handle just a bit more that the standard Reapers 30-watts.
First Vaughn, thanks for the great demos! This was extremely helpful to me as I'm currently in the mkt for a couple spkeakers...one for my Blues Jr, and other for a 1x12 closed back cab to sit underneath my DRRI. As a couple folks noted already, I actually thought the WGS speakers sounded better in the longer versions of your demo....but I'm sure some people might think they sounded better in the shorter versions.
It's funny I started looking into WGS speakers a few weeks ago. Since then I've done a lot of research and listening online. I came out here thinking I was going to order a Vet 30 or possibly a Green Beret, but now I'm sold on the Reaper. Might sound crazy, but I think the 30 watt Reaper might sound great in my 15watt Blues Jr. Great overdrive and great clean tones, what more could you want? BTW - I really dig the vibe of the Fane's clean tone. I see why you like it so much.
Thanks again - very cool web site!
Dosn't sound crazy at all! The Reaper should be great in a Blues Jr ... much better than a Vet 30 or GB. I've owned several Blues Jr's ... folks always complain about them being overly bright (true!), part of that is attributed to the tiny particle board cab, but a big part is the stiff hard-paper speaker that comes stock. Same goes for the DRRI and it's POS re-issue Jensen - I've never owned a re-issue Deluxe Reverb, but I've heard many of them, and owned several vintage models. In the case of the Deluxe, I always recomend the ET65, which was pure magic in my original 65 Deluxe Reverb, but the Reaper would work well in the closed ext. cab, too. Let me know your results! -Vaughn-
I would have to agree with some of the others. The Fane, a true classic, should be retired. To some degree ALL of the WGS speakers out-perform the Fane. Most note-worthy are the Veteran ( a little brighter/defined) and the ET-65 (nearly identical, but still less murky, especially in the high mids). It's not always in our best interest to become attached to vintage equipment. I've found it usually breaks down at the worst possible moment.
Thanks again Vaughn for another great shoot-out. I don't think I heard a " bad" sounding speaker in the bunch. I did have some preferences. I thought the ET-65 sounded fantastic. The deep bass response gave the amp a fuller sounding character. That being said, I think it might have changed the character a little too much. In my opinion it shaved a little to much of the Fender chime off. For that reason I think the G12 it thie better match to bring out the Fender soul of the Bassman. And I thought I would say that I like the long-format videos. I like hearing Vaughn's impressions and opinions of the speakers, even when I don't feel the same way about the conclusions. I have ears, and I will decided my favorites based on those. But Vaughn has more experience with different amps and speakers than I do, so I like hearing what he has to say. Thanks again and keep up the great work.
All I can say is I'm digg'n it. I have an ET-65 & Vet 30 being shipped as I write this. And man this shoot-out proved I made the right decision. The fane does show a bit of age, but I do like that very broken in sound. But just think, if the WGS's were broken in how much better they would be. Good shoot-out, Vaughn. Keep em coming!
P.S. I watched the long form clips too. I like your ramblings. ;-)
I don't know what kind of speakers others listen to these clips through on their computers. I do know that I have a set of Altec Lansings ($180.00) that I listen through and I heard a completely different comparison from everyone else. In fact I would have to say that you should never do this comparison again. To me the Fane was so much clearer and articulate for the most part. The ET65 was the only one that held its own. On the clean side Vaughn was right it was almost identical but still fell a tick short on the dirty side. The Vet30 was 2nd but didn't do nearly the job the ET65 did of running with the Fane. For me the dirty side was where everyone fell short. It sounded like a blanket was thrown over the cab when the WGS stuff went to the dirty side compared to the Fane that remained clear and articulate through out. That said, I have been pondering what speakers I want and I think this is going to send me in the direction of the 2 ET65's for my 2x12 rec cab.
Thanks for the comments! Like I said, we’re big kids, and we can take it! You’re right, everybody’s ears and tastes are in fact a little different; teaching audio at a college for ten years sure taught me that! Do I agree with you ... yes and no. Yes, I agree that the ET65 most closely matched my old Fane, but no, I certainly don’t agree that the other speakers sounded "like a blanket was thrown over the cab". In fact, several of the WGS models sounded quite a bit brighter than the fane, the G12C in particular sounded brighter (chimier) and more "fenderesque" to me ... in fact, that’s the speaker I would pick if I was strictly going for Fender clean tones. Otherwise, I’ll probably stick with the Fane, a speaker I dearly love. However, those Fanes are tough to come by, and when you find one in good shape they generally fetch two hundred bucks or more, and to my ears, the $69 ET65 sounded very nearly as good ... clean or chrunchy! When it gets properly broken-in, I imagine it will only get better. I think you’ll be very happy with the ET65s.
Rob Price :The ET65 sounded great! My favorite speaker is a Fane AX150L in a Trinity Triwatt Combo, and if had to replace it, the ET65 or Reinharts Heavy Magnet Version, that you built would be top choices.
Sounds like your ears/tastes and mine are pretty similar. Thanks for the comment.
Wow, all of your comments have been very educational for me, and all of us here at WGS! Thanks. Possibly the best take-away is this: ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL! I guess that's why folks like Zakk Wylde like the massive brute-force of an EVM 12L, and others like the gentle sensitivity of a Black & Blue Alnico! That's also why WGS is here: to listen and to respond with home-grown, made in the USA speakers to satisfy every tonal palate. Here are a few more wildly varying comments, direct from my youtube channel:
I just watched the long videos on youtube of these comparisons. Now I'm willing to say I take back everything I said in my previous comments. The ET65 still comes out on top, but the other speakers sounded much better in the long videos of these comparisons. The Vet30 was off in clean but not as bad and was great on the dirty side. The reaper sounded better too. But my big dilemma is the G12C which to me sounded much better in the long version of the comparison. So now I'm still stuck between the G12c or the ET65. I play a Mark V Mesa, through a 2x12 rec cab and I love the SRV tone. My guitar is a G&L comanche which I love, it has a voice all its own. The problem is these comparison are so good I can not make up my mind. Maybe I should install one of each. Hmmm.
I can tell you take your tone very seriously; thanks for taking the time to continue your investigation and take a look at the longer videos! I will say this, I went through a serious SRV phase, and at the time I had, among other amps, a Mesa MK V and a MK IV, and neither could come close to the classic SRV tone. It was when I got my blackface Super Reverb that I just basically said "okay, done". That Bassman does pretty well at the SRV tone, too ... but the Super effortlessly nails it. I will say this, to my ears the problem with the Mesa was that is was just too stiff and sterile, I attribute this to it's massive filtering and solid-state rectification (and maybe the overly complex circuitry). So, having said this, I would suggest going with a speaker with as much touch sensetivety and early compression as possible if you're going for classic SRV tone - that'll help combat the Mesa's stiffness. So, in your unique situation, I'd say the Vet 30's or the G12's would be a good bet - the G12A's would be a very good choice if you can swing the bucks - Alnico ain't cheap! Thanks again -Vaughn-
I liked the sound of the Fane speaker, but you don't mention a model number. Is it alnico or ceramic?
Thanks.
Mark
The speaker shoutout comparing your beloved Fane speaker with WGS speaker was well done. I lean toward the G12C, with the ET65 a close second. It seems the G12C has a bit more sparkle to it and also a bit more bass. I am looking for that classic Fender chime, but still smooth and pleasant not shrill. I am seriously considering getting a G12C for my heavily modified Blues Jr. After building a much larger pine cabinet, and modifying several amp circuits, I have a much improved tone. However, I think the stock speaker is limiting the tone, and a WGS upgrade is the fix.
I do have a suggestion for you, if you don't mind. You mentioned that you plan to put the G12C in your Bassman amp. Perhaps, after you get the G12C broken in, you can do another comparison to the Fane to show how they compare? I for one would like to hear how they compare when the WGS is sounding at its best.
Thanks, Allen
Hey Allen! Good start with the cabinet, but ... Oh my gosh, yes, that stock speaker is limiting the tone!! The G12 should be great. I'll try to post some results on several WGS models after they get well played-in, thanks for the suggestion.
Hay Vaughan.
Great vid's as always and great line up.
That Fane is great however I am going with the g12c as #1 it was realy dynamic in the top and bottom and just sounded full rich and sparkley and #2 the fane or the et65 both great and very close but the fane is a little smoother .
With a little more break in time on the et65 you won't have to worry if the fane goes out on you .
Please sir give us more (videos) great job!!!!!!!!!!!
As for the others they each have their place and sound great but I think the fane won out over them in this vid.
Thank's again.
These are good examples, as are many of the rest of your videos. They are quite helpful!
I personally prefer shorter videos that are to the point, with less talking. The above videos are perfect in this regard.
Now, to make your life more difficult... There is good stand alone tone, and tone that sits well in the mix. Often, these two tones are not interchangeable. A good stand alone tone can get lost in the mix, and a tone that sits well in the mix can be harsh and irritating by itself. If it were possible to demo the tones of different speakers in the context of a mix, that would help give the ultimate practical example of how they function.
As I was watching the above vids, I couldn't help but think I like the stand alone tone of the WGS speakers, every time. But I also wondered if the Fane would sit in the mix better, delivering the essence of the tone we come to expect from a Fender product in that context.
Eh, seems like a reasonable suggestion, even if it isn't doable on your end.
Thanks!
I'm putting together one of these combos for myself and trying to figure out which speaker. I preferred the ET65 on crunch and the G12C on leans to edge of distortion though it seems a little hot in the high frequencies. Was the bright switch on the whole time in the clean channel? Any plans add the G12A and Blackhawk (not HP) to the comparison? What about a Retro 30 and an Invader 50? I'd really like to hear these as well...
Wow ... this is from a blog that's like a decade old! Anyway, I do still have that 1x12 Bassman combo. Considering putting the Bassman back in the head and selling the 1x12 combo cab if you are interested :-)
Over the years, the two solid winners in that have been the original Fane that I had in it and the WGS Blackhawk ... I know ... both quite expensive speakers!
In the under $100 range, the ET65 has proven to be the clear winner.