4 x 12 thinking GB's or Reapers with ...
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Long story short, I had an injury in the late 90's that left me with some nerve damage in my left (fretting) hand. I got frustrated and quit playing. Sold most but not all of my gear. Bought a Peavey Valveking combo in 07 or 08 to try and start playing again but never really did until a few months ago. Just replaced the speaker in the VK combo with a Veteran 30. Worthwhile upgrade.I did keep my 5150. Just recently dusted it off, did some repairs and retubed. Bought a used 4 x 12 cab and I need speakers for it. Play mostly blues, blue-rock (yes, through the 5150). I can only go by online clips but I'm really liking the Green Beret or the Reaper ... but not for all 4 speakers. I rarely used the lead channel of the 5150, and when I did it was gained down, but still wondering how well the GB's will hold together. I'm understanding that the Reapers dont break up as early. I'm torn between them right now but maybe the Reapers are better choice? What to pair either the GB's or Reapers with? Seems like the ET65 is a frequent recommendation for both Reaper and GB. Any opinions on pairing with Veteran 30's? I'm liking the V30 in the combo but cant find any online video/audio pairing the V30's with either GB or Reaper. If anyone knows of a link, I'd appreciate that too.Open to suggestions and even arm twisting. Thanks
Congrats on getting back into playing! Best of luck to ya.
I just spent some time with an early (signature model) 5150 ... as one came to my shop for repair ... it just left last night! I liked it so much I almost let dude sell it to me :-). Some findings:
The "resonance" control can REALLY crank in some full-stack thump even at low volumes ... cool! Most 100-watt+ amps suck at low volume.
The "Crunch" sounded VERY JTM-45-ish.
The Lead channel sounded VERY JCM-900-ish.
All in all ... a fantastic amp for the Marshall lover.
Now ... for speakers ... If your cab is a full big-box (Marshall 1960 size) cab ... then 4 GB's would sound excellent ... but ... I wouldn't trust four of them with a 120-watt head if you EVER plan to use all that power!
I also wouldn't suggest Reapers ... the bottom end could get too overwhelming in a 4x12 with that amp.
What I would suggest: either all Invaders (VERY GB voiced) ... or ... 2 Invaders over 2 Vet 30s.
Hi Vaughn.Thanks for the reply. Yep, the 5150 does have a big bottom. It is a larger cabinet, around Marshall 1960 sized. But I guess I'm gonna find out if the Reapers low end get's overwhelming in that cab. I ruled out the GB's preferring the extra top end of the Reapers. I spoke with Daniel earlier this morning about a compliment to a pair of Reapers. I was going back and forth between Vets and 65's. He suggested the Vets so I purchased the Reapers and Veterans this morning. I did mention the 5150's string low end and it was a consideration in deciding between Vets and the ET65's but I didnt think about the Reapers low end. I guess I could do a quick listen to some Invader clips and call in and change the order. Or, give it a try and see how it goes. Hmmmm.
Hey Vaughn. Just an update to my first reply to you. I listened to some sound clips of the Invader. To my ears the Invader sounds like it falls between the Green Beret and the Reaper. Not quite as much mid bark as the GB but not quite as much sparkle up top as the Reaper. Should be a good compromise in order to not end up with an overwhelming bottom end with the amp and cab. I had received a shipping notice with tracking number before being able to call to try and change the order. I left a message and shipping department (manager I believe) promptly called me back and happily changed the order from two Reapers to the two Invaders. I'm bad with names and forgot her's already but she was great to deal with Anyway, following your advice here and going with two Vet 30's and the two Invaders. Looking forward to getting them. I'll update. Thanks.
"To my ears the Invader sounds like it falls between the Green Beret and the Reaper"
Exactly!
Hey Vaughn.Just an update. Drivers aren't broken in yet but you nailed it with the Invaders and Veterans for that 4x12 with my 5150. The bottom end is big but it's tight and controlled. There is more high end sparkle than I expected, which is a real good thing. I had one of the Veteran 30's in the Valveking 112 combo and it was a big upgrade from the muddy stock speaker. There was a significant gain in clarity with the Veteran but I still felt it was a little warm. But the Veteran/Invader combo in the 4X12 is a different story. It's not an overly bright combination, not ice picky, but plenty of energy and sparkle up top to suit me. It's middy, which is what I was looking for, but a real well balanced combination. I think the Reapers would have not only made it too bottom heavy as you warned about but maybe too bright for my liking as well. You done good my friend. I replaced the Veteran in the Valveking combo with a Retro and as subjective as tone may be, the Retro is just a flat out killer match for that amp. Thanks for the speaker demo videos and the advice you provide here. It's been invauable and I appreciate it. The rest of the folk at WGS treated me real right as well. I'll be back for more. Thanks again.