PRS Speakers - mystique dispelled?

[Boogie]

In typical PRS fashion, there are oodles of rumors about the brands and models of speakers they use in the variety of cabs they offer. Celestion, WGS, etc. Does anyone have any specifics?

 

[WEDGE]

vintage 30 Celestions in my paisley 2x12

 

[themike]

You can't really have a speaker secret unless you design the speaker yourself so all the info should be on the cabinet product page.

"The 2x12 Cabinet features Celestion Vintage 30's and the 4x10 Cabinet features Celestion G10 Greenback speakers."

 

[Boogie]

You can't really have a speaker secret unless you design the speaker yourself so all the info should be on the cabinet product page.

"The 2x12 Cabinet features Celestion Vintage 30's and the 4x10 Cabinet features Celestion G10 Greenback speakers."

Well, that's not exactly the case. The Vintage 30 is the perfect case in point because there are 3 versions of this speaker with similar/same labels and names but made in different plants with different respective tones. Marshall started the craze with a unique design that they sent to Celestion for production. This became the G12H30 "reissue" for the 4001 and was a hit, but because it was proprietary to Marshall, Celestion deviated slightly from the design to create the V30.

Today, V30s are made in two locations, England and China. For example, the private labeled V30s for Mesa/Boogie's version is made in England exclusively. The V30s in many other brand cabs are from China and sound different to my ears. I've not disassembled my pine 2x12 to check out the point of origin. Anyone done this?

On at least the Sweet16 combo, I've seen this loaded with a 'specially voiced' WGS ET65 speaker. Proprietary? Different doping? Is it found in any other application? I'm willing to bet PRS didn't just slap arbitrary speakers into their otherwise carefully designed cabs.

 

[themike]

Ah you learn everything day. I knew that question wasn't as simple as I perceived haha

 

[Boogie]

Dude, this is nerd-central around here. My post was more or less troll-bait. But I'd seriously like to know.

 

[László]

Very good question...I'm curious too...I haven't gotten into the PRS cabs yet....although I've played through a PRS cab before...reminded me of a Mesa....my cabinet of choice is a Mesa recto 2x12 loaded with v30's...I currently have two of these and they flat out rip...I run my Recording Amp through one of these... I also have v30's in my Rivera's as well. The subtleties are interesting...it's always hard to know how much is the speaker or the cab...or simply which speakers are broken in better.

I forgot that you have the recto 212s, same as me...they're nice cabs, I think, and they do work well with the PRS amps. Actually...they work nicely with a lot of amps, I've been using Mesa cabs for a long time, though I do want to try a PRS cab. I suspect I'll like both!

The 410 PRS cab also looks very sweet; another one I'd like to check out.

Too much stuff, too little time and money! LOL

 

[justmund]

Well, that's not exactly the case. The Vintage 30 is the perfect case in point because there are 3 versions of this speaker with similar/same labels and names but made in different plants with different respective tones. Marshall started the craze with a unique design that they sent to Celestion for production. This became the G12H30 "reissue" for the 4001 and was a hit, but because it was proprietary to Marshall, Celestion deviated slightly from the design to create the V30.

Today, V30s are made in two locations, England and China. For example, the private labeled V30s for Mesa/Boogie's version is made in England exclusively. The V30s in many other brand cabs are from China and sound different to my ears. I've not disassembled my pine 2x12 to check out the point of origin. Anyone done this?

On at least the Sweet16 combo, I've seen this loaded with a 'specially voiced' WGS ET65 speaker. Proprietary? Different doping? Is it found in any other application? I'm willing to bet PRS didn't just slap arbitrary speakers into their otherwise carefully designed cabs.

We even clone them in Australia!

http://www.melbournemusiccentre.com.au/product/lorantz-12-30w-8ohm-speaker-56857

 

[László]

BTW it always amazes me how people don't take their cab and speaker selection seriously enough...it can make or break your sound....I love trying different combinations out...no two cabs are the same...the Mesa cabs i have are consistent but not 100% the same and each imparts its own unique flavor.

Well you know me...I actually screw around with finding the best individual speaker in a cab to mic up for recording, so...I am that fussy!

 

[Boogie]

I, too, have used Mesa cabs for many years and only experimented with changing speakers a few times. Granted, mine are quite a bit older than most and aren't loaded with V30s, but they've been great companions for a couple decades plus. And until I played the combination of a PRS head thru a PRS 2x12 cab with V30s did I appreciate that speaker. With my previous amps, it just didn't mesh with my music. Changing the speakers to WGS ET65 and Veteran 30 made a huge difference and was my go-to cab until recently. Whatever PRS did differently works really well for me. And when I play the old Boogie cab side-by-side with the 2x12 pine, the PRS cab sounds SO much better to me now. That's why I bought the matched amp/cab set.

 

[John Price]

I had the Mesa 2x12 rectifier cab for years but after hearing the PRS 2x12 I mediately sold the mesa....... Just sounded more like my old Marshall 4x12 cab.

 

[Boogie]

I really agree with that statement. And believe it or not, I think the thicker jute speaker covering works as a beam blocker, of sorts. And it may also be a factor of amp selection, but I don't have any harsh, ice pick sonic laser beams any more. Our other guitarist, sporting his Marshall DSL40 combo, OTOH, is not so lucky. My Boogie MkIII even sounds better. (crud, did I just say that??!!)

 

[andy474x]

Do you guys have the bigmouth/deep 2x12's, or the shallower 2x12's?

I'll save everyone the SE ramblings, since that's the cab I have, I just want to say, I think the bigmouth design is SO spot on. I can hardly touch my 1x12 cab or 1x12 combo, and I had even tried a 2x12 Orange cab... the tone of the bigmouth design just sounds a lot better to me.

That being said, I would really like to get my hands on the PRS 4x10 sometime... just for kicks...

 

[Boogie]

Mine is the standard depth 2x12 pine cab. The Bigmouth sounded so close to my old Boogie 2x12s. They sound huge, but I preferred the standard cab in my application. For modern rock/metal apps, the Bigmouth rocks.

 

[zebraprs]

I have both cabs and they sound great in a lot of different applications. When I open them up.. the V30s installed are made in China. but they also have been modded to reduce the doping. From what I understand, PRSh likes the tone better without the doping..
The 10" Celestions are Made in England.
The "30" combo has the WGS ET65 speaker