Speakers for PRS Archon 50/25

[James martin]

I just purchased a new PRS Archon 50/25 head. I need to pair it with some speakers. I have a Marshall 2x12 cabinet (MDF with crappy speakers). I want to replace them. Vintage 30? Greenbacks? Creambacks? I play rock/hard rock.

 

[andy474x]

I would give a look to the WGS Retro 30.

 

[RickP]

Greenbacks/Creambacks lean more classic rock, V30s are more modern toned by design. You’ll hear people who love or hate both, but I can assure you you’ve heard Greenbacks and V30s on more rock records than you can count!

Speaker choices abound these days and you’d benefit by going to hear as many as you can. Here is Celestion’s speaker upgrade page, to give you a few ideas: https://celestion.com/upgrade/

Another way to go, if you don’t have access to a place with a good selection of speakers is to go look up what’s in the speaker cabinets of guitarists whose tone you really like. The whole signal chain matters in that equation, but having the same speakers is a good start!

 

[Deleted member 5962]

If the cab is an inexpensive one, I wouldn’t go too primo on speakers. I’m not going to suggest Scumbacks or an EVL. I’d go with Andy’s suggestion of a Retro 30 or an ET65 or one of each.

 

[SteelHorse]

It you have the cabinet I am thinking you do I have one with a Creamback65 in the top and a V-type in the bottom. Killer combination for a hard rock Dead Daisies type of tone. I’m running a DSL20HR for my amp though.

 

[Deleted member 5962]

It you have the cabinet I am thinking you do I have one with a Creamback65 in the top and a V-type in the bottom. Killer combination for a hard rock Dead Daisies type of tone. I’m running a DSL20HR for my amp though.

This would be the cousin of my Zbest, which has aV30 and a Warehouse ET65. Zbest is a BEAST of a cab though! But I like the V30 type/ high power greenback type mix.

 

[John]

I'm consistently a fan of the V-30's be it for rock/hard rock or metal. I use mine through a MESA cab that comes stock with V-30's and it has this rich 3d tone that's become my gold standards of sorts. This goes for both my old 50 and my 100w Archons.


ie:

 

[andy474x]

I'm consistently a fan of the V-30's be it for rock/hard rock or metal. I use mine through a MESA cab that comes stock with V-30's and it has this rich 3d tone that's become my gold standards of sorts. This goes for both my old 50 and my 100w Archons.


ie:

This is a great nod to V30’s, but worth noting that Mesa uses an exclusive UK made version of the V30 that is not the same as most other V30’s. The Mesa V30’s have a broader midrange emphasis, and a little less fizz. I think they sound significantly better with some PRS amps (especially the Archon/MT15) than a “standard” Chinese made V30.

All that to say, if you go for V30’s, think about getting the Mesa exclusive model - Mesa sells their version online for not much more than the regular version, and very worth it.

 

[Mattldm]

I didn’t know they sold them separately but that makes sense. Also their grill cloth is supposed to do something to the sound also which gives Mesa cabs a distinct tone overall. I’ve owned Mesa and non Mesa v30 speaker cabs, and the difference in the sound is not subtle. The Mesa cabs sound darker and thicker than the Randal cab with the Chinese v30

This is a great nod to V30’s, but worth noting that Mesa uses an exclusive UK made version of the V30 that is not the same as most other V30’s. The Mesa V30’s have a broader midrange emphasis, and a little less fizz. I think they sound significantly better with some PRS amps (especially the Archon/MT15) than a “standard” Chinese made V30.

All that to say, if you go for V30’s, think about getting the Mesa exclusive model - Mesa sells their version online for not much more than the regular version, and very worth it.

 

[Ascension]

I would give a look to the WGS Retro 30.

Agreed. I own both a Archon 50 head and a MT 15 head and they both seem to like the WGS Retro 30 a lot in particular in an open back cab.
Here is the MT 15 at my church running a miced 1/12 off stage loaded with a Retro 30.

 

[Ascension]

This would be the cousin of my Zbest, which has aV30 and a Warehouse ET65. Zbest is a BEAST of a cab though! But I like the V30 type/ high power greenback type mix.

Ran my old 80's Fender 2/12 with my MT 15 head a few times loaded with a WGS Retro 30 on top and a ET 90 on the bottom and that combo sounded very nice. I also like the Archon with Celestian GT12 75's a lot in a closed back larger cab for a more punchy classic hard arena rock to 80's metal tone .

 

[Boogie]

If the cab is an inexpensive one, I wouldn’t go too primo on speakers. I’m not going to suggest Scumbacks or an EVL. I’d go with Andy’s suggestion of a Retro 30 or an ET65 or one of each.

Couldn’t have said it better myself.

Just skulk about on CL or FB marketplace in your area for an old 1960a/b cab then go hog wild on the speakers.

 

[Deleted member 5962]

Ran my old 80's Fender 2/12 with my MT 15 head a few times loaded with a WGS Retro 30 on top and a ET 90 on the bottom and that combo sounded very nice. I also like the Archon with Celestian GT12 75's a lot in a closed back larger cab for a more punchy classic hard arena rock to 80's metal tone .

I've wanted to try the ET90 and bet that is a good combo.

 

[Ascension]

I've wanted to try the ET90 and bet that is a good combo.

The ET 90 is a little darker than the ET 65 and less efficient. I have a ET 90 I just dropped into my cab for Church today that I had been running in my 25 watt Zinky Blue Velvet as well as in my Fender 2/12 ( which now has a set of Celestian early 90's GT12/75's in it). I would run the 65 with a MT 15 instead of a ET 90 just to get a little more sparkle on the top and the quicker response as the MT 15 is a darker amp. I will run the ET 90 with the MT 15 just because I already had one on hand plus our sound guy likes to run the EQ to the FOH a little on the thin side so--.

 

[TroyBaer]

I would go with Vintage 30s or something similar (e.g. Eminence Governors or WGS Retro 30s).

With my Archon 50 head, I use a PRS SE 2x12 cab and a Port City Wave 2x12. I recently switched the Port City cab from an Emi Governor/Wizard mix to two Governors. The Wizard is super efficient, super loud, super bright, and a bit scooped, whereas the Governor sounds more or less like a broken-in V30 (i.e. it has less of that new-V30 upper mid honk). The resulting change to my Port City was to make it a tiny bit quieter, less bright, and more focused in the mids.

 

[boardn10]

This is a great nod to V30’s, but worth noting that Mesa uses an exclusive UK made version of the V30 that is not the same as most other V30’s. The Mesa V30’s have a broader midrange emphasis, and a little less fizz. I think they sound significantly better with some PRS amps (especially the Archon/MT15) than a “standard” Chinese made V30.

All that to say, if you go for V30’s, think about getting the Mesa exclusive model - Mesa sells their version online for not much more than the regular version, and very worth it.

I have all versions of V30, China, UK and Mesa and the difference is so minor that I can't hear a difference in a band setting. Maybe a touch more clarity and cut with some. The Mesa version can sound dead and flat if you aren't careful.

Mesa cabs to me have always sounded a bit flat and dead. I love Bogner cabs, Splawn, Marshall, Orange, Diezel and a few others.

My Splawn with V30/Redbacks will do anything from classic rock and blues to Slayer and Slipknot.