Are V30s Magic or is PGS Andy?

[Dave_Mc]

Possibly, but it's very expensive. The H30 is much more vintage-voiced than the V30, better for clean tones, and about the same price as the V30.

You could try a Classic Lead 80 if you want the chunky tone of the V30 but cleaner and with more top end - it's like the G12H-30 but a bit tighter and more modern-sounding. It's also the same price as the V30 I think.

+1- i'd say either the g12h30 or classic lead have better cleans than the v30. the very strident mids of the v30 (plus that rolled-off high end) make cleans a bit meh with it, if you ask me.

classic lead is a good call for better cleans than the v30 while still being able to handle the heavy stuff.

that being said, i'm not fussed on the anniversary g12h30. it has a very hard edge (might go when it's broken in better, might not) that i'm not sure i like. It sounds pretty good combined with a greenback, but on its own, I'm not too keen on it. I much prefer my heritage 55Hz g12h30s- but they're very dear (i got a good deal on a laney lionheart cab with them, i didn't buy them at retail prices!).

For a tone not too far off the heritage one, I really like the tayden great brit- allowing for the fact the great brit is 75Hz (so it's a bit tighter and punchier), i thought it sounded very, very close to my heritage g12h30s (far closer than the anniversary g12h30), while being a similar price to the chinese g12h30. I could see how some people might find it a little thin and fizzy, though (I don't mind fizz).

EDIT: usual caveats apply regarding my advice, though- the speakers probably aren't broken in yet, and i'm only playing at (loudish) home volume levels.

[octatonic]

I mix my V30's with Alnico Golds.
They blend very well and it deals effectively with the spikiness you get with V30's with some amps when run clean.
It seems to me that each speaker compensates for the others deficiencies.

I've tried V30's alone (too harsh) and Gold's alone (too chimey) but together they kick monstrous butt.

[monquixote]

I mix my V30's with Alnico Golds.
They blend very well and it deals effectively with the spikiness you get with V30's with some amps when run clean.
It seems to me that each speaker compensates for the others deficiencies.

I've tried V30's alone (too harsh) and Gold's alone (too chimey) but together they kick monstrous butt.

Alas my amp is but a 1x12

[ICBM]

I mix my V30's with Alnico Golds.
They blend very well and it deals effectively with the spikiness you get with V30's with some amps when run clean.
It seems to me that each speaker compensates for the others deficiencies.

I've tried V30's alone (too harsh) and Gold's alone (too chimey) but together they kick monstrous butt.

Exactly. I have the same combination in my Mesa Trem-o-verb.

In a 1x12" if you want to get into that ballpark the G12H-30 (Heritage if you can afford it - although the Anniversary sounds pretty good after it's been broken in) is the way to go for <30W amps, and probably the Classic Lead for bigger ones. They both have the low-end chunk of the V30 but the cleaner mids and brighter top-end of the Gold. (Sort of! )

[Misty]

Dr Z supplies the G12H30 as a stock speaker with his Maz 38 combo. The Maz is a loud 38 watt amp, but both Dr Z and Humbucker Music in the US have assured me that the G12 can handle it. If I wanted to cart a 2x12 around I'd probably go for the V30/Gold combination, but for a 1x12 the Gold on its own, (despite, I agree, being a bit too chimey at times), is my current preference.

[ICBM]

I agree that the H30 is a tough speaker and can take a bit more than its rated power - more so than most of the other models.

You have to be careful not to read too much into "you can drive them with a --watt amp and they're fine" though - it depends a lot on the type of amp. A typical cathode-biased 4-EL84 amp is less hard on speakers than a fixed-bias EL34 amp of the same rated power, for example... because a cathode-bias amp is much more compressed after it reaches clipping, so the final maximum power is lower than in a fixed-bias amp.

A good example of this is that two Celestion Blues (15W each) are safe in a Vox AC30 (30W, or sometimes rated as 33W) but not in a Marshall Bluesbreaker (also 30W). They may be the same rated power clean, but the Marshall puts out a lot more at full tilt.

[ricpic]

I agree that the H30 is a tough speaker and can take a bit more than its rated power - more so than most of the other models.

You have to be careful not to read too much into "you can drive them with a --watt amp and they're fine" though - it depends a lot on the type of amp. A typical cathode-biased 4-EL84 amp is less hard on speakers than a fixed-bias EL34 amp of the same rated power, for example... because a cathode-bias amp is much more compressed after it reaches clipping, so the final maximum power is lower than in a fixed-bias amp.

A good example of this is that two Celestion Blues (15W each) are safe in a Vox AC30 (30W, or sometimes rated as 33W) but not in a Marshall Bluesbreaker (also 30W). They may be the same rated power clean, but the Marshall puts out a lot more at full tilt.

ok, completely dont understand this watts/power/loudness thing, please direct me to where i can get it explained to me, (sorry for hijack)

[monquixote]

ok, completely dont understand this watts/power/loudness thing, please direct me to where i can get it explained to me, (sorry for hijack)

Even if you understand it the wattages quoted by amp manufacturers are completely meaningless.

Some amp wattages are quoted as max clean output so completely cranked and distorting they are outputting loads more (for example AC30). Many solid state amps are quoted as the wattage when they are about to catch fire and sound awful

Also many of them are just plain wrong.

[Dave_Mc]

although the Anniversary sounds pretty good after it's been broken in

yeah i don't really want to discount it in case it sounds way better once it's broken in. Also I'm kinda hoping they do sound better when broken in, because if i ever do get round to swapping out two of the v30s in my laney 4x12, i'm not sure what else to pair with them

as i said, though, to my ears anyway, the tayden great brit is worth considering for an approximation of the heritage g12h30 tone at the normal anniversary price.

[bertie]

The H30 is much more vintage-voiced than the V30, better for clean tones,

see now in a Matamp First Lady I had, I found completely the opposite.....thought the H30 was a bit dark lacked clarity ?... that may be down to the amp/speaker combo I guess

I have a V30 in my chub, which I love - but Id like to try an H30 again - but it would need to be a 'loaner' as I dont have the disposable to pay for a newy