5 Guitar Speakers Compared in the Same Amp: Which One Wins?
How much does your speaker actually shape your tone? The honest answer is: more than most players realise. Pickups, pedals, and amps get most of the attention, but the speaker is the last thing your signal passes through before it becomes actual sound in the room. Swap it and everything changes. Landon tested five completely different speakers in the same amp, same guitar, same settings, to find out exactly what each one does and which one came out on top. One result genuinely surprised him. A rep from one of the speaker companies showed up in the comments with a response.
The Test Setup
| Amp | 25-watt tube combo |
| Guitar | Heritage H-535 |
| Microphone | Royer R10 ribbon, same placement for all tests |
| Recording chain | Unchanged across all 5 tests |
| Variable | Speaker only |
The 5 Speakers
Celestion Vintage 30
British / RockThe Vintage 30 is in more rock and metal cabinets than any other speaker on the market. It has punchy mids, a tight low end, and a slight forward aggression in the upper frequencies that helps it cut through a loud mix. If you are tracking guitars for rock or want a record-ready tone straight out of the amp, the V30 delivers immediately. It is less forgiving for clean tones and players who prefer a smoother, less hyped character may find it too sharp.
Celestion Creamback
British / VintageThe Creamback is the Vintage 30's smoother sibling. It has a rounded top end, a thick midrange, and a touch-sensitive quality that rewards dynamic playing. Where the V30 barks, the Creamback sings. It is well suited to blues, classic rock, and anything where you want the amp to feel vintage without losing definition. Landon found it the most musically satisfying of the group for expressive playing.
Eminence Cannabis Rex
American / WarmThe Cannabis Rex uses a hemp cone instead of the standard paper cone, which contributes to its distinctively dark and mellow character. The high frequencies are rolled off, the low mids are fat, and the breakup is smooth rather than aggressive. Landon described it as turning the amp into a vintage jazz box. If you play with bright single-coil pickups and hate ice-pick highs, this speaker is a natural antidote. It pairs particularly well with Telecasters and bright-voiced Fender amps.
Jensen C12Q
American / Vintage FenderThe Jensen C12Q is an American-voiced speaker with clear highs, tight lows, and a scooped midrange that creates the springy, three-dimensional quality associated with vintage Fender combos. Plugging in immediately made the amp feel more alive and open. The Jensen rep from the company commented on the video noting the C12Q's place in the test, confirming that the speaker's character is a deliberate design choice. If you love clean tones or edge-of-breakup playing, this is the speaker that rewards that style most directly.
Celestion Ruby
British / BalancedThe Ruby delivered the most neutral tone of the five. It does not hype any particular frequency range and has a slight British voicing that adds personality without coloring the amp too aggressively. It works well with overdrive and sits well in a mix without requiring EQ adjustments. Landon also noted it as the best value of the five speakers tested, which makes it a compelling choice if you want a reliable all-rounder without paying premium Vintage 30 or Creamback prices.
The Microphone Used
What Landon Learned
The most significant takeaway from the test is how completely the speaker shapes the character of the amp. Same amp, same guitar, same settings — and yet each speaker sounds like a genuinely different instrument. The midrange response is the primary variable. The V30 pushes mids aggressively. The Creamback smooths them out. The Cannabis Rex rolls off the top and pushes the low mids. The Jensen scoops them. The Ruby keeps them balanced. Understanding that is the key to knowing which speaker fits your playing style.
The other takeaway is value. If you are not happy with your amp's tone, swapping the speaker is significantly cheaper than buying a new amp and often makes a more dramatic difference than changing pedals or even guitars. It is one of the most cost-effective tone upgrades available to any guitarist.
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#landonbaileyyt · guitar speaker comparison · celestion vintage 30 · celestion creamback · eminence cannabis rex · jensen speaker
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