Anybody here a Greenback user? Was wondering if they take a longer than normal period to break in, and how much/little they improve(d) over time? I thought I once read that they (possibly, it could've been a different spkr.) were a rare exception for Celestion and sound really good right outta the box, very little time needed to break in. Maybe I was daydreaming or something, lol.
I think different speakers can have different break-in times. I had a pair of EV's that were so stiff (very high wattage) and were taking so long I ultimately gave up on them (wasn't really wild about the sound and was hoping break-in would help). I even went through some heavy break-in (face the cab down, cover with blankets, dime the then MarkV's clean channel and master volumes and play repetitive chords). It helped, but I still wasn't wild about them.
Didn't seem to take that long to break them in. Over time I just hated those speakers. never sounded like what I thought they would. Seem to color everything in a way that just didn't sit well with me. V30's for the win.
Greenbacks aren't rated for a lot of watts, but seem to want a little pounding to break them in. I played one for over a year with my High Octane and it was still too zingy. Pounded it with the Rebel 20 for a while and it got much better (did the face down, covered with blankets thing like Chris mentioned). In the end, preferred the Eminence Private Jack (Emi's top version of greenback copy) and sold the Greenback.
There is a showdown coming right away between V30 and Governor. I'm going to A/B them in identical cabs like I did the Greenback/Private Jack. My early thoughts (in different cabs as of now) are the the Emi will win this round as well.
I also never got my greenbacks to sound like I "thought" they should and sold them (I kept two 1x12's and a 2x12 that have Vintage 30's and G12H30 70th Year Anniversary Specials in them). The speaker I wish I didn't have to sell was my Alnico Blue, DAMN did that one sound good!
The two speakers in my ADA Slant Stack 2x12 are called "Hellatones" by Avatar, but are actually the Celestions I noted above. The only difference is that these have already been broken in so they sound good right away.
Here's something I saved (can't remember where I got it from though) that worked for my Vetta Combo:
How do I break in my speakers?
Important Note! Before breaking it in it's advisable to "warm up" the speaker gently for a few minutes with low-level playing or background hum.
Break in a speaker with a fat, clean tone: turn up the power amp volume to full, and control the level with the preamp gain. Use a level that will be quite loud, but not painful in a normal size room.
Have the bass and mid up full, and the treble at least half. On your guitar, use the middle pick up position (if your guitar has more than one pick up) and play for 10-15 minutes using lots of open chords, and chunky percussive playing. This will get the cone moving, and should excite all the cone modes and get everything to settle in nicely. The speaker will continue to mature over the years, but this will get it 95% of the way to tonal perfection in the shortest time.
I'm a big fan of the Scumback G12H30 clone. I snagged some used on Gear Page and they are some of the best sounding speakers I've used. Worked with the HotCat, the Duende, and a Single Rec I had for a short time. I used an H55 and H75 speaker in the 212. Sounded amazing.
http://www.scumbackspeakers.com/h_series.html
These speakers are made for Southbay Amp Works to their specs by Weber and can only be bought new through Southbay.
I like these a LOT more than Greenbacks.
Thanks for all the input. I guess it goes without saying, it still comes down to what amp a speaker is hooked up to. A v30 may be perfect for a darker amp but sound like crapola in a bright one (or whatever). With my two particular heads, the G12H30 is top dog by most users, and I love mine, but the Greenback is also highly popular, so I'm considering picking one up. And since I only close mic for tracking, the whole 'blending speakers' thing doesn't mean jack to me. If I get it, I'd truly have a mutt of a 4x12, lol - G12H30, v30, G12T-75, Greenback (?). Would prolly sound like ass in band/jam scenerio but that would be an easy fix.
Thanks again. Helpful copy/paste there, Craig, saving that myslef. I'm sure I'll end up trying that someday. :)