Celestion's Cream (left) and Neo Creamback speakers. I’ve always maintained that the single most important swap that makes a clear and notable difference in tone is changing the...
Celestion's Cream (left) and Neo Creamback speakers.
I’ve always maintained that the single most important swap that makes a clear and notable difference in tone is changing the speaker in your amplifier or cabinet.
I know the very idea of changing a speaker seems so elaborate because most guitarists are conditioned (or swayed) to constantly change simpler components such as pickups and cables, strings, hardware and bridges, amps and even effect pedals in order to upgrade their tone. But—perhaps naively—guitarists often woefully neglect the only audible voice of their tone: the guitar speaker.
Don’t get me wrong, finding the right speaker can be an elusive and somewhat expensive journey, but I can tell you I’ve recently come across two 12-inch guitar speakers from Celestion, the Cream and the Neo Creamback, which have dynamically supercharged my tone for the better. Both speakers are sonically different, with the Cream having more of a vintage-focused character and the Neo Creamback having a punchier and highly detailed voice that’s tailor made for rock and metal. Depending upon your application, both are outstanding replacements speakers if you want to take charge of your tone.
FEATURES
The newer of the two is the Neo Creamback, which is available in eight- or 16-ohm impedance, has a 65-watt power rating and covers the 75-to-5,000 Hz frequency range. Its most noticeable feature is its employment of a neodymium magnet, making it super lightweight at 4.2 pounds, but preserving all the tonal characteristics of the Celestion G12M Creamback, which it’s based upon and which is almost four pounds heavier because of its ceramic magnet.
The Cream is a beautiful 12–inch speaker with a creamy retro paint job, but its tonal magic comes from its pure Alnico magnet. The speaker is available in eight- or 16-ohm impedance, has a