Featured in what is probably the world’s top selling 4×12 cabinet the G12T-75 guitar speaker is a high powered rock player’s dream. Built to meet the demands of high gain amplifiers the G12T-75 combines a huge, tightly controlled low-end and aggressive mid-range, with a softened top-end that adds a welcome sweetness to overdrive distortion alongside aggressive upper harmonics.
These are the characteristics that make the G12T-75 the weapon of choice for Yngwie Malmsteen and Joe Satriani.
Beloved of many iconic metal guitarists for more than 30 years, the Celestion G12T-75 has now been captured in digital form and is available to download now. The T75 was created in the 80’s as a more powerful version of the G12M Greenback and immediately became a stalwart of the metal scene for more than 3 decades, delivering punchy lows, aggressive mids and balanced highs – a perfect mix for heavy rock lead guitars.
It’s been used on its own by legends such as Yngwie Malmsteen – but mixing it in a 4×12 with, perhaps, some Vintage 30’s, has also proved to be a popular combo. You can now experience these tones for yourself – on their own or mixed with one of our other IRs.
Read our full blog here for more information and links to some great listening resources.
Or buy the Celestion G12T-75 Impulse Response here.
Ipswich, UK (April 5, 2018) — Celestion, the premier manufacturer of guitar and bass loudspeakers with a rich history in creating classic guitar tones known the world over, is pleased to debut the G12T-75 IR as the latest addition to their acclaimed line of Impulse Responses, the definitive digital representations of the company’s renowned classic tones. Famous as one of the world’s best-selling premium 4×12 speakers, Celestion’s classic G12T-75 guitar speaker has long been recognized for its combination of assertiveness and great clarity. Customers who desire this robust modern tone in an Impulse Response can audition and download the new G12T-75 IR at Celestion Plus.
Known also by many players as the T75, the Celestion G12T-75 was originally conceived in the 80’s, as a “hot rodded” more powerful version of the company’s G12M Greenback, ideally suited to the high gain amps that were becoming more common around that time. It’s hard to say whether the G12T-75 helped to influence the development of a more modern, industrial sound that characterised 80’s metal, or whether it was the other way around; but either way, it has become well established in the Celestion firmament, proving itself to be far more than just a speaker of its time.
As you might expect, the G12T-75 is much favoured among professional guitarists looking for a full-on, heavy but modern tone for metal or rock. Its punchy low end, aggressive mids and balanced highs have been incorporated by successive generations of metal artists from the 80’s through to today, such as Iron Maiden, Yngwie Malmsteen, Joe Satriani, Deftones, Slipknot, Shadows Fall, Mastodon and beyond.
Five individual IR varieties of the G12T-75 are available for download, which correspond to each of 5 separate types of cabinet, including: 1×12 (open back), 1×12 (closed back), 2×12 (open back), 2×12 (closed back) and 4×12 (closed back.)
“Celestion is pleased to debut the G12T-75 IR as our first Impulse Response to be introduced in 2018, says Nigel Wood, Celestion CEO. “The speaker’s well-known heritage makes it a natural extension of our Impulse Response collection — providing our celebrated speaker tones in a convenient digitally downloadable format.”
The new G12T-75 Impulse Response will appeal to anyone who enjoys mixing up their tone with a touch of the unconventional or rebellious. Enjoy on its own for some hardcore, high volume grunge–or use it to complement the tone of one of your other favourite speakers for an unexpected tonal twist.
The new G12T-75 IR joins the ever-growing family of authentic Celestion Impulse Responses which are available for purchase on Celestion Plus, including the G12-50GL Lynchback, Classic Lead 80, Classic Gold, A-Type , Neo Creamback, G12-H150 Redback, G12M Greenback, G12M-65 Creamback, G12M-75 Creamback, G12H Anniversary, G12-65, Cream, G12-35XC, Celestion Blue and Vintage 30 models mounted in 1×12 and 2×12 open and closed back and 4×12 cabinets. Celestion’s new IR Pick & Mix option features combinations of either 3 or 5 cabinets from the company’s full range of IRs, offering customers complete flexibility and value pricing in building their personal IR library.
About Celestion Impulse Responses
Celestion IRs, which capture the essential behavior of the cabinet in the specific space in which it was recorded, including the frequency and phase response of single drivers as well as the interaction of multiple speakers, offer the user significant benefits. In both recording and live production, Celestion IRs enable the desired tone to be precisely and consistently reproduced regardless of the music recording or live sound environment. And IR users can escape the limitations of a single mic and cabinet setup and explore a universe of possibilities to create the perfect tone. Once you find a tone that you love, it can be precisely recreated, in the studio or on the road, time after time. And the IRs allow Celestion customers to audition specific models before purchasing one or more physical speakers.
Celestion IR digital downloads are available in uncompressed, industry standard .WAV format at 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz and 96 kHz sample rates at 24 bit depth, in lengths of 200 and 500 milliseconds Once the files are downloaded and unzipped, users simply load the IRs into a convolution plug-in in their DAW or into other processing hardware. These formats will work in all known hardware capable of loading IRs, and for the most popular hardware Celestion have already grouped together the correct formats. Guitar processor manufacturers supported include Atomic Amps, Fractal Audio Systems, Kemper, Line 6, Logidy, Positive Grid, Two Notes, Headrush and Yamaha. The Celestion IR files may be downloaded in the sample rate and length appropriate for the hardware being used or as a complete package of all rates and lengths. Certain third party hardware requires the files to be converted into a proprietary format before use. Celestion Plus.
About Celestion and Celestion Guitar Speakers
An important element to essential British guitar tone since the birth of Rock & Roll, Celestion Guitar Speakers are famous for their lively and vocal midrange character with plenty of sparkle and chime. With worldwide headquarters in Ipswich, England, Celestion design, develop and manufacture premium guitar and bass loudspeakers, and high-quality professional audio drivers for sound reinforcement. These world-renowned speakers are used onstage and in clubs, theatres and other venues the world over. Contact Celestion at: info@celestion.com and visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/celestion.
www.celestion.com
Philadelphia, PA (May 03, 2023) — Imagine dreaming the rock ’n’ roll dream since childhood, then living it by the time you were 17 years old. Not as a solo singer who won a TV competition, and not as a member of a prefab boy (or girl) band, but as a bona fide rock outfit. It happens to almost no one, but it happened to Nick Perri. His first band Silvertide played professionally whilst its members were still in school and then on the major festival circuit immediately thereafter, and he has worked as a guitar sideman for many of his musical heroes. Now an accomplished singer-songwriter, his latest studio work Terra Firma drops in June. All along his incredible journey, Celestion guitar loudspeakers including the G12T-75, Ruby, and Greenback have been his trusty companions, and he shared his story with Celestion in an exclusive interview.
“My first record deal was at 17,” says Perri as he introduces himself. “It was that band I started in high school called Silvertide. We started out like most bands playing coffee houses and open mics. We were kids and for lack of a better word, we were playing a more classic style of rock and roll, like ’60s and ’70s, so I suppose that gained us some attention. We started playing more nights a week, we got a manager, and then it was off to the races. We got to open for Aerosmith. There was a bidding war, we got signed by Clive Davis, and toured the world — Europe, Japan. I was using Celestion speakers the whole time.”
After Silvertide disbanded, Perri enjoyed a whirlwind career as a sideman, including with Jane’s addiction frontman Perry Farrell’s project Satellite Party. “They called me two days before they were on The Tonight Show,” he recalls. “I was 22 years old and had to learn 20 songs in two days!”
Perri’s preferred creative outlet, though, is writing and recording his own music. His studio album Sun Via debuted in the top ten on iTunes in 2020 “with very little help from anybody,” he says. Of the upcoming Terra Firma, he enthuses, “I’ve never worked on any one thing this long and this hard.”
Whatever he works on, Celestion speakers have been his trusted partner. He recalls his first experience with them: “When we signed our first record deal, I had a mentor who helped me put my money where I should. I bought a vintage Marshall — a 1971 Super Lead. They had a corresponding tall cab that was a 4 x 12. It had original Greenback speakers inside. It was an unbelievable sound.”
His equipment today is just as Celestion-driven. “I have a larger stage rig that I don’t record with,” explains Perri. “That’s a Marshall JTM45 and I also have a Park amplifier. They’re both running through a 1990s cab loaded with G12T-75 speakers. I’m a fan of those speakers because I can play really loud, and use a fuzz pedal on occasion, and the speakers don’t fall apart. Things don’t fall inward, know what I mean? They hold their fidelity and sound tight. Whereas a 20-watt speaker would fall apart if driven like this.’
In the recording studio and for smaller gigs, Perri describes his “number one amp in the world. It’s a Marshall 1974x, which is a combo amp. But the thing that makes all the difference is that I put a Celestion Alnico Ruby in it, which is my favorite guitar speaker in the universe right now. It’s a 35-watt speaker that’s the bigger brother of the Blue. The sound of this speaker was a total game-changer for me. So much so that I stopped using pedals mostly. The sound of my Flying V [guitar] through that amp is the best thing I’ve ever heard. I’m able to dime the amp and the Ruby has a softer, more pleasing high end than, say, most of the ceramic-magnet speakers I’ve heard. You’re going to hear it all over Terra Firma.”
Perri wraps up the interview with high praise that would be the envy of any marketing department. “I’ve always been a fan of Celestion speakers,” he beams. “I can’t remember one instance over the last 20 years I haven’t used them for anything I’ve done. Celestion is a huge part of my musical DNA.”
Read the full-length interview with Nick Perri in on Celestion’s website, and learn more about Celestion’s guitar loudspeakers here.
About Celestion and Celestion Guitar Speakers
An important element to essential British guitar tone since the birth of Rock & Roll, Celestion Guitar Speakers are famous for their lively and vocal midrange character with plenty of sparkle and chime. With worldwide headquarters in Ipswich, England, Celestion design, develop and manufacture premium guitar and bass loudspeakers, and high-quality professional audio drivers for sound reinforcement. These world-renowned speakers are used onstage and in clubs, theatres, and other venues the world over. Since 2017, Celestion Digital has offered the tones of the company’s legendary guitar and bass speakers as downloadable impulse responses that work with most modern guitar effects processors and amp-top load boxes. Contact Celestion at: info@celestion.com and visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/celestion.
Imagine dreaming the rock ’n’ roll dream since childhood, then living it by the time you were 17 years old. Not as a solo singer who won a TV competition, and not as a member of a prefab boy (or girl) band, but as a bona fide rock outfit. It happens to almost no one, but it happened to Nick Perri. His first band Silvertide played professionally whilst its members were still in school and then on the major festival circuit immediately thereafter, and he has worked as a guitar sideman for many of his musical heroes. Now an accomplished singer-songwriter, his latest studio work, the double concept album Terra Firma, drops in June. All along his incredible journey, Celestion guitar loudspeakers have been his trusty companions, and he shared his story with us.
Start by telling us, who is Nick Perri?
I was born and raised in Philly but lived in California about 16 years. I moved there in my early 20s after my first band, Silvertide, broke up. I moved back to the Philly area in 2020 because my parents are getting older and I wanted to spend more time with them, and also let them get to know my daughter better. It’s been great.
We can see that you have a cool home studio, too.
Music is what I do day and night and I have a setup that goes with me wherever I am. What can I say, I’m obsessed! Music is something I couldn’t turn off if I tried.
What were some of your first experiences with playing music?
When I was 12 years old, my aunt who’s no longer with us, we called her the Dode — D-o-d-e. This was in the mid-’90s, and on cassette she gave me AD/DC’s Highway to Hell and Pearl Jam’s Ten. From that moment on I was obsessed, and I was soaking up stuff at lightning speed like kids are able to do.
That included all the big ’90s bands, like Nirvana and Soundgarden and Alice in Chains, but I also had a couple of mentors who were feeding me classic rock like Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. When I heard Pink Floyd, it was like the gods of the universe were handing me something very special. It made me feel like anything was possible.
My first record deal was at 17, so between 12 and 17, like I said I was just digesting things at a crazy speed. At 17 I left school to do music and I thought of it like joining the circus.
What was your first experience playing professionally?
It was that band I started in high school called Silvertide. We started like most bands playing coffee houses and open mics. Then we got a gig playing one night a week on South Street, which was like the Sunset Boulevard of Philly. We were kids and for lack of a better word, we were playing a more classic style of rock and roll, like ’60s and ’70s, so I suppose that gained us some attention.
We started playing more nights a week until it was like five or six, we got a manager, and then it was off to the races. This was like early 2000s, 2001, so sort of just before the decline of the record business as we knew it. We got to open for Aerosmith. There was a bidding war, we got signed by Clive Davis, and toured the world — Europe, Japan. ZZ Top, Mötely Crüe, Foo Fighters, and the Van Halen reunion tour in 2004 …I got to play with all my heroes. It was just this just wild ride. And I was using Celestion speakers the whole time.
Then at 22 years old it was over, and I was like, what am I going to do with the rest of my life? I had left school and I had no real skills outside of music. Then instead of this crazy, once-in-a-lifetime, lightning in a bottle kind of thing, I had to face the reality of trying to make a life in the music business, trying to make it a career. It’s something I’m still working on.
How did you cope with such a huge change?
I guess I sort of settled into, “Okay, what is my non-ridiculous version of this going to be? What is sustainable? What will allow me to have a family?” So that’s been the last 15 years or so.
I’ve done the sideman thing and played with various artists for whom I’m grateful for the opportunity. Perry Farrell was a big one since I grew up listening to Jane’s Addiction in the ’90s.
But I’m a songwriter at heart. I’ve written my own songs since I was very young, and all roads always lead back to original music. It’s the harder road, and even though I make way less money than I would playing someone else’s music, I just have the compulsion to create my own songs.
Were you on that first Satellite Party record with Perry Farrell and Nuno Bettencourt?
Not the studio album but I toured that record. So, Nuno did Europe on the first leg of the tour, and when they got back, I guess he had a falling out with Perry. They called me two days before they were on The Tonight Show. This was when Leno was host. It was unreal. I was 22 years old and had to learn 20 songs in two days! Then I did a year of touring with Satellite Party.
Tell us about Terra Firma.
Yes, that’s been a labor of love for three years. Sun Via, which came out in 2020, was really the debut. The first record I ever put out under my own name, and where I was frontman and singer. It was like a rebirth. Despite all odds, completely independently with very little help from anybody, it debuted in the top ten on iTunes and we sold a bunch of vinyl records and spent two and a half years touring. It was really the shot in the arm I needed to make me realize I could do this songwriter role I had always been watching from the side.
With Terra Firma, any minute I wasn’t on the road I was in the studio writing and recording it. It’s a double album, a concept album, and very personal. It’s very important to get it out into the universe for me. I’ve never worked on any one thing this long and this hard.
When you’re starting out and you go to the retail music store, you usually don’t buy a Celestion product directly. You buy a product like an amplifier that has it inside. So, what was the first time you were aware that Celestion was, in fact, Celestion? That it was doing something good for your tone.
That’s a great question. First of all, yes. When I was a teenager, I bought a MarshalI, it was some kind of modern one, and I wasn’t hip to Celestion at the time. A couple of years later, I was extremely lucky that when we signed our first record deal, we had a little money. I had a mentor, thankfully, who helped me put my money where I should. Then I bought a vintage Marshall — a 1971 Super Lead. They had a corresponding tall cab that was a 4 x 12. It had original Greenback speakers inside from what I think was their first incarnation. It was an unbelievable sound.
That was the first time I was like, there are all these things that play a part in the sound of my guitar. The speaker is the thing that’s actually pushing the sound. I don’t think people realize how big an impact it has on the tone. Like, literally night and day if you switch speakers, how the same guitar, same pickups, and same amp sounds coming at you. So that’s the first time I realized how crucial the speaker was and that I favored that British sound.
What amp do you play through now and what speakers are inside it?
I have a larger stage rig that I don’t record with. That’s a Marshall JTM45 and I also have a Park amplifier. They’re both running, believe it or not, through a 1990s cab loaded with original G12T-75 speakers, which is what would have come stock in this kind of cabinet. I’m a fan of those speakers because I can play really loud, and use a fuzz pedal on occasion, and the speakers don’t fall apart. Things don’t fall inward, know what I mean? They hold their fidelity and sound tight. Whereas a 20-watt speaker would fall apart if driven like this.
What do you use in the studio?
This is the amp I use for smaller tours like solo work and also in the studio is my number one amp in the world. It’s a Marshall 1974x, which is a combo amp. But the thing that makes all the difference is that I put a Celestion Alnico Ruby in it, which is my favorite guitar speaker in the universe right now. It’s a 35-watt speaker that’s the bigger brother of the Blue. The sound of this speaker was a total game-changer for me. So much so that I stopped using pedals mostly. The sound of my Flying V [guitar] through that amp is the best thing I’ve ever heard. I’m able to dime the amp and the Ruby has a softer, more pleasing high end than, say, most of the ceramic-magnet speakers I’ve heard. You’re going to hear it all over Terra Firma.
Where else should we listen for Celestion in your music?
Hah, everywhere! But “Feeling Good,” the lead single from Sun Via, did really well. On that, I actually ran a Marshall through a 4 x 10 tweed Fender Bassman cabinet, in which I had four ten-inch Greenbacks. That is a m*****f***** of a tone.
I’ve always been a fan of Celestion speakers. I can’t remember one instance over the last 20 years I haven’t used them for anything I’ve done. Celestion is a huge part of my musical DNA.
You lived the rock ’n’ roll dream at a very young age and are still going strong. What advice would you have for your younger self?
I would tell myself to slow down in every aspect. Smell the roses and enjoy the journey a little more. It goes by so fast, and you don’t get any do-overs.
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Anaheim, CA (April 12, 2023) — Celestion, the premier manufacturer of guitar and bass loudspeakers, will showcase their three most iconic guitar speakers — the Celestion Blue, the Greenback, and the Vintage 30 — at this year’s NAMM Show at Booth 6602. One year before their 100th birthday, the company is excited to honor the three drivers that helped launch their worldwide reputation as “the voice of rock and roll.”
The Blue
The Celestion Blue began life in the late 1950s as alternative to the G12 radiogram speakers then used by storied guitar amp maker Vox, who sought more power handling for their new AC30 combo amplifier. Legendary Celestion engineer Les Ward worked with Vox’s Derek Underdown on three key modifications. In a then-revolutionary process, the duo first strengthened the driver surround, which was the part most vulnerable to physical stress. Second, they changed the voice coil windings from aluminum to copper, which made them more tolerant to heat at high gain. Third, they strengthened the termination wires to better cope with the high-amplitude cone movement the amp could produce.
The result then was a speaker known as the T530, which was rated at 15 watts, and featured an alnico (aluminum, nickel, and cobalt) alloy magnet. The speaker was painted azure blue at the behest of Vox owner Tom Jennings and was initially badged the Vox Blue for installation in the AC30 amp, which secured its place in guitar tone history.
The Blue took a hiatus beginning in the 1970s due to the high cost of alnico, but when the alloy again became affordable, Celestion would reissue the speaker for their 70th anniversary in 1994 this time labelled as the “Celestion Blue” and to this day it is still hand-built in exactly the same way. The Blue found favour with notable guitarists like George Harrison and Brian May due to its glorious, dampened attack, warm lows, mellow upper-mids and brilliant bell-like top-end.
With 15 watts into 8 or 15ohms and 100dB sensitivity, and a frequency response from 75 to 5,000 Hz, the Celestion Blue, when coupled with a suitable amplifier, evokes rich definition and develops beautiful musical compression when pushed. Tone enthusiasts worldwide hail the Blue as the benchmark for guitar speaker perfection.
The Greenback
As a result of the increasing cost of Alnico in the mid-1960s, Celestion began to use an iron-based ceramic in most speakers. Enter the heavy magnet G12H and medium magnet G12M, designated the T1220 (8-ohm) and T1221 (16-ohm). The model name G12M referred to both, but thanks to the green plastic cover over the magnet assembly, a more affectionate moniker stuck even better: The Greenback.
The first G12M speakers were rated at 20 watts and upgraded to 25 watts approximately two years later, meaning one could install them with confidence in a 4×12″ cabinet intended for use with a 100-watt amp head. This made them the go-to for Marshall amps. Though the Greenback had already become the Marshall speaker of choice after being deployed in Marshall’s 1962 2×12″ rig, the most famous of which was Eric Clapton’s “Bluesbreaker.” Driven just on the edge of distortion, the G12M produced a warm low end; a rich, vocal-like midrange; and a detailed but delicate treble. This amp-speaker pairing also defined the sound of many of Jimi Hendrix’s early recordings, and Angus Young remains a greenback fan since the early days of AC/DC.
Though it has evolved over the years, the G12M Greenback retains its sought-after character.
The Greenback is voiced with extra broad midrange attack and restrained high end that fosters punchy chords and searing leads without fizz. Driven just on the edge of distortion, it produces a warm low end; a rich, vocal-like midrange; and a detailed but delicate treble. Rated at 25 watts (at 8 or 16 ohms) and offering 98dB of sensitivity and frequency response of 75 to 5,000 Hz, it is voiced with a broad midrange attack and high-end roll-off that fosters punchy chords and searing leads. It is as at home in single-speaker amps as in multi-driver, high-gain rock configurations.
The Vintage 30
The increasing “heaviness” of rock and metal from the 1970s to the mid-’80s demanded more power, inspiring the G12-65, G12T-75, G12K-85 and S12-150 “Sidewinder”. Thanks to the heat resistant materials used in their construction, these speakers were considered to be more “modern” sounding drivers. By the mid-’80s, however, guitarists and amp manufacturers craved the sound of the ‘good old days’. Marshall’s amp engineer Steve Grindrod requested a new speaker that had the magincal tone of the old alnico speakers of the ‘60s. with that brief in mind, Celestion engineer Ian White went on to create a speaker that combined the tone of the old speakers with the durability of the new.
White analyzed an original alnico speaker using a process called Laser Doppler Interferometry. “The laser was especially good at looking at cones,” remembers White. “We used that data to form a precise model of the vintage speaker’s characteristics.” This led White to create a new coil assembly using a modern material, more commonly used for hi-fi speakers, with mass and tonal properties similar to the paper voice coil of the vintage alnico speakers, but with a much better power handling.
The resultant speaker was the Marshall Vintage which coupled Celestion’s “H” magnet — the closest in performance to the alnico — with the new voice coil, delivering the higher power handling required (70-watt), but still with the vintage musicality of a new-old-stock speakers that might be rated much lower.
Originally targeted for use with Marshall’s Studio 15 amp, the speaker found its way into all manner of stacks and combo amps after a grace period of Marshall exclusivity, it became a Celestion standard produce and was renamed the Vintage 30 (and given a slightly lower, 60-watt power rating). Players who have embraced its tone include Peter Frampton, Slash, Steve Morse, and Steve Vai.
With a frequency response of 70 to 5,000 Hz and 100dB sensitivity, the Vintage 30’s rich bass, singing midrange, and precise treble make it Celestion’s most revealing speaker in the eyes (and ears) of many users. It is ideal for capturing the tonal complexities of which hand-wired boutique amps are capable; likewise, for serving up a lovely 3D crunch in two- or four-speaker setups. This has made the Vintage 30 one of the most popular Celestion loudspeakers, with sales to date exceeding 1.5 million units.
Legacy Meets Innovation
Celestion will exhibit these three icons and more in Booth 6602 at the 2023 NAMM show, held April 13 through 15 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California.
“Celestion are obviously proud of all our products,” says Nigel Wood, Managing Director at Celestion. “But the iconic Celestion Blue, Greenback, and Vintage 30 are the ones most often used as the benchmark for Celestion tone and for guitar tone in general. This is why we wanted to focus this year’s NAMM exhibit on giving them the place in history they deserve.”
About Celestion and Celestion Guitar Speakers
An important element to essential British guitar tone since the birth of Rock & Roll, Celestion Guitar Speakers are famous for their lively and vocal midrange character with plenty of sparkle and chime. With worldwide headquarters in Ipswich, England, Celestion design, develop and manufacture premium guitar and bass loudspeakers, and high-quality professional audio drivers for sound reinforcement. These world-renowned speakers are used onstage and in clubs, theatres, and other venues the world over. Since 2017, Celestion Digital has offered the tones of the company’s legendary guitar and bass speakers as downloadable impulse responses that work with most modern guitar effects processors and amp-top load boxes. Contact Celestion at info@celestion.com and visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/celestion.
DiMeola. Holdsworth. McLaughlin. Metheny. Scofield. If you were to describe what these great guitarists have in common, it would be that they fused deep jazz scholarship with rock and soul rhythms as well as a borderless appreciation of world music. If you were to name the heir apparent to this legacy, it could only be Oz Noy. Beginning his career in his native Israel, he became a top studio and touring musician in his teens. Arriving in New York City in 1996, he quickly rose to the highest echelon of U.S. musos. His tenth studio album Snapdragon features such luminaries as Dennis Chambers, Dave Weckl, and Zappa alum Vinnie Colaiuta on drums; Will Lee and John Pattituci on bass; and the late Wallace Rooney on trumpet. Through it all, Celestion guitar loudspeakers have been a vital component of Noy’s equipment.
What was your early path to becoming the accomplished musician you are today?
I grew up in Israel and started playing guitar when I was about ten years old. I originally wanted to play drums. A friend who played guitar invited me to see his teacher, and I think the main thing that kept me interested in guitar was The Beatles, whom I really loved when I was a kid. I also liked a lot of Israeli pop. My parents bought me a crappy nylon-string guitar, and my dad bought me this little pickup you glued onto the guitar. Once I realized you could make noises through an amp, I was hooked on the idea of the guitar being electric.
But when realized I wanted to play professionally as a lifetime thing was in the mid-1980s. I was maybe 15 when Pat Metheny came to Israel on the Still Life Talking tour. I went to see Pat play, and after that I basically stopped going to school! [Laughs.]
Who were your formative influences as you were coming up?
When I started to get into jazz, it was mostly John McLaughlin, Al DiMeola, and maybe George Benson. Then I discovered Scott Henderson and Allan Holdsworth. Of course, Pat Metheny and John Scofield. After that, I started to study jazz more deeply and got into Wes Montgomery, Kenny Burrell, and Grant Green — the bebop guys. At the same time, I started appreciating more blues, so Stevie Ray Vaughan was huge in my book. These days, I feel like I’m influenced by everybody!
When were you first aware of Celestion as a “thing” apart from your guitars and amps?
When I was growing up, Celestion speakers were always around. I had a Marshall with a 4×12 [cabinet] that had Celestion G12T-75s in it. I used that cabinet a lot. That and a Fender Twin Reverb were pretty much my main amps in Israel. But the Marshall with the 4×12 was always the main thing.
When I moved here, before I had much money to buy gear, I had several mediocre combo amps at first. Once I was able to afford better equipment, I had a couple of Fenders with Celestion Vintage 30s in the cabinets. That speaker sounds great inside pretty much everything.
After that I had a little Suhr amp, and it always had Celestion — mostly Vintage 30s but I had one cabinet with Greenbacks. You kind of can’t get away from those speakers and that sound. For me, they work in any context.
How has your rig evolved since then?
What I’m using now are Two Rock amps, which I started playing about ten or 12 years ago. They’re a high-end amp on the order of Dumble and things like that. The speakers I mainly use with those are Celestion G12-65s in both 2×12 and 4×12 cabinets. I also still have a cabinet with Greenbacks in it. When I play through my Marshall head, the Greenback is the one speaker that really does it for me.
I also bought an old DeLuxe amp, and I just put a brand new speaker into it, the G12 Ruby. It’s the one with the red chassis and it’s simply fantastic in that amp. Then there’s a recording cabinet I have at home with a G12-65 in it, and sometimes I swap that out for a Vintage 30 depending on the sound I’m after.
What’s your most recent Celestion acquisition and do you like it?
There’s this new speaker that looks like the Alnico Blue but it’s gold and handles a higher wattage. I believe it’s just called the Celestion Gold, and I think it’s excellent. I installed it in my Princeton. The thing about Celestion is, it’s such an iconic sound. If you want that sound, there’s only one way to get it.
Let’s say you got a call for a recording session with a major artist, and it was in an hour. Which setup out of everything you’ve mentioned would you bring into the studio?
To be honest, these days I do most of that kind of work from home, because I have everything all hooked up here and technology makes it possible to, you know, record my track and send it back out. Let’s say I did get that call, though. If it was a quick one-off, I’d probably bring my DeLuxe or my Princeton. If it was a bigger deal, I’d also bring one of my Two Rocks.
Do you have any suggestions or wish list items for Celestion?
Yes. More 4-ohm speakers! [Editor’s note: Celestion currently offers three speaker models with a 4-ohm impedance option: the Eight 15, the Copperback, and the Hot 100.]
It’s difficult to pin you down genre-wise, and we mean that as a compliment. How do you identify as a guitarist?
Thank you. I see myself basically as a jazz player, but I’ve played rock and done all kinds of studio work since I was 15. I guess what I did was, I mixed my jazz chops with modern guitar sounds as well as some of the approach of rock, blues, and R&B. So, I guess it’s a mix of things. Some people call it fusion, but that’s kind of a loaded word these days.
Yes, the F-word! Let’s talk about fusion. Has the style and the word gotten a bad rap in your opinion?
I think the problem was that at a certain point in the ’80s, some fusion started being executed in a way that was synthetic and sterile. The soul got sucked out of it. When you think about it, fusion is Miles, it’s McLaughlin, it’s Weather Report, it’s Return to Forever, all those bands — really soulful stuff.
One of the places where fusion is making a comeback is on social media, where a lot of young players are posting what we might call “shred” videos. Many of them share influences with you and some are probably influenced by you. What advice might you give to these players?
My main advice is, you’ve got to get out of the house and play live with other musicians. I recognize that the pandemic has made that hard for everybody. But I’m familiar with this phenomenon of people at home, learning on YouTube, then making their own videos and posting them there or on Instagram or wherever. And some of them blow my mind — they’re very talented and technically skilled.
But it all only exists within those platforms, and I see that as kind of real and not real at the same time. Yes, there’s an audience for it and if you’re good, you will get followers. But it seems like kind of a lonely existence, you know? I’ve been impressed by quite a few of these players and so I tried to look up where they were actually playing a gig so I could go see them — and most of the time I couldn’t find anything.
Recording guitar videos in your room all day is all well and good, and getting likes is all well and good. But what will really make you a better player isn’t staying at home and shredding over existing tracks. It’s being creative on the spot with other human beings. So, get out there and play with a band!
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Ipswich, UK (October 6, 2021) —Celestion, the celebrated manufacturer of guitar and bass loudspeakers, digitally downloadable guitar speaker tones and professional audio drivers for sound reinforcement applications, is very pleased to announce that the new BOSS IR-200 Amp and IR Cabinet is shipping with ten of Celestion’s most popular Impulse Responses.
The new BOSS IR-200 brings next-level sound and performance to direct sound for guitar and bass, offering exceptional audio quality, premium amps, deep sound shaping, and instant sound recall with 128 memories. The BOSS IR-200 turns your pedalboard into a self-contained direct sound solution for live playing, studio recording, and practice. It delivers massive amp tones from a small footprint and smoothly integrates with all your favorite pedals, including stereo mod, delay, and reverb effects. And once you craft your tones, you can send them to a stage amp, house PA, computer recording system, or headphones—or all at once.
In addition to from the included Impulse Responses from BOSS, ten Celestion Digital Impulse Responses are included for loading your own mono or stereo IRs.
The included Celestion IRs are:
The BOSS IR-200 Amp and IR Cabinet will be available in January 2022. More information can be found at: https://www.boss.info/us/products/ir-200/.
The full line of genuine Celestion Impulse Responses are available for download at: CelestionPlus.
About BOSS
BOSS, a division of Roland Corporation, has achieved legendary status among guitarists, bassists, and vocalists with a diverse, world-leading product lineup of creative tools with exceptional sound, intuitive control, and rugged durability. Since 1977, BOSS’s famous compact pedals have been used daily by everyone from beginners to touring professionals, with over 125 unique models introduced and over 16 million units sold to date. BOSS also leads the way with innovative gear in numerous other categories, from amplifiers, multi-effects processors, and loopers to wireless systems, vocal effects, tuners, metronomes, rhythm machines, recorders, and more. For more information, visit www.Boss.info.
About Celestion Digital
The introduction of authentic Celestion Impulse Responses represented the company’s forward step in making their celebrated speaker tones available as digital downloads. Celestion IRs capture the essential behavior of a speaker in a particular cabinet in the specific space in which it was recorded, including the frequency and phase response of single drivers as well as the interaction of multiple speakers. They offer significant benefits in both recording and live production, enabling the desired tone to be precisely and consistently reproduced regardless of the recording or live sound environment. Explore, audition and download the extensive collection of Celestion guitar and bass Impulse Responses at celestionplus.com.
The introduction of Celestion SpeakerMix Pro sees the company delivering a truly forward-thinking studio software solution that enables users to get every ounce of tone from Impulse Response technology. The companion Dynamic Speaker Responses launched alongside the plug-in exemplify the next generation in speaker response emulation, representing a true advancement in the technology of digital speaker tone.
www.Celestionplus.com
About Celestion and Celestion Guitar Speakers
An important element to essential British guitar tone since the birth of Rock & Roll, Celestion Guitar Speakers are famous for their lively and vocal midrange character with plenty of sparkle and chime. With worldwide headquarters in Ipswich, England, Celestion design, develop and manufacture premium guitar and bass loudspeakers, and high-quality professional audio drivers for sound reinforcement. These world-renowned speakers are used onstage and in clubs, theatres and other venues the world over. Contact Celestion at: info@celestion.com and visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/celestion.
www.celestion.com
Ipswich, UK (December 16, 2020) —Celestion, the premier manufacturer of guitar and bass loudspeakers and professional audio drivers for sound reinforcement applications, is pleased to announce the new Vox Cabinet (Two Notes) Impulse Responses. This Two notes format collection of IRs has been captured by Celestion’s IR engineers and delivers the unique tones of Vox Amplification’s speaker cabinets. The new Two notes format IRs which feature three of Vox’s legendary cabinets loaded with classic Celestion speakers, are available for audition and download at CelestionPlus.com.
The new Vox Two Notes Impulse Responses capture the distinctive tones of Vox cabs loaded with legendary Celestion speakers using the unique Two notes IR recording method. The cabinets include:
Each Vox (Two Notes) cabinet impulse response has been recorded with eight microphones using the exclusive Two notes DynIR recording protocol, allowing the end user the virtual freedom to move the microphones around the recording space and to use the Overload Parameter (available in the Wall of Sound software and Torpedo Studio hardware) to push the speakers into distortion if desired, for an almost limitless number of tone options.
This particular range of Vox Cabinet (Two notes) impulse responses is available for download for use with the proprietary Two notes Torpedo hardware and software only. (Celestion’s original classic collection of Vox Cabinet IRs is available for download in .WAV format for compatibility with the majority of DAWs and amp modellers.)
The new Vox Cabinet (Two notes) Impulse Responses from Celestion are available for purchase individually or as a full collection for a significant discount.
The Vox Cabinet (Two notes) Impulse Responses join the collection of other IRs available in Two Notes format such as: Blackstar Cabinet (Two notes) Impulse Responses, Neo 250 Copperback (Two notes,) Laney cabinets (Two notes,) Orange Cabinets (Two notes,) Celestion Ruby (Two notes,) Suhr Cabinets (Two notes,) Celestion Blue (Two notes,) G12M Greenback (Two notes) and Vintage 30 (Two notes.)
And visit CelestionPlus to explore the extensive family of genuine Celestion acclaimed guitar speaker Impulse Responses such as the: A-Type, Blackstar Cabinet, Celestion Blue, Celestion Cream, Celestion Gold, Classic Lead 80, G10 Creamback, Heritage G12H 55Hz, Heritage G12M, G12 EVH, G12K-100, G12-35XC, G12T-75, G12-50GL Lynchback, G12-H150 Redback, G12M Greenback, G12M-65 Creamback, G12M-75 Creamback, G12H Anniversary, G12-65, Neo Creamback, V-Type, Vintage 30 and bass impulse responses such as the BL10-100X, BN15-400X, BN10-200X, BN15-300X, PULSE10, PULSE12 and PULSE15. and many other models.
About Celestion Impulse Responses
Celestion IRs, which capture the essential behavior of the cabinet in the specific space in which it was recorded, including the frequency and phase response of single drivers as well as the interaction of multiple speakers, offer the user significant benefits. In both recording and live production, Celestion IRs enable the desired tone to be precisely and consistently reproduced regardless of the music recording or live sound environment. And IR users can escape the limitations of a single mic and cabinet setup and explore a universe of possibilities to create the perfect tone. Once you find a tone that you love, it can be precisely recreated, in the studio or on the road, time after time. And the IRs allow Celestion customers to audition specific models before purchasing one or more physical speakers.
Celestion IR digital downloads are available in uncompressed, industry standard .WAV format at 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz and 96 kHz sample rates at 24 bit depth, in lengths of 200 and 500 milliseconds Once the files are downloaded and unzipped, users simply load the IRs into a convolution plug-in in their DAW or into other processing hardware. These formats will work in all known hardware capable of loading IRs, and for the most popular hardware Celestion have already grouped together the correct formats. Guitar processor manufacturers supported include Atomic Amps, Fractal Audio Systems, Kemper, Line 6, Logidy, Positive Grid, Two Notes, Headrush and Yamaha. The Celestion IR files may be downloaded in the sample rate and length appropriate for the hardware being used or as a complete package of all rates and lengths. Certain third party hardware requires the files to be converted into a proprietary format before use.
Celestion Plus.
About Celestion and Celestion Guitar Speakers
An important element to essential British guitar tone since the birth of Rock & Roll, Celestion Guitar Speakers are famous for their lively and vocal midrange character with plenty of sparkle and chime. With worldwide headquarters in Ipswich, England, Celestion design, develop and manufacture premium guitar and bass loudspeakers, and high-quality professional audio drivers for sound reinforcement. These world-renowned speakers are used onstage and in clubs, theatres and other venues the world over. Contact Celestion at: info@celestion.com and visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/celestion.
www.celestion.com
Ipswich, UK (August 6, 2020) — Celestion, the premier manufacturer of guitar and bass loudspeakers whose classic guitar tones have made the company famous as the voice of rock and roll, is pleased to introduce the Celestion Affiliate Programme for customers who help spread the world about the Celestion digital tones available at CelestionPlus. The new Affiliate programme enables customers who post online content showcasing Celestion digital tones to be eligible to earn a commission on sales which result from the unique links that they share.
Whether it’s posting videos on YouTube, blogs, podcasts or personal websites, the Celestion Affiliate Programme allows customers who post content to earn a share of any sales resulting from people clicking on their unique Affiliate link.
“We’ve been extremely impressed by the amount of time and effort that so many of our customers have put into creating such detailed, comprehensive and professional online content showcasing Celestion digital tones,” says Nigel Wood, Celestion Managing Director. “So we have created the Celestion Affiliate Programme to reward these customers for their efforts.”
To become an official Celestion Affiliate:
If you create online content based around Celestion digital products including impulse responses, register to become an official Celestion Affiliate now and start earning from your referrals today!
For full terms and conditions regarding the Celestion Affiliate Programme, click here.
Visit Celestion Plus to learn more about the Affiliate Program and explore the impressive collection of genuine Celestion guitar speaker IRs available such as the: A-Type, Blackstar Cabinet, Celestion Blue, Celestion Cream, Celestion Gold, Classic Lead 80, G10 Creamback, Heritage G12H 55Hz, Heritage G12M, G12 EVH, G12K-100, G12-35XC, G12T-75, G12-50GL Lynchback, G12-H150 Redback, G12M Greenback, G12M-65 Creamback, G12M-75 Creamback, G12H Anniversary, G12-65, Neo Creamback, V-Type, Vintage 30 and bass impulse responses such as the BL10-100X, BN15-400X, BN10-200X, BN15-300X, PULSE10, PULSE12 and PULSE15. and many other models.
About Celestion Impulse Responses
Celestion IRs, which capture the essential behavior of the cabinet in the specific space in which it was recorded, including the frequency and phase response of single drivers as well as the interaction of multiple speakers, offer the user significant benefits. In both recording and live production, Celestion IRs enable the desired tone to be precisely and consistently reproduced regardless of the music recording or live sound environment. And IR users can escape the limitations of a single mic and cabinet setup and explore a universe of possibilities to create the perfect tone. Once you find a tone that you love, it can be precisely recreated, in the studio or on the road, time after time. And the IRs allow Celestion customers to audition specific models before purchasing one or more physical speakers.
Celestion IR digital downloads are available in uncompressed, industry standard .WAV format at 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz and 96 kHz sample rates at 24 bit depth, in lengths of 200 and 500 milliseconds Once the files are downloaded and unzipped, users simply load the IRs into a convolution plug-in in their DAW or into other processing hardware. These formats will work in all known hardware capable of loading IRs, and for the most popular hardware Celestion have already grouped together the correct formats. Guitar processor manufacturers supported include Atomic Amps, Fractal Audio Systems, Kemper, Line 6, Logidy, Positive Grid, Two Notes, Headrush and Yamaha. The Celestion IR files may be downloaded in the sample rate and length appropriate for the hardware being used or as a complete package of all rates and lengths. Certain third party hardware requires the files to be converted into a proprietary format before use. Celestion Plus.
About Celestion and Celestion Guitar Speakers
An important element to essential British guitar tone since the birth of Rock & Roll, Celestion Guitar Speakers are famous for their lively and vocal midrange character with plenty of sparkle and chime. With worldwide headquarters in Ipswich, England, Celestion design, develop and manufacture premium guitar and bass loudspeakers, and high-quality professional audio drivers for sound reinforcement. These world-renowned speakers are used onstage and in clubs, theatres and other venues the world over. Contact Celestion at: info@celestion.com and visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/celestion.
www.celestion.com
