Celestion Announces the Availability of the Highly Anticipated Hempback Guitar Speaker

Ipswich, UK (January 23, 2023) —Celestion, the world’s premier designer and manufacturer of guitar loudspeakers, well-known as the “Voice of Rock & Roll” behind many of the world’s most memorable guitar performances, is very pleased to announced the worldwide retail availability of the highly-anticipated G12M-50 Hempback guitar speaker, which takes Celestion tone in an exciting new direction.

The first-ever hemp cone guitar speaker built by Celestion, the Hempback represents a new development in Celestion’s never-ending pursuit of outstanding tone. The cone was specifically chosen for its tonal character and combined with a medium-weight ceramic magnet, the Hempback has a tone that is distinctive and well-defined: delivering a balanced low end, plenty of mid-band character together with smooth, silky highs.

The speaker is particularly targeted for use in American voiced amps, for example combos such as a Fender® Deluxe Reverb® or Blues Jr.®, delivering true American-flavoured tone along with cleans that are second to none. Load up a Hempback for a smooth and “smoky” sound that’s musical and responsive, and let the hemp tone shine through.

Specifications

Nominal diameter     305mm/12in

Power handling        50W

Nominal impedance 8Ω, 16Ω

Sensitivity                  99dB

Chassis type             Pressed Steel

Voice coil diameter  44mm/1.75in

Voice coil material    Round copper

Magnet type              Ceramic

Magnet weight                      0.9kg/35oz

Frequency range     75Hz-5000Hz

Resonance freq.      75Hz

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

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The Celestion Interview: Lee Anderton, Andertons Music Company

Founded in 1964, Andertons Music Company has risen from a family-owned guitar shop on the southwestern outskirts of London to an online retail powerhouse whose name is recognized the world over. Their videos are legendary, approaching products with honesty and no small amount of humour, which has grown their YouTube channel to over 805,000 subscribers and millions of views. Third-generation CEO Lee Anderton knows this is a major reason they sell guitars, amps, keyboards, drums, recording gear, and pro audio equipment far beyond the borders of the U.K. He spoke to us about music, the family business, and the passion for products and retail.

What is your favourite album of all time and why?

I will go with Delicate Sound of Thunder by Pink Floyd. It’s a live album and I watched the video before I bought the CD. It was a double album at the time, and one was all the classics, but done with a spectacular sense of sonic and visual production. This was post Roger Waters, with Gilmour pretty much helming everything. I remember watching that and saying, “I need to learn to play the guitar.”

What is the thing that made you want to be part of the audio/music industry? In retail and with this company in particular?

My father and grandfather started Andertons in 1964. So, I had been hanging around the store. I hadn’t found my instrument yet, but I caught this bug off the store because the people in there were so interesting. So, even at 13 or 14 years old, I was trying to help on Saturdays and so forth, but I didn’t really play anything, which obviously limited how useful I was! When I started to play guitar, it gave me more purpose. But the short answer is, I was born into a family of music retailers.

How did Andertons get its start and how did you join the family business?

My grandad was in the London police force and was a jazz drummer part-time. My dad was also drumming but in an early 1960s British pop outfit. He left school at 16 and got a job in a music store in London. Dad worked there for a couple of years, at which point my grandad had worked long enough to claim a lump sum pension from the police. They used that to open Andertons.

Interestingly, at first my dad was against my joining the business. He wanted me to have a proper career like a lawyer. So, I went to college between 16 and 18 years old, but basically lied to my dad about turning up to classes. When it all came out, he was not happy! He said, He said, “If all you want is to work in the shop, here’s a mop and a broom and the minimum salary I can pay you and stay out of my sight.” But I didn’t really want other staff to see me as the owner’s son. I just wanted to be me. I worked super hard and eventually got good at sales. It was destiny, I suppose.

How did your background affect what you brought to the business? The company overall?

I think I was equipped to deal with the change of retail consumer that began in the ’90s. In the 1960s through the ’80s, the customer was most likely a pro or semi-pro. They were happy with this kind of Aladdin’s cave, gate-kept environment.

Then in the ’90s, a lot more people decided to play an instrument for a hobby, and there was this shift in expectations to more the experience you might get shopping for clothes or a home appliance. I think I was able to bring that to the business because I didn’t grow up in the ’60s and ’70s and wasn’t used to doing things in a set way.

The next big breakthrough was at the end of the ’90s when the Internet really came on. I was the right age to go, “Oh, this is really exciting.” Whereas many music store owners saw the Internet as a fad or a nuisance they didn’t want to invest in.

You and your company are legendary in the industry. In your view, what is the main reason for that?

Andertons was one of the early adopters of selling online. That put us in good stead for growth throughout the 2000s, and then later we got into the YouTube thing. That’s really the tipping point where we went from being a well-known local music store to a global brand because so many people watch our YouTube channel.

What product or service do you think is your company’s most innovative? Why?

Certainly, our YouTube videos. At the start, the people I’d seen doing video sales from the U.S. were just going, “Here’s a pedal, I’m going to demo it, and you’re going to want to buy it.” So, I think that we had this sense that we would become the QVC of the music industry. It just didn’t pan out like that. The conversion rates off the videos were miniscule and if I wasn’t having so much fun doing them, I’d probably have given up.

Over time, we learned that video wasn’t simply about touting the features and benefits of a particular product and thereby hoping for more sales of that product. It was about content that built relationships and community. It was about people seeing our personality and going, “Oh, I like Andertons videos. I think I’ll start shopping with them now.” It was about building trust. That has since become the central pillar of our approach to videos and sales in general.

What do you think is the most important technological development of our time in the music industry?

In commercial terms, I’d point to the longevity of the electric guitar — the Fender Strat, the Gibson Les Paul. Fender is the master of spinning out another Strat or Tele year after year and making us all excited about it! Name me another industry that fundamentally hasn’t changed a product in 70 years, but everyone still gets excited about every six months when a new version comes out. It’s freakish.

The most challenging development for us as a retailer was the digital revolution in home recording that occurred throughout the 1990s. The price of having a recording setup went from hundreds of thousands of pounds to ten or 15 thousand and doable if you were really into it. Now it’s hundreds of pounds and accessible to everyone.

This has a downside. Look at how the market for drums has been affected by the fact that someone learned to make very convincing digital drum sounds. As exciting as it is to be a retailer on the early stages of that curve — here’s a new product I can sell! — the ultimate destination for when a thing goes digital is that it’s free or nearly so in an app and there’s no product to sell. Except for the keyboard market, which is interesting. From the ’80s through the mid-2000s, it was about everything going digital and getting cheaper. Then manufacturers started making expensive analog synths again and customers can’t get enough of them!

What accomplishment are you personally most proud of?

At work, people always used to say to me, “Oh you’re Pete Anderton’s son, aren’t you?” I always wanted to flip that and hear them say to him, “Oh, you’re Lee Anderton’s dad!” I’m immensely grateful for the opportunity he gave me, and I do feel like the team have indeed taken the business to a new level. You can go from Outer Mongolia to Los Angeles, and if someone plays the guitar, they’ll go, “Oh yeah, I know Andertons.” That’s completely nuts for a little retailer from Guildford in England.

What is your company culture like and how do you apply that to managing the team?

There are four partners: me and my dad, who are the shareholders, then Stuart and Beverly, who are heavily involved in sales and operations, respectively. That management structure has been the same for 20 years. Somebody told us that we still operate like a “big small” company and we need to start thinking like a “small big” company. That was brilliant. I do believe we need to get better at delegating. But that can be a strength. If there’s a problem, all the most senior people are all over it immediately. We don’t have those big-company silos where two people might not speak to each other for a year.

What do you think the next big developments in the industry will be and how is your company poised to pivot to the future?

The route to market for brands has changed. There are fewer retailers than ever, each commanding a bigger piece of the pie. As those stores become even more dominant, the relationship with the supply chain changes. You have manufacturers increasingly wanting to sell directly to the consumer. You have stores wanting to find their own brands they don’t have to go through the traditional channels to sell. These days, you have private equity companies offering huge sums for retailers. But passion for the products should not be replaced by a passion for spreadsheets. I have this romantic notion that we should all get up in the morning loving that we sell guitars and keyboards and that we can help people along their musical journeys.

Speaking of passion for products, do you have anything to say about Celestion speakers from the standpoint of the most respected guitar retailer in the U.K.?

Celestion are consistently great. We did a video where we replaced the stock driver in a BOSS Katana amp with various Celestion speakers. There’s a huge education piece to do about just how much difference the speaker makes. So many guitar players we encounter focus on the amp head, and we try to point them to a speaker cabinet that sounds great with it, and they go, “Oh no, I’ve already got a cabinet.” That cabinet is responsible for at least 50 percent of the sound. So, there’s a big opportunity for brands like Celestion to educate musicians.

Finally, what music are you listening to right now?

There’s a young, inquisitive music fan inside me reminding me I’ve got to keep looking for the next thing that’s going to get me excited. There’s also an old fart in me that just wants to put on a Led Zeppelin record, and the old fart usually wins. I’d say John Mayer, but he’s mainly putting a new spin on the type of music I’ve always loved. Similarly, I could listen to Greta Van Fleet all day. You’ve given me a mission for today: Go and find a record written this year that I really like so I have something to say when someone asks me this!

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Date Codes: How Old Is My Speaker?

One question we’re often asked is “how old is my speaker?” Well, whether it’s truly vintage or was built just a handful of years ago, if your speaker is in reasonable condition, then it’s straightforward to find this out for yourself.

Most Celestion chassis drivers have been marked with a date code (two numbers and two letters), denoting the exact date of manufacture. These codes are added on the production line and are found in different locations depending on the age (or type) of speaker.

They can be:
1. Stamped on the rim of the chassis (pre 1952);
2. stamped on the front gasket (1952-1967 and modern alnico guitar speakers);
3. on the speaker’s chassis leg (1968-2001 and Heritage Series guitar speakers);
4. or printed onto a white ID label stuck onto the magnet’s edge (2001 to date).

If you can track down the date code, then all you need to do is refer to the following table, which provides a record of the date codes used throughout the years, and you should be able to decipher the code.

Date codes are expressed in the form of two digits (representing the day of the month 01 to 31) and two letters, one being the month, the other being the year. You’ll see from the table below that the format varies from time to time, sometimes the two digits denoting the day come first (DDMY), other times they come at the end (MYDD). Be mindful of the variation when working out your speaker’s age.

From the speaker in the photo we can see that the date code is BL14, so the format is MYDD. That makes the date for this speaker February 14, 1978.

With acknowledgement to Michael Doyle who did some great research work in the early 1990s verifying the format of pre-1968 date codes. You can read more about that in his fine book, The History of Marshall. More recently, Brian Harding has done a great deal of in-depth work investigating and compiling date codes from the early 1950s, going as far back as 1944: we’re grateful to him for that information and happy to include it here. You can read more about Brian’s investigations on his excellent website: Bygone Tones.

Celestion Date Codes

MONTH 1944 – 1955
[DDMY]
1956 – 1968
[DDMY]
1969 – 1991
[MYDD]
1991 – 2014
[DDMY]
2015 – Date
[MYDD]
A – Jan A – 1944 A – 1956 B – 1969 A – 1991 A – 2015
B – Feb B – 1945 B – 1957 C – 1970 B – 1992 B – 2016
C – Mar C – 1946 C – 1958 D – 1971 C – 1993 C – 2017
D – Apr D – 1947 D – 1959 E – 1972 D – 1994 D – 2018
E – May E – 1948 E – 1960 F – 1973 E – 1995 E – 2019
F – Jun F – 1949 F – 1961 G – 1974 F – 1996 F – 2020
G – Jul G – 1950 G – 1962 H – 1975 G – 1997 G – 2021
H – Aug H – 1951 H – 1963 I/J – 1976 H – 1998 H – 2022
I/J – Sep I/J – 1952 I/J – 1964 K – 1977 J – 1999 J – 2023
K – Oct K – 1953 K – 1965 L – 1978 K – 2000
L – Nov L – 1954 L – 1966 M – 1979 L – 2001
M – Dec M – 1955 M – 1967 N – 1980 M – 2002
A – 1968* P – 1981 N – 2003
Q – 1982 P – 2004
R – 1983 Q – 2005
S – 1984 R – 2006
T – 1985 S – 2007
U – 1986 T – 2008
V – 1987 U – 2009
W – 1988 V – 2010
X – 1989 W – 2011
Y – 1990 X – 2012
Z – 1991 Y – 2013
Z – 2014

Loudspeaker Development Engineer

See your engineering designs come to life as new Celestion products!

We are seeking an experienced loudspeaker drive-unit engineer to be based at our modern design facility in Ipswich, UK.

The role involves the design of OEM drivers for the music industry and for sound-reinforcement applications. This important position will be responsible for all aspects of design, driver specification, documentation and project management through to production.

The role requires the successful candidate to develop new designs from initial concept into full production. You will have a degree in a relevant engineering or acoustics discipline and an understanding of loudspeakers. Previous experience of using finite element analysis and measurement systems such as Klippel would also be an advantage.

As well as these skills you will be a team player able to work with a minimum of supervision and meet demanding deadlines in a busy department. Good communication and IT skills are essential as is the confidence to steer projects to a conclusion. The successful candidate will be joining a friendly team within a fast-paced and exciting working environment.

In addition to a competitive salary, we offer the following benefits:

  • Enhanced sick pay
  • Employee Assistance Programme
  • Enhanced pension
  • Free onsite parking
  • Employee discount
  • Free tea and coffee

Here at Celestion we know it’s our people that make our business great, we work hard as a team and do our best to ensure our staff feel supported and valued. Please note, due to the location of our office you will ideally need to have your own transport.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent.

Salary: Commensurate with qualifications and experience

To apply, send your CV and a covering letter to: Human Resources, Celestion, Claydon Business Park, Great Blakenham, Ipswich IP6 0NL, UK or via email.

Production Operative

Due to new product lines coming on board, we are currently seeking full-time Production Operative / Assemblers to carry out various tasks in our busy UK factory based in Great Blakenham, near Ipswich, Suffolk.

Our products are made by hand, so the ideal candidate will be dexterous, with some mechanical aptitude and excellent communication skills. Candidates will also need high levels of concentration and a strong eye for detail. The successful candidate will be responsible for operating production line equipment and hand-finishing products.

Duties would include:

  • Working as part of a production line team producing Celestion’s world class products
  • Assembling raw materials by hand or using production machinery
  • Use of small hand tools and soldering skills

Experience required:

  • Proven experience of working on a production line involving hand assembly of products
  • Excellent attention to detail and accuracy.
  • Lifting and manual handling
  • Ability to work to tight deadlines

Personal Attributes and Skills

  • Practical and sensible, with an awareness of Health and Safety
  • Be adaptable, flexible and positive in your approach to work
  • A high attention to detail, with a strong orientation towards quality and workmanship

What will you receive in return?

The successful candidate will be joining a friendly team within a fast-paced and exciting working environment. In addition to a competitive salary, we offer the following benefits:

  • Enhanced sick pay
  • Employee Assistance Programme
  • Enhanced pension
  • Free onsite parking
  • Employee discount
  • Free tea and coffee

Here at Celestion we know it’s our people that make our business great, we work hard as a team and do our best to ensure our staff feel supported and valued.

Please note, due to the location of our office you will ideally need to have your own means of transport.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent.

Salary: £21,187.00 per year.

To apply, send your CV and a covering letter to: Human Resources, Celestion, Claydon Business Park, Great Blakenham, Ipswich, IP6 0NL, UK or via email.

Celestion Presents an Interview with Lothar Stamer, HK Audio

St. Wendel, Germany (April 21, 2022) — Brothers Hans and Lothar Stamer have dual identities in the pro audio industry. On the one hand, their guitar amp and accessory brand Hughes & Kettner is sought after for being high-tech, high-end, and offering ultimate tone since 1984. And their celebrated company, HK Audio, delivers PA systems ranging from portable battery-powered units suitable for singer-songwriters to large line arrays. Celestion sat down with Lothar Stamer to speak about the brothers’ musical roots and philosophy, the pro audio industry, the company’s technology and music in general.

Starting out as a drummer in a band who was responsible for the sound system, Stamer first began to experiment with PA systems solutions:

“As a drummer in a band in the late ’70s, I was the one who was responsible for the sound system. That was the time when things started to move away from pure “vocal systems” and more towards PA systems that could amplify all the instruments. This involvement with PA technology is where my fascination for sound started. I was amazed that just one speaker and two cables could ignite so much emotion. So, I experimented with the systems available on the market, but I wasn’t really satisfied with any of the solutions I found. My studies at the time focused on speaker acoustics, and I began to develop and build my own PA systems, as I just knew that I could create something better. My brother Hans Stamer was also developing an interest in the field around that time, so in 1979 we founded the company Stamer Musikanlagen together, where I still work as CEO today.”

Stamer points out that his company’s legendary position in the industry is a result of their collective passion for sound as well as top quality engineering and manufacturing.

“Our passion for sound is what we live for. Ever since we started, we have wanted to offer our customers better sound quality, more user benefits and increased ease of operation – or simply put: a better product. Our products are made in Germany, and for us, that’s not just a sign of quality, but it shapes the very identity of our company as a community. I know the people who work for us, some of them I’ve known for many years, and I know the emotion and energy they put into producing and marketing our products. We feel confident the enthusiasm we have for our products is passed on to our users.”

When asked to name HK Audio’s biggest product innovation, Stamer points to a number of the company’s technological innovations:

“The ultra-compact HK Audio LUCAS NANO is the only professional stereo PA system that can be carried with one hand and yet still manages to deliver clear and powerful sound, even in the bass range. And the HK Audio ELEMENTS combines a scalable line source principle with the wide-ranging possibilities of modern digital technology, offering professional users the benefits of networking, remote operation and an effective yet spectacularly simple cardioid function, he says. “Our largest system to date, the HK Audio COSMO, takes line array performance to a new level of productivity and efficiency; the ability to operate it as a mixed array with different dispersion characteristics gives users the maximum flexibility in a wide variety of live sound scenarios.”

“Throughout our company’s history, we have been able to prove time and again that our philosophy of not only meeting customers’ needs, but exceeding them, is the perfect catalyst for exciting innovations,” concludes Stamer. “That’s why I can’t necessarily single out just one product.”

Click here to read the full interview with Lothar Stamer on the Celestion Speakerworld blog.

About Celestion

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

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Celestion Presents an Interview with Lothar Stamer, HK Audio

Brothers Hans and Lothar Stamer have dual identities in the pro audio industry. On the one hand, their guitar amp and accessory brand Hughes & Kettner is sought after for being high-tech, high-end, and offering ultimate tone since 1984. And their celebrated company, HK Audio, delivers PA systems ranging from portable battery-powered units suitable for singer-songwriters to large line arrays and everything in between. Not surprisingly, this means they know a thing or three about speakers. We were privileged to speak with Lothar Stamer about the brothers’ musical roots and philosophy as makers of some of the best musical equipment on the planet.

What is your favorite album of all time and why?

I think Pink Floyd is incredible. It’s hard to pick just one album, but ‘The Wall’ is a rock opera with so many layers that you can easily listen through it, whatever mood you’re in, without even thinking of skipping a song. I am truly in awe of the infinitely vast realms of ‘Wish You Were Here’ and the sheer power of ‘Animals’ every time I listen to them. It really is music for the ages.

What is the thing that made you want to be part of the audio/music industry? How did you get your start in the business? And with this company? What is your current position and how did you get there?

As a drummer in a band in the late ’70s, I was the one who was responsible for the sound system. That was the time when things started to move away from pure “vocal systems” and more towards PA systems that could amplify all the instruments. This involvement with PA technology is where my fascination for sound started. I was amazed that just one speaker and two cables could ignite so much emotion. So, I experimented with the systems available on the market, but I wasn’t really satisfied with any of the solutions I found. My studies at the time focused on speaker acoustics, and I began to develop and build my own PA systems, as I just knew that I could create something better. My brother Hans Stamer was also developing an interest in the field around that time, so in 1979 we founded the company Stamer Musikanlagen together, where I still work as CEO today.

How did your background influence the job you do now? The company overall?

I am an engineer and I love technology and developing new technologies. I am surrounded by people who share this passion in our company. We have been working on new ideas and on improving ourselves every day since the very beginning. And that’s something that affects each and every employee as well as my own work.

You and your company are legendary in the industry. In your viewpoint, what is the main reason for that?

Our passion for sound is what we live for. Ever since we started, we have wanted to offer our customers better sound quality, more user benefits and increased ease of operation – or simply put: a better product. Our products are made in Germany, and for us, that’s not just a sign of quality, but it shapes the very identity of our company as a community. I know the people who work for us, some of them I’ve known for many years, and I know the emotion and energy they put into producing and marketing our products. We feel confident the enthusiasm we have for our products is passed on to our users.

Which product do you consider your company’s most innovative?

Throughout our company’s history, we have been able to prove time and again that our philosophy of not only meeting customers’ needs, but exceeding them, is the perfect catalyst for exciting innovations. That’s why I can’t necessarily single out just one product.

The ultra-compact HK Audio LUCAS NANO is the only professional stereo PA system that can be carried with one hand and yet still manages to deliver clear and powerful sound, even in the bass range.

HK Audio ELEMENTS combines a scalable line source principle with the wide-ranging possibilities of modern digital technology, offering professional users the benefits of networking, remote operation and an effective yet spectacularly simple cardioid function.

Our largest system to date, the HK Audio COSMO, takes line array performance to a new level of productivity and efficiency. The ability to operate it as a mixed array with different dispersion characteristics gives users the maximum flexibility in a wide variety of live sound scenarios.  

 What do you think has been the single most important technological achievement in our industry?

The combination of mathematics and computers, or more specifically, simulation technology. Simulations play a huge role in our development processes. They save us an incredible amount of time.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

The development of the Multicell transformer, which is also used in the LUCAS NANO 600, marks a major milestone for HK Audio. By transforming the acoustic resistance and running times of differently shaped horns arranged in parallel before the high-frequency driver, it enables purer sound, more precise dispersion, and more compact designs.

And then there is the “Spirit Tone Generator,” a small revolution at Hughes & Kettner which reproduces the analogue processes of a tube circuit in an extraordinary way and gives guitarists an extremely versatile sound design tool.

Tell us a little about your company culture and your philosophy in leading the team.

Our company’s strong foundation is based on three principles: a passion for music, the joy of creation and effortless top performance. Most of our 160 employees are active as musicians or audio engineers and are passionate about what they do. It is important to us to be able to offer them somewhere they can freely channel their enthusiasm and actively promote and shape our success. We see ourselves as a performance-oriented community with a rather light-hearted approach – after all, one can only truly achieve great results with a clear mind.

How is your company poised for the future?

As a modern mass producer, we make use of all options currently offered in terms of international production for the manufacture of our products. At the same time, it is important to us that we have our own skilled workers at our St. Wendel production site in Germany. Production is an important part of our identity. Close links and effective communication ensure that we can operate successfully, even in a rapidly changing market. Our focus is always on creating an outstanding sound experience. It is our way of respecting the musicians and sound engineers of this world – by giving them the best possible tools.

What music do you enjoy listening to these days?

For me, music is mainly about good sound that moves me. That’s why I enjoy classics just as much as modern music. However, I often find live music more captivating than studio recordings. I recently had the opportunity to listen to the Dutch band De Staat live on an HK Audio COSMO line array. Hearing the band’s power and dynamics over such a powerful system really wowed me.

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Celestion Presents an Interview with Geoff McKinnon, Director of Engineering & Quality at EAW

Whitinsville, MA (January 12, 2022) — Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW) has been designing and manufacturing advanced loudspeaker systems since its founding in 1978. The company prides itself at listening very carefully to their customers’ needs and responding with innovative products and solutions to help them in achieve consistently stellar performances. These days, every EAW loudspeaker system is controlled by their proprietary advanced software application, Resolution, which empowers clients to be able to map, audition, monitor and dynamically refine their sound systems to match the requirements of a specific application or venue. As part of the Legends interview series, Celestion sat down with Geoff McKinnon, EAW’s Director of Brand Engineering and Quality, to discuss the pro audio industry, his technical innovations and career at the company, and music in general.

The combination of music and technology has always captured McKinnon’s interest, who from a young age, was always curious about how things worked.

“When I started playing in bands in high school, I quickly found myself running sound for bands as well as for school and church events. That’s where I discovered the Pro Audio world – mixers, loudspeakers, microphones and how the systems were set up, McKinnon says. “And I always really wanted to be an engineer. I studied electrical engineering at Rensselaer Polytech Institute (RPI) in Upstate New York. I was really fortunate that RPI had a sound club, and the school owned all this great gear including mixers, loudspeakers, microphones, etc. I really got to share and learn with other students.”

It was through a friend in that same sound club that McKinnon first discovered EAW:

“A friend and alumnus of that sound club worked at EAW and gave me a tour. At that point, I was hooked — I knew that I wanted to design loudspeakers,” he adds. “It took a few years but I finally got an opportunity to work at EAW as an acoustic engineer. It gave me a chance to work with and learn from a number of talented industry veterans and be a sponge and absorb it all! After working on a wide variety of projects, I was asked to work on an advanced loudspeaker system, which would become EAW’s flagship line, the celebrated ADAPTive series of products, including the Anna and Anya adaptive arrays, the Otto adaptive subwoofer, and now the new AC6 adaptive column loudspeaker.”

In terms of EAW’s position as an industry legend, McKinnon points out that the company has always been about innovation that works for the customer.

“In our case our most innovative product is not necessarily a loudspeaker. I feel it is EAW’s Resolution 2 software, which allows for system design, venue modeling and operation of all EAW’s loudspeaker products within one application. Resolution software is really what empowers our entire product family. The high performance of our ADAPTive loudspeaker systems would not be possible without this powerful software. Resolution calculates the parameter set to adapt the coverage of the loudspeaker system to any venue and make changes in real time. That power is in the software.  Resolution 2 is free to download from our website so it’s also the easiest EAW product to experience.”

When asked about the most important technical achievement in the PA industry, McKinnon points to two innovations – Digital Signal Processing and accurate computer modeling tools.  As he says, “These both have really changed the ability to predict the performance of a sound system in a very precise way. We can now be confident that we can have consistent performance day to day, venue to venue.  This was not possible before these advancements.”

And in terms of EAW’s innovations and success, McKinnon gives credit to the team at EAW:

“Our team is quite dedicated.  We have a work smarter not harder approach to solving problems and helping our customers. For me, I really try to empower each person on the team to deliver products and solutions which help demonstrate their own individual passion for what they do. I want to ensure that talented people have the power to express that passion in products they develop, and solutions that are delivered to customers, adds McKinnon. “And we are always committed to continually innovating and developing exciting products to serve the needs of our customers.”

Click here to read the full interview with Geoff McKinnon on the Celestion Speakerworld blog.

About Celestion

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.

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Celestion Presents an Interview with Geoff McKinnon, Director of Engineering & Quality, EAW

Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW) has been designing and manufacturing advanced loudspeaker systems since its founding in 1978. The company prides itself at listening very carefully to their customers’ needs and responding with innovative products and solutions to help them in achieve consistently stellar performances. These days, every EAW loudspeaker system is controlled by their proprietary advanced software application, Resolution, which empowers clients to be able to map, audition, monitor and dynamically refine their sound systems to match the requirements of a specific application or venue.

We spoke with Geoff McKinnon, EAW’s Director of Engineering and Quality, the brains behind these loudspeakers with brains.

What is your favorite album of all time and why?

For the past 25 years, my favorite album has been Metallica, Master of Puppets. I really like all the songs on that album, the wide range of songs, the fast pace and energy and all the guitar solos on that album.

What is the thing that made you want to be part of the audio/music industry? How did you get your start in the business? And with this company? What is your current position and how did you get there?

It has always been the combination of music and technology that captured my interest in Pro Audio. As a kid, I remember always being curious and trying to figure out how things worked, including guitars, pianos and musical instruments. That drew me to both music and technology.

When I started playing in bands in high school, I quickly found myself running sound for bands as well as for school and church events. That’s where I discovered the Pro Audio world – mixers, loudspeakers, microphones and how the systems were set up.

And from a young age, I always really wanted to be an engineer. I studied electrical engineering at Rensselaer Polytech Institute (RPI) in Upstate New York. I was really fortunate that RPI had a sound club, and the school owned all this great gear including mixers, loudspeakers, microphones, etc. I really got to share and learn with other students.

It is actually through a connection at that sound club that I discovered EAW.  A friend and alumnus of that sound club worked at EAW and gave me a tour. At that point, I was hooked — I knew that I wanted to design loudspeakers!

Of course, it took a few years, as industry positions don’t come up that often, but I finally got an opportunity to work at EAW as an acoustic engineer. It gave me a chance to work with and learn from a number of talented industry veterans and be a sponge and absorb it all! After working on a wide variety of projects, I was asked to work on an advanced loudspeaker system, which would become EAW’s flagship line, the celebrated ADAPTive series of products, including the Anna and Anya adaptive arrays, the Otto adaptive subwoofer, and now the new AC6 adaptive column loudspeaker.

I have been at EAW for 11 years and am now the Director of Engineering and Quality.

How did your background influence the job you do now? The company overall?

I’m fortunate that my background has been hands-on, working alongside audio professionals in the industry and their customers. That, along with my experience as a band member allowed me to understand Pro Audio as a service industry. The products we create need to perform well sonically and also be trusted by professionals from show to show. My experience has helped me understand the intangibles that matter in the equation beyond what is on the spec sheet.

You and your company are legendary in the industry. In your viewpoint, what is the main reason for that?

EAW is certainly an industry legend. EAW is a company that has always been about innovation — innovation that works for the customer. The best example of that is the company’s iconic KF850, the single box three-way loudspeaker. It was originally developed because customers had asked for a smaller 3-way loudspeaker with the same performance. This is also true of products in our popular MK line, which came from customer requests for major stadium needs.

Our same commitment to listen to our customer is true of the products that EAW develops today.

Which product do you consider your company’s most innovative?

In our case our most innovative product is not necessarily a Loudspeaker. I feel it is EAW’s Resolution 2 software, which allows for system design, venue modeling and operation of all EAW’s loudspeaker products within one application. Resolution software is really what empowers our entire product family. The high performance of our ADAPTive loudspeaker systems would not be possible without this powerful software. Resolution calculates the parameter set to adapt the coverage of the loudspeaker system to any venue and make changes in real time. That power is in the software.  Resolution 2 is free to download from our website so it’s also the easiest EAW product to experience.

What do you think has been/is the single most important technological achievement in our industry?

I believe that there are two important achievements, and it is hard for me to choose between them. Digital Signal Processing is one. The reasons are apparent with DSP enabling advancement to loudspeaker processing, amplification, and digital mixing consoles. It is now much easier to get a consistent and known result time after time, show after show.

The second achievement is accurate computer modeling tools. This is really applicable for loudspeaker systems in terms of being able to accurately model a sound system’s performance in a room – and with an accurate model you can then improve the results of through system deployment and DSP optimization.

These both have really changed the ability to predict the performance of a sound system in a very precise way. We can now be confident that we can have consistent performance day to day, venue to venue.  This was not possible before these advancements.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

Professionally, I am most proud of the acoustic design for EAW’s Anya and then later on, the Anna products. These systems rely on advanced signal processing but a system cannot sound great with processing alone. I would say that the inherent acoustic design enables these systems to sound great, the DSP is just icing on top. I am extremely proud of EAW’s development as a company, and my own professional development during both of these projects.  EAW was awarded six patents and two Parnelli awards, I’m really proud of those accomplishments.

Tell us a little about your company culture and your philosophy in leading the team.

EAW is actually a smaller organization than people may expect, and that is because our team is quite dedicated.  We have a work smarter not harder approach to solving problems and helping our customers. For me, I really try to empower each person on the team to deliver products and solutions which help demonstrate their own individual passion for what they do. I want to ensure that talented people have the power to express that passion in products they develop, and solutions that are delivered to customers.

How is your company poised for the future?

EAW has continuously strived to be in the best position to serve our customers. In response to changes with the pandemic, EAW has been enhancing manufacturing capabilities, service and support throughout the U.S. and Europe. This will help make it easier for our customers to get the products and parts they need during this time.

And we are always committed to continually innovating and developing exciting products to serve the needs of our customers.

Finally, what music do you enjoy listening to these days?

I am still listening to a lot of Metallica and more modern Rock and Metal. I have always enjoyed live music, which has been challenging during the pandemic. Certainly, as a loudspeaker designer, I love listening to any music that is well-recorded and purposeful.  I end up listening to a wide range of music like Folk, Jazz, Pop, EDM and everything in-between. Some stand outs for me are Diana Krall, James Taylor and Infected Mushroom.

I still try to go see Metallica every year. I went to their last concert in San Francisco just prior to the pandemic. And my wife and I are going to their upcoming 40th Anniversary Concert.

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Reseller Warranty Policy

The warranty on Celestion loudspeaker products is valid for three (3) years from date of initial purchase, provided the product was originally purchased directly from Celestion or an authorised Celestion distributor.

This warranty covers damage specifically arising from defects in materials and manufacturing. Your speaker is not covered if damage has: been caused by product modification, accident, neglect, misuse, abuse;  been incurred during transportation; resulted from repairs, alterations, or misrepresentation by the vendor; been caused during initial shipping, for example a bent chassis*.

Note, the warranty will not cover any product that has had labels or date code defaced, modified or removed.

*All speakers are individually inspected at the factory before packing. Goods dropped from a height can become damaged, even with no sign of external box damage, therefore damage of this type must be claimed from the delivery company.

Reseller Warranty Claim Process

  • The reseller shall provide a report listing any warranty claim(s), using the standard form provided (Download here). The completed form and a copy of the associated dated invoice(s) should be sent to warranty@celestion.com.
  • Once Celestion has acknowledged the receipt of the warranty claim then product can be returned to Celestion if agreed necessary. Celestion will reimburse associated shipping costs if return is deemed a requirement. 
  • Celestion will evaluate each warranty report and where necessary, inspect the relevant products. A credit will be made to the reseller’s account for all valid warranty claims: the credit will be issued within one month of Celestion validating the warranty claim.
  • Inspection findings by Celestion’s quality department are final on all claims.

Celestion reserve the right to amend and modify this agreement at any time. E&OE