Marc Morfei
Friend of Leo's
Yes, as RC said above, another factor with the CRex is that it takes a long time to break in. Much longer it seems than most other speakers.
Cannabis rex opinions?
- Thread starter teleile
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Oxidao
Tele-Afflicted
Oh, speakers
idk
idk
54teleman
TDPRI Member
I put cannabis 10s in my PRRI and Vibrolux Reverb and I'm really liking the fuller voice in both amps. As an aside, they have lessened the hiss in the Custom Vibrolux Reverb and their efficiency has made more headroom in both amps.
RCinMempho
Friend of Leo's
They are popular enough that it should be easy to resell if you don't like it.
northernguitar
Poster Extraordinaire
And then you get crapped on for bringing back a dead thread. There’s no shortage of zeros and ones. You don’t have to click on a thread you find to be a tired discussion. Others may want to talk about it.
Have one in my blue’s jr once it was broken in was a great upgrade for that amp
northernguitar
Poster Extraordinaire
My experience with the Tone Tubby 40/40 is different. It’s the sweetest speaker I’ve ever played my amps through. And it sounds killer for heavy distortion. Supposed to be TT’s take on a Celestion G12H30. To my ear, it has the H30’s bite and highs, but also a creamy bottom end that doesn’t get curdled. I bought mine used and have no idea how many hours it went through before me.
I don't have any experience with the C-Rex, but I do own two PMR purple hemp cone speakers, one is an 8" 20HKP-SC and the other is a 10" model that I don't have the model number handy. I would not consider either speaker as sounding darker than the stock speakers that came with my amps. I have two Traynor DG10's, and in a head to head comparison, the 20HKP is brighter than the original Super 8, a Vox Pathfinder Bulldog, and a Weber 8VF. The only speakers that sounded brighter were my two alnico's; a WGS G8A and a 60's Rolla/Heppner. At first I wasn't sure I liked my 8" hemp speaker but over time I've really warmed up to it. My 10" hemp speaker is currently in my DG15R and has a tone that is all its own compared to other speakers I've tried; Celestion Ten-30, the stock Tube 10, G10-Gold, Weber DT-10, and a couple others. I originally bought the PMR 10" hoping to cut some of the brightness and congestion from a Fender amp, but it didn't really fix the problem so I sold the amp. That 10" hemp speaker along with the other speakers I tried all sound great in my extentsion cab.
76standard
Tele-Meister
Put one in a Blues Jr. Way better than the stock Chinese made Jensen. Perfect for a brighter sounding amp.
Now ear this
TDPRI Member
Agree. I think it suits the BJ pretty well.
After reading so many good reports, I put one in my CS BJ III solid ash cab amp and it definitely lifted the sound compared to the standard Fender special design speaker, stopped the bass flabbiness and tamed the shrilly highs. Has more volume and a good amount of mids which may be due to the ash cab, dunno.
I tried it through a Weber 12A125A mounted in a deluxe cab, it wasn't as boxy but the speaker itself sounded very harsh when pushed.
jwp2
Tele-Holic
I’m a big fan of the C-Rex. Loaded my Twin reverb with them and my 68 custom deluxe reverb has one as well.
D_Malone
Tele-Afflicted
I’ve tried the C-Rex a few times with various amps. Most recently a Princeton Reverb with 12” baffle. I’ve disliked it every time.
It seems to me the attraction to this speaker is the rolled off high end. It does smooth out a bright amp. But, in my experience, it sounds terrible with distortion and is very boomy. Lots of upper bass/lower mids, and really lacks clarity.
I’ve been through more speakers than pedals over the years. I think they’re your best bang for the buck when searching for your tone.
If you were disappointed with the C-Rex I highly recommend trying the Eminence GA-SC64. No fizz and beautiful clarity in the high end. Sounds glorious with distortion and has a nice bump in the midrange to make it stand out in a mix.
It seems to me the attraction to this speaker is the rolled off high end. It does smooth out a bright amp. But, in my experience, it sounds terrible with distortion and is very boomy. Lots of upper bass/lower mids, and really lacks clarity.
I’ve been through more speakers than pedals over the years. I think they’re your best bang for the buck when searching for your tone.
If you were disappointed with the C-Rex I highly recommend trying the Eminence GA-SC64. No fizz and beautiful clarity in the high end. Sounds glorious with distortion and has a nice bump in the midrange to make it stand out in a mix.
11 Gauge
Doctor of Teleocity
I had a BF'ed '79 DR up until a couple of years ago that I couldn't stand with almost all of the 12s I tried in it, until I got a C Rex. It absolutely transformed that amp into something very usable.
It's probably important for me to note that I tend to play at louder volumes - I think this is where the typical Jensen'ish sounding 12 tends to get kind of too bright sounding, or just doesn't have the right frequency response characteristics for my tastes, at least with something like a DR (and a Tele, playing mostly rock music).
...So the flipside of that is that the C Rex will probably sound less than stellar if being used at lower volumes, where a brighter speaker is going to sound relatively much livelier.
I also got a Marshall Origin 20H a few years ago, and tried it with various cab/speaker combinations. The overall winner is an open-back 1X12 with a C Rex! I would have never thought I would have ended up using something non-Celestion'ish with this particular amp, but it's just a match made in heaven IMO, at least for the primarily rock-based playing that I do.
Again, I want to repeat that I'm using the Origin 20H at higher volume settings - I always have the output on high, with the master up around 8 (~3:00 on the dial). Since the amp has tilt, presence, and treble controls, it never sounds dark/muffled/boomy/etc. with the C Rex.
I have so many different 12s in different cabs that it's almost ridiculous, and I probably have another dozen or so in boxes. But for some applications (like the Origin 20H), I simply don't need to experiment with anything other than the C Rex. It's very nice to have that issue settled permanently.
It's probably important for me to note that I tend to play at louder volumes - I think this is where the typical Jensen'ish sounding 12 tends to get kind of too bright sounding, or just doesn't have the right frequency response characteristics for my tastes, at least with something like a DR (and a Tele, playing mostly rock music).
...So the flipside of that is that the C Rex will probably sound less than stellar if being used at lower volumes, where a brighter speaker is going to sound relatively much livelier.
I also got a Marshall Origin 20H a few years ago, and tried it with various cab/speaker combinations. The overall winner is an open-back 1X12 with a C Rex! I would have never thought I would have ended up using something non-Celestion'ish with this particular amp, but it's just a match made in heaven IMO, at least for the primarily rock-based playing that I do.
Again, I want to repeat that I'm using the Origin 20H at higher volume settings - I always have the output on high, with the master up around 8 (~3:00 on the dial). Since the amp has tilt, presence, and treble controls, it never sounds dark/muffled/boomy/etc. with the C Rex.
I have so many different 12s in different cabs that it's almost ridiculous, and I probably have another dozen or so in boxes. But for some applications (like the Origin 20H), I simply don't need to experiment with anything other than the C Rex. It's very nice to have that issue settled permanently.
D_Malone
Tele-Afflicted
I’m glad you’re pleased with the C-Rex. I’ve had a few different experiences with it. Most recently I purchased and limited edition Princeton Reverb loaded with a 12” C-Rex. I also play at higher volume as I’m a member of a working band. I found the C-Rex to be a little dark/dull, and very boomy. Too much upper bass/lower mids in the 200-400Hz range (maybe I just never found the right cabinet, IDK). I’ve tried the C-Rex in various cabinets and came to the same conclusion.
Long story short, I eventually tried an Eminence GA-SC64 and was very impressed. It has the smooth high end response of the C-Rex, but with much more clarity, and with dirt pedals the distortion is smooth, but not dark or muddy. This revelation prompted me to try the GA-SC64 with other amps and it is now one of my favorite guitar speakers. I enjoy it with a variety of amps. It is, in my opinion, voiced perfectly for the electric guitar.
It gets a lot of praise if you search for reviews online, and I believe it’s warranted. It’s reasonably priced, too. Definitely worth a look.
dougstrum
Friend of Leo's
I got a crex when they first came out and were getting lots of praise. Mine is certainly broken in, and doesn't sound bad, but have never really found it compelling in any amps I've had it in.
Seems to me it sounds best when really played loud, and it's already a loud speaker.
I find Eminence gb128 or 1258 to be more balanced and dynamic and not overly bright spkrs.
Seems to me it sounds best when really played loud, and it's already a loud speaker.
I find Eminence gb128 or 1258 to be more balanced and dynamic and not overly bright spkrs.
11 Gauge
Doctor of Teleocity
I crank the bass way down on both a DR (and most other BF/SF Fenders) and my Origin 20H.
I want to say that a DR cab is probably just on the bottom threshold for what I might find acceptable dimension-wise, so a PR cab is probably something that wouldn't work for me.
My current cab with the C Rex is a Seismic Luke 1X12V, and it's admittedly actually not that big (LxWxH: 24.25" x 11.25" x 21.25"), but is just a bit bigger than a DR cab.
I'm all but certain the GA-SC64 must be a great sounding 12, because I've got a pair of the GA10-SC64s in my '71 VR, and they're possibly my favorite 10s out of the dozens that I've tried.
WRT all things somewhat Marshall-like (aside from my Origin 20H), I've got a super-tweaked 2204 head (has most of the 'unofficial' Jake E Lee mods) and a little EVH 5150III lunchbox head that I use with a 2X12 closed back cab, and that has a WGS ET65 paired with a WGS Veteran 30. I only use the EVH lunchbox on the blue channel, at much lower than metal gain levels. Anyway, the ET65 is, in particular, a stellar sounding 12, IMO. The Vet 30 is nice in that it's kind of a mild and refined (IMO 'perfected') variation of the Vintage 30.
Really once you get up into the realm of 2X12s, I personally have had good luck with all sorts of different stuff. I have a 2X12 open back cab with a pair of Texas Heats in it that I use with a modded old drip-edge AB165 Bassman head. IMO, it's just a tougher nut to crack when it's just a single 12 that's moving a lot of air. In my case, it gets more difficult as I like to have both great cleans and a nice dirty sound.
Edited to add - now that I think about it, that Seismic 1X12 cab is a bit bigger than a PR cab, especially, assuming the dimensions are LxWxH 19-7/8" x 9-1/2" x 16" (that's Mojotone's specs for their licensed 1X12 PR cab).
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Daytona.57
Tele-Holic
This is a post in TGP, on my research on the Cannabis Rex:
I'm using a Fender Pro Jr IV and Fender ported 1x12 cab loaded with a Cannabis Rex speaker. The Pro Jr is a very bright amp and I wanted to warm up the tone and the extra sensitivity, and loudness, is needed in a band environment.
Hemp speakers are thicker than paper and the highs were dull before break in. After break in, the highs were sparkling bright but not shrieking. This is a big improvement from the Jensen P10R speaker.
This is some of my research, into the Cannabis Rex:
TDPRI Stewart Ward
The drawback being, is that you can't turn off or dial out this resonance if it 'get's in the way' for certain styles of music. E.G, the early Larry Carlton Mesa/335/Crusaders sound relied on the Electrovoice EVM12L with a low FS of 55Hz (designed as a PA mid range speaker) for that 'flat' tone which resulted... if that's what you like that is. So this speaker would be hopeless for this kind of sound.
The nominal impedance is in fact 7.5 ohms @ 300Hz This rises to around 120 ohms at Fs. There is also in interesting drop in output (a notch) at 1.5kHz, which would give the sound a kind of 'early Marshall' character. Dipping output at 1.2 to 1.8kHz with a narrow notch filter is a favourite trick of mine for re-creating early Marshall/Clapton/Tele/Mayal era sounds. So that would stack up for me.
All in all, on paper (or should that be hemp), a very interesting speaker and I shall obtain one and give it a good workout... shame it's only 50 watts though.
This just goes to underline how important the speaker and output transformer design is in the outcome of the sound your hear. Contrary to popular beliefs, it's NOT just about valves/tubes!! That 'Fender' amp tonality is mainly due to the output transformer desgns... IMHO according to my research (which is not for publication
The Fender Pro Jr IV has three bright caps in the circuit and the CRex balances out the harsh treble response. The Fender HM ported 1x12 cab is closed back and the CREX will be perfect for the Marshall Origin 20H incoming.
I'm using a Fender Pro Jr IV and Fender ported 1x12 cab loaded with a Cannabis Rex speaker. The Pro Jr is a very bright amp and I wanted to warm up the tone and the extra sensitivity, and loudness, is needed in a band environment.
Hemp speakers are thicker than paper and the highs were dull before break in. After break in, the highs were sparkling bright but not shrieking. This is a big improvement from the Jensen P10R speaker.
This is some of my research, into the Cannabis Rex:
TDPRI Stewart Ward
Having a peek at the published specs for the Eminence CR reveals that this speaker has a huge free air resonance (Fs) at about 97Hz (about G on the 6th string). Typically guitar speakers are around 75 to 80Hz. This would account for it's 'warmer' tonality when used in a smallish open back cabinet of a valve amp or a modern solid state amp with Frequency Dependent Damping (FDD is quite normal these days and mimics a tube output transformer's effects accurately).
The drawback being, is that you can't turn off or dial out this resonance if it 'get's in the way' for certain styles of music. E.G, the early Larry Carlton Mesa/335/Crusaders sound relied on the Electrovoice EVM12L with a low FS of 55Hz (designed as a PA mid range speaker) for that 'flat' tone which resulted... if that's what you like that is. So this speaker would be hopeless for this kind of sound.
The nominal impedance is in fact 7.5 ohms @ 300Hz This rises to around 120 ohms at Fs. There is also in interesting drop in output (a notch) at 1.5kHz, which would give the sound a kind of 'early Marshall' character. Dipping output at 1.2 to 1.8kHz with a narrow notch filter is a favourite trick of mine for re-creating early Marshall/Clapton/Tele/Mayal era sounds. So that would stack up for me.
All in all, on paper (or should that be hemp), a very interesting speaker and I shall obtain one and give it a good workout... shame it's only 50 watts though.
This just goes to underline how important the speaker and output transformer design is in the outcome of the sound your hear. Contrary to popular beliefs, it's NOT just about valves/tubes!! That 'Fender' amp tonality is mainly due to the output transformer desgns... IMHO according to my research (which is not for publication
The Fender Pro Jr IV has three bright caps in the circuit and the CRex balances out the harsh treble response. The Fender HM ported 1x12 cab is closed back and the CREX will be perfect for the Marshall Origin 20H incoming.
Bourbon Burst
Tele-Meister
I have the PRRI with the C-Rex. I like it but as you state it would get flabby or boomy with distortion. That was with a Maestro Fuzz unit. I bought the Eminence GA-SC64 like you and put it in. Distortion does sound better but I missed the jazz tones and SRV tones from the C-Rex. I bought a 1x12 cab for the GA-SC64 speaker so now I can play either. I recorded with both to compare and as a you said the mids were slightly more forward. Now I don't notice boomy distortion with the C-Rex but I am also using a Pantheon and Velvet Fuzz both by Wampler.
I think they are both nice but I'm keeping the C-Rex in the amp for when I take it to someone's house.
jwp2
Tele-Holic
I’ve had two C-Rex’s loaded in my Twin Reverb reissue for the last 5 years. And over time they have gotten much sweeter sounding. I consider the twin to be a bright amp and these speakers tamed that very nicely. After turning the bass down considerably the bass is tight and not at all boomy. Overall, they are a great match for this amp.
