Is the Celestion Ten 30 10" a good speaker?

[radiocaster]

it's not only subjective, and of course there is the breaking-in period, but also it depends what cab you put it in (size/type open or closed back or bass-reflex).

Changing the type can make a speaker with tight bass have lots of bass, scoop a mid-heavy speaker and/or subdue the high end. Or the other way around.

The Ten 30 is stock in the 68 Custom Vintage Modified Princeton, which a lot of people thought sounded too dark.

 

[Chiogtr4x]

Thanks again all! Interesting tech info, which I'm slow to absorb, but trying!

In the meantime, I'm just going to revisit the Ten 30 ( sometimes I get it wrong- Thirty 10!) playing it the next few trio combo gigs. Hear how things sound.

Will use the below configuration,
My ' Vox Pathfinder stack'
( Ten 30 in old Cambridge 15 cab-so only this speaker is ON when running Ext. speaker OUT from my PF amp)

 

[soundchaser59]

I feel like speakers are the hardest things to evaluate. One person's "bright" is another's "shrill". One person's "wooly" is another person's "warm". Which is sort of crazy, since some people are willing to consider whether the finish on an electric guitar affects the sound, and yet speakers which are measurably different sounding get glossed over.

Why is it acceptable to spend thousands on different dirt boxes, yet so few people swap speakers with the same zeal? Just because speakers are harder to store/resell?

Is the Ten 30 "good"? Compared to what? Somebody swapped out whatever was in the Frontman 25 for it. And presumably they liked it enough to leave it and not switch back. Then again, they did sell the whole amp to you, so they must not have liked it that much...

This, exactly.
IMO very few mass produced amps come with great speakers. I won't bother with repeating my opinion of Celestion.

 

[Marc Morfei]

I think there’s a reason you can buy a used one for about $20.

 

[arlum]

I'm not a fan of the Celestion Ten 30. To my ears it just sounds bland. Nothing really stands out. It's adequate at best. I worry that this speakers use in so many affordable amps gives new to 10" users a bad impression of how great a 10" speaker can sound. 10's are not 12's and will never sound like 12's. 10's punch out with more of a hammer blow compared to the fuller rounder sound of 12's. My favorite studio cab for recording is a closed back ported front 1 X 10".

I've listed below the five types of 10" speakers I currently use in my music room in reverse order of preference.

5). Eminence Redcoat Ramrod. Ceramic. (a pair used in combination with a pair of Celestion G10 Golds in a 4 X 10" Fender Concert combo. 75 watt. 100.2 dB. $99.00 apiece. They work in this combination but would be too bright used alone. My least favorite among what I currently own.

4). Celestion G10 Greenback. (in a 2 X 10" extension cab). Ceramic. 30 watt. 95 dB. $99.00 apiece. To me this is the perfect example of 10's trying to be 12's and coming up short. If you want the Greenback sound just buy the 12".

3). Jensen P10R. Alnico. (in a 2 X 10" extension cab). 25 watt. 95 dB. $124.00 apiece. A true vintage pair would cost quite a bit more and would probably take the number 1 spot in my list but mine are current production and, while still very nice, come in at number 3.

2). Celestion G10 Gold. Alnico. (a pair used in combination with a pair of Eminence Ramrods in a 4 X 10" Fender Concert combo. 40 watt. 98 dB. $179.00 apiece. In my opinion, among current production, the best Alnico magnet 10" speakers available.

1). Eminence Patriot Ragin' Cajun. (in both a 2 X 10" extension cab and a 1 X 10" cab used for recording). Ceramic. 75 watt. 100.5 dB. $99.00 apiece. I believe these to be the finest current production 10" speakers. In my opinion no other current 10" speaker comes close. They stand out in a mix. They have a knock out punch. They display how much power a 10" can produce. They clean up with the guitars volume rolled back and come out loud and strong when the volumes opened up. Killer lead tones out of a 1 X 10 cab. My favorite 1 X cab for recording.

 

[soundchaser59]

My suggestion for an alternative to the Celestion 1030 would be the Weber 10F150. Just make sure you get it well broken in before you pass judgement. Bought new they are imo very stiff. Great bargain used if you can find them.

But if affordability is a primary concern go with Eminence. The 10 inch Cannabis Rex is really nice.

 

[archetype]

It gets looked down upon by sniffers de corque, but it gets the job done.
It's popular as a manufacturers 'name' 10" speaker. 'Celestion Inside!' for amps manufactured in China as there's no additional shipping ( Jensens for example ) or distributor installs as it's a Sino speaker.
I have had a bunch of them, and have a couple of 'pulls' kicking about. I prefer Jensens, but I have had some superb sounding amps/cabs with them fitted. They do seem to take quite some bedding in to remove the zizz at the top end ( may be my b0rk3d hearing ) and beef the thin bass, but then, they're fine. They are characterless compared to a Jensen ( again, my pref. ), which makes them neutral, perhaps even flat sounding, but that makes them a good choice for a manufacturer. It suits a higher percentile than a characterful speaker, if you see what i mean.

Not stellar, but better than Internet echo chambers would lead you to believe after they've been played loud'n'proud for a few hours. Very good with modellers. See how characterless becomes an advantage when illuminated with a different spectrum lamp?

Try for hours before deciding, and bear in mind that providing you're not removing dental plaque from their teeth with harsh treble, most audiences can't tell. I wouldn't seek one out to purchase new, but I'd run it long before changing it out if one was in an amp purchase.

Note how the Vox 'VX' speakers in amps like the AC4/10 are identical to the TEN-30?

Yes. The VX-10 appears to be a Celestion Ten 30, but with a 2" dust cap, probably to tame the treble.

 

[Long Tom Cash]

Note how the Vox 'VX' speakers in amps like the AC4/10 are identical to the TEN-30?

I currently own a Vox AC4C1-BL and looking at them side by side, the VX-10's larger magnet and voice coil is a closer match to a Tube-10 (17 oz magnet) that I pulled out of my Trayonr DG15R or a G10-35--the G10's specs say it has 20 oz magnet, but its frequency response is similar to the Tube-10.

Yes. The VX-10 appears to be a Celestion Ten 30, but with a 2" dust cap, probably to tame the treble.

I currently have both speakers and there are more differences than just the dust cap. For those have a Vox AC4 and complain about the excessive treble, it makes me wonder if the VX-10's frequency response is closer to the more American voiced Tube-10 or a G10-35 rather than the British voiced Ten-30. I personally have replaced the VX-10 in my AC4 with a VT-Junior or alternatively I have been running the output to an extension cab that has a G10N-40.

Some people think the VT-Junior and the G10N-40 are the same speaker because they were both OEM models before they were made available for retail and they have similar specs depending on whether you read the catalog info or the spec sheet info, but the build on these speakers are very different. I wonder if they could no longer get parts for the G10N-40 and came up with the VT-Junior to continue their OEM production. I have not made up my mind yet as to which one I like better.

I own a Ten-30 that came with my Blue SubZero cab and when I was auditioning 10's for my Fender HRII, I found it to be a decent sounding speaker. I also plugged in my other amps to see how they sounded with the Ten-30 and it made my small PF10 sound much bigger. My Ten-30 is now in a box for sale, as well as the Tube-10, and the VX-10, as a G10-Gold now occupies the cab and sounds great with my Vox PF15R and my modified PF10.

I think the Ten-30 is an affordable upgrade if you have an amp that has a non-branded speaker in it that you are not liking or if your current speaker is just not doing it for you or you just want to experiment but not shell out lots of money.

 

[King Fan]

"Zombie seen near graveyard -- citizens advised to carry shotguns..."

Sorry. Your observations are no doubt valid -- I'm just alerting people they may not want to re-read the whole thread...

 

[W.L.Weller]

"Zombie seen near graveyard -- citizens advised to carry shotguns..."

Sorry. Your observations are no doubt valid -- I'm just alerting people they may not want to re-read the whole thread...

How is a thread from October of 2021, about current production 10" speakers that are still in current production, not of interest to someone interested in 10" speakers in November of 2022? For example, all five of the speakers @arlum referenced are still available for sale. Some cost more now, but I don't see how that invalidates any of the other information. And "the whole thread" is 28 posts before yours. Not really a Michener novel, you know?

 

[arlum]

Chiogtr4x'​

The 10" speaker you're inquiring about is a budget grade Celestion speaker, (their lowest priced 10" and second lowest priced guitar speaker overall). It's most commonly found in small solid state or modelling amplifiers. It's more than good enough for students or practicing at home. It wouldn't be a good choice for playing out because it's tone isn't all that impressive. Depending on your musical tastes and budget any of these 10" speakers would be a definite upgrade.

The Celestion G10 Vintage, ($109.00 +/-), is their take in the 12" Celestion vintage 30.. It's a little punchier and doesn't have the noticeable mid bump but it's a decent quality speaker that will cover all the bases.

The Celestion G10 Greenback, ($125.00 +/-), is their 10" version of the 12" Greenback 25 watt version. It breaks up easier than the G10 Vintage. I have two of them in a 2 X 10" Ear Candy cabinet. I mainly use them for classic rock rhythm electric guitar. They get crunchy when pushed. If Marshall offered a 4 X 10" cab the G10 Greenbacks would probably be their choice to load it with. I prefer smooth lead guitar work so I never use this cab for lead solo work. I find it's too crunchy for that type of use.

The Celestion G10 Gold, ($215.00 +/-), is, by far, Celestions best 10" speaker. It uses an Alnico magnet and it's cost puts it out of the reach of many players. I have a 4 X 10" version of the 1983 Fender Concert. I pair up two Celestion G10 Golds with two Eminence ceramic magnet 10" speakers and this mix results in a wonderful punchy full bodied tone that covers everything I choose to play through it.

The Celestion G10 Creamback, ($135.00 +/-), is a ceramic magnet model Celestion still hand builds in the U.K. which, in itself, makes it worth it's price. I found it being different than most 10" speakers because, while being punchier than 12" speakers it favors the darker / smoother tone usually reserved for 12" speakers. To be honest .... if you prefer 10" speakers over 12" speakers I'd suggest one of the alternatives. The G10 Creamback sounds somewhat similar to a quicker reacting Celestion 12" G12H 30 Anniversary. Great tone for a 12" but not for someone going for 10" speaker tones.

The Eminence GA10-SC59 Alnico, ($190.00 +/-), would be my first choice for a Tweed cabinet. Eminence worked with George Alessandro to create this speaker. It's just pure classic '50s Fender tone.

The Eminence GA10-SC-64 Ceramic, ($150.00 +/-), would, again, be my first choice for a '60s Fender Blackface amplifier. It's near perfect.

The Eminence Ragin' Cajun, ($140.00 +/-), is my speaker of choice, (among 10" or 12" speakers), for a close mic'd single speaker closed back cab for home recording of Rock Music. It's the closest single speaker tone I've found for home studio use that sounds like a 4 X 12" cabinet. Marshall, Orange, Mesa or whatever. When I want to record a tone from the old "stacked" cab days I always use this 1 X 10" cab. I've also used the Ragin' Cajun in a 2 X 10" cab for killer Rock tones. Of course, like I said above concerning the Celestion G10 Creamback, if you're focused on the classic tones associated with the 10" speaker size, the Ragin' Cajun may not be one you should consider. Overall it's still my very favorite 10" speaker, but, I'm a songwriter / home studio guy still trying to capture Woodstock in a box. If that's your goal the Ragin' Cajun is your only choice.

For the best vintage '50's guitar amp 10" tones I'd pick the Eminence GA10-SC59 or the Celestion G10 Gold. They're both Alnico and both pretty expensive but they deliver the tone required.

For the best vintage '60s guitar amp 10" tones I'd go with the Eminence GA10-SC-64 or Celestion G10 Vintage. If I wanted to add a bit of Marshall crunch I'd include the Celestion G12 Greenback.

For a 1 X 12" cab for recording Rock music my only choice, for many many years now, is the Eminence Ragin' Cajun. If I could only continue to own one 10" speaker the Ragin' Cajun would be my only choice.

I hope this helps. When you brought up an old thread I'd created I felt I had to get involved. Times change. Opinions change. These are my current observations.

 

[gusfinley]

Chiogtr4x'​

The 10" speaker you're inquiring about is a budget grade Celestion speaker, (their lowest priced 10" and second lowest priced guitar speaker overall). It's most commonly found in small solid state or modelling amplifiers. It's more than good enough for students or practicing at home. It wouldn't be a good choice for playing out because it's tone isn't all that impressive. Depending on your musical tastes and budget any of these 10" speakers would be a definite upgrade.

The Celestion G10 Vintage, ($109.00 +/-), is their take in the 12" Celestion vintage 30.. It's a little punchier and doesn't have the noticeable mid bump but it's a decent quality speaker that will cover all the bases.

The Celestion G10 Greenback, ($125.00 +/-), is their 10" version of the 12" Greenback 25 watt version. It breaks up easier than the G10 Vintage. I have two of them in a 2 X 10" Ear Candy cabinet. I mainly use them for classic rock rhythm electric guitar. They get crunchy when pushed. If Marshall offered a 4 X 10" cab the G10 Greenbacks would probably be their choice to load it with. I prefer smooth lead guitar work so I never use this cab for lead solo work. I find it's too crunchy for that type of use.

The Celestion G10 Gold, ($215.00 +/-), is, by far, Celestions best 10" speaker. It uses an Alnico magnet and it's cost puts it out of the reach of many players. I have a 4 X 10" version of the 1983 Fender Concert. I pair up two Celestion G10 Golds with two Eminence ceramic magnet 10" speakers and this mix results in a wonderful punchy full bodied tone that covers everything I choose to play through it.

The Celestion G10 Creamback, ($135.00 +/-), is a ceramic magnet model Celestion still hand builds in the U.K. which, in itself, makes it worth it's price. I found it being different than most 10" speakers because, while being punchier than 12" speakers it favors the darker / smoother tone usually reserved for 12" speakers. To be honest .... if you prefer 10" speakers over 12" speakers I'd suggest one of the alternatives. The G10 Creamback sounds somewhat similar to a quicker reacting Celestion 12" G12H 30 Anniversary. Great tone for a 12" but not for someone going for 10" speaker tones.

The Eminence GA10-SC59 Alnico, ($190.00 +/-), would be my first choice for a Tweed cabinet. Eminence worked with George Alessandro to create this speaker. It's just pure classic '50s Fender tone.

The Eminence GA10-SC-64 Ceramic, ($150.00 +/-), would, again, be my first choice for a '60s Fender Blackface amplifier. It's near perfect.

The Eminence Ragin' Cajun, ($140.00 +/-), is my speaker of choice, (among 10" or 12" speakers), for a close mic'd single speaker closed back cab for home recording of Rock Music. It's the closest single speaker tone I've found for home studio use that sounds like a 4 X 12" cabinet. Marshall, Orange, Mesa or whatever. When I want to record a tone from the old "stacked" cab days I always use this 1 X 10" cab. I've also used the Ragin' Cajun in a 2 X 10" cab for killer Rock tones. Of course, like I said above concerning the Celestion G10 Creamback, if you're focused on the classic tones associated with the 10" speaker size, the Ragin' Cajun may not be one you should consider. Overall it's still my very favorite 10" speaker, but, I'm a songwriter / home studio guy still trying to capture Woodstock in a box. If that's your goal the Ragin' Cajun is your only choice.

For the best vintage '50's guitar amp 10" tones I'd pick the Eminence GA10-SC59 or the Celestion G10 Gold. They're both Alnico and both pretty expensive but they deliver the tone required.

For the best vintage '60s guitar amp 10" tones I'd go with the Eminence GA10-SC-64 or Celestion G10 Vintage. If I wanted to add a bit of Marshall crunch I'd include the Celestion G12 Greenback.

For a 1 X 12" cab for recording Rock music my only choice, for many many years now, is the Eminence Ragin' Cajun. If I could only continue to own one 10" speaker the Ragin' Cajun would be my only choice.

I hope this helps. When you brought up an old thread I'd created I felt I had to get involved. Times change. Opinions change. These are my current observations.

Thanks so much for the write-up! Do you have any experience with the Weber 10" Speakers? I have wanted to eventually drop a Weber 10" Ceramic Blue Pup in my Vox AC4C1-BL (although I do think the VX10 is a pretty good pairing for that amp.).

 

[Chiogtr4x]

I'm actually thread OP,
and now very happy with the Eminence Legend 1058, that replaced my Ten-30 in my ( gigging, yes!) Frontman 25R.

Just my opinion, that Celestion ( as it just isn't very efficient) did not sound any better than the 8" Vox/Celestion in my Pathfinder.

I have a spare Pathfinder cabinet ( to use with Celestion Ten-30 in it, as an ext. cab for my Pathfinder) and it could be a speaker/cabinet size thing, but the 8" speaker in the ( relatively) large PF cab, sounds bigger, more bass response, than that particular 10" in the same size cab- at least that was what I was hearing!

So I stopped using ext.cab, stuck with 8" in Pathfinder.

I don't think it's a great speaker, just more affordable

 

[AndrewG]

My DSL5C came with the Ten-30. I found it just about 'ok' played quietly, but when pushed it just mushed out. I replaced it with a vintage 1980s 10" Celestion Sidewinder (150W, 103dB), and the improvement in tone and the big volume hike was phenomenal; gone was the 'fizz' with overdrive and the amp simply sounds fuller, smoother and bigger.

 

[Chiogtr4x]

My DSL5C came with the Ten-30. I found it just about 'ok' played quietly, but when pushed it just mushed out. I replaced it with a vintage 1980s 10" Celestion Sidewinder (150W, 103dB), and the improvement in tone and the big volume hike was phenomenal; gone was the 'fizz' with overdrive and the amp simply sounds fuller, smoother and bigger.

This is almost the exact same impression/description I had after replacing the Celestion Ten-30 that was in my Frontman 25R
( this is NOT the stock speaker used in this amp- I bought amp used on CL) with an Eminence Legend.

I'm kind of surprised that this speaker is used in that newish Fender Custom VibroChamp Reverb ( the one with a 10" speaker, digital reverb)- but maybe it sounds better in this lower output amp? Just a guess

 

[J-bass&Tele]

This is almost the exact same impression/description I had after replacing the Celestion Ten-30 that was in my Frontman 25R
( this is NOT the stock speaker used in this amp- I bought amp used on CL) with an Eminence Legend.

I'm kind of surprised that this speaker is used in that newish Fender Custom VibroChamp Reverb ( the one with a 10" speaker, digital reverb)- but maybe it sounds better in this lower output amp? Just a guess

It's in the 68 Princeton Reverb too (and some other 68 "reissue"), I think that Fender chose it because it's cheap and bland, it "works" for both dirty sounds and cleans.
Imagine how much they can save on buying that speaker in super bulk instead of putting 3 other more expensive and better speakers in the Vibro Champ/PR/Vibrolux that would be a better fit for each amp. The bean counters had a say in the matter.

 

[Chiogtr4x]

It's in the 68 Princeton Reverb too (and some other 68 "reissue"), I think that Fender chose it because it's cheap and bland, it "works" for both dirty sounds and cleans.
Imagine how much they can save on buying that speaker in super bulk instead of putting 3 other more expensive and better speakers in the Vibro Champ/PR/Vibrolux that would be a better fit for each amp. The bean counters had a say in the matter.

And I understand that. Need to watch the bottom line.

It's just a head-scratcher, because (at least with my Frontman experience, which is actually now my #1 gig amp), a better speaker was downright transformative in its sound and 'gig usefulness' for me.
So a customer getting these amps ( maybe just like having cost-saving mediocre pickups in some new guitars) may never hear how good their amps could sound.

But, as someone ( always) on a cheap budget, I'm gonna get really affordable gear, hope for the best, stock- then tweak if needed up the road.

 

[J-bass&Tele]

Yeah, it's a bit of a shame. I've had the same experience with many small SS amps as well. For example, my Frontman 15r sounds surprisingly good through a Emi 1028k.
I can't help myself to leave well enough alone so I try stuff out and speakers are easy to change. Others might not even think about that possibility.

 

[Chmason85]

I’ve only got experience with this speaker in my ‘68 custom PRRI and it’s weird, depending on where you’re playing on the neck it sounds fat or thin, but not consistently either. It’s also incredibly rattly and bass heavy, but again, this is only with a Princeton, so maybe it’s the amp and not the speaker. I’m a celestion guy for sure, I know they’re not the best of the best but I like Greenbacks.

 

[PhredE]

Been lurking here most of the thread.
Dunno if I've posted these yet, but the compare/contrast is interesting:

Celestion 10-30 (normal new retail about $50-$55)

Celestion Ten 30 - 10 inch Guitar Speaker - 30W

Celestion Ten 30 - This 10 inch guitar speaker is rich and expressive, combining warm lows with a vocal mid-range and an articulate top end.

celestion.com

Celestion TF0818 (8", used in a couple Quilter combo amps; new about $70)

Celestion TF0818 - Pressed Chassis Low Frequency Driver

Celestion TF0818 - 100W 8 inch low frequency driver with pressed steel chassis and ferrite magnet, 94dB sensitivity and frequency range of 70-6000Hz

celestion.com

I don't doubt that they both are able to reproduce upper mids, and high-end ok. But, the TF0818 with that great big magnet and heavier construction should be able to kick out a good amount of bass without crapping out.