What speakers do you use with your Trainwreck Express?

[tejastubes]

I am having my first Trainwreck express built and I am wondering what speakers other Express owners use in thier cabs? Also any info about wattage etc etc would be greatly appreciated. The guy who turned me on the the TW thing uses pre-rola greenbacks (25 watts and 30 watts) but those are very pricey. Have any of you guys tried the Scumbacks?

Excuse me if this topis has been hammered already, but I am new to the Trainwreck thing

[doctord02]

Scumbacks sound great with 'wrecks. Most Celestion style/voice speakers will. Supposedly Ken's preffered cab is the pre-Rola loaded 4x12.

I've also got a EV-SRO2 loaded 2x12 that works great with my wrecks.

[strato17]

The scumbacks are very nice. They sound HUGE in my 2x12 Cab. In my opinion, a closed back cab is necessary. I use two of the M75's, which are made after the 25 watt greenbacks. However, on recommendation by the sale's rep, I ordered the version that can handle 65 watts to be on the safe side with my express.

The sales rep is a super nice guy, and very smart. He will ask you all sorts of questions to make sure you are getting exactly what you want.

[Roe]

H75s mostly. sometimes M75, H55, c1230-55 or even a alnico. here's a pic

[Lonely Raven]

I have an Aiken 4X12 with the Scumback M75 (Greenback Clone) mixed with the G12H-55 clone (I forgot what they call it). The Scumback are the best thing going if you're looking for the Pre-Rola clones. I'm eventually going to all all Scumback M75 and move the G12H-55 to another cab as they are a tad boomy with the Rocket.

I also use an unknown 2X12 open back cab with a very well broken in pair of WGS Veteren 30 speakers....AWESOME woody tone, but loud as hell as they are very efficient speakers. I use this setup with the Rocket and any smaller open back amp I want to make sound bigger or louder.

Avatar 2X12 open back with WGS Green Berets. Still breaking these in...they are supposed to sound somewhere between modern Greenbacks and the Pre-Rola Greenbacks...though I'm not hearing that yet. It could be that I need to stuff them in a closed cab.

I just finished rebuilding a late 80's vintage Peavey 4X12 with Carvin GT12 speakers...I got it off Craigs List for $100...working, but the guy who owned it before me was...not so bright. I had to replace all the screws and completely rewire it (wires were just wrapped around speaker terminals!!). These speakers are HUGE! Very dynamic and percussive. Fantastic with the Express and not too boomy with the Rocket (closed back cab obviously) while making the rocket sound HUGE! I'm glad I scored this cab, with a little more work it will be a decent cab, but these speakers are fantastic!

[sst4270]

Am I missing something:
Scumback M75 = $159 http://www.scumbackspeakers.com/m_series.html#m75

Celestion Greenback = $99.95
http://www.tubesandmore.com/

So how are Scumbacks cheap?

I'm not trying to be a pain in the ass, just curious.

I think the Celestions are pretty affordable quality driver until you start getting into the price range of the AlNiCo Blue... I haven't listened to one, but after researching all the shoot-offs I could find it seems no one comes close to the AlNiCo Blue's particular and unique tone. ($250 each)

FWIW: I am a fan of the Jensen AlNiCo reproductions especially once they've broken-in... And very affordable too.

And of course there's Eminence with their Patriot and RedCoat series.
Also affordable and sounding very very close to the Celestions.

My $0.02.

Steve

[Tubetwang]

i've built two 1x12" cab.

One with Eminence Patriot Red White and Blues.

One with Eminence Pro Delta 12V.

I like them.

[Bear]

So how are Scumbacks cheap?

Without having a dog in the fight, I'd imagine the price looks better when compared to the Heritage series 20 watt Greenback. I don't know how they do head to head, though.

Bear

[Ron Worley]

Common wisdom is that the Chinese made regular greenbacks are not anywhere near the original or the Heritage versions still made in the UK.

I have not heard them, but this does not surprise me. I have an empty Marshall 1960A cab waiting for speakers, but the idea of spending $700+ on speakers is just too spendy...

Ron

[thousandshirts]

Am I missing something:
Scumback M75 = $159 http://www.scumbackspeakers.com/m_series.html#m75

Celestion Greenback = $99.95
http://www.tubesandmore.com/

So how are Scumbacks cheap?

I'm not trying to be a pain in the ass, just curious.

The Scumbacks were designed to be like the old, late 1960's speakers affectionately known as "Pre-Rolas." Your comparison isn't exactly apples to oranges but maybe more like a green apple to a red apple. I have never heard someone rave about how close their $99.00 Chinese Celestion Greenback "Nails that Pre-Rola" tone. Looking at prices for real "Pre-Rola" speakers, the Scumbacks are a real bargain. Whether you like green apples or red, or which is which, I cannot say. I had English made Celestion Greenbacks in a 4x12 cab, from 1994 until recently. When I got a quartet of Scumbacks the Celestions were sold immediately. Much, much better speakers. Although I expect to build an Express sometime, I have not yet employed them with that circuit, but rather I use them regularly with a 50w Plexi build, and they are just as if a hand and a glove. They really excel with the NMV stuff.

The straw on the camels back that sold me on the Scumbacks was reading Glen Kuykendall's testimonial on the M75:

The Scumback M75 work well as a modern equivalent for the old Pulsonic cone G12M. I've been using them lately with my pair of clones in my two gigging cabs. 4 of the 25 watt M75s in a straight 4x12, and 1 of the high power versions of the M75 in a sealed 1x12. That single 1x12 really brings down the volume of the Express. I'm able to play most gigs with the 1x12 straight up with no attenuation. The 4x12 usually needs about -4 of attenuation on most of the stages I've been on lately.

And:

I think in currently available speakers the Scumback M75 is the "best" Express amp speaker, at least for me.

And:

I have gone through a bunch of speakers and finally realized that the best all around tone for me and my '89 Express is with old G12M 25 watt Celestions. I've also tried over the years blackback and greenback G12Hs, Vintage 30s, Alnico blues, and more recent Celestion 25s, 65s and 75s, EV 12L, etc. I find the current production Celestion G12M 25 to be VERY bright and harsh. However I recently got some Scumback M75 25 watt "clones" for a 4x12 and they sound totally awesome, and compare very favorably to my original '71 era G12M 25s. Also the Scumback speakers sounded great right out of the box, even without any time on them. I've had them now for about a month and they are even smoothing out more. I bet Jim, the man behind the Scumback speakers would know if 2 will hold up to an Express clone. If you have heard my CD or seen my Youtube clips, you are hearing my old 25s.

[Structo]

If you are after the Vintage 30 type tone I can recommend the Warehouse speakers.
I bought a V30 and Classic Lead 80 when he was blowing them out for $25 each and have to say I was not disappointed in the build or tone quality of them.
They are pretty heavily doped so they take a while to break in.
They are what now? $45?
Still a good buy for an American built spkr.

[Lonely Raven]

Yeah, sorry, I thought it was common knowledge that modern greenbacks are nothing like the Pre-Rola. I should have clarified.

I can get a vintage style cab (Marshall clone) such as my Aiken, or I've been told Stone Age makes the best thing going right now, plus a quad of M75 for about 1/3rd the cost of a real Pre-Rola Marshall. The only thing that's missing (IMHO) is the old wood and a good break in.

I tried to source a late 60's early 70's Marshall with orignal greenbacks, and people were asking $2500+ for them!

Way outa my league price wise. So Scumbacks are the way to go.

(Again, IMHO) the only thing the modern greenbacks have going for them, is the name brand stamped on them. Sound wise...Meh. I don't get hung up on name brand...I Laugh Out Loud at the narrow minded folks on TGP who are all "I'll never buy WGS or (insert brand here) because it's not a Celestion".

Last I checked it's the sound I'm after, not the sticker on the magnet.

Sorry, I wandered a bit there...carry on.

[fusionbear]

Scumback had a clinic at TM in orange, CA and I played my TW through one of his scumnico loaded 4x12's. I am officially ruined.......

[Lonely Raven]

Update:

I played my Rocket with some new Rohren EL84 tubes into my not nearly broken in WGS Green Berets in an Avatar 2X12 open back.

WOW! Good stuff! I'm offically impressed with WGS! Even with their prices up to what the market will bare, they seem to be great bang for the buck!

Not as warm as the Scumbacks, but still very rock oriented though a little weak in the bass.

[Blinkie]

If you want your amp to sound the best that it can, you need to use pre rola speakers.


Kenny used Pre rola speakers and celestion blues only!

Kenny always said to start witht eh speakers and work your way backwards.

He beat me over the head until I listened to him. I am glad he did!!


I disappeared from the boards for a long time due to the crap that got tossed my way with my friend's death.



I am re-surfacing to help to answer questions from what he taught me.




Hubie