In my opinion the blue is more open sounding compared to the Fane and sounds so much brighter, maybe it’s got to do with the difference in the power rating between both of them. They have different characteristics.
Love the channel cover! Fun to see it performed by the artist. Your playing seemed particularly good in this video. Great comparison! Both are great speakers. I'll take both!
The Fane has a much flatter response to my ear? I have a Blue in a 5e3, which is pretty sweet…and loud! Changing a speaker has a profound effect on the character of an amp. The A-60 came onto my radar recently. Thank you for the comparison!
The Alnico blue and gold are very different speakers from one another and have more differences than just the power rating. They use different cones, different spiders, different dust caps and different voice coil formers/wind lengths. They only share the Alnico motor structure and basket.
I tested a 12AT7 as preamp tube instead of the 12AX7, it did make the sound a tad smoother. The A60 is Very detailed with à LOT of clarity in the upper reg.
Big fan of the Alnico Blue. I put one in my AC30C2 and love it. The A60 is not a bad sounding speaker if a bit a dark. I bet it would do good paired with something like a Hiwatt with loads of clean and bright headroom.
Probably the A60 misses the magic of the mighty Blue Alnico by just an inch or less ( or less than deciBel portions) tho a really valid transducer. Keep the good work comin' Perky!
Another great comparison Joe. Interesting to hear that big volume difference again. I certainly think that the Blue pushes those frequencies which are right 'in the ear hole' so to speak, so there's always going to be a perceived volume bump along with the actual spl difference. In the A60 vs. Gold comparison I much preferred the A60, but in this comparison I much preferred the Blue. The Blue was certainly more 'aggressive' here compared to the A60 and I've found that to be the case with Celestion alnicos compared to alnicos from other manufacturers. I've never had the pleasure of trying a A60 or A90, but I'm familiar with the Scumback alnicos, and they're more polite than the Celestions. Not saying one or the other is better, as it's all a personal preference thing (I happen to like both). In terms of that aggressiveness, I much preferred the recorded tone of the Blue here, but I'm sure that if I had to sit in front of that cooking amp in the room, I'd much prefer the A60 hitting my ears :).
I have to say the mids and break up and natural compression the blue takes it all the way. The tonal frequencies are all there withe blue. I have 10 yr old blues in vox ac 30 hand wired amp running into a 1968 simi open back pine fender bassman speaker cabinet. In this form with amprex el84 made in holand and lat 50s mullard ecc83 in v 2 and v3 and a late 50s long black plate rca in v1 .... This combination is freaking awesome ! Dosent get much better.
I was hoping, no, almost expecting to have a clear winner but it's not the case.. they are similar and different, and each do a certain thing better then the other? You saved me no money at all! Lol.. I'll have to just buy both now🤣
Aha sorry David! All I can say is that if you buy directly from Fane and use 'PERKY10' as a discount code, you'll be able to save yourself 10%....aside from that, apologies for nuking the bank account! :P
I think it'd be fun to do that, but wire it like old AC30s were with the speakers in series, not parallel - so the A60 gets the full juice, the Blue only gets half of it. Might balance them out a bit!
The A60 was just less sensitive, so it sounded worse than the blue because it was quieter. At the same volume the fane was a bit warmer and less sparkly, but to me was less colored sounding than the . I'd like to hear how the Scuminco and SC-75 fit into this.
Both speakers have 100 db 1watt/meter, so both speakers should have the same loudness with the same signal. The Fane will get louder though as it can take 4 times the power of the Blue.
I just sold my blue, I love my fane F-70. The blue is great of course, but in the room, solo, I'd rather hear the Fane. I don't hear midrange bumps as "thicker" I like a flatter less eccentric speaker. It's all about what kind of ears you have. The Fane is just more balanced.
Impossible to judge. The blue is louder than the other, so you can't really evaluate the sound, other than to say the blue is louder. Thanks for the effort though.
Hi Joe great video and demo 👍 I have the exact same model romany plus with 3 power setting. I have the stock jensen jch 12/70 and I find it a bit harsh when volume is turned up and overdrives, is the jensen p12q much better or would I be better off paying more and getting the celestion blue or fane a60? Any thoughts on the g12m greenback?
Hi Gareth :-) From memory, the ceramic & AlNiCo Jensens were _pretty_ similar to each other; there weren't any major EQ differences, just subtle EQ & feel shifts. The Blue is a pretty aggressive sounding speaker in the upper mid-range, so it wouldn't be my first choice for trying to make an amp sound _less_ harsh. The Fane A60 would be much better for that...I think in my original standalone demo of that speaker, some of my favourite tones with it were in the Romany. :-) It's beautifully balanced, but also great for not hyping those harshness frequencies. Haven't played a G12M in many years but I remember it being much darker than the Blue - so it could be a cheaper alternative to the A60 for trying to tame the upper mids a little. :-)
Oh please mister Perkins, there are important similarities between the Ruby and the A60. They are both bass heavier Alnicos, they have a similar relatively flat midrange response, and I love the ruby in my ZWreck but it could use just a tad more top end. I think the A60 might be the ticket. I didn’t favor the Alnico cream over the Ruby at all in my ZWreck and the Gold has the most annoying fizzle fry top end that can’t be dialed out. I would love to hear your ZWreck with the Ruby and then the A60 both dialed into to their best. Hope you will reconsider and love the channel.
I'd say the A60 is the one for you if you're after a balanced speaker but with a nice dollop of high end. I _might_ look at comparing the Ruby & A60, but it's hard to know how much interest there may/may not be for that - they're pretty different.
@@JoePerkinsMusic Hi Mr. Perky! very much enjoyed your various A60 and A30 videos. Yes, I am very interested in a comparison of the Ruby and Ascension, preferably A30 as i am trying to decide which way to go... Thank you!
If you open up the treble on your amp Will the Fane come closer in presence compared to the Blue? Blue has a thinner bottom in it’s sound. Given that one some more midrange, Will it get closer to the Fane? Just my reflections......
Yeah definitely - these comparisons were 'all things set 100% the same', because they had to be to show off the fundamental differences. But yes - the midrange is definitely there in the A60, just a bit less hyped than the Celestions. Fire some mids/treble into it and it'll scream much more like the Blue :-)
To me the Blue sounded much better. I have Cream and Golds, but despite the shown frequency curves I don´t think that the Blue and Gold sounds very close. It must be because the ear is very sensitive i that high area where the differences sits. I hate that I don´t have a Blue at the moment 🙂
Blue is definitely a fantastic speaker :-) But check out the new Fane A30 if you're looking for an alternative to the Blue/Gold...one of my favourites!
The Celestion did sound brighter! This surprised me, because Fane speakers are suppose to be very bright, but this Fane Alnico speaker wasn't very bright.
I have 2 of the AXAs and just mounted them in an old Fender open backed 2X12... I have to say that combo sounds Really great! I have to say that I like the Fane AlNiCos more than the Celestions, I think it's because the Fanes have a steep drop off after 5K, much moreso than the Celestions.
Joe, thanks again for a great comparo. These speakers are all excellent, each has their plus points over the other, so choice is dependent on the amp, gguitar & one’s own playing style. I really like that you play riffs onthe big strings, chords, & what makes up songs rather than a long unorganized solo made of scattered licks chained together. Good playing & it really shows what thespeakers will perform like in real world situations. Nice choice of guitars & pickups. I ought a Fane A60 to go with a custom made ingle ended amp thatis made to switch from 6V6/5U4 to GZ34/ 6L6or KT66. The Fane really shows off the tube character, & each tube responds different,y to my different guitar/ pickup choices.. At the moment I am researching pickups & a speaker for a Strat style Carvin, as I have the SE amp, plus a custom built 5F11 with verb, & soon a 5E4 Super with verb & trem. Your videos are a huge help to me, & many others. Great playing & love your ‘fun, excited personality!! Cheers!!
The Blue has a higher efficiency rating and is therefore louder...that's part of the comparison between the two. (To present them as being the same volume would be misleading.)
@@JoePerkinsMusic but if we want to know which one sounds "better" in a mix for example, we need them to be the same volume, as we typically perceive louder as better
@@alvaroruizruiz7538 We do - but every comparison such as this has to involve trade offs. Some want to hear normalised volumes; others say that gives a false impression of how they sound 'in the room'. Some want to only hear only distance mics; some want to hear the guitar played from a looper to reduce playing changes; some want to hear pedals; some want no pedals; some want to hear the speakers played solo; some want to hear them in a mix....can't keep everybody happy!
![BAK Jay - Find Out (For Your Love) [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/10FJO_XBCvY/mqdefault.jpg)
In my opinion the blue is more open sounding compared to the Fane and sounds so much brighter, maybe it’s got to do with the difference in the power rating between both of them. They have different characteristics.
Typically less wattage means more treble. I think the blue also sweetens up sooner because of it since it is alnico.
@@moustachio334 The A60 is also AlNiCo.
Its a great demo when you show a lot of different tonal with different guitars. Thanks!
Love the channel cover! Fun to see it performed by the artist. Your playing seemed particularly good in this video. Great comparison! Both are great speakers. I'll take both!
The Fane has a much flatter response to my ear? I have a Blue in a 5e3, which is pretty sweet…and loud! Changing a speaker has a profound effect on the character of an amp.
The A-60 came onto my radar recently. Thank you for the comparison!
The Alnico blue and gold are very different speakers from one another and have more differences than just the power rating. They use different cones, different spiders, different dust caps and different voice coil formers/wind lengths. They only share the Alnico motor structure and basket.
Just stuck a A60 in my new Princeton Reverb 65 RI. Magical!
Excellent stuff...it's phenomenal! :-)
I tested a 12AT7 as preamp tube instead of the 12AX7, it did make the sound a tad smoother. The A60 is Very detailed with à LOT of clarity in the upper reg.
Great demonstration,Well done Joe
Blue for me all day long 👌🏻👌🏻
Big fan of the Alnico Blue. I put one in my AC30C2 and love it. The A60 is not a bad sounding speaker if a bit a dark. I bet it would do good paired with something like a Hiwatt with loads of clean and bright headroom.
You rock kind sir! Thank you for making this and all the hard work it must have taken!? Cheers!
Yeah, swapping the speakers around isn't a quick job :P
Probably the A60 misses the magic of the mighty Blue Alnico by just an inch or less ( or less than deciBel portions) tho a really valid transducer. Keep the good work comin' Perky!
The Blue, to my ear, sounds the best. Hands down.
Another great comparison Joe.
Interesting to hear that big volume difference again. I certainly think that the Blue pushes those frequencies which are right 'in the ear hole' so to speak, so there's always going to be a perceived volume bump along with the actual spl difference.
In the A60 vs. Gold comparison I much preferred the A60, but in this comparison I much preferred the Blue.
The Blue was certainly more 'aggressive' here compared to the A60 and I've found that to be the case with Celestion alnicos compared to alnicos from other manufacturers. I've never had the pleasure of trying a A60 or A90, but I'm familiar with the Scumback alnicos, and they're more polite than the Celestions. Not saying one or the other is better, as it's all a personal preference thing (I happen to like both).
In terms of that aggressiveness, I much preferred the recorded tone of the Blue here, but I'm sure that if I had to sit in front of that cooking amp in the room, I'd much prefer the A60 hitting my ears :).
Yep, I think that's it...Celestions Alnicos typically have that aggressive midrange; others go for a different design philosophy. :-)
Great demo, thanks! Fane much more balanced! Blue sounds great too. Gotta have both ;-)
I have to say the mids and break up and natural compression the blue takes it all the way. The tonal frequencies are all there withe blue. I have 10 yr old blues in vox ac 30 hand wired amp running into a 1968 simi open back pine fender bassman speaker cabinet. In this form with amprex el84 made in holand and lat 50s mullard ecc83 in v 2 and v3 and a late 50s long black plate rca in v1 .... This combination is freaking awesome ! Dosent get much better.
The blue was much better but to be fair the fans was only being tickled. Still sounded great bu the blue shined here.
I was hoping, no, almost expecting to have a clear winner but it's not the case.. they are similar and different, and each do a certain thing better then the other? You saved me no money at all! Lol.. I'll have to just buy both now🤣
Aha sorry David! All I can say is that if you buy directly from Fane and use 'PERKY10' as a discount code, you'll be able to save yourself 10%....aside from that, apologies for nuking the bank account! :P
What about 1 of each in a 2x12, mic both of them and hard pan them right and left (?)
You'd almost have to think that the Blue would dominate an 'in the room' sound in that application given the spl difference, and focused upper-mids.
I think it'd be fun to do that, but wire it like old AC30s were with the speakers in series, not parallel - so the A60 gets the full juice, the Blue only gets half of it. Might balance them out a bit!
The A60 was just less sensitive, so it sounded worse than the blue because it was quieter. At the same volume the fane was a bit warmer and less sparkly, but to me was less colored sounding than the . I'd like to hear how the Scuminco and SC-75 fit into this.
I'd love to try some Scumbacks...they're just rare here in the UK and so expensive to import!
Both speakers have 100 db 1watt/meter, so both speakers should have the same loudness with the same signal. The Fane will get louder though as it can take 4 times the power of the Blue.
I just sold my blue, I love my fane F-70. The blue is great of course, but in the room, solo, I'd rather hear the Fane. I don't hear midrange bumps as "thicker" I like a flatter less eccentric speaker. It's all about what kind of ears you have. The Fane is just more balanced.
Low-midrange emphasis will give you 'thickness', whereas upper-mids like the Blue won't in my experience.
What kind of ears I have? Deaf ones! :P heh
Impossible to judge. The blue is louder than the other, so you can't really evaluate the sound, other than to say the blue is louder. Thanks for the effort though.
this is how comparrisons should be done - thank you - I bought Fane :)
Thanks - wonderful to hear! :-)
Hi Joe great video and demo 👍 I have the exact same model romany plus with 3 power setting. I have the stock jensen jch 12/70 and I find it a bit harsh when volume is turned up and overdrives, is the jensen p12q much better or would I be better off paying more and getting the celestion blue or fane a60? Any thoughts on the g12m greenback?
Hi Gareth :-) From memory, the ceramic & AlNiCo Jensens were _pretty_ similar to each other; there weren't any major EQ differences, just subtle EQ & feel shifts. The Blue is a pretty aggressive sounding speaker in the upper mid-range, so it wouldn't be my first choice for trying to make an amp sound _less_ harsh. The Fane A60 would be much better for that...I think in my original standalone demo of that speaker, some of my favourite tones with it were in the Romany. :-) It's beautifully balanced, but also great for not hyping those harshness frequencies. Haven't played a G12M in many years but I remember it being much darker than the Blue - so it could be a cheaper alternative to the A60 for trying to tame the upper mids a little. :-)
Oh please mister Perkins, there are important similarities between the Ruby and the A60. They are both bass heavier Alnicos, they have a similar relatively flat midrange response, and I love the ruby in my ZWreck but it could use just a tad more top end. I think the A60 might be the ticket. I didn’t favor the Alnico cream over the Ruby at all in my ZWreck and the Gold has the most annoying fizzle fry top end that can’t be dialed out. I would love to hear your ZWreck with the Ruby and then the A60 both dialed into to their best. Hope you will reconsider and love the channel.
I'd say the A60 is the one for you if you're after a balanced speaker but with a nice dollop of high end. I _might_ look at comparing the Ruby & A60, but it's hard to know how much interest there may/may not be for that - they're pretty different.
@@JoePerkinsMusic Hi Mr. Perky! very much enjoyed your various A60 and A30 videos. Yes, I am very interested in a comparison of the Ruby and Ascension, preferably A30 as i am trying to decide which way to go... Thank you!
Are you going to cover the Celestion Silver at all? Only seems fitting to do so!
I would if I had one!
If you open up the treble on your amp Will the Fane come closer in presence compared to the Blue? Blue has a thinner bottom in it’s sound. Given that one some more midrange, Will it get closer to the Fane? Just my reflections......
Yeah definitely - these comparisons were 'all things set 100% the same', because they had to be to show off the fundamental differences. But yes - the midrange is definitely there in the A60, just a bit less hyped than the Celestions. Fire some mids/treble into it and it'll scream much more like the Blue :-)
To me the Blue sounded much better. I have Cream and Golds, but despite the shown frequency curves I don´t think that the Blue and Gold sounds very close.
It must be because the ear is very sensitive i that high area where the differences sits. I hate that I don´t have a Blue at the moment 🙂
Blue is definitely a fantastic speaker :-) But check out the new Fane A30 if you're looking for an alternative to the Blue/Gold...one of my favourites!
The Celestion did sound brighter! This surprised me, because Fane speakers are suppose to be very bright, but this Fane Alnico speaker wasn't very bright.
The Blue is a super-bright speaker though, so it's all relative 👍
Fane is more muted sounding, less lively. Some might call it"more balanced" but it just sounds kinda muffled to me.
Depends what you're after - you'll never out-Celestion a Celestion, at the end of the day.
But have you tried the Fane AXA 12 100watt? 😬
I haven't, no. But I'm going to be checking out the A90 at some point soon.
I have 2 of the AXAs and just mounted them in an old Fender open backed 2X12... I have to say that combo sounds Really great! I have to say that I like the Fane AlNiCos more than the Celestions, I think it's because the Fanes have a steep drop off after 5K, much moreso than the Celestions.
Joe, thanks again for a great comparo. These speakers are all excellent, each has their plus points over the other, so choice is dependent on the amp, gguitar & one’s own playing style. I really like that you play riffs onthe big strings, chords, & what makes up songs rather than a long unorganized solo made of scattered licks chained together. Good playing & it really shows what thespeakers will perform like in real world situations. Nice choice of guitars & pickups.
I ought a Fane A60 to go with a custom made ingle ended amp thatis made to switch from 6V6/5U4 to GZ34/ 6L6or KT66. The Fane really shows off the tube character, & each tube responds different,y to my different guitar/ pickup choices.. At the moment I am researching pickups & a speaker for a Strat style Carvin, as I have the SE amp, plus a custom built 5F11 with verb, & soon a 5E4 Super with verb & trem. Your videos are a huge help to me, & many others. Great playing & love your ‘fun, excited personality!! Cheers!!
Too much difference in volume to really be able to compare, the blue sounds definitely louder on this video
The Blue has a higher efficiency rating and is therefore louder...that's part of the comparison between the two. (To present them as being the same volume would be misleading.)
@@JoePerkinsMusic but if we want to know which one sounds "better" in a mix for example, we need them to be the same volume, as we typically perceive louder as better
@@alvaroruizruiz7538 We do - but every comparison such as this has to involve trade offs. Some want to hear normalised volumes; others say that gives a false impression of how they sound 'in the room'. Some want to only hear only distance mics; some want to hear the guitar played from a looper to reduce playing changes; some want to hear pedals; some want no pedals; some want to hear the speakers played solo; some want to hear them in a mix....can't keep everybody happy!
@@JoePerkinsMusic good point there
Blue. But comparison was unfair to Fane since SPL was lesser for Fane. That is comparing apples to watermelons, really.