Celestion Creamback 65 VS Emimence CV-65

[bubs_42]

I was selling a CV-65 and the one question that came up the most is "How does it compare to a Celestion 65 Creamback. I also received a few opinionated reviews on my listing comparing the two, so since I am able to do a side by side comparison for the second time I figured I would lay it out in case you were wondering. 

First the 65 Creamback is in the Greenback realm of speakers (I have a Greenback 25 here as well)  and CV-65 is most closely compared to a Celestion 1265. I A/B'ed the Greenback 25 to the Creamback 65 and I have to say, they are very similar. I am pretty surprised on how close they are, the only immediate difference is the perceived bottom end differences. The 25 Greenback gives more so it sounds like you are getting more bottom end, but its actually the speaker just giving up the goods. The Creamback is tighter, slightly quicker on the bottom end, but sonically it sounds like a Greenback. If I was using a higher wattage amplifier the 65 Creamback would be the speaker I would go with if I wanted to stay with a single speaker setup. 

Comparing the Cream 65 to the CV65 there is not a lot of similarities. With the Cream 65 you do get coloring in your tone from the speaker, with break up, note smear, and a very classic sound that is ear pleasing. The CV65 is a different animal, it is more OPEN sounding, with increased perceived headroom clarity, string to string note separation, and a clarity that is less forgiving.

The Celestion 1265 became one of my favorite speakers about 5 years ago, and it or a variant has had a permanent spot in my stable of speakers. I can't seem to get away from this speaker, and I credit that to WGS Speakers. WGS was very kind to me at the last Nashville Gear Expo, I was able to talk speakers with them, and sit in front of 6 cabinets with 6 different speakers and try them all with one amp. I didn't know what was in any of the cabs, and the speaker that I ended up liking was the ET-65 (another 1265 style speaker). To me the 1265 is like an EV, but with character. You get a full sound, you can hear the difference in guitars, pickups, amplifiers that you put through it, but it is not completely flat. You get a little more sparkle, you get cut from the midrange, while retaining a tight bottom end. 

If you are looking for that Vintage Celestion Sound and don't want to carry around that 2x12, or 4x12 then the Creamback is the way to go, but if you want to separate yourself from the pack and sonically cut through the mix the CV65 will get the job done. It does everything from Country Clean, to Hard Rock and everything in between with a refined clarity that is never muddy. 

[atomicwash]

Nice review. I can almost hear your description in my head.

[LucSulla]

I have a couple of your hand me down speakers, unless @RobB but this Lynchback in this Splawn himself.  I dig everything you dig apparently.  I have an Avatar 112 Vintage on it's way for this WGS Reaper 55Hz. 

Wish they still made the Lynchback.   I love that speaker. 

[RobB]

1 hour ago, LucSulla said:

I have a couple of your hand me down speakers, unless @RobB but this Lynchback in this Splawn himself.  

Nope, that's the way it arrived when I got it from bubs.

[bubs_42]

3 hours ago, RobB said:

Nope, that's the way it arrived when I got it from bubs.

@LucSulla, yes that speaker was in the amp when I purchased it straight from Splawn. I emailed Splawn about that amp and the reply was "I've got one doing the rounds at dealers now, if you can wait until it comes back i'll sell it to you for $$$".  The price was a no brainer. The Lynchback is definitely its own thing, and at the time I don't remember ever hearing anything like it. It has been too long for me to compare it to anything else now. 

[Dutchman]

I'm pairing a creamback 65 in 1- 12 cab and a really old GH 85 in the leslie cabinet. They paired up nicely. Things get awesome when I kick the leslie on!

[RobB]

Thinking of swapping out the EVM12L in a Mojotone wedge cab. Would the ET-65 be a good choice for a Splawn Competition (22w) head?

[LucSulla]

1 hour ago, RobB said:

Thinking of swapping out the EVM12L in a Mojotone wedge cab. Would the ET-65 be a good choice for a Splawn Competition (22w) head?

How do you like those wedge cabs?  I was looking at those the other day. 

[RobB]

2 hours ago, LucSulla said:

How do you like those wedge cabs?  I was looking at those the other day. 

Brick shithouse build, lightweight and compares favorably to a Bogner 2x12. Nice to have the speaker output pointed toward my head instead of my ankles.

I’m thinking I can do better than the EV, so I’m looking for speaker recommendations. Using a VAC25 head thru it currently. 

[bubs_42]

2 hours ago, RobB said:

Brick shithouse build, lightweight and compares favorably to a Bogner 2x12. Nice to have the speaker output pointed toward my head instead of my ankles.

I’m thinking I can do better than the EV, so I’m looking for speaker recommendations. Using a VAC25 head thru it currently. 

The ET-65 would to great with both of those amps. 

[Jakeboy]

Great review, @bubs_42!  While I haven’t used a Creamback, that is what I expect.....a bigger greenback if you will. And the ET65 is exactly as you describe.

[Brooks]

I have a Creamback in an oversized 1x12 and agree w/ Bubs description (I had a Greenback at the same time to compare). Haven't tried the CV65.

I like the idea of those angled cabs; I have a few wedge monitors that I have gutted and put guitar speakers in; a Peavey 1x12 w/ another Creamback that has some cone cry (my niece's husband has it on permanent loan), and a Kustom 1x10 w/ an Emi Lil Buddy (high wattage dull toned speaker, it's my utility cab for jazz guitar/vocals/whatever). I got an "AmpRamp" to prop up my oversized 1x12. 

My fave Eminence was a Manowar which sounded kinda like Bubs description of the CV65 ("You get a full sound, you can hear the difference in guitars, pickups, amplifiers that you put through it, but it is not completely flat. You get a little more sparkle, you get cut from the midrange, while retaining a tight bottom end").  Almost like a cross between an EV and a Celestion.

 

 

[Dutchman]

I had a FOH guy that toured with us in the 80's. He was a monster, big SOB with a bad attitude most days. He hated loud guitars, so he built us wedge speakers modeled after the JBL wedges we used for vocal monitors. Set the speakers shooting at us firing to the back of the stage. He was happy!! And I and the other guitar player where no longer on his shit list! The wedge didn't have the balls of a 4-12, but it cut! 

The 4-12's went on stage, but nothing plugged in.

[bubs_42]

I got to thinking about the differences of the Greenback and the Creamback. It made me think about going the opposite way with the a G1265. I reached out to one of the speaker companies to see if they would be willing to build me one, now I'm just waiting on a reply.