5 Best Guitar Speakers for Metal

57.25% of users selected Eminence Swamp Thang, 8.24% selected Eminence RF 10 C, 19.22% selected Celestion G12 M, 6.27% selected Eminence Patriot 820H and 9.02% selected Celestion Ten 30. Every month we analyze your answers and change our rating.

More and more guitarists are beginning to take their sound seriously: they don’t spare money for a good instrument, collect a collection of effects pedals, and buy a tube amp. But most do not pay attention to one very important detail – no amplifier, even a tube amplifier, will sound good if a cabinet with poor-quality speakers is connected to it.

Close attention is paid to everything except the main element that brings musical material to the listener – the guitar loudspeaker. The usual attitude towards him is “round, with a magnet, has not burned out, then everything is fine”. But the dynamics, timbre, and general feeling of the guitar sound depend on it.

Hence, the logical conclusion suggests itself that even an inexpensive combo can sound much better after replacing the speaker, not to mention professional models in which you just need to install high-quality speakers to get the most out of it. The best part is that the cost of a speaker does not exceed the cost of a set of lamps or an average pedal that guitarists acquire in search of the best sound, and replacing it drastically changes the sound picture.

In this article, we’ll take a look at 5 of the most popular guitar speakers. After considering the pros and cons, you can buy speakers that will make your guitar sound different.

Eminence Patriot Swamp Thang 12″ Guitar Speaker – the best for big bottom end

How do these speakers play? You can get very smoothly and calmly sound, without pressure and loudness, and are conducive to long listening. In terms of bass, the speed, depth, and definition, especially given the price point, are worthy of the highest praise. When the speakers are located at some distance from the walls of the room, the attack and intelligibility of the parts of the bass guitar and drum kit do not cause the slightest criticism.

An excellent and very versatile speaker for the professional bass player. In 1×10 “and 2×10″ cabinets, combined with an additional 12” speaker, you get well-balanced sound throughout the entire operating frequency range.

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Eminence Red Coat Series Red Fang RF10C 10″ Guitar Speaker – the best for round and beefy tone

This speaker has a very flat heart rate range centered in the very middle of the musical spectrum – ideal for a guitar. This speaker reinforces the high-frequency base of overdriven guitar sound, but at the same time cuts out the too harsh and unpleasant high frequencies that a regular speaker reproduces.

The low-frequency base of its sound interacts with your guitar in a tangible and very musical way and responds to the dynamic nuances of your playing.

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Celestion G12M Greenback Guitar Speaker – the best for the beautiful break-up and glorious mid-range crunch

For those who cannot afford high volume levels (weak ears or nervous neighbors may be the reason), the sensitivity of these speakers to the input signal, on which the amount of energy introduced by the speaker into the sound depends, is several decibels (3-4) lower than other speakers. With equal amplifier adjustments, the Greenback will sound noticeably quieter.

The speakers are ideal for home use. With this model, you can upgrade your amp and add a true British tone to its sound. From the very first notes, you will be captivated by its perfectly balanced mid and high frequencies. The frame is made of pressed steel, so the speaker is not afraid of almost any damage.

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Eminence Patriot 820H 8″ Guitar Speaker with Hemp Cone – the best for full-bodied tone

Therefore, if your surroundings allow you to turn up the volume and rock your cabinet with these speakers, you can also achieve the effect of compressing the low-frequency base of your sound. However, since this speaker initially accentuates low frequencies, it is easy to get over compression with it, so do not get carried away with bass adjustment at high volumes.

High power, dense tones with warm and smooth mids, bright highs. all of which are perfect for blues and rock compositions.

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Celestion Ten 30 guitar speaker – the best for rich and expressive tone

The mid-range accent of this speaker is shifted slightly higher and is located in more nasal areas of the musical spectrum.

If your amplifier initially lacks midrange due to the circuitry used in it, then this speaker will probably breathe life into it and take your guitar out of the mess in the mix, especially if you play solo parts. Many people prefer this speaker for this very reason. No one will deny that the Slash, which uses these speakers, has excellent solo guitar sound, and these speakers play an important role here.

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Buyer`s guide

Magnet type

Guitar speakers typically use ceramic, alnico (aluminum-nickel-cobalt), or neodymium magnets, the former being the most common.

It is difficult to consider these three types of magnets separately from other parameters because each of them requires a completely different relationship of the magnetic structure for them to create an effective magnetic aggregate.

However, the generalized picture in practice is as follows. Speakers with such magnets can be described as “calm”, with unhurried responsiveness to the punch of a pick and a smooth response in general. From them, you can expect a soft, not so tight bottom and clean, bell-shaped upper harmonics. Ceramic magnets are commonly associated with the roughness in the upper mids and highs, with their inherent sharpness and detail. Subjectively faster response to note attack and jamming. Neodymium partially combines the properties of ceramic and alnico magnets, provides a very fast attack and recovery, gives the impression of a clear sound.

Speaker diameter

There are four-, six- and eight-inch speakers. Most guitar amps and cabinets contain 12-, 10-, and sometimes even 15-inch speakers.

12-inch drivers have practically become the industry standard, defining the fundamental frequency response and break-up characteristics that are now common in guitar loudspeakers. Since the 12-inch format was established, guitar pickups, amplifiers, and other electronic devices have naturally been optimized for this speaker size, only reinforcing its superiority. This is the most common size for guitar speakers today.

In addition to being compact, the 10” speaker naturally reproduces a higher frequency band, which can be useful both on stage and in the studio, as it reduces the risk of humming lows. Fifteen-inch speakers produce a lower frequency band and typically produce rich, deep sound with less treble.

Power

Specified in Watts, the power rating corresponds to the maximum power of the amplifier that the speaker can confidently handle.

The power rating and the resulting sound are related. A stronger structure that can handle more power usually requires components with greater mass and stiffness. This, together with the change in internal damping, usually prevents beneficial break-up states from being generated in the diffuser.

Useful Video: 12″ Guitar Speaker Shootout

Final Words

Any good guitar technician, master, producer, or just an experienced guitarist will tell you that your speakers have a huge impact on your sound. Despite this well-known fact, the speaker is often the last thing a guitarist thinks of when he is dissatisfied with his sound and is trying to improve it. Swapping out stock speakers for new ones in your combo or cabinet will instantly affect your sound, much more than if you swap wires, effects, and even amps. This is the easiest, fastest, and potentially the cheapest way to turn a mediocre amp into a real furious tone machine.