Originally Posted by: LordathestringsWhat you get is a speaker that accurately delivers what the amps sends to it. This is different from a speaker that distorts on it's own beyond a certain threshold drive level. The former reproduces the distortion generated by the amp. The latter starts to crunch at a certain point regardless of whether the amp is being pushed or not.

With the California, you hear what your amp is doing. With lesser speakers, you hear what the speaker is doing. With Ampegs, you want to hear what the amp is doing. 'Cause they do it better than other amps.

I chose a ceramic California for my amp because it has the input sensitivity switches and a Master Volume control. I can dial in pretty much any tone I want, at pretty much any volume level I want. I need a speaker that will do the job at any drive level from 1/2 Watt to 60 Watts. The Cali delivers.

Your GU-12 is a different beast, in that it doesn't have as much control flexibility. But here's the main, don't-you-forget-it point: you can try out a Weber speaker and then trade it in if you don't like it. You won't get that deal from Celestion or anyone else.

If you appreciate versatility, go for the California. It will work well at any drive level, clearly delivering what the amp gives it. You will easily be able to tell the difference between two different guitars, or two different players. If you want a particular kind of sound that only happens with a specific combination of settings, then you can spend a lot of time (and money) looking for something else.

If you really want to know what you sound like, plug into an Ampeg. I've seen the look on people's faces when they step into my rig, expecting to make the same sounds I do. And they still sound like themselves, only LOUD.

If you want to belt out the same generic high-gain, compressed, mushy, buzz-tone as every other metal-god wannabe, don't go Ampeg. A properly set up Ampeg delivers exactly what you put into it, at volume levels that leave you nowhere to hide. And an accurate, uncoloured, efficient speaker like the Weber California is true to that spirit.

Anything else is just something else.



'Nuff said. :cool: