Fane Ascension Series Speaker Shootout (+ New F25, F30 & A30)

[@aquilarossa5191]

I had a Fane speaker when I was a broke 80s kid freshly moved from Milton Keynes, UK to NZ. I had a NZ made Holden amp similar to the ones AC/DC began on. Just the amp chassis and no cab. The speaker was sitting on the floor in my bedroom with the amp and my distortion pedal. A Fane Medusa. I just remember being annoyed I could not get a Celestion. Most things had to be NZ made in those days, so just being able to get a foreign brand was cool enough I guess. The picture of a green Medusa on the magnet was cool as eff too. Then the free trade thing arrived. Most bands used NZ made gear, apart from a few who had enough dosh to pay the the very high tariffs and import Marshall etc. All the major guitar brands began showing up in our music shops. We were like guitar gear tourists checking it all out. Exciting times. There was a downside though. Most folks worked in factories. Cars, TVs, etc. All NZ made. The factories closed down. Unemployment spiked, so buying all the fancy stuff arriving was a tall order if you got laid off like I did as a teenager. I was in my 20s before I finally got back into work and got a Marshal half stack and a Gibson Les Paul etc. Just saying because it was the same in the UK during the 1960s. Most things had to be UK made. It's how Celestion and Fane, Marshall, Hiwatt and Vox got started. Tariffs made importing Fender super expensive, which created a market for UK made amps etc. History. The other thing was how spoiled for choice these days. We were not so discerning. If it had that 4x12 thump and rock sounding roar, we were chuffed.

[@jacobanderson1770]

Good stuff this time around Joe. The F70 is truly one of those magical speakers. From a quick listen it appears the F30 isn’t too far behind. For everyone out there, don’t let the F70’s 70 watts of power fool you. This speaker sounds amazing in much lower wattage amps.

[@northernamplification8894]

This is very likely the best speaker shootout I have ever witnessed, absolutely stunning job Joe. I ended up giving the F25, F30 and F70 a shot myself and I'm absolutely in love with the F30 and F70! Celestion obviously make good stuff, but way too many that I've tried have a very strident and harsh upper mid range, and the Fanes do not. My issue with the F25 is excessive fizz, but I might have gotten a lemon (Celestions are insanely inconsistent, not sure if Fanes are the same). Anyway, I'll need one more of each F30 and F70 to complete my 4x12, absolutely fantastic speakers.

[@frantisca]

Awesome work: thank you Joe ! My preferred were the A30 and the F30. The Neo was surprisingly good as well !

[@moustachio334]

The F70 growls. The F70/F30 are what I imagine a Fane speaker should sound like. I love the stiff bass of the F90. It is so punchy and articulate. I think an F70+F90 or F90+Celestion Creamback H would sound killer. I play Orange amps

[@frostyupnorth]

Great vid Joe. F70 does it for me hands down. Cheers from Canada.

[@twangerdude]

Great video! Glad you can do such a thing for all of us. I do like the A30. Cheers

[@ABCDEF-ks5op]

Awesome video, I always went with Celestions but those Fanes sound gorgeous! I really like the combination of 2 different speaker like the A30&A60. I always run G12M25 Greenback & G12H30 70annyversary together, but now I will definitly try out the A30 &A 60 combo in my 212

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

A30 + A60 was absolutely glorious...definitely a paring I want to use a LOT more going forwards :-) Fane are a great company, so definitely check them out - I believe the discount code PERKY10 is still active if you buy direct from them for 10% off!

[@ABCDEF-ks5op]

@@JoePerkinsMusic Awesome thats for the TIp :)

[@DavideGranato]

Aye Joe! The more I listen others and the more I love the N30 , positively impressed by the AlNiCo and the the F30 tho... you know when you feel that alchemy raising suddenly unchained? that'd the N30 to my ears. Cheers mate.

[@zachsmith3376]

Haha. A proper alchemist would call that sublimation! That reference is my s#!+

[@enricopallazzo8510]

Cool video Joe. I don't have a Fane speaker, yet. I wonder how they'll sound in an Orange amp. My preference were: Clean: F70 Crunch: N30 Amp Cranked: F70 on par with the N30 I agree with you, the Neodymium was the underdog here and really really surprising. I liked it A LOT.

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Orange did use Fanes at certain points in their (early) history - they do suit them; I think I used a Celestion + Fane together when I did the '4 British amps shootout' back in January

[@TheXxPSYCHO]

@@JoePerkinsMusic I've only ever used 60s and 70s fanes myself. Do you feel the breakup of the newer ones are in the same vein as the early fanes? Not a fan of the celestion fizz myself

[@YouriLigotmi]

Thank you for the time you spent to make this video! I really like the F70 and was very curious about the F25 and F30. And I must admit that now I like all of them! 😄 Maybe the F30 is a bit too boxy on the low mids so the 25 and the 70 would sound better in a band context... I think I'm gonna go with the 70 or the 25 for my 4X12... 😅 I yet have to decide between the two!

[@SirLoinMagroin]

Long time Fane fan here. Since the early 70's [played since 69] I have always loved Altec and Fane. They seemed different but in a good way compared to the two main contenders. Namely Celestion and Eminence. Any old 100watt Hiwatt always sounded its best with Fane's in my old [66yrs] opinion. I love V30's or Greenbacks for Marshalls though. That's just me. The A30 and N30 would be my 2x12 vertical cab choice. With a stereo 8 ohm and 4/8ohm mono jack-plate. Perfect. Two 2x12 cabs even better. The F70 however, is the Celestion V30's Nemesis. It's like a V30 on steroids. Gotta love it.

[@recklesstoboggan]

I've been waiting for this... The A60 and F70. Each in its own right. Wow. Now drive all these with your Vajara JTM45 please!

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Given the workload of putting this comparison together, I can't say I'm pushing to reshoot it with a different amp :P

[@kosmicwizard]

You've got such great gear, Joe!

[@mattwarren7734]

Great video again Joe. I think I'd choose any of these Fane speakers over any of the current celestions. F70 is still my favourite though :)

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

They're definitely worth a good look - absolutely equivalent to Celestion in so many ways whilst retaining their distinctive sound and 'independence' in the market. Another worthy British flavour :-)

[@arienapache]

Great video as usual Joe, I'd love to see a shootout between the Ruby V N30👍🏻

[@Echoplexi.]

This is exactly what I needed. I use a 74 DR504, and have been interested in trying some of the new Fanes to compare to my vintage Fanes. Really liking the F70 for my preferences. Thanks

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Glad it was useful! Made sense to shoot this video whilst I had the Hylight :-)

[@moustachio334]

Hiwatts new cabinets have Fane repros of the purple back Fane’s of the old days. They have 75w, 150w and even 15 inch Fane options on the Hiwatt page.

[@RdamplificationUk1]

Thanks Joe. Very useful. Many of my customers ask about weight issues. The N30 sounded much fuller than I expected, in a good way. I'd be really interested. To see how the N30 stacks up against other Neos. The Neo creamback, Jensen Stealth 100 are two most popular I've used so far, but I'm thinking the N30 is a good option.

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Yeah, the N30 really surprised me - I'd heard bad things about Neos in general, but that speaker absolutely kept up with the others in this comparison!

[@RdamplificationUk1]

@@JoePerkinsMusic Yep. I will get one in and try it out in maybe a combo. I think it actually sounded tonally quite close the the F70? I've used an F70, sounds great... But it's a pretty heavy unit.

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

@@RdamplificationUk1 Yeah good plan - I believe the discount code PERKY10 will still give you 10% off direct from Fane (but I could be wrong on that - it might have expired!)

[@guyfawkes8873]

Really sad they discontinued the n30. Seems like a great speaker. Very very nice acousticy cleans and good drive too.

[@basdebruin7383]

To me the F 70 and the F 90 sounded the best. F 90 for a modern studio sound. F70 felt most alive. I would use that one gladly for gigging. Although It was a more classic rock sounding speaker, that was my absolute favourite out of the bunch.

[@edcasaccio8195]

I really enjoy your videos. There are different opinions to put Alnico speakers in a 4x12 closed back cab. I have a CMI Lead & Bass 100 watt head and the Colby/Park Rock Head 50. I am thinking of acquiring my first 4x12 cab and either putting 4 Fane A30 speakers or 2 A30 and 2 A60s. What is your opinion on Alnicos is a closed back 4x12?

[@edcasaccio8195]

You make awesome videos! I really like the A30 speaker. I agree the A30 & A60 sounded great together. I do not own a 4x12 cab. I’m thinking of acquiring one. I would use it for my Park Rock Head 50 by Colby Amps and my CMI Lead Bass 100 amp. Not sure of putting 4 A30’s or 2 A30’s and 2 A60’s? Any input will be helpful.

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Depends on your personal preferences really - some like only one type of speaker in a cab, others (myself included) like to mix them. Personally I'd mix the two Alnicos as they sound epic together - but I bet 4x A30s would sound mega on their own too!

[@dougb5028]

Great job Joe. I generally agree, different speakers for different situations, equipment, styles and ears. I could see using them all, except the F90. That is one of the few speakers that just sound like ass to me. Otherwise, the Fane line is good stuff

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

The F90 is very different to the others - definitely voiced for that high-gain aggressive bite thing, a little bit like the Vintage 30 in Celestion's lineup.

[@MiniduDias]

N30 and F70 were awesome!

[@mikeroadblock]

You rock kind sir!

[@qddk9545]

They sound quite similar, but I like the F30 and the A30.

[@darrylweller6143]

I wanted to get celestion heritage 30’ s 55 hz. They are discontinued, what would be a similar replacement? F30 or f70? For a Marshall 4/12 cab

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

I'd go F30 for a 4x12 - a touch extra mid-punch, and you won't be lacking low end with 4 of them :-)

[@TheXxPSYCHO]

The N30 sounded very similar to the F25, albeit a little less 'narrow', which is interesting. Still quite flat though. F30 has more of a punch and aggression in the mids by comparison. Alnico speakers sound like alnico speakers... The F90 sounds like it could be good mixed with the F70 (the F70 sounds a tad... not dark... more EQ-ed and refined) for extended highs maybe in extreme/prog metal. Pretty 💩 on its own but I guess every company needs a T-75... Clean: 3:40 f25 3:51 f30 4:02 n30 4:13 a30 4:23 a60 4:34 f70 4:44 f90 Crunch no pedal: 6:54 f25 8:27 f30 7:10 a30 7:40 n30 7:56 a60 8:11 f70 7:25 f90 Crunch + pedal: 8:54 f25 8:45 f30 9:14 n30 9:27 a30 9:20 a60 9:00 f70 9:07 f90

[@spacemonkey986]

A60 and A30... Joe what Amp wattage do you have in your demo, I have a gibson GA20 RVT i want to replace its current Eminence Legend that sounds shit... any thoughts?

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

This was a 50W Hylight amp, so each speaker was getting 25W. Fane make outstanding speakers, so definitely worth a look - the A30 really is something special, but the F70 is a killer rock speaker 🙂

[@spacemonkey986]

@@JoePerkinsMusic Thanks Joe, have decided to go with the Fane A60 just love the sound... using it with a Gibson GA20 RVT

[@OgamiItto70]

In descending order: N-30, A-30, F-30. That's my list if I had to choose _one_ type. If I was going to build an all-Fane 4X12, I'd probably put N-30's and F-70's in X-formation. Cool comparo.

[@edcasaccio8195]

Hi Joe, I apologize, I did not remember that I sent you a message previously with this same question. Upon reading your answer, Alnicos would sound great in a 4x12 closed back cab.

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

No worries - yeah, I've never tried it myself, but old Marshall cabs (the original JTM45s, etc) were 4x12 Alnicos and they sound epic. So I wouldn't hesitate to put one together - the A60 & A30 sound wonderful together also, so I'd say that would sound pretty damn epic!!

[@Optomisma]

great vids . question ,will the a30 handle a vox ac30s1 ? or better to get the a60..thanks ,,

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Technically it should be right on the limit, but safe :-)

[@Optomisma]

@@JoePerkinsMusic thanks for the quick response 👍I think I’ll try one .

[@carlitosfreetos]

It would be cool to do a shootout with the HiWatt line of fanes.

[@pieve5516]

Wonderful video. Fun.how come folks are not commenting about the 90? Had a very different sound that I liked. The 70 was pretty good and not really impressed with the others. I have cabs with a 12 inch Celestian Alnico Cream and one with a 10 inch Ainico Gold. Really happy with both. I believe you compared the Fanes with Celestians???

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

I did shoot some comparisons of the A60 and the Blue/Gold/Cream a couple of years ago :-)

[@dominikpohli2381]

which prefer you more the f25 or the celestion g12m 25watt

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Both great - just different flavours. The Fanes are very impressive!

[@Kevin-the-Just]

Maybe it's my ears but they all sounded very similar, with just different amounts of low-mids apparent on the distorted tracks. What are the prices like?

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

They vary from £120 for the F25 up to £250 for the A60...though I believe the discount code PERKY10 is still good for 10% off if you buy directly from Fane :-)

[@carlitosfreetos]

I’m digging the F30, has a slightly more vintage sound than the F70

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Full demo of that speaker coming this month :-)

[@alvaroruizruiz7538]

How would the f30 and f25 compare with greenbacks?

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Similar philosophy, but definitely their own thing too - just a different flavour in the same ballpark. :-)

[@cactus-mcjacktus]

are they still selling the N30’s? they aren’t on their website anymore

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

I wasn't sure if they've been discontinued or whether they're just out of stock for a while, so I included it anyway!

[@whoismichaelmoschos]

To my ears the A60 is the all around winner, second place F70 and third place is a tie between A30 & F25. It would be nice to hear them in a song with full band too.

[@lipk8494]

you nailed it 8 month ago I guess. A60 with his Amp and guitars. Or F70 for another flavor...

[@sdbdops2364]

I’ve got the F25’s, replaced UK greenies with them, the F25’s are staying the greenies are gone.

[@darrylweller6143]

I like the 30’s f30, n30 and the a30 Would not know which to get. ESP for distortion

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Probably F30 for heavier gain, I'd say

[@walterrizotto8668]

The N30 is rated at 99dB. These efficiency differences are mainly felt as tonal differences. To avoid that, the amp's output tension should be adjusted so that the sonic pressure would not differ by more than 0.1dB from speaker to speaker.

[@jacobbockover1628]

Man. I use 4 10s now days. The industry seems to be all about 12s and as much as i like a 2 12 my 4 10 is compact and i can carry up my stairs alone.

[@seanmackay6739]

I’m pretty sure KZbin audio is digital

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

👏👏👏