Jensen P12R & Celestion AlNiCo Blue: Speakers For Low-Wattage Tweeds

Today, we'll be looking at an age-old question: when it comes to classic Tweed amps, which speaker company gives you 'that' sound? Jensen, or Celestion? For years I've preferred the Alnico Blue in my Cornell Romany, but I've recently wanted to try another Jensen Alnico as I've gotten more into the scoopy American sound. But what are the actual, real-world differences?
For one, the Jensen is quieter...so in the first part of the video, I'll leave the levels untouched so you can hear that. But once we get into gainy territory, I'll normalise the volume so we can better compare the fundamental sounds of the speakers. Does the Celestion give us something the Jensen doesn't? And vice versa?
What do you think? Which was your favourite? And why? Comment below!
Amp is a Cornell Romany Plus. Recorded with Aston Spirit Condenser, '70s Sennheiser MD441 and sE RNR1 ribbon mics, with a Schoeps CMC6 room mic.
joeperkinsmusic
[e-mail]
0:00 Intro
2:58 The Sensitivity Difference
4:08 Clean
5:44 Crunch
7:21 Mids Defeated
9:04 Outro
Vector images by freepik.com

[@DrumStrum]

I can’t figure out why this channel doesn’t have a million subscribers. It’s one of the best channels out there. Keep it up, Perky!

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Hah, thanks mate - please feel free to spread the word!! heh

[@vincentl.9469]

@@JoePerkinsMusic the alnico blue will cost you 2 -3 times the cost of other good quality speakers..

[@hammondvoodoo9555]

AlNiCo Blue all the way. Probably one of the best 12"-speakers ever made.

[@vegapower454]

Same here, sounded really good.

[@proto_leftbroth]

the correct answer is both. get a 2x12 and put both of them in it!

[@delusgr]

This is the best speaker comparison I've seen so far! I'm in search for a speaker and KZbin comparisons are as far as i can go in hearing and comparing speakers. What makes this demo special is leaving the recording level untouched in order to hear the volume difference, and switching speakers per riff/phrase which is probably the most important. Sometimes i hear 2 or 3 phrases, even switching pickups in between and by the time the next speaker is introduced i can't exactly remember how the previous speaker sounded different on the first 2 phrases or on the bridge pickup etc.

[@7171jay]

Great job demonstrating speakers at their actual relative volumes and corrected (Jensen +3.5) so we can hear the differences in both situations. Really good video that highlights what these speakers sound like compared to each other

[@ericburns6604]

Just got a P12R 12” and I appreciate this excellent review a lot and it confirmed this will be installed in my cab. Just that Fender honk I’m looking for. Cheers!

[@stanislavmigra]

For my ears Celestion. And its not even close :-O It was the sound Im looking for, tweedish (kinda very early Marshalls) thru Celestion, it has the midpush exactly where I want it. The Jensen has the bite in place, where I want it to be elsewhere.

[@TheInfiniteFret]

Very useful video. The tonal differences are significant - to the point that I can't call one better than the other. If forced to choose, I would probably gravitate towards the Celestion for my own playing. Thank you for level matching the speakers and also showing the non-matched comparison. Too many videos give only one version to the listener. They must be level-matched for an honest comparison, but it is useful to hear the actual "room" difference, since that may matter to some folks.

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Absolutely - people want different approaches, so nowadays I try to give them both. 👍

[@gldnedge]

Great video, Joe. Love the way you demo. I think this video has convinced me to go with Jensen in my 2x12 cab. Cab has Vintage 30s now, though I'm not getting the chime and expressive voice I want.

[@hannibalbarkas1350]

They are both amazing. I'd change them out according to what I want to play haha. Great video by the way, well done!

[@jhneilson]

For clean rhythm and strumming I really like the Jensen. For just about everything else, I preferred the Celestion.

[@bricknboxer]

Great comparison. Absolutely correct about the Jensen being so much quieter than the Celestion alnico.

[@HamzaVLOGs]

I like the fact the at the Jensen is very LOW efficiency, so I can crank the amp more and get more tube mojo! I just turn the tone knob back a little and it’s warm and luscious!! The C12R is magic, too, with the felt dust cap, gives the top end a nice smooth sweetness. Still plenty bright though! Sparkle, baby! Recently I’m loving the Jensen Blackbird 40 and Eminence Private Jack. They’re rated higher watts though

[@vincentl.9469]

BIG difference in price

[@HamzaVLOGs]

@@vincentl.9469 true! Although lately I’ve been loving the Jensen Blackbird 40 AlNiCo, which is kind of in between the P12R and the Blue. Great middle ground!

[@vincentl.9469]

@@HamzaVLOGs the Celestion Blue is sold on it's reputation - or history. Not sure what it sells for in the States-well over $200 I imagine-each one, heavy too. 9 pound ..

[@Ten80pete]

You know, Joe, I've always been a big fan of your "off-the-cuff" while also being a thorough gear review style, and Love that you get just as excited about a pair of $1k pickups as you do for a $150 speakers. On top of that, the loops that you played on the 335 style, and the second tune just spoke to my soul. Thank you!

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Thanks mate :-) I get excited by a vast array of things!! haha

[@michaelsutliffe5714]

Thank you, Joe - great vid and an excellent comparison. I tended to like the P12R more as it emphasized the brightness that Fender-style amps are known for. I wonder if the Blue would sound better if the guitar choice was, say, a Telecaster that is already inherently bright. Of course, the first thing that got my attention is that it does not matter which guitar you played, your playing is IN TUNE (so many vids are ruined with out-of-tune guitars) and your playing is both excellent AND demonstrated audibly that which you were describing verbally. Your observations, opinions, and test methods were all objective, informative, and extremely helpful. Best comparison vid I've seen. Thank you again, Joe.

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Thanks mate - glad it was helpful :-) Yep, very much depends on the amp, your guitar, the sound you're after etc - both have their place 👍

[@lewischappell335]

The Jensen sounds more classic what you’d expect from a fender style amp. The celestion gives me more JTM vibes. I suppose it’s typical in that way for Marshall to use celestion & fender Jensen, yet some people obviously like to change it up. I’d love to have a deluxe reverb and a JTM but I can only have one atm, I will switch the speaker out in the studio depending on what I’m looking for, mostly Jensen for crunchy/ clean chord rhythms and celestion for more lead based playing 🙏🏻

[@billgaber4282]

Thanks Perky for yet another fascinating & education video. I'd like to mention that the "optimal" timbre will be different for solo versus an ensemble. The mid-focused frequency response of the Celestion Blue may make it distinct in a mix but for a solo gig or practice I'd probably prefer the wider response of the Jensen P12R. Using spade lugs instead of soldering speaker wires would ease the swapping of speakers.

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Yep, absolutely - both sound great but will be better suited for different applications :-)

[@leelenton]

Another awesome video! You do the best comparison video's, and you saved me some money too. The Jensen's are not horrible, but I don't think I'll be buying the pair I was considering. Cheers! 😉👍

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Aha, they're GigRig Quartermasters

[@purpl3882]

This is was quite interesting, I loved how the jensen sound with lover gain

[@russelldobson9945]

This was really useful. I have a Romany 12 with an Alnico Cream. The Romany was supposed to be my quiet home amp but with the Celestion it is louder with the amp in 1w mode than my 45w Rivera amp (ceramic C70/80) and a bit too bright with single coils. I should try the Jensen Alnico as it seems to be best of both the Celestion Alnico and the stock Jensen Ceramic (I feel the amp is designed for a less efficient speaker) but in the meantime it was interesting to think about the significant difference in speaker eq. I have boosted the bass and dropped the mid from how I normally set the amp to compensate and it is no quieter but is more Fender-y and less fatiguing whilst still getting that Alnico chime. Cheers.

[@markferguson3745]

I think it's always important to recognize the difference between practice tone and live/mix tones. The Blue sounds purty and balanced by itself, but when I first discovered the Vintage American speakers in Fenders, I was immediately sold.For clean, for Fuzz,- it's just pure lit. With Vox, maybe I'd go Blue or Ruby,- but man,- when you get away from the stock Greenback and ceramics , you've found the missing ingredient. It's like going from SS practice amps to the first tube amp.And it's hard to remain enthusiastic when the base sound is one dimensional. I try to tell everyone I can that it's all about the speakers; another thing you can't unhear.

[@enricopallazzo8510]

Thanks Joe for this really interesting video. The Alnico Blue was really lovelly with the clean setting. On the crunch setting it was quiet interesting: without the pedal the Jensen was the winner for me but when you added the Astrotone you can really hear the difference between those speakers. The alnico was really balanced, the Jensen very mid focused. It would be interesting to hear those two speakers togheter in a 2x12 cabin. On the "mids defeated" setting, again, very different but i cannot pick a winner. I can see why The Edge from U2 uses the Alnico Blue in his Tweed Deluxe, it sounded really great. Like i said, i would get a cabin to put both those speakers togheter.

[@TheBrad1]

I prefer the Jensen. More crisp and defined, especially when paired with that P90 on the junior.

[@esamartikainen]

Loudspeaker low sensitivity is great feature when we can no be too loud but tube amp can be driven harder.

[@marcospintor1333]

I have both. For cleaner R&B or county gigs, I love the bright and alive Jensen. Really brings out the harmonics. But when i play more rock gigs or anything that’s more distorted, it can overwhelm all those harmonics. So that’s when I’ll use the alnico blues

[@Brian-cc3kh]

For me there was no clear winner. For clean and light crunch I preferred the Jensen, particularly with the semi hollow guitar. However as the gain went up, the Jensen seemed to have a narrower sound stage, almost sounding it was in a tin can. I have noticed this with Jensen style speakers before. TLDR: Jensen for clean and light crunch, celestion blue for higher gain and best all around.

[@andrewnicholson3448]

I have a Victoria 5112. Upgrading the Jensen to a Celestion Blue completely changed the amp for the better. It went from being boxy and flat to having tons of character. I am definitely in the Blue + Tweed group.

[@mikeroadblock]

You rock kind sir!

[@kosmicwizard]

I'm in the same camp as you, Joe. I prefer UK Celestion tonality over the US Jensen sound.

[@dennisflock3958]

Hello from Chicago! Love my Celestions, but Weber makes the best US speakers in my lowly opinion. Instead of a Celestion blue, I love a Weber Blue Dog or my favorite, a Weber Silver Bell. Actually 1 of each in a 2x12 is magic.

[@allakazoo6267]

What amp do you use with those? I have a 5f2a I might be interested to started speaker swapping

[@dennisflock3958]

I've got a Mojotone cab with a Marshall Origin 20 that I had worked on by Carl's Custom Amps for upgrades and reliability

[@jesussavesrick]

Love my old Blue Dog (new around 2005), but the ones made recently (since Ted died) don't have near the personality. Lame ducks to me. Also no longer a fan of their American series. I don't think Weber speakers are as good as they used to be. I quit buying them.

[@sallucido7859]

Weber has a squad of online shills....don't trust any Weber reviews you read online....I've heard them in person and they are nothing special at all.

[@what1864]

the tone i'm hearing through my speakers sounds like you need to roll off the tone knob a good bit on your guitar with the jensen , maybe the blue as well , but for sure with the jensen when playing with distortion on the bridge pickup , great vid , great playing ...

[@arnolddealiii4259]

I could see using the Jenson paired with another amp and mixing the voicing, but it’s hard to beat balls of that Celestion alnico blue as a stand alone speaker voice.

[@HiHello-ku1fl]

For tweed sounds I prefer the Jensen P12R or P10R but I do love the Celestion alnico blue but I prefer it in a Vox type amp instead of a tweed Fender type amp. I guess I'm used to certain recipes. I prefer greenbacks in Marshall type circuits etc. I have tried all the combinations and just prefer the tried and true originals.

[@perrywildpigdaddymule1286]

Thank you very much and congratulations for your skills! I prefer both ;) buy my heartbis on this sparkle highs of jensen

[@jerrymacklow1452]

Thank you for this. I have mostly played through Celestions but I have always the clarity of '50's rock n roll amps. I have wondered about trying Jensens but haven't really been able to afford to splash out. I was astonished by just how different the sound was, between the two. To my ears, the Jensen sounded rather scratchy at times. Of course, laptop speakers are not the best way to assess this. The sensitivity difference also surprised me. As I hace a number of Celestions and little money, I think I'll stick with what I have. Cheers

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Glad it helped with the decision Jerry :-)

[@jerrymacklow1452]

Of course, the difference between 2X12" and 4X10" is another thing 🙂

[@jegr3398]

The newer Jensens are totally different than the ones from the 50's 60's. Some of them are ok but the Celestions are in a different league in my opinion.

[@markferguson3745]

Yeah, maybe a little itchy/scratchy, but it's good harmonic irritation. Very sensitive to picking , dynamics, and nuance.Fender made the right decisions coming out of the gate; either that, or it was just a magic time and place, - or both.

[@aevans692]

nice demo , think both have there place , and depending on what your style is , I do think the Jensen is more at home in a tweed than the blue ..

[@jeffgerndt2813]

I liked the Jensen better. You can subtract extra highs if preferred. I'm American, playing for 50+ years.

[@sampopkin]

The new Jensens are great but harsh compared to vintage ones. I find Weber makes nicer vintage American sounding speakers. Great demos as always mate!

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

I'd love to try the Weber Silver & Blue Alnicos

[@andyrichardson9039]

I've got a set of 4 P10Rs in a cab (about 5 years old) and I agree that they can be made to sound spikey, but I would say they're getting mellower with time and (ab)use. Perhaps after 50 years or more, they'll be closer to the old ones!

[@sallucido7859]

Another Weber shill....I wonder if these guys are payed?

[@mrbaiser4133]

Jupiter speakers are closer to the vintage Jensens.

[@loiclebrun6519]

Préfère the Jensen

[@taisst2186]

That's why we all need a 2x12 or 2 12/10. We all need the two brand in the box instead of spending ton of money in pedals ! Thank you for sharing, subscrided !

[@sallucido7859]

You need a Strat or Tele for this demo!!

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Ok

[@craigrome]

Would like to see this test with an AC30

[@andyrichardson9039]

I had an early 10" Romany that had the P10R speaker in it years ago. I gigged that a few times in central London, so it wasn't lacking in absolute volume! I have to say that Jensen to Celestion is not an upgrade in itself. It's like going from a Greenback to an EV, the magnet must be 3 or 4 x heavier on the Blue, so it's just choosing a completely different voice. For some things, the Jensen wins. For others, the Blue.

[@andyrichardson9039]

Although I will say this. For things that the Jensen sucks at, it sucks very hard indeed. The Blue isn't bad at anything. I find the same with my P10R 4x10 - when you get the sound wrong, it's horrific, but for some things, it's the d's bs.

[@j-man9457]

Great Demo man! The Blue is far superior as far as tightness and punch is concerned!

[@alexanders562]

from this test I would say the Celestion sounded more rich in the low mids, for a fuller tone. But those frequencies can just get lost in a mix once there is a bass, and especially another guitar or keys. The Jensen will sit a little nicer with the band, as it will not waste its time with those low mids.

[@bridget2449]

i like both

[@MaxBeatsGpoM]

I've got P12R paired with handmade JTM 45 based 15w amp and it's sounds incredible. Real 60s vintage blues rock sound :) Major advantage for home playing is that Jensen is only 93,7 dB so I can drive my amp a lot harder than I can with Eminence Legend 101 dB speaker I previously had.

[@kosmicwizard]

I tried a vintage Jensen Alnico in my Vox AC4C1-12 and it was better than the Celestion Seventy80 that came in the amp, but it was shit compared to the current production Alnico Blue that I put in it immediately after. Like no comparison, I don't like the Blue with vintage Blackfaced Fender Bassman amps, or higher gain amps, but nothing is as good as them with a Vox or low wattage Tweed Fender clone, imho.

[@dalehamon4295]

I like the Jensen best it has more chime…I have a Jensen P12q and a Eminence 1258 going into a 14Watt 2x 6v6 Victoria Vibrolux 5f11 that is fitted with a 12” Eminence 1258

[@jorisvanloon113]

I like the transparency of the Jensen. But it needs more base using the EQ.

[@mrbaiser4133]

A comparison with the Blackbird 40 would be interesting.

[@erichimes3062]

I just bought a custom-made mahogany/Ash enclosure that came with the Peavey 8ohm blue marvel, but the maker of the enclosure recommends the Celestion. Does anybody have any recommendations?

[@delusgr]

Cleans sounded good through both. Dirty, i prefer Celestion hands down. However i don't know which one would fit better in the mix.

[@svenrustempasic8332]

Celestion, amongst other differences, has a different midrange in a way that it has more energy between 300 and 800 Hz.

[@delusgr]

Now that I listen to it again through the pc speakers (yesterday's comment was after listening through mobile phone), it seems that the p10r has a certain charm on both clean and dirty. It reminded me of dirty tones I have actually heard on recodrings. Maybe it would better in a mix...

[@tonebender69]

I think that a Jensen P12Q would have been a better comparison. The P12R has a rather small and light magnet. Where I think the Celestion blue has a heavier and more robust magnet. P12Q might be more compatible.

[@dougalmather6958]

Great video. Do you know any more about the differences between the Romany plus and the 12. I had no idea they differed.

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

They're basically the same amp. I _think_ the only differences are a) the number of options for power scaling (the Plus has three; the 12 has four) and b) I _think_ the 12 has a mid-band EQ, whereas the Plus just has Treble & Bass.

[@joshphillips9033]

The Jensen sounds a little ragged to me Edit: that may will be exactly what some are looking for 😁

[@andreweasombentley4703]

How do you find that these compare to the Fane A60? I have one of those in my Romany Pro and I remember you used it as well a while back

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

I've not compared them directly, but I'd say the A60 will fall somewhere in the middle - less fizz than the Jensen; less mids than the Celestion. Probably a litter flatter than both.

[@robcrowell9995]

Oh my. Jenson kills the Celestion. Well, by my ears anywhoo. Putting one in my 60's blackface this weekend. Thanks for the review! Nice work!

[@gregorysanchez7367]

The blue is superior to my ears

[@honkytonkinson9787]

Figures I’d prefer the speaker that costs twice as much! I wonder how close the Jensen could get to the blue by using an EQ pedal

[@pastorkev777]

A Warehouse Guitar Speaker G12Q may be a great option to get the American tone with a tad more volume, a little more body and still affordable.

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Could be! I've only ever tried one Warehouse speaker but it was nice :-)

[@JR_Taylor]

i wonder how they would sound mixed together

[@marvit78]

In my opinion, Celestion is too mid heavy and I prefer Jensen speaker in this amp. Maybe only with Astrotone fuzz, I prefer the Celestion.

[@skeres01]

Blue for the win.

[@raulgrangeiro]

Do you have a comparison like this on a Vox AC15? It would be so interesting to see.

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Sadly not!

[@morbidrockgod]

I liked the Celestion better except for the les paul Jr.

[@keithclark486]

What about the celestion pro jr speaker' do you have any experience/thoughts on that speaker?

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Not played it, I'm afraid!

[@kf9879]

Cornell Romany owner here! Would love to know what has been your favourite all-time favourite speaker for the Romany? Presumably, it's an Alnico type over ceramic. Celestion, Fane, Jensen?

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Definitely alnico. In terms of speaker, it depends on what sound you're going after - Fane A60 was probably the 'nicest'; Celestion Blue probably the most rock and roll; and Jensen arguably the most accurate to the quintessential small-Tweed sound from the 50s. All personal preference :-)

[@pascalauzias5636]

Some people prefer Jensen P12Q rather than P12R, what do you think bout it ?

[@mossstephen1066]

Hey Joe! I've just bought a cornell romany 12 which I believe is essentially the romany plus. Did you ever try changing the 12ax pre amp tubes for something less powerful like 12at7? I was thinking to try this to get more headroom, but I'm seeing first if anyone has done that before tinkering. Cheers!

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Yep, pretty much the same amp (think yours will have a slightly different power scaling & a Mids control, which mine didn’t). I did use a lower gain V1 tube in mine - this video details what I did :-) kzbin.info/www/bejne/gHrCfp-kirBlqsk

[@mossstephen1066]

@@JoePerkinsMusic just what I was looking for! Perfect thanks for your reply!

[@drewg3087]

Celestion blue so much more full

[@thesjkexperience]

Jensen’s take forever to break in. Weber speakers are a better choice. I loved the blue!

[@David-gx9lh]

Nice comparison- what difference does the 3.5db make in terms of perceived volume?

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Definitely noticeable in the room - feels like the amp is a bit down on power when comparing the two.

[@francescofusca4466]

What's stock amp's Speaker? Blue alnico with tweedy sounds so strange to my ears...

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

The Cornell originally came with a ceramic Jensen (I forget which one) though I think it sounds much better with Alnico speakers

[@francescofusca4466]

@@JoePerkinsMusic thks I prefer jensen 4 tweed sound. Cheers Joe

[@sallucido7859]

Uh, this comparison is flawed by the fact that the Jensen is a low power capacity speaker with a ONE INCH voice coil and you are comparing it to a speaker with a One and 3/4ths inch voice coil rated for higher power. A better comparison would have been the alnico blue vs. a Jensen P12N which has a ONE and 1/2 inch voice coil.

[@sallucido7859]

That accounts for the Celestion having much more low mids and bass responce.

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Or, they could both be the lowest-powered drivers that both companies make for small combo amps, and the point of it was to highlight the exact differences you describe.

[@MattWhatsGoinOn]

The Celestion definitely sounds a bit darker to me.

[@gordontubbs]

Any thoughts on putting a Jensen in a VOX??

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Entirely possible, though I think it'd sound a lot less like a Vox. Celestions are synonymous with those circuits, usually.

[@luizalbertokoehler4904]

different "temperaments"! For a more "raw" sound it seems to me that the Jensen is more suitable and for a more ..... the Celestion

[@shckltnebay]

Nice vid thanks, any idea what a P12RJ would be?

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Believe it's a full-range speaker rather than a guitar-voiced one

[@shckltnebay]

@@JoePerkinsMusic Probably avoid then? Im really want the Blue for a PR clone!!

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Blue sounds great in small Tweeds - check out Fane speakers too; their new A30 sounds killer with them!

[@shckltnebay]

@@JoePerkinsMusic Just got an Alnico Blue and comparing with the G12H Heritage 55hz my fav speaker, its going in my 68 PR at least for awhile

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

@@shckltnebay Aces!! 🙂

[@douglasshaw1320]

Flip a coin. They do sound obviously different but I don't have a preference.

[@Tonetwisters]

I had four of those P-10R speakers in my '64 Super Reverb and found them to be horrid.

[@markkicksass2448]

Celestion by a mile. Not even close.

[@buxeyotl]

Celestion's better, the other is way scooper... If we want that sound, we would just scoop the mids eq, but if there is no mid range coming from the speaker, it's harder to creat those fq's... Ofcourse, the Jenson is 500$ USD less

[@PatrikKlingeborn]

The Celestion sounds 100 times better. The Jensen sounds very thin in comparison.

[@Grefsensboss1979]

P12Q is a better match for Tweed 10-12w

[@epajanssen]

I agree. The P12R has a rather small magnet and therefore can sound a bit wimpy compared to the Blue.

[@jesussavesrick]

Jensen has no bottom end at all. Very thin and uncomfortable to listen too once I've heard the blue.

[@jameswallace5967]

Jensen sounds way thinner.

[@guypoulin8454]

Jensen is more mid tweedy high mid, alnico blue is more british low mid

[@ludmilla4778]

Ahh the good old Jensen with its invisible magnet....no wonder it sounds like a vacuum cleaner

[@clovergrass9439]

Jensen is renaming that speaker, its now called the "buzzsaw."

[@yourmomsfavorite4199]

This chic is kinda cute

[@SheikhN-bible-syndrome]

If your a girl then you need to update your style but if your a guy you need to grow a beard or cut your hear because I can't tell if your a boy or a girl

[@georgefromgreece4119]

Lame comment

[@SheikhN-bible-syndrome]

@@georgefromgreece4119 but a legitimate issue

[@asw7696]

REBEL REBEL