Talking Speakers, Gear & Production with Adam "Nolly" Getgood

I had the great opportunity to record a conversation/an interview with none other than Adam Nolly Getgood. Thank you ‪@Nollythegreat‬!
If you don't know what got me here, it was this big V30 shootout: • World's BIGGEST Celest...
The whole conversation went well over two hours. I edited it down a bit but there is still a lot of info in here sohere are some timestamps to help you navigate:
00:02:33 Are V30s After 2003 Rubbish?
00:06:31 V30 Talk
00:15:54 Speaker Cones and Neodynium Magnets
00:24:45 Are Speakers Getting the Attention They Deserve now?
00:26:06 Nollys Favourite Vintage 30
00:32:24 Zilla Cabs
00:38:00 Other Speakers
00:44:02 Greenbacks & Johan Segeborn
00:54:28 Bare Knuckle Pickups
00:59:03 Choosing Speakers and Mics According to Tuning?
01:01:32 Best Mics to Compliment an SM57?
01:08:20 How Valuable is it Collecting Speakers as a Producer?
01:09:53 Serial Numbers for the Special Mesa Cabs
01:12:21 Does Nolly suffer from G.A.S.?
01:17:00 Favourite Amps and Mods
01:23:54 Gower Amps
01:27:52 Laney VH100R
01:29:13 Bass Tones and Recording Bass
01:31:58 Compression in the Mix
01:35:07 EQing V30s
01:36:18 Teaching Djent
01:37:20 Designing a Signature Speaker?
01:41:07 Balancing Roles / A Day in the Life of Nolly Getgood
01:45:06 What Record Made Nolly a Tone Connaisseur?
01:52:34 Impedance Curves Affecting Each Other?
SUPPORT:
If you want to support me, you can use my Thomann affiliate link for anything you buy there. I get a small commission at no extra cost for you:
www.thomann.de...
I’ve started a Patreon where you can download full IR packs for the speakers I demo:
/ tojb
If you want to support me directly:
paypal.me/theo...
Find me on Instagram:
/ the.other.john.browne

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

If two hours of Nolly aren't enough for you, the great folks at Zilla cabs released the first part of their shootout with Nolly that he mentioned today: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eIXPnIShmZJordUsi=yDmczNuTLgJZz062

[@russelw.6288]

i‘ve had several Blackframe 8ohms. And still have some. If you or Nolly want 1 or 2 hit me up or guide him to me. It‘ll be awesome to see you guys check them out. Never heard of 16 ohms tho. IMO they come closest to Mesa Spec ones. I‘m not sure if there are Mesa OEM blackframe ones. Never came across them.

[@russelw.6288]

@@TheOtherJohnBrowne you had the 4x12 Marshall empty cab sent from me. So you know i‘m trustworthy ❤️. i could lend you or nolly one as well. Cheers

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

@@russelw.6288 Hey man. Thanks. I remember you. That's very generous of you. At the same time, I've had a bunch of 8 Ohm black frames and currently still have one. At this point I am only really interested in a 16 Ohm black frame which seems to be much more rare

[@russelw.6288]

@@TheOtherJohnBrowne right i heard that in the video 😅 sorry. Feel free to reach out to nolly. He might like to get one or borrow one. I could give back sth to one of the Goats. These should be even harder to find in the UK as these where primarily used OEM by german manufacturers i guess. 16 ohm black frames where only in the Ampeg cabs? These are mostly in the us i guess.

[@TheGgreen100]

The best explanation of the 4x12 cab I've ever heard is that it is a "hilarious parade of acoustic design errors that just so happens to create the perfect filter for electric rock guitar."

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

LOL. That checks out, yes

[@michaelgriffin5304]

This was very well done. You would think John was a professional interviewer. It is so common for interviewers to constantly say "yeah" or over talk. Plenty of space to speak and express ideas. I don't think I heard even one interruption. Kudos to you, sir!

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

Thanks for the kind words. I wish I was able to speak a little more fluidly. I'll put that down to being nervous.

[@QuincyKane]

This was great! Very cool of Nolly to do this; I quite enjoyed listening to your conversation!

[@5150forevermore]

I see a new John Browne video I click. Great content.

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

Thank you!

[@SonicDriveStudio]

Such a cool watch and very informative! Amazing video man!

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

Thanks a ton!

[@chrismonaut]

Well that's one of these instant likes before even watching the video...

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

I appreciate it

[@behavioralsink7747]

A PLACE IN THE SUN!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU SAID IT!!! YOU COULD HEAR THE TUBES HISS. "YOU'RE THE PERFECT OOOOOONE..." AMAZING!!!

[@aric_unhinged]

I want Nolly to wear a body cam like a cop when he's in studio and stream the feed. I think I'd learn so much. XD

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

Now that's something everyone could enjoy

[@lukevontajikistan3929]

Thanks for the interview, John! Appreciate it!

[@thisisflojo]

Nice new glasses Nolly, and thanks for the interview John

[@xsonicassassinx]

A quick shout, but notable, the m201 is an unsung hero in high gain.

[@EugeValovirta230V]

Great stuff man!

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

Cheers, Euge!

[@UmairDarVoid]

Great interview! Thanks for this. Always very educational to listen to Nolly speak

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

Absolutely

[@BaritoneGoatStudio]

Ooh! My Mesa cab is in the Golden zone of tone! Sweet. This is such a comprehensive dive into a lot of subjects! Can’t wait to check out a few more chapters as I skip around. I do appreciate that Nolly likes the name of my channel. 😂😂

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

Congrats, mate!

[@CIRCLEOFTONE]

Great info. One of the things that I think makes the old blackbacks and greenbacks hard to recreate (and Nolly touched on modern manufacturing codes) is you are not allowed to boil a horse to make the glue for the paper cone mix 😂. Plus the metallurgy is different. They were not devious enough to mix pot metal in with the copper to save money when it came to the coil, no lead etc etc even down to the solder. Add the fact that these speakers blow it you pump an 8 string thought it just makes it too much of a headache to manufacture speakers like the 60's and early 70's.

[@Starch1b2c3d4a]

Thats bs. In the audiophile speaker industry they have the skills and tech to build anything and everything. Its the same for guitar speakers. Its just that Celestion does not care enough

[@BrandonBames]

Psh I be boilin horses all day long

[@CIRCLEOFTONE]

​​@@Starch1b2c3d4aYou didn't read my post. RoHS is real BTW re lead in solder etc.

[@CIRCLEOFTONE]

​​@@Starch1b2c3d4aInteresting you think lead etc is legal in RoHS 😂 is an acronym for Restriction of Hazardous Substances. BTW read what I said. I said it's too much of a headache for manufacturers because these old speakers will BLOW with 8 strings etc and 100w heads. They CAN (barring lead solder paste etc) but there isn't demand for expensive small batch speakers with horse glue that will have a MASSIVE return rate due to the paper failing.

[@zabtej1645]

You can mod your amp too, it took me about 1.5 months to understand the circuits and pick designs/ values to start with

[@xsonicassassinx]

I think I’ve figured out why these guys are so well suited for this line of work. Hair causes comb filtering and obscures the soundscape.

[@kieranvirgo9797]

Awesome content and well deserved comments towards you John. Great work Bro 🤘🏻

[@HaydenMcCarry]

Loved the video man! Nolly is a legend!

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

He is. So generous with knowledge

[@lordgraga]

Impedance works like this: Electrical signals flows to the lowest impedance. So all things considered, if you have two unmatched speakers, the difference in the impedance curves will signify areas where power is redistributed differently than with matched speakers. So if we have a V30 and a GB, and the V30 has a relatively higher impedance in the midrange, then more midrange energy will be distributed to the GB. This makes the V30 more scooped and the GB more middy, than if each speaker was in a matched cab. In reality I don't know how much it ends up mattering, but that's the theory anyway. It is definitely more noticeable with mismatched 8 and 16 ohm than multiple 8 ohms. it also affects low end: If you have different low end peaks (i.e, 55 hz and 85 hz), the low end peak of the cab will be kind of smeared out because each speaker offers a easier electrical flow for the other one's peak. The result should be a more efficient low end in the cab, but again the reality may be negligible.

[@journeymanbryan154]

Great interview. Thanks for putting this together.

[@PippPriss]

I only got to check out 30 minutes so far, but this video is a goldmine of cool nerdy stuff. Thanks for doijg this, and its great to see you receive the recognition you deserve!

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

Thanks, buddy

[@zanthraxus]

Great content as always - that was very enjoyable to watch (and heaps of info as usual)! Really like the calm interview/conversation style too - very well done on both sides! Cheers!

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

Thanks, buddy!

[@ItsNotSafe2Swim]

Thanks for relaying my question! He hit my name’s origin on the head haha. Great interview btw 👍

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

Awesome! Now I know

[@jenyahp2828]

What a talk! Thanks for sharing!

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@millermonsterair]

25:00 i agree. i think more people are starting to actually look at cabs and speakers, more than in the past. most people i know are still under the impression that the speaker(s) and cab doesnt really make much difference, if at all, but i can say that for the most part, others have began looking at cabs and speakers more than they have in the past.

[@veers0r]

Changing the impedance curve in an axefx does make a noticeable difference, especially if there is little negative feedback. The other data point I have is shootouts of different reactive load boxes (on youtube), which also do sound different. Whether that translates to the real world I'd be curious to see as well. :)

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

The negative feedback is a good point. Thank you for pointing that out

[@Phil.Goodwin]

I very much enjoyed this conversation, it answered many of my own questions and also saved me from wasting (even more) time in my own personal tone chase. The thing that fascinates me most at the moment though is impedance. I feel there's a significant difference between 8 and 16 ohm speakers, particularly the V30, which just isn't discussed enough. If we're comparing such fine tolerances I feel I have to pretty much rule out 16 ohm speakers for their fizziness and lack of mids - would you agree?

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

Glad you got something out of it. I pretty much treat 8 and 16 Ohms speakers seperately, as different models

[@michaelgriffin5304]

What an epic experience! Looking forward to listening to this one.

[@hiyeja]

Awesome Content John ! I really enjoy your channel, keep up the great work 🤘🏻 Greetings from Bavaria 🍻

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

Prost!

[@LeonTodd]

Lex Luthor & Charles Xavier together at last!

[@LeonTodd]

This is amazing btw. Video quality is gorgeous too!

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

Thanks Leon! I really appreciate that

[@millermonsterair]

0:01 and there it is again. my "dream amp"... rockerverb mkiii 50w. ill never have that kinda money tho

[@CombatWombat2112]

Hi John, great stuff here! I actually have a 16ohm blackframe V30 in one of my cabs. The seller says it came from a VHT cab from the nineties. Not a particularly great sounding speaker, quite bright. The other speaker in the cab is a V30 from 2000, sounds balanced and nice, whaddayknow..

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

First off all, Combat Wombat has to be one of the best user handles in the universe. Secondly, that's good to know. Thank you. Kind of fits in with the 8 Ohm black frames being found in several different cabs aswell. Black frames may have been available in the early 90s as generic OEM speakers for whatever reasons

[@CombatWombat2112]

@@TheOtherJohnBrowne Heh, a wombat video a day keeps the depression at bay or however the saying goes.. Finished watching the video today, really well thought out questions and a lot of useful info from Nolly as usual! Thanks for the great work and all the best!

[@crankedgain]

i love the Vet 30, there are dozens of us out here

[@visionswords5477]

I can't wait to watch this!

[@derekdamager7928]

Yes

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

Agree

[@RenanBEreanSound]

Parabéns de entrevistar o Nolly, irei assistir aqui!

[@TechMetalRules]

I've got a couple Zilla cabs and recently put the late '99 V30 8ohm in an angled baffle Fatbaby, and it's the sickest 1x12 you could ask for!

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

I was strongly considering getting one for me speaer videos until I stumbled over two cheap Hesu 1x12s. Paul and the guys at Zilla make fantastic cabs though

[@TechMetalRules]

@TheOtherJohnBrowne Yes, they do... and you make fantastic videos, so keep up the great work!

[@balzs9zkny]

I'm starting to see a correlation between v30s and baldness. might be something to test also. great video btw, love your content

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

LOL!!!

[@balzs9zkny]

how did you avoid talking about the lcfr150? since I downloaded your ir of it, I see no going back. anyone I showed it to, preferred it over the golden age v30. so thank you for the ir and thank you for the introduction

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

We'll have to get one to Nolly to try!

[@balzs9zkny]

@@TheOtherJohnBrowne well maybe you could text him. I don't have his number, nor does he watch my channel. 😀 I'm sure fane and lichtearm or something audio would be happy to send him one.

[@slightlytechnical103]

I simply love the part where he discusses the part about "Don't Be Superficial". I can't believe that there are other people like me. I almost lost hope.

[@slightlytechnical103]

I'm sorry I didn't mention it in the initial comment... great interview, great questions, great topics... a BIG Thank You :)

[@idogepgyar]

Not sure if this has been addressed in this conversation, but a lot of amp's presence control is coming off one of the taps on the speaker which could cause a difference in sound using different ohm outputs if I'm not mistaken.

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

No, we didn't talk about that

[@pedroabdala7232]

Can confirm I bought a Zilla Fatboy 2x12 with a V30 and creamback H because of Nolly and Misha haha

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

Good choice

[@guvnafied]

Great interview

[@RazorbackMat]

Holy shit Johnny sins varient unlocked

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

LOL

[@jrtme]

It's not safe to swim is from the Movie Jaws.

[@TechMetalRules]

John, you've gotta check out the Scumback BM75 (medium magnet blackback style speaker). My buddies and I who all love V30s say that Scumback is our favorite other speaker for a different, more greenback style flavor. Pairing them with V30s is gnarly!

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

I missed out on a pair of those on ebay just recently. My house is beginning to look like a speaker warehouse

[@TechMetalRules]

@@TheOtherJohnBrowne TheOtherWarehouseGuitarSpeakers

[@claytongouin5605]

Regarding impedance curves and mixing speaker types, Jim Lill on KZbin did a video a while back looking at this very thing.

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

I'll have to go looking for it

[@firelandmetal2933]

I also have a engl Jive with a black frame V30 8 ohms.

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

Thanks for adding that. More clues that Engl used them too

[@firelandmetal2933]

@@TheOtherJohnBrowne I just looked at my info and that speaker did not have a serial but the cone was 444.

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

It will either be a stamp on the side of the magnet or on the frame but them being black, it's very hard to see

[@KreativeDevices]

🔥

[@asymmetrymedia9838]

Nice work! Really enjoyable convo. I don't want to sling you into drama but, have you considered doing a more scientific test to see how much of an impact different pickups have ? You know, to address that internet debate.

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

I may at some point. However, I want to investigate cabs and tubes before

[@LucasLeCompteMusic]

2 hours is speaker talk? Oh yeah.

[@MrKnisterable]

Did you talk about the 2022 V30s?

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

Briefly

[@lyricbread]

You didn’t discuss both of your hair care routines and gear. Unsubscribed! 😉

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

Oh nooooo! I just jam my head in a shoeshine machine every two weeks or so

[@lyricbread]

@@TheOtherJohnBrowne 😂

[@Starch1b2c3d4a]

Dude just keeps perpetuating this 2000-2003 myth. Meanwhile, 90's V30's sound amazing. Years 98, 99 especially, other years and batches as well...

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

@@Starch1b2c3d4a he never said the others don't sound good. He said the 2000 to 2003 speakers sound smoother and that isn't a myth either. I was able to prove that through frequency response measurements on over 50 V30s here kzbin.info/www/bejne/gHipXqRvjNSKY5Y

[@Starch1b2c3d4a]

@@TheOtherJohnBrowne You had very few 90's V30's in that test you did if I recall correctly... Lets hear the late 90's V30's compared to your "reference"

[@user-yk4gd1fl4z]

WTF is a Nolly ?

[@JohnWiku]

Whatever you want it to be, what is it then?