Celestion G12M-70

Let me begin by saying don't ever rely on any post, not even this post as a substitute for your own ears. What I like may be 180??? From what you like, and the smallest link in any signal chain down to guitars, strings etc, can play a major role in a sound.

But, I got an old old Boogie 2 x 12 cab, the old school style (did I mention it was old) slant cab with a metal grill that would work equally as well on the front of a car. It had the top opened (and didn't even come with a back, so after trying it for awhile, I got a piece of 3/4" and sealed her up tightly.

Still didn't quite do it for me, so I replaced the eminence speakers with 2 celestion 12M-70's. I never liked the speakers in it's original cab, an 80's crate that simply was too small to create a good sound. Unfortunately, they were 4 ohms, and knowing I didn't (and couldn't) push 2 ohms, I rewired the cab in series to get me to the 8 ohms that I like. That's a whole 'nuther post though.

Anyway, boy oh boy, I pretty much creamed my shorts - it was that good. All of a sudden, the cabinet was brought to life, and was...well...more musical. Not only did the bottom end tighten up, but so many more harmonics and overtones were there I couldn't believe it.

I think the lesson here may be that certain speakers just match better with certain cabs. I'm not going to say that the eminence suck, or that these particular cele's are awesome, I think I just got lucky through experimentation.

Oh yeah, originally the bottom half of the Boogie cab (the old one, remember) was ported. I sealed those up Very tightly with 3/4 before I replaced the speakers. I'd say the combination of everything got me my magical tone, but the speakers really did make an enormous difference.

My name is Max, and I'm a Strat.

See above

Not sure, haven't gigged with it yet.

Don't know for Celestion, Eminence called me back right away.

See above

Its a speaker. It makes sound.

I'm using an s7320 w/emgs into a boss NS2 -> Keeley Modded Boss SD1 > Zinky True Grit > Boss Bass PQ3 > Alesis Quadraverb > Effects return of B52AT 100....I have an extremely unusual setup to say the least. I play progressive metal. A blend of bands such as Fear Factory, Queensryche, and White Chapel. I use a mesa cab w/ Celestion GT75's and V30's in an x pattern, and a Randall Cab W/ V30's and G12M70's in an X

I must say, this is a generally underrated speaker. I discovered them in a Randall cab that I bought off of someone for 40$. I'm not sure the model of it, but it has red hardware and seems to be straight out of the late 80's...I can only presume. Either way. This speaker on its own might not be the best, but when combined with the other two Celestion speakers us metal folks know and love, you get an amazing range. The GT75's give you the Tight lows and Tight High Mids....the V30's give you the sizzle above 8k and the round mid curve....and The M70's give you that perfect tight girthy mid around 1K...I Usually like to gig with the Randall cab because it projects better...

This speaker sounds great w/ a mic in front of it too...it has a very articulate sound to it w/ plenty of mid range to boot...so its sounds good from front of house.

I Really haven't dabbled with it on its own...but I'm totally pleased with its performance

These things are old...and they seem to be holding up just fine

Since they are pretty cheap and somewhat common to come by, Id say they're worth it in any situation. Most people consider them trash because they're not the coveted greenbacks and vintage 30's etc...etc...but for a speaker one of us has found in the trash, and my self has found in a random 80s cab....Id say they are worth it.

Celestion G12M-70 Modern Lead, 8-ohm Pair wired at 16-ohm in a 4x12 straight Marshall cabinet. I used these in the top of the 4x12. I have the bottom of the 4x12 empty right now. Amps include: Mesa Nomad 100 tube head and Marshall JTM-45 reissue. Guitars: 81' Gibson Les Paul standard wirh Rio Grande BBQ bridge, Dimarzio PAF neck. New Melody maker (Gibson) P-90 Dogear.

Sounds are very rich and full cleans and these seem to love to be distorted and still remain pretty articulate. I tried Vintage 30's ---too much midrange. New Greenbacks-too much treble. Madison symphony china celestion copy's---Not Bad--good distortion, but not as warm at cleans as these. I would say a nice all around Rock & Roll spkr. that has a nice clean warm sound when cleaned up. Please keep in mind also that we play in small bars and clubs. I dont need alot of projection, just a good stage sound with articulate voicings. Very user freindly with pedals, Area 51 dunlop wah, small stone, double muff, bad monkey, DOD delay. Im gonna try a set of new Jensen Mod 12-35 spkrs in the other side of the 4x12. Less wattage for a different sound and switch between the pairs. The Jensen Mod 10-35 I put in a Fender 25 sounded great. Clean and British'y? Nice Spkrs, also for the money.

I bought these as a pair on ebay for $100.00. I love 'em. Im not sure when they were made? Maybe 1980's. They still rock and kick out nice warm clean tones also.

dunno-------ok, I did email their website and they responded about a question I asked. Good support. Website is pretty helpfull also.

I tried alot of spkrs before keeping these. Very good all around work-horse's. Excellent sound for $100.00/pair. Snag a set of these up and try them. They should definatley be broken in by now. Thats whats nice about used spkrs.(allready broke in) as long as they werent abused.

Early-mid 90's

I play a Gibson ES-135 and a Gibson Les Paul Studio. Both guitars have 2 humbuckers. I use a vintage 1966 Fender Bassman head. I play professionally in a band that has a hybrid style Groove-Jazz, Funk and Rock & Roll. This speaker handles it all. I play a lot of leads in this band and this speaker really delivers! Great for rythm too. A heavy-weight sound! Very clear and beefy at any volume, and breaks up nicely while seeming to push the sound even more.

I bought these speakers used in a cabinet that is possibly 10 years old. they sound killer now at low and high volumes. So from what I can tell these things are built to last.

I've been playing guitar for 30 years. I play bass as well. I also have a Mesa Boogie Maverick 4x10, 1966 Fender Bassman, Polytone Baby Brute, Vintage (60's)Melody Tube amp. Carvin 4x10 tweed open-back extension cabinet. Gibson guitars, Vintage Epiphone Hollow body bass (early 70's), Danelectro baritone.

If my speaker cabinet with these Celestion G12M-70's got lost, damaged or stolen, I would definitely try to get more. These are great work-horses that sound awesome. I love that these speaker can deliver great sound at high volumes, though I wouldn't necessarily use them for recording.

I recently did a show at the Key Club in Hollywood and these speakers powered by my Bassman head just tore the roof off of the place!! On that same gig I was supplied with a vintage staggered 2x12 Fender cabinet to use. I tried it at soundcheck but very readily ditched that cabinet in favor the one loaded with the Celestion G12M-70's! They sound that good to me! I play a lot of Funk, Jazz, and Rock & Roll leads. These speakers handle it all and put the sound right in your face at any volume!!

I've got a closed back Crate speaker cabinet loaded with a pair of these speakers. These speakers kick a**!! Honestly, normally I would NEVER buy crate gear. Just not my thing. I own and have had Mesa/Boogie, Fender, Marshall, vintage Gibson. But Crate?? But, I recently bought a 1966 fender Bassman head and needed a cabinet quickly for some upcoming gigs. So I went to my local Sam Ash music store and I compared 2x12 cabinets which included this Crate cabinet loaded with these Celestion G12M-70 speakers; a new Marshall 2x12, a new Budda 2x12, a new Vox 2x12. The Crate cabinet loaded with the celestion G12M-70 speakers just wiped up the floor handily with all of the others, except the marshall cab which was probably loaded with Celestion G12T's. The Marshall cab had more detail in the mid-range and broke up very nicely in the middle, but not the low end response of the Crate with the G12M's. The Celestion G12M-70's just flat out killed everthing else pound for pound. Very warm with lots of sustain. The low end is very big, tight and round. No mud whatsoever. The mids are very smooth. The highs are crisp and clean not over-bearing. And, these speakers can get very loud and deliver a fat, warm and clear tone with a lot of ripping bluesy drive and sustain! I'm a professional guitarist I use them for playing live shows, from theater size venues to large festival stages. So far there is only one speaker I like better for this purpose, and that's the Celestion G12T loaded in the Marshall 1960A 4x12 cabinet, which has a lot of detail in the sound across the spectrum.

In summary, the G12M-70 is a great speaker for live performance. It really delivers great sound at high volumes. Though, this is not my first pick for recording. Get yourself a pair of these and never be misunderstood on stage again!

I had these in a Laney straight 4x12 cabinet.I like greenbacks myself I have a 1960AX w/ RIs in it that I love.Through the same amp with the same setting as the greenbacks.The G12M-70s made the amp blunt,in your face and lacking in seetness and sustain.Very poor speaker IMO.I'm sure I coulda dialed up a usable sound but they shouldn't sound god awfull on settings atht sand w/ greenbacks.I would rank these lower than 75s and prolly evan lower than V30s which I royaly hate due to there wah-wah in midsweep honk.

I eneded up selling that cabinet for what I paid $125.I hated them speakers so bad I was gonna cut up the cab and make vocal monitors outta it.

They're speakers

The sound is gritty and harsh on top. The bottom end is displaced too low. They lack that low-mid sock. Not very warm. Okay for chordal stuff. Terrible for leads... way too thin... harsh upper ear-ringing mids. Very hard to mic. Gritty, gritty, gritty! The bottom end hits in the knees instead of the chest.

Great for bass guitar, though!

Great reliability. Haven't never blown one out. I guess that those "British Watts"... Wonder if they make any speakers rated in Tasmanian watts?

Overall these would be more suited to a bass guitar cab instead of a lead guitar cab. The bottom end is displaced into a range more suitable for bass guitar. The upper mids are harsh and the highs gritty. Again, not suitable for distorted guitar.

I gave them to my bass player during a project and mic'ed the m70's and combined it with his DI bass track... absolutely the best bass sound I have ever heard.

M-70's suck for guitar, though.

Mr Crumb

by now you're already familiar with this stuff

I found these things in the garbage 8 years ago, and they sat in my closet for a few years, because I already owned a 4x12 Mesa cab. When i went away to college, I needed something smaller to take with me, so I built a crappy cab for these things and played that for a while. I've more recently acquired a decent head setup: an old ADA MP-1 preamp and a peavey 50/50 100W power amp. I play mostly hardcore/metal, but I'm aiming for a more classic tone, and I dabble in blues/jazz playing, ala Karate.
To make a long story short, the junk cab that I built for these speakers sounded like dogcrap for heavy playing, but for cleaner blues-style it lended a smoothness that the mesa cab couldn't touch. Now that I know a little more about cabinet design, I'm gonna build a sealed enclosure for these Celestions to harness the bottom end of these speakers, and I'm confident they'll be exactly what I've been looking for.

I found these things in the garbage 8 years ago, they still work great.

Like I said, compared to my mesa cabinet they're bluesier and sound good when they break up, but lack the bottom end. Since they're discontinued, I wouldn't search the ends of the earth if I lost these to replace them, but I'd be sorry.

Specifications have been supplied by others ie 70W RMS with 98 dB for 1 Watt - that is very efficient.
Only drawback is that the large magnet makes these things heavy. What does a 4 x 12 cab weigh?

I use this speaker with a self build 20W valve amp in an open back combo box and am very happy with the sound. My Washburn HB35S guitar has big humbuckers and my amp has enough bottom end to provide ample bass. The speaker has smooth midrange and sparkly treble and can be used for all types of music. These speakers are very efficient and LOUD with 20 watts. I previously used some crappy chinese PA speaker which sounded terrible before replacing it with this beauty. I have not compared it with other Celestions - so I can not comment

70 Watt rating with 20 Watt amp - the speaker will last for nearly ever until the cone crumbles with old age.

The local agent is very helpful - but I expect no problems

Excellent value for money - why did they discontinue it? Perhaps it was too expensive to make?

These speakers are from the early-mid 90s; I used them to replace a pair of original-run Greenbacks that were simply too old and fuzzed out in a 2x12 cab I had built based on the old early-60s small Bassman cabs. I insulated it with LOTS of fiberglass and I think that was the key to this monster. I stuck it right next to a 1960A 4x12 cab, and honestly, the 2x12 sounded BETTER, and that was EVERYONE's opinion in my shop. The power-capacity of these let them stay tighter and more focused at VERY high volume than the 4x12, and if there was less bass rumble than the 4x12 it was almost unnoticeable. I'm not sure why some people like these less than the Classic 80s or the 75s----it may be that the classic 80 works better in an open-back 1x12 combo, but seriously, this is the BEST 2x12 matchup I've come across. It broke up in a very pleasing range when cranked at max distortion---very lttle ear-fatigue---and cleaned up beautifully for country twang and jazz---sweet-spot highs and ALL KINDS off bass without getting boomy or losing a warm midrange.

12 inch, 70 watt speaker, with 35 oz ceramic magnet.

This speaker uses the same magnet as the G12T-75 & I assume the same voice coil & former (to get the 70 watt power rating), but the cone is different. It looks like the same cone as used on the G12M Greenback. That's probably where the G12M prefix comes from. The result is a speaker with the bass & power handling of the G12T-75, but with smoother mids & highs.

I have several good guitars & amps that I've used with this speaker. Over the years I've tried the G12M-70 in a 70's Fender Deluxe Reverb combo, a Gibson GA6 (tweed deluxe style amp), and recently in a Mesa Rectoverb combo. The speaker is very versatile. It has enough sparkle for clean playing, yet it gives a nice classic celestion crunch when overdriven, much like the Greenback. Greenbacks tend to get fuzzy with high gain amps, but the G12M-70 stays nice & tight as the gain goes up. So it's a good match for the Rectoverb.

Of the three amps, I like it best in the Rectoverb, which is my current gigging amp. I wasn't completely happy with the stock (Mesa Celestion 90) speaker - it was a bit dark & flat sounding to me. The G12M-70 gives me a more vibrant clean sound, and more of a Marshall-like crunch on the lead channel, which is what I like.

This speaker sounds very good in the Gibson GA6, but I prefer the original Alnico Jensen in that amp. The same goes for the Deluxe reverb.

I've used this speaker since the mid 80's and it's still going strong.

Never needed any support.

I've been playing for almost twenty years. I recommend this speaker for high gain, channel switching amps, because it's versatile and handles distortion very well. It's equally capable with classic crunch and modern high gain. It also has a surprisingly good clean sound.

I got this speaker used off a guy from the HC forums, so it was well broken in. I put mine in a closed back marshall 1912 (112 cab). I got some classic lead 80's at the same time. I must say that I like the classic lead 80's better, they have more bight and just more character. The bass on the classic lead 80's is great.

The G12m-70's though are a nice nuetral sounding speaker. It sounds like I would want the G12T-75 to sound like. Its a good all around speaker, with decent bass and smooth highs. I describe it as taking both the positive points of the vintage 30 and the G12T-75 and putting them together. The vintage 30 lacks highs and over exagerates the mids. the G12T-75 is a bit harsh on the highs, but has nice bass, it is a bit vacant on the mids. The G12M-70 is a good balance speaker.

I use this cab and speaker mainly with my mesa boogie markIV and so far I have been impressed with the results. I also used it with my laney Vh100R and it sounded good there as well. Currently I am using 2 112's with my mark IV, one with the G12M-70 and a mesa recto 112 with a vintage 30. Both are closed back. This has been a great combination

never had a problem in this area

i got is used and i don't expect any problems

A great all around speaker for rock, a great choice for someone considering a vintage 30 or a G12T-75. Please keep in mind than the amps have alot to do with people's opinions, but I think this speaker would work well with a good variety of amps.

I haven't tried a greenback or a G12H30 since I only own 112's and 212's and they would probably blow with my amp heads. I hear the G12H30 recommended alot.

You guys are checking this page because you are itching in buying one due to a great price on ebay or somewhere else. I'll save you some research time and report my findings here.

Once upon a time I needed a speaker for a two channel 50 watt 1 x 12 combo tube amp that I was building. A friend offered me this particular model for quite a bargain, so I inquired about it to Doctor Decibel. This was their response.

"The G12M-70, or Modern Lead 70 uses a 35oz ceramic magnet with a 1.5" diameter voice coil wound on Kapton. We would class it as a 'Modern Voiced' speaker (although the design is around 20 years old now), which is characterised by a forward, prominent mid with crunch, and a slightly compressed sound compared to the Vintage Voiced speakers, but with much better definition when high gain are used, and greater versatility when used with tone shaping electronics such as multi FX, modelling preamps etc.
It has a power rating of 70W RMS (guitar signal), a frequency response from 88 to 5kHz approximately, and a sensitivity of 97-98dB (1W@1m). It has a tight, bright and defined sound with good clarity in the treble, and has been very popular for many years in many applications. On its own (i.e. 1x12) it can be a bit bass light for some styles (e.g. some heavy metal styles), but its defined character makes it a natural for 4x12 and 2x12 applications.
Probably better for your applications though would be the G12T-75 (smoother top, fatter tone and more warmth) or better still the Classic lead 80 (louder, sweeter, more responsive and dynamic)."

Ted Weber (WeberVST) also made his version of this speaker, both in AlNiCo and Ceramic magnet. This is his description about this speaker in his website.

"Classic British midrange punch. Smooth, warmer high end. Great for taking the edge off of heavy distortion."

Furthermore, Michael Soldano (yep, the Soldano dude) hates this thing. I found that out here:(http://www.musicianshotline.com/archive/monthly/soldano/06_02.htm
To save you some clicking energy, I'll paste his words for you.

"As a side note, I personally think that the Celestion G12M-70 is a horrible sounding speaker. If you're looking for a crunchier sound, you might want to consider replacing them with a set of 16 ohm G12H-30 reissues or G12M "Greenbacks"; they're much more musical."

I end up buying this thing, and I ain't that happy. As Doc Decibel pointed out, it is a bit bass light on open back cabs. The character is generic, definitely nothing to write home about. Nice warm clean but not enough chime. Not quite suited to distortion sounds if used in an open back 1 x 12 cabs.

I can't rate it yet though, simply because I have only tried it in my amp, and I have no other speaker to compare it to. I'll try a Classic Lead (G12H-80) next time around. I'll report my findings as soon as I get my hands on one.

Quick email reply. drdecibel@celestion.com.

If I were you, I'd stay clear from this one. Okay, my ears may not be the same as yours, but I think I have a pretty good idea about what great tone is. Feel free to email me with any question. Good luck with your tone quest.

70 watts, all the power I need

Best sounding Celestion speakers for my cabinet. I have tried GT-75's, Vintage 30's, Eminence Legend V-12's, and Mesa EV 90's and for me this is the best sounding speaker...to each his own.

It's a speaker, don't get it wet or crank it to loud!

never dealt with em'

I play 72' Les Paul Black Beauty, Mesa Triaxis, 2:90, G-Force and 2 stereo cabs loaded with G12-70 modern lead speakers....my sound crushes and cost me way to much.

70 watt 35oz magnet aka modern lead

this speaker nailed the sound in my fender princeton 65 amp, where as the vintage 30 &the G12T-75 that i tried in it didnt have enough bass.

celestion reputation is enough for me

i emailed them a couple of times and recieved a prompt reply

this is an icredable speaker,i rate it up with any of the classic series speakers.for any sceptics i would recommend taat you try differentspeakers for certain amps.ive found that certain speakers in certin amps are more compatible than with others,example the g12m-70 has more bass in my princeton 65 than the g12t-75,and the g12t-75 has more bass in my hot rod deluxe than the g12m-70.i emailed celestion about the g12m-70 modern lead,they replied that the speaker design is about 20 years old and theywere recently disconcontinued.grab them while you can!

I had these speakers installed with a custom 2x12 (Marshall-style) combo that I had made. I have a Fender Strat Plus and a Hamer that's similar to a Les Paul. It took me a while to figure out that the speakers were the reason I was getting lousy tone out of the amp. I tried both guitars and I have a few dozen effects...fuzz, distortion, univibe, compressors, etc. Except for a few instances, these speakers are completely lacking any harmonic richness, sparkle, searing distortion tones and absolutely no sustain. I finally tried Vintage 30's and G12T-75's and they both sounded great, 1000% improvement. These speakers sound like Vintage 30's burried in 6 inches of dirt.

I am a converted fan of the 75's and 30's. 75's have a piercing tone like Nirvana - Heart Shaped Box, while the 30's have a rounder tone like Pink Floyd.