Eminence The Governor

12", 75 watts, 1.75" voice coil, British manufactured cone, beefy magnet.

If you have a low wattage amp, yet want a big warm punchy sound - this is your speaker. It will fill out amy smaller amp making it sound twice the wattage. I disagree with Eminence that this speaker is "raunchy" and cone breaup is early - a misleading description in my opinion. I think this speaker stays very clean and articulate WAY up in volume on the gig - yet with a fat warmth. It has solid bass, very big and warm mids, and highs which are present, but not overwhelming or scratchy a la a Jensen speaker. Cleans are rich and distortion/overdrive through this speaker is exceptional - the best I've heard to my ears. No harshness, but all the harmonics. Again - a very tight speaker so if you are an articulate player, you'll love it. If you like a loose. saggy vintage sound, you'll probably think it's too aggressive - look to maybe a Texas Heat which is looser. Because this speaker has solid mids, you might find yourself dialing down the mids on your amp depending on the application (e.g. for clean rhythm work for instance). It is a fun speaker to play - very versatile. Works great for jazz too.

12", 75 watts, 1.75" voicecoil

This speaker would suit you well if you are looking for a punchy speaker with a wide warm midrange, tight bass and sweeter (not really sparkly) highs. This speaker will make your amp sound fuller. Terrific for OD and distortion and great for cleans. They say it is British influenced, then I guess I like british speakers for cover work because the Jensen alnico P12N I replaced had a soft bottom and compression which didn't suit me. The Governor is much more immediate to your pick attack. The P12N is a fine speaker for jazz and mellower country/blues - more of a jangly sound, but for Rock, funk, pop music covers at higher volumes - it wasn't that great to my ears. I'm not saying the Gov is the best speaker you can buy because you need to consider your playing style. That said, the governor fit perfectly what I needed.

I like the options Eminence offers today and use one of their speakers in another amp. Great speaker at a decent price.

75 watts

I've had these in & out of my cabs for about 5 or 6 years.
Here's my take on them. In a 4x12 cab they are great.
2x12 cab they can compliment the other speaker alright.
1x12 they suck big time.

Probably last forever.

Very nice to deal with.

I used to think this speaker was better than a Vintage 30 because it doesn't have the ice pick shrill v30 moments. That being said the v30 is a better speaker hands down for rock & roll.
I think Eminence makes too many different speakers that are just plain nondescript in their tone. The legend series is great. The patriot & redcoat series are confusing as hell. This is still a decent speaker & in some cabinets will deliver good tone.

I put this im my Marshall JCM 600 1x12 tube Combo which has Marshall/Celestion G12 Heritage speaker which was a very edgy,trebley 60's type of sounding speaker.I play a Fender American Standard dual humbuckers .

AWSOME.Transformed my amp into a TONE MACHINE,it smoothened out those shrillie ear peirceing thin highs with FULL boddied mids that let you know theres a guitar cutting through the mix.The Govenor on the gain channel gave that combo a Marshall fat crunch and on the Clean channel was tight and articulate kinda giving it a Mesa sound as i owend a Mesa several years ago but hated their gain channel,any how an imediate difference in TONE.

Been playing for 25 years all Marshalls from heads to 2x12's now that i'm 43 this 1x12 with the Govenor is my last amp for my practicing and gigging.it's giant magnet adds a bit more weight to the amp but i can handle it and the other most important reason for buying the Emenince Govenor is it's made in the USA not China as the Celestion Vintage 30 which is it's clone or vise versa.ROCK ON!

its very versatile for what it is

One of my college buddies put 2 of these in a custom made 2x12 oversized cab that him and his dad built and the sound quality was amazing clarity and these speakers are eminence's verson of a Celestion V30 and I think it stomps and V30 in the ass with clarity and headroom all day, and to the guy that posted a comment below me must have got a bad speaker or something because my buddies cab will destroy any marshall or mesa with tone all day.

Not a problem at all and he has had them in his cab for 2 years

I mean come on for the money they are one of the best sounding speakers on the market.

Basically, Emi's take on Celestion's V30.

Let me preface this by saying that if used in a 2X12 or 4X12 setup, I would probably give the Gov higher marks. However, since Emi doesn't state anywhere that this is a requirement for this speaker, I find that I must be brutally honest. Yes, the speaker does sound good, and seems to improve on the V30 theme a bit. However, the monster magnet with thin paper cone simply doesn't work in a 1X12 setup, IME. Even when pushing this speaker with a Marshall JCM800 combo with a pair of 6V6's, the cone cry and edge yowl are simply unuseable. I've also pushed it with other amps that are 15 watts or less, with the same video game-type subharmonics on the first string, 10th fret and above. It doesn't matter what 1X12 cab I load the Gov into, the effect is the same.

If the speaker didn't have the cone cry issues, I'm sure it would be reliable enough to gig with. I've had plenty of other Emis over the years - all of them were workhorses.

Despite the incredible warranty that Emi touts for these speakers, I've received no reply from them. This isn't completely a shock, since Emi doesn't consider cone cry or edge yowl to be manufacturer's defects, nor do they test speakers in a way that would most likely reproduce them. Regardless of this, the speaker should be advertised as one that needs to be run in a 2X12 or 4X12 setup, to minimize or eliminate these issues.

I've been playing for roughly 30 years, now, and have owned a boatload of amps. I also actually own more amps now than at any other point prior to this. Many of my amps from the 80s to 90s came stock with an Eminence in it. Even my '71 Vibrolux Reverb has factory Eminences in it. I'm a big fan of the Legends, and a few of the Patriots. But the Governor basically serves as nothing other than a boat anchor, unless I'm using it with a tiny amp like my '67 Champ, or something that is so ridiculously distorted that the cone cry is completely masked.

I tried this speaker in a Rivera R-55 and compared it to Celestion G-12T, Alnico Blue, Vintage 30, G-12H & a Eminence Legend.
I didn't like this speaker because it colored my sound too much and I actually prefer the less expensive Legends. This speaker sounds like Eminence is trying too hard to make this speaker sound like something else. The Legend has a more natural & balanced sound.

If you buy one of these, try e-bay or Musicians Friend where you can return it.

Governor, 8ohms

The tone of this speaker is quite close to the Vintage 30 but it's not quite got the same shrill high end but i can hear the resemblance clear as day, I use this speaker in a 4x12 cab X pattern'd with 2 Private Jacks.. Due to the sensitivity of these speakers they drown out the private jacks slightly but not a tremendous ammount the private jacks add warmth to these speakers, they definately cut through a fair ammount though and i do quite like these speakers. they're deffinatly more modern sounding than the private jacks which are sweeter but still these have a great tone.

Been playing 13 years and this Redcoat loaded cab i've got is the best sounding cab i've ever heard it's far better than anything celestion loaded.

and yes i'd replace it if it were stolen.

75 watt guitar speaker

Pretty impressive speaker overall. Not as much like a V30 as I would have thought, but nice nonetheless. Good clear treble, prominant upper mid, nice tight bass (not a ton of bass, but what's there is good). No cone cry, rattles or squeaks. Great construction, and looks excellent.

Excellent, has taken a ton of abuse.

No problems

Great speaker at a great price. Sounds as good, though slightly different from the celestions. My only real complaint is about eminence's SPL ratings, which are a bit exaggerated IMO. I wish the scompanies would get together to get a consistant system.

An addendum to my previous post: I can only retract the observation of "more black between the notes" in attribute to the Eminence Governor. Furthermore, I would not rid myself of the Celestion Vintage 30s, that is, until I find an alternative that outclass both entirely.

I would say moreso that, generally, the Governor is best fit in modern amps with a good Vintage tone somewhere. The Celestion Vintage 30 is then best fit in a modern amp with good Modern tone. Both could find a niche in this realm, especially if your amp is versatile enough. My Mesa Tremoverb delivers both of these sounds very well; and one's amplifier is a good base of tone prejudice for or against a particular speaker.

Now, regarding the blackness between the notes: The Eminence Governor can, pound for pound, directly compete with the Vintage 30 in every aspect, with the exception that its overall tone is much warmer, hence the lack of ice-pick highs, and therefore, the lack of grittiness and bite and brightness/presence. The Eminence Governor is laid-back in delivery, the Celestion Vintage 30 is forthright and aggressive, and thus its ubiquity in cabinets meant to be driven by high-gain amps.

The Eminence Governor is a warmer, browner V30-like speaker, and what it lacks in bite, it recovers in warmth. It's a good combination in a cabinet dominated by V30s because it can tame a bit of that overall sound.

I think that the Celestion Vintage 30 is used most often for a reason. Economics-of-scale play a keen role in this, as does the reputation of Celestion; it is also because it is a fine recipe for a new breed of heavy rock sound. The Eminence Governor is no slouch, and is most certainly a tuned opposition, but it won't exchange the V30 outright, and it can only complement in my case. If I were stocking an empty cabinet, it would most certainly be utilised, as it is $20 less than the entrenched competition. But there will always be space for more.

Twelve inches, 8 ohms, ceramic magnet, British-style sound -- modeled in part on the Celestion Vintage 30, which was modeled on the Celestion Alnico Blue. I play progressive heavy metal, lots of clean with reverb, and sometimes blues.

I purchased the Governor to shape-shift the factory-stock Mesa Dual Rectifier sound. Replacing one Celestion Vintage 30 (actually made in Ipswich, England) in a 4x12 closed-back cabinet. I really wish Mesa would mix up the drivers in their cabs, it would only be good for the illumination of their particular sound in which so many admire. But I digress.

Simply put, The Governor by Eminence, is more of a Celestion Vintage 30 than the Vintage 30 is -- it encompasses more of THAT sound, ideally. The Governor has more dimension and feel, which makes it plenty flexible; there is more black between the notes than the Vintage 30, and it actually responds to equalisation with aplomb.

I like the Vintage 30's classic, hi-fi quality, but it leans trebly; it has grit, and the ice-pick comes out, depending on the style and the gain. One can ascertain that this is the speaker speaking, and not their amp, tubes, guitar tone, or cables. Overall, it has what is akin to photographic noise after ISO 400, to begin with -- it gets higher as you push it.

Now, I had to talk about the Vintage 30 in comparison to the Governor because it is meant to compete, and I have had the pleasure of studying both. And, my opinion of the Vintage 30 has held for a few years even without such an entrenched competition like the addition of The Governor to my cabinet.

I've had this speaker for 3 months now, and it has broken-in sufficiently; no gigging. I hope "Made in USA" still means something to you.

Never dealt with Eminence, but I have heard good things about their service and support.

Now that I have had the chance to add a clone-complement, I can say that The Governor is more suited to the application with which one might intend to deliver the Vintage 30 sound. The Governor does not have the ice-pick, its treble range is spot-on Vintage 30, its mids are more brown-coloured, and it's low-end, in compare, has more rumble as opposed to herbivore-bite. I don't think that one would be left wanting if they replaced all of their Vintage 30s with Governors.

If the combination of a Celestion Vintage 30 and a Celestion G12H30 in a 2x12 cabinet really makes sound sense, then how about an Eminence Governor and a Celestion G12H30? If the latter does not have more a more dynamic competitor from Eminence already.

Explore non-stock possibilities, and expand.

Made in the US

75Watt

8 Ohms

I used this in a closed 2x12" cab and a open-back Marshall tube combo. The speaker sounds very "thick", not so much "full" and "open" but more "thick" and "condensed". Overall sound quality is good, I'm content with its sound. The clean sounds more open and full than the highgain sound, which is focused and cuts through very well (due to the many mids of the speaker). I prefer the sound in the closed cab slightly, the bass had more "punch" and the highs were less trebly, but it's just nuances.

Great for rock/hardrock/metal. Sounds a tad different from the Celestion V30, I'd say it has more upper mids and less highs, but that's a careful estimation (I have a V30 4x12" cab BTW).

No problems so far.

Good, I contacted them once (on a technical issue with a Kilmax 18") and got a reply the next day.

This speaker is a keeper. It might not be a 100 per cent clone of the V30, but it is at least just as good soundwise if not even better - plus it's cheaper and made in the US.
If one of my V30s broke, I'd get a Governor for replacement for sure.

Rating 10 for the good price/value relation.

Speaker, 75 watts, 8 ohms, 12 inch, four wiring legs, 8 screw holes.
Tight bottom, crunchy mids, clear highs.

I have to give to ratings:
1st: I own copy of 50watt JCM800 with added channel and balanced effects insert. Through that, speaker is unbelievable... Mids are rich and crunchy with drive on max, cleans are super clean, almost like twin with highs rolled off to say 9 o'clock. Absolutely awesome sound. I can't believe I own it. Tested in open back cabinet in 1x12" configuration.
2nd: My brothers boutique head, high gain, two channel (same amp builder as mine jcm800 but very different beast), kind of mesa-boofie mark I thing, I played only minute or two at low volume, but could not get as beautiful drive, it had teeth I'd say. But had its own character. And I know new speakers have always teeth they loose to some point when broken in. I wouldn't be satisfied 100% with that config, I think Private Jack would be better. But it didn't sound bad at all. Again, RICH 12" of rock! I give it nine 'cause it don't fit all high gain amps.

It's eminence. Brother had beta 12 before, played for years, no problems. I don't believe I'll have some with this one.

never dealt with eminence, though, Dan Acoustic, seller for Slovakia was very very nice. They let me test Eminences as long as I wanted to, changing speakers, just waiting for me to say which will go next. And were helpfull talking about speakers, especially their usage for particular style, after I tested them.

I am playing for quite some years, went from no amp and zoom-707 to v-amp 2 and then Digitech Rp-7 valve, with all tube amp equipped with 10" weber alnicos and now wanted punch of 12" speaker, that great overdrive and deep rich clean. This baby offers it for great price. I will use two 2x12" boxes with Governors. Now I will get Boss GT-8 (tested in same shop as speaker) for effects, and along with strat loaded with fender Tex-Mex I own, that will be for year or two my gear. Then I will most prolly switch to handmade Stratocaster with EMGs and Les Paul with Gibson pickups I believe. Both by Sivcak - Soller handmade guitars. Great instruments. Just will have to make money to buy them. But I really doubt I will change speakers.

Pretty standard here. Eminence uses a higher quality basket than Celestion, you can rap on a Celestion speaker and it will ring like a bell but the Eminence is dead silent...the way it should be.

Sounds similar to a Vintage 30, but better. No icepick, smoother mids, more bottom...just better overall. Celestion seems to have taken a nose dive since moving to China and chepening the product (even though they RAISED the price!)

7 year warranty. Nuff said.

Emailed me back with answers within an hour.

Overall a great sounding speaker. I use an Avatar 2x12 with a Governor and a Swamp Thang..a match made in heaven. Eminence are 100% made in the USA!

Nominal Basket Diameter: 12" / 305mm
Impedance: 8 or 16 ohms
RMS Power Rating: 75 Watts
Peak Power Rating: 150 Watts
Usable Frequency Response: 70Hz - 5.5kHz
Voice Coil Diameter: 1.75" / 44.5mm
Sensitivity (1W/1m): 102dB
Magnet Weight: 56 oz.
Shipping Weight 13lbs. / 5.9 kg

Cool red paint... ;-)

My first Gov's came in an open back Avatar 212 cab that I got for a Yamaha DG130 head. It did take a while for the Govs to break in and smooth out, but once they were broken in, I became a die-hard Governor fan.

I also have a pair of V30's in another 212 cab, and I have compared the Govs side-by-side with the V30, as well as several other speakers (Eminence' V12 and Texas Heat are also on my "recommended" list).

I disagree with the previous reviewer who says that distortion players who like the V30 should "keep walking"... To my ears (the same ears that used to prefer V30's), the Governor delivers the "syrupy smooth break up" that most people seek in the V30, but you need a bit more power to get them there. Also, the Govs are noticably louder than the V30s for the same amount of power.

For clean tones, the Govs are definately a superior speaker to the V30, IMHO. Listen to them side-by-side and you will hear the difference. For clean tones, the Govs have lots of depth without being shrill, the low end is warm and round sounding, and the distortion/overdrive tones come through sweet and syrupy in the upper mids to high end, similar to the V30, but with slightly more volume and depth.

For distortion, it becomes largely a matter of personal preference, but they are similar. IMHO, I prefer the Govs. After playing the Govs for a few months, I went back to try my V30s, and even with distortion, compared to the Govs, the V30s sounded somewhat shrill and two-dimensional.

To each his/her own, but my Govs sound GOOD.

I also have a pair of Govs in a closed back 212 cab, and wonderful things have been happening there too. I think I might even prefer them in the closed back cab. Serious bass thump, but the cleans are still world-class.

No problems with any of my Eminence speakers, including some that are over 20 years old.

Eminence is a large company, but if you leave them a message, they usually return your call the same day. Good people too. It's amazing that they take the time to look up serial numbers on older OEM speakers, even when there's no money it for them. Warranty on new Govs is 5 years.

I currently own six Governors, all of them 16 ohmers. The first pair is in an open back 212 cab, the second pair is in a closed back 212 cab, and the last pair I got as a gift and I'm saving 'em 'til I find something to put 'em in. Maybe I'll get another pair, or match them with a pair of Wizards in a 412 cab.

On the website for US Speaker-dot-com, it says simply, "Replaces the Celestion V30". And it does. While the V30 was/is a great speaker, the Governor is greater, IMHO. The Gov was designed to do what the V30 does, but do it better, and it succeeds. It is a very good design.

The Govs may never replicate the glory days of the V30, but for my money (and my ears) the Govs just sound better for what I do, and this is coming from a former V30 user/abuser.

It's also nice that the Govs are less expensive than the V30. Once more people have the chance to compare them side-by-side with V30s, I don't know how much longer the low prices will last... Even at the same price, I'd still choose the Gov over the V30.

The Gov's are, IMHO, a superior speaker to the V30.

75 watt speaker, 8 ohms; british flavor

Played with Mesa boogie F50 & Nomad; installed in close back ear candy 1 x 12 cab. Took some time to break in (at least a month). Initially, it was very gritty, but over time, did manage to smooth out.

It does not sound like a vintage 30. The overall tone has fuller bodied mid range (seems to be more in the 700-2000hz frequency). As a result, lacks the mid spike of the celestion vintage 30 (v30). It is exceptional for clean sounds, especially chording. It was very punchy and warm, with smooth highs. This speaker is great for clean jazz, country, and blues! If you play the above, this speaker would work well for you.

I didn't like the overdrive characteristics. Sounded "boxy," & the break up sounded "stiff." As a result, it almost sounded as if it were "2d," and the v30 "3d". The break up of the v30 is syrupy, and the guv was cardboard like. I really wanted to like this speaker, but the stiffness just didn't work for me. If you play clean exclusively, this would be a great speaker. I rate it high for superb clean sounds.

solidly built. though, the metal encasing seemed to be lightweight compared to the celestions metal encasing.

did talk with them

If you have a midrange less amp, or an amp that has spikey highs; this speaker may work for you. If you play clean stuff almost exclusively, & love the warm british tone, this may be your speaker. If, on the other hand, you play distorted chording & leads (rock & metal) & are looking for the syrupy smooth break up of the vintage 30, keep walking. this ain't it.

Had these for about 6 months. Nice Midrange, good lows & highs.
Cuts through the mix.

Great tone, but they don't seem to work well with other speakers in a cab. I have run 2-Vin 30's & 2-Greenback celestions in a 4x12 cab for years & they seem to work well together. In my opinion run all Governor's in the same cab (2x12 or 4x12). Alone in a 2x12 cabinet they are untouchable, it's like Brian May dream tone. They don't fart out like Vintage 30's do at times. And I think they are a better speaker than V30's. I still have a couple V30's & still like them very much.

Eminence has a killer warranty on these speakers.
They are tough speakers.

They best customer support of any speaker company hands down.
You can actually talk to someone within a few minutes & they don't make you feel as if you're wasting their time.

My quest for tone has been a blast of 27 years & counting.
I like these speakers. I will keep them in my 2x12 live set up & use them in the studio. It's not fare to compare these to Vintage 30's. I think they have their own tone & over the next few years we'll see how they hold up. I was hopimg these would mix better with other speakers in the same cab, but it turns out they sound far to good on their own to mix them with another set of speakers. Maybe I'll try them with a couple Texas Heat's in a 4x12 cab in a few months.
If you want a change from the Celestion strangle-hold try these out or maybe some Private Jacks.

12 inch 8 ohm "The Governer"

Everyone here seems to compare to the VIN 30. Even though it's a good reference I think this speaker has a sound all its own. I own VIN 30's and this is brighter in the mids and slightly brighter in the highs. I love the sound as it added a British sound while still maintaining what I like about the clean channel. Mine is in a Traynor Custom Valve 40 and it absolutley makes this amp shine - clean channel is Fender and the dirt is Marshall like. Excellent job by Eminence, I'll buy others over the overpriced Celestions. Buy American!

No problems, seems to be well made.

Never had to use it although when searching for a speaker they replied to my email quickly.

Been playing since 1972. Great made in USA value. I'll buy from Eminence again.

This is a 75 watt,16 ohm,12 inch speaker that also has a rubber ring around the magnet for protection (nice touch).

This speaker has a great midrange with a medium brightness and a warm tight bottom end. It is loud and the crunch is great. Some people compare it to the Vintage 30 but I don't see it. I believe this speaker to be better, at least for me and my setup. If your sound is on the bright side right now, then these are the speakers for you.

They are very well built and I have had no problems so far.

Never had to deal with them for a problem but they did answer some questions for me very quickly. Great website and soundclips.

This is a great U.S.A. made product for a great price. I have no reason to try anything else right now, for my setup the sound is great. This speaker is what the Vintage 30 wishes it was. I sold my Vintage 30's to try these and I am glad I did!

75 watts, 8 ohms, 12" speaker. durable frame and heavy magnet.

someone said this is better than a vin30. here's my problem with it. it's almost too much. nice if you want a fuller-bodied midrange, some added warmth, and extended bass. but when used with boutique amps it's almost too much push. this would add beef if it were sorely needed, but the crisp eq's of the vin30 are enough for almost any application. governor just doesn't cut the mustard. i'll not the wizard sounds awfully like the gov, i don't know why eminence bothered to build it.

well built product.

didn't need.

ran this with an sg/duncan custom and orange ad30, rocker30, and ampeg sj12t, used the best quality/sounding tubes avail. sticking with the vin30 so far, i'm releasing the gov back into the wild.

These speakers are from 2004. I heard that celestions v30 were made in China now but no discount. I put these in a Marshall 1936 cab and was blown away by how killer they sound. All my buddies thought they were v30's. The mid range is where they shine, if you are in to shred or 80's solos you will be happy.

I am playing a Warmoth strat with Dimazio fast track pickups and a prs with paf pro's in it. I love these speakers and believe there is not a bad sound in them, blues,shred and 80's rock sound great. My brother is a nu-metal kid and he loves them for the great crunch. They rock.

perfect

the website is great, sound clips even with Blues Sareceno demoing them. 7year warrenty, awsome.

I have been playing for 30 years. I am sold on these speakers and they are all I use in my cabs. I would for sure replace them. These speakers will make a believer, everyone that hears them can't believe how much better they are than vin30's. The cones are made in the UK nd they are assembled in the usa. Thats more than Celestion can say. They make there stuff in China. And as far as I can see they dont jam!!!

This 12" Eminence Governor was made in 2004. It is the cost efficient way to go if you prefer the sound of a Celestion Vintage 30. Amazingly in my opinion though it sounds better than the V30 i've used. Very loud and high in mids. It is versatile though I could see anyone from blues to metal satisfied with this.

Before I put these in my Behringer 412 cabinet, the sound ws lifeless. Dull and transparent with the stock Jensen JCH 12/70's. After I put in The Governors I was blown away at how much louder and alive the sound was. Every note was articulate with medium brightness and warm tight bottom end. This is as close to my desired sound as i've ever come.
But the best part is that these are American made. No longer will I pay for overpriced Celestions made in china by an underpaid child. Eminence is the real deal and I would watch out for their coming reputation as the #1 speaker seller.

SEVEN year warranty compared to a more expensive less quality Celestion ONE year Warranty. Hmmm, can anyone say "They backup their product"?

Wow, how about that? We don't have to speak with the foreign ambassador to speak with a (human) CSR.

For $89.99 I saved money, got a better sound, so now I can upgrade further with the money I saved.