Help identifying Vintage Marshall Celestion

[Tony LaMantia]

Hello,

New to the forum and wanted some advice from the experts to make sure I didn't get ripped off. I was looking to replace my 2x2 Marshall cab with 2 vintage Marshall branded celestions. I like to play a lot of classic GnR songs and read that these speakers would capture that sound better than the new V30 and 25W Greenback I have in my cab currently.
(Paired the cab with a 2004 G0 Les Paul and a 1981 Marshall 2204 50W head- vertical input)

I purchased both of these from a dealer in England (for about $300 inc shipping) and was told they were 1986/87 based on the stamp. It also has "444" in yellow on the cone and "Celestion" cut into the edges of the back part of the speaker. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[BigIronLittleJimmy]

Your speaker with the code is a t3897 from september 1992.

The rubbed off ink would indicate the day in September they were made if legible.

 

[BygoneTones]

How do they get 1986/1987 from that code??? JB = Sept 1992.

Certain dealers you need to be really careful about buying from. If you've got a 15w to 20w amp head there play through each speaker very loudly, with the amp almost fully dimed. This is the most basic, and most important, check you can do with a speaker. So long as they sound good with no rattling or buzzing they should be good speakers. Faults will usually be most obvious when you play power chords on the lower strings - get bassy. Don't rely on the seller to do this, most don't care or know how to check a speaker properly. They will merrily sell you any old crap for very high prices. Not naming any names, just be very careful buying vintage speakers online...

 

[Tony LaMantia]

How do they get 1986/1987 from that code??? JB = Sept 1992.

Certain dealers you need to be really careful about buying from. If you've got a 15w to 20w amp head there play through each speaker very loudly, with the amp almost fully dimed. This is the most basic, and most important, check you can do with a speaker. So long as they sound good with no rattling or buzzing they should be good speakers. Faults will usually be most obvious when you play power chords on the lower strings - get bassy. Don't rely on the seller to do this, most don't care or know how to check a speaker properly. They will merrily sell you any old crap for very high prices. Not naming any names, just be very careful buying vintage speakers online...

Thanks. Are these speakers known to be "classics"? I know they are not blackbacks but I heard they are very high quality if you get the right set.

 

[George Dickens]

Vintage is not always what its cracked up to be. But they well may be perfect for your cab.
Personally Id rather newer, lightly used or even brand new than something old.

 

[BygoneTones]

Thanks. Are these speakers known to be "classics"? I know they are not blackbacks but I heard they are very high quality if you get the right set.

I guess if you are a slash fan you could call them classics. I think it's pushing it though, I doubt they will ever be super collectable like the old 60's speakers.

There is a gear page thread somewhere that goes through all the different variations of V30's, there are quite a few different T numbers. I've had V30's in the past but never got really nerdy about them.

Celestion used different parts suppliers through the years, and the ageing process will also alter them. So even within the same T-number don't expect them all to sound exactly the same, eg if one was made in 1988 and the other made in 2021.

 

[Dogs of Doom]

There is a gear page thread somewhere that goes through all the different variations of V30's, there are quite a few different T numbers. I've had V30's in the past but never got really nerdy about them.

& according to that thread, there's distinct differences between the Marshall branded, Celestion branded & Mesa branded...

& some have 444 cones & others have different cones...

here's a post:

https://www.rig-talk.com/forum/thre...hange-v30s-for-the-worse.212336/#post-2322821