Best 12 Guitar Speaker (2024 Update)

I play gigs every week, and use Crate 120 watt GFX-212, I play a seven string guitar and the bottom end has always been muddy. The speakers broke up and I contacted Eminence to see if I should use the Texas heat or the swamp thang. The said these were great speakers but for the seven string they recommended this speaker. I took there suggestion and am extremely pleased. I can turn the bass all the way up and the low B string rings clear, the highs are clear was well. Overdrive screams like it should. The clean setting is so clear I can not believe it. The one thing I was not prepared for about the speakers is they are about twice as loud as my old ones. They are however thee times the weight of my old speakers,but well worth the extra weight of my cabnets. I would highly recommend these speakers to anyone. These have a seven year warranty from the manufacturer as well.The Boz

Had a Superchamp X2 and decided to pick up a Superchamp mini stack to use for jamming with friends. Like the range of sounds and moderate volume of the amp, but felt like the shrill Celestion in the 1×12 cabinet could be improved on. I never used the EV 12 but wanted to see if this take on that speaker could round out the sound. This guy is heavy… reminded of lugging around the old JBLs. I added fiberglass to the cabinet and mounted the big guy. Even with minimal breakin, this thing sounds great. Big tight bottom, clear as a bell mids and highs with no ice pick. And so efficient it makes the little Superchamp louder. This speaker sounds like it puts out the best your amp can give it without breaking a sweat. I'd recommend it for any amp but especially modeling amps. Very musical… great speaker for the moneyOld Guy playing at home

We replaced the stock speaker in a Fender 40 Champ with this. Everybody in the store was astounded and took turns playing through that amp after this upgrade.The local Jazz guru played chord-melody arrangements and told us that from his "old-school" perspective, this was one of the best sounding speakers for Jazz he'd ever heard. (he's over 60 and has played every kind of music through every kind of amp.)We all noticed how it brings out the notes of complex chords with definition and clarity.Then the younger shredders got hold of it. Even when pushed into ridiculous distortion we heard a good balance between tight-clear lows and defined yet sweet highs. There is plenty of high-end for clarity, but it never seemed harsh. All that from an OPEN BACK solid-state amp!The customer, who plays a wide variety of material in several cover bands, was delighted.He uses a Roland GT100 preamp before the amp and demonstrated a huge variety of classic hit tones he uses with his bands. Because he has TWO of these Fender 40 champ amps (for stereo) it was easy to A-B the two amps, which were identical except for the speakers.This speaker is noticeably LOUDER than stock, which can be good or bad depending on your needs. We spent a good hour (or more) listening to a wide variety of classic guitar tones through his system and everyone noticed the improved clarity, definition, articulation. He demonstrated blues tunes by Clapton and SRV, many famous rock licks by Jimmy Page and Hendrix, and floored us with a mess of chickin'-pickin' ala Brent Mason.It's hard to find meaningful adjectives since so many advertisers overwork terms like "warm" or "punchy." So I can only describe the sounds we heard with words that describe the difference between this and the stock speaker.Overall, it was a successful upgrade… easy and fast, made a noticeable improvement. Well-balanced, more clarity and VOLUME. The speaker really works well for a variety of styles without ever sounding "honky" or "muddy."Teacher of beauty

I used this speaker as a replacement for the Jensen stock speaker in a '64 Fender Custom Deluxe Reverb amp ..seems like a better made speaker, made by Eminence, designed by Allesandro. a U.S. made speaker with a bit more headroom and bottom end..the only downside all the bolt holes didn't line up..it's still in there though ..drwest845

Great sounding speaker right out the box. Full but controlled bass. Not lacking mid range, but still highlights the vintage character of a Fender. Sparkly high end, but no ice pick. Has the very natural attack of an Alnico, not stiff at all, but in a more affordable ceramic speakerJames Low

Wow. Finally a speaker I can load in any standard normal stage guitar cabinet and bring my modeler to complete life. Game changer. I am not a huge FRFR fan.. these kind of meet right in the middle giving you a guitar speaker sound and feel with all the dynamics and full modelling from your processor etc. Restored my faith in using a modeller for sure.Mark from SA

I am using this speaker with an ART SLA-2 and a Fractal Axe-FX II. Previously I was running Celestion Vintage 30s and since moving to these speakers it has opened all the different tones and nuances of the modeler. This speaker is a true full range speaker in comparison to the Vintage 30s (which has rolloff maybe around the 10khz. mark). I had to change my tone settings to adjust to the full range but that is not a bad thing since now I have full control all the way up to 20khz. The subtle highs that I was missing before are now adding to the creaminess of the tone. I highly recommend giving these speakers a test. I don't know if they are available in a cabinet, but I placed them into Seismic Audio Luke cabinets and they sound great and fit perfect.Mike

I recently purchased a Quilter 200 watt guitar amp along with the matching 1×12 speaker cab. Apparently, the supplied speaker is actually a bass guitar speaker, so it sounds a little dark with both my guitars and keyboards. I decided to add another speaker which will also raise the rig higher off the ground. I also decided to build a matching cab as the Quilter cabs are a bit pricey, especially since I won't be using the supplied speaker. So searching for a speaker, I came across the F12-X200. I liked that it could handle the power from the amp by itself, and the 2 way construction appealed to me, especially for use with my keyboards and acoustic guitars. It does not disappoint. Very balanced frequency response, and it extends to 20kHz, just like a PA speaker. I would describe the sound as very accurate and clean, even at higher volumes.Nexy

If you have an amp that is ice -picky when you travel up the neck of your guitar,chances are that it is either a 6V6 or a 6L6 amp. More likely the 6L6 variety. Some manufacturers automatically install either a vintage 30, or a cheaper equivalent , with the premise that it is a "one speaker fits all" solution. It is not. Even a well broken in V30 can have ear piercing highs, especially in a 6L6 amp,believe me I know. I'm currently using the cannabis rex in a EL84 amp and it does noticeably reduce the highs. Meanwhile I have a V30 in another 6L6 amp(bad combination)) that I believe would sound better with the cannabis rex. So I'm going to swap the speakers and hopefully that will solve both problems. So yeah, I think this is a great speaker in the right application. Good luck on your "tone-quest".Toomanyguitars

Put two 8 ohm CR speakers in a custom 2×12 closed back. Instantly, a great tone I already had going got better! Lost my ultra-high end (some call it icepick). I wouldn't say my Carvin GT-16 drivers ever got icepicky, but they did have a very loud and fatiguing upper mid bump and could get honky or coney if you will. These were circa 2004 when you could still order raw guitar speakers from Carvin… Not anymore. The harmonic extension was brilliant and crystalline however, and that I sorta miss, but these CRs give me instantly proper guitar eq. They are super balanced, but kind of filter what the amp/guitar/player combo is generating into something instantly comfortable, detailed, sensitive, and faithful. I'm gonna blend these with Private Jacks in a double 2×12 X pattern… I'll let you know how it goes but so far these CR drivers are the cornerstone of my cabs. The amplifier used is a Carvin VT50, with Warmoth Strats having Dimarzio and Duncan pickups.cdub

Overall: My old workhorse Mesa Boogie F-50's English Celestion Black Shadow blew out and I could have cried. First off, I could not believe that the speaker roached on the amp, then I had a heck of a time trying to figure out what to replace it with. Celestion makes the vast majority of their speakers in places other than England (including the newer Black Shadows they make) so I opted to not purchase one of those. I decided to give Eminence a try. Hey, they make their products here in the states and every one of their products purchased goes to support those great folks who toil away making great products for us musicians to share our creative genius (or annoy our neighbors) with. I researched this problem for almost a year, trying to figure out what speaker to go with and try as I might, I never found anyone with a Boogie that they put one of these in. So I was a bit apprehensive about how things would work out. I installed the speaker and fired the amp up. I was so happy to hear sounds coming out of the amp. Then I was totally impressed with the sounds that I heard. Mesa should have used this speaker in this amplifier to begin with. I would have never thought I could improve the tone of this amp but this speaker did it by the spadeful. It is so rich and so responsive it made this amplifier sing like it never has before. I am completely impressed and Eminence has a lifelong supporter now with me. Great speaker. Absolutely great speaker, I cannot say enough good about it. It nails everything I need to play with authority. It rocks, it cries, it sings, it wails and it talks. If you have a need for a 12" speaker, this is definitely the way to go. I don't knock the old Celestions, don't get me wrong, their stuff is still one of the industry standards for a reason. I am just impressed and sold on Eminence hemp cone speakers now. For the money (really? 95.00, that is it!?!) they cannot be beat.Matthew

I bought a pair of these for a Gibson Ranger GA-55RVT that I restored and converted to 2×12's instead of 4×10's. I cut the case down and installed a new speaker mounting plate, new Tolex, knobs, electrolytics, tubes, everything. The only thing I didn't have was a matched pair of 12-inch guitar speakers, so I installed a pair of ruggedized 12-inch "no-name" (Urban Audio Works) speakers until I got everything worked out on the Ranger. The Gibson actually sounded decent with the Urbans, but with these Legends, it really rocks! The sound is exactly as described in the ad: Lots of growl and muscle, especially with the front pickups, but zingy highs and midranges for lead work with the middle and back pickups. I was torn between the Jensen C12N's and C12K's, but then I saw Music123's ad for the Eminence Legend 1258s, and decided to give them a try. Plus, I heard the Jensen's were more "British" and "woody" sounding, and I wanted an American rock/Fender Twin sound for my Gibson. That amp uses two 6L6's for output (as opposed to four for the Fender) so I was worried that the C12K's might be too much, and the C12Ns too little. But the Legends are perfect. They really brought my Ranger to life, at all volume settings. The biggest thing Ive noticed is how these speakers bring out the differences in the switch and pickup settings on my various guitars, from Strats and Strat copies, to my 76 Kramer aluminum neck 450G. They really have a great tonal range. And the 75-watt rating (x2) is perfect for the 55-watt Gibson amp.John Young-Y0CQl

This speaker doesn't get a lot of press because it is overshadowed by the Patriot and Red Coat speakers in the Eminence brand. I've been through many Emi speakers in the newer lines but came back to this one. It is clean but definitely not sterile. Big warm (tight but not boomy) bass, mids are solid but smooth with just a touch of bite when you crank your mids. Highs are strong but musical – not harsh. It plays any style of music and keeps its composure at high volumes. I also like that it is slightly less efficient allowing me to turn my amp up more to get into the sweet spot. It just plain works for my Fender 40 watt black face amp. Cleans are exceptional and overdrive is very musical. For my purposes, it is the best speaker Emi sells.Super 400

I've been using a pair of these for 6 years, for different heads, amps too. Really powerful tight sound, I love em. However, with a silver stripe Bandit 112 they were too bright/harsh. It's because the Bandit is just too bright and harsh, I had a very hard time tweaking an overdrive distortion I liked from that amp…sold it. But I'm keeping the Legend 1258s, they make every other amp I've had sound great!!!!Buffalo_BiL

I bought a pair of these for a Gibson Ranger GA-55RVT that I restored and converted to 2×12's instead of 4×10's. I cut the case down and installed a new speaker mounting plate, new Tolex, knobs, electrolytics, tubes, everything. The only thing I didn't have was a matched pair of 12-inch guitar speakers, so I installed a pair of ruggedized 12-inch "no-name" (Urban Audio Works) speakers until I got everything worked out on the Ranger. The Gibson actually sounded decent with the Urbans, but with these Legends, it really rocks! The sound is exactly as described in the ad: Lots of growl and muscle, especially with the front pickups, but zingy highs and midranges for lead work with the middle and back pickups. I was torn between the Jensen C12N's and C12K's, but then I saw Music123's ad for the Eminence Legend 1258s, and decided to give them a try. Plus, I heard the Jensen's were more "British" and "woody" sounding, and I wanted an American rock/Fender Twin sound for my Gibson. That amp uses two 6L6's for output (as opposed to four for the Fender) so I was worried that the C12K's might be too much, and the C12Ns too little. But the Legends are perfect. They really brought my Ranger to life, at all volume settings. The biggest thing Ive noticed is how these speakers bring out the differences in the switch and pickup settings on my various guitars, from Strats and Strat copies, to my 76 Kramer aluminum neck 450G. They really have a great tonal range. And the 75-watt rating (x2) is perfect for the 55-watt Gibson amp.John Young-Y0CQl

This speaker doesn't get a lot of press because it is overshadowed by the Patriot and Red Coat speakers in the Eminence brand. I've been through many Emi speakers in the newer lines but came back to this one. It is clean but definitely not sterile. Big warm (tight but not boomy) bass, mids are solid but smooth with just a touch of bite when you crank your mids. Highs are strong but musical – not harsh. It plays any style of music and keeps its composure at high volumes. I also like that it is slightly less efficient allowing me to turn my amp up more to get into the sweet spot. It just plain works for my Fender 40 watt black face amp. Cleans are exceptional and overdrive is very musical. For my purposes, it is the best speaker Emi sells.Super 400

I've been using a pair of these for 6 years, for different heads, amps too. Really powerful tight sound, I love em. However, with a silver stripe Bandit 112 they were too bright/harsh. It's because the Bandit is just too bright and harsh, I had a very hard time tweaking an overdrive distortion I liked from that amp…sold it. But I'm keeping the Legend 1258s, they make every other amp I've had sound great!!!!Buffalo_BiL

I bought one of these speakers here at MF about 4 years ago and with this sale price, it is even less expensive now! This powered monitor is a true workhorse and it has enormous headroom. I have used this speaker in many musical applications and it has performed flawlessly. I bought a Harbinger 4112, last year and played a Yamaha P-515 directly straight into the back of each speaker, rather than into a mixing console/board. I did a mono, one speaker comparison. The Harbinger did have better frequency response, yet was much more harsh sounding. This Alto sounds smooth and warm and I have never needed to turn it past unity gain. This monitor is on sale right now and I can not recommend buying it, enough. The listed 1000 watts RMS are real, and the drivers can handle the power with ease. The only point of contention is that they do scratch very easily and so I would find a good generic extra sized tote for each monitor and wrap each one with a thin blanket before placing them inside for transporting. Highly recommend this product, especially at this very reduced sale price.NoteJunkie

Thank you Pmt for delivering my speak and the very next day during this epidemic of COVID-19. Very pleased with this ALTO Ts310 It is a great product I’ve had the 8 inch and a 10 inch and I love to know what the 15inch sounds like. Also own QSC K-series speakers two and the Bose L1S system. I know a thing or two about sound Quality. If these speakers are reliable I can see me buying many more of these for the music sessions I do. I can leave these in the boot of my car and get in from a GIG to my family and not have to unload the whole car, they are nice and compact and have plenty of power for an all nighter in a normal size pub. In fact the sound quality has made me compare this to Speakers three times the price, in my situation I don’t need to push the sound too loud so that the audience is uncomfortable for me although they have for 2000 W available I only use about 25% of that in the small venues I run. I do my big outside venues for 2000 people that’s when I need my QSC is all outfront and I use these I do my big outside venues for 2000 people that’s when I need my QSC is all outfront and I use the Altos as Foldback. An absolutely brilliant product you can’t go wrong really with the eight 1012 inch models they give you a great result ultraportable really worth every penny how they value secondhand and they really got a good name for themselves now.adam h.

I purchased the TS312 as basically a "second attempt" to find an all-around speaker for home practice using my HX Stomp (modeling pedal), as well as synths, drum machines, and some bass guitar. I first purchased the HeadRush FRFR-108, which was a new release as a smaller version of last year's FRFR-112. (The FRFR-112 and TS312 are essentially the exact same speaker – the HeadRush is just marketed towards use with guitar modelers). But the FRFR-108 was a pretty big disappointment – the low end was flabby and distorted, even within the typical frequency range of guitars. And trying to run bass guitar or deep frequencies from a synth or keyboard was essentially a non-starter. The Alto TS312 excels in all of the areas that the FRFR-108 failed me. It has massive low end when placed on the floor as a "wedge" monitor, but retains clarity and articulation even at lower practice volumes. Modelers like the Helix can cover a huge variety of tonal genres, and the TS312 accurately conveys those sounds while feeling mostly like a "real amp". The only real downside to the TS312 is that at 35 pounds and approximately 2 feet in width, it's not quite as compact as I had hoped. But it's also not significantly bulkier than a 12" guitar combo (or certainly a 2×12" like a Fender Twin or Vox AC30). With the giant handles on all sides, it's also much easier to move around. And unlike a guitar amplifier, a good FRFR/PA speaker can be used with a variety of instruments, including guitar, bass, synth, drum machines, and vocals. This Alto unit seems to be a pretty good value and I hope to get many years of good use out of it.Jeff H

While its appearance is different than the original 70's Deluxe Reverb Eminence made speaker, it sounds perfectly identical to the original.Stephanie

Overall: I put this speaker in an open back 1×12 cab made of birch. It is very loud and still holds a lot of bass for the open back design. I would buy this speaker over and over for the price and tone.Adam

I paired the legend 1275 with a eminence CV75 in a 2×12 custom cabinet. Use DV mark head And you get very nice cleans with decent break up at mid range volumesDavid W.

I upgrade my Peavey Transfex Pro 212. With the stock speaker it was already a beast at 260 watts. Now with the speakers the tone is amazing and the headroom is amazing. I love my amp that much more now.Jogriff

Overall: I play with a very saturated tube preamp and I love the top-end sparkle and harmonics, but I end up losing that with the cone-breakup of so many other speakers when I crank up the volume. Not with this speaker. It is crystal clear and stays with me at high volume. It has strong bass response but I find that I have to use a bit more high-end eq than with my British-type speakers but its worth it. These have a very precise and detailed reproduction of the amp signal. Love these.Jay

I have 5E3 clone, that had a Jensen Neo speaker, and the treble was so hash it hurt my ears. The Eminence GuitFiddle speaker did the trick. I can now turn the tone control up higher, which unleashes some extra grind from the preamp, without making my dog cry in pain. Even with single coils, the sound is so much smoother! This is my idea of the perfect new speaker if you want a classic fat 50's sound from an amplifier.Dave

C'est mon Haut Parleur guitare prfr, bonne prsence des basses et mdiums et aigus doux et moelleux, personnellement je l'utilise en baffle Thiele 1×12 avec cot un autre baffle 1×12 quip d'un Haut Parleur qui attaque plus dans les aigus (Tone Tubby Red), mais ce dernier baffle est rgl en niveau de sortie grce un attnuateur progressif Weber mini mass pour tre en retrait du Guit-Fiddle. Il sera parfait seul avec un ampli tendance trop aigu, par contre il risque de paratre un peu trop sombre si on a un ampli dj un peu sombre. Convient trs bien pour un ampli quilibr dont on pourra pousser les aigus et/ou la prsence sans craindre un son criard. Vraiment unique en son genre… et j'en ai test des Haut Parleurs !2005dominiqueb

I put this in a Champion 40. Before the BV-30V I had an Eminence Texas Heat in the amp. Both are great speakers, not only for this combo, but also as a whole. The Texas Heat has more mids and breaks-up earlier, while the Mojotone takes the cake when going for that classic "scooped" Fender Blackface sound. I've tried at least a dozen speakers in my lifetime and I have to say this one is in the top 3.Zakariyah

I use this in a blended peavey 2×12 cab with an Eminence GBV65 (genz Benz v30 clone). My cab has a little less of a defined midrange, but tighter bottom end than my buddys orange 2×12 with v30’sZach

Full disclosure I was looking for the cheapest name brand 12 inch speaker to replace a literal no name speaker in a 1×12 cab I had. Immediate positive impact on tone! I don't get to crank this cab but I can say this speaker sounds good and home volume for all types of gain.AJB

I've been through many, many 12s for Blackface style speakers. These are my faves. For good 60s tones in country and rock with a BF amp these guys work great. Take pedals well. Not shrill or muddy in my experience. Solid surfy bass. Smooth treble. 120 watts which is triple what I would ever throw at em. For a Deluxe or a Pro in a honkytonk bar, these are just the ticket.edol9871

For me the tones of these are somewhere in between American and British. I use these mainly in a 2×10 cab for a fender vibroverb style amp. Vs the Oxford speakers these have a lil more mid focus and rounded highs that work much better with higher gain tones. I also use these with my Marshall origin 50 set relatively clean to get a slightly bigger bottom end than V30s.RockinJohnson

I bought this speaker in the 16ohm version to replace a v30 in my orange ppc1x12. I love the v30 but I mainly use a 100w Marshall DSL100HR and the v30 by itself couldn't handle all that wattage since it's only 60watts. So I decided to go with the swamp thang cause a little more defined low end sounded like a good idea as I play a 7 string ltd (fishman fluence pups) half the time. But I was worried I would loose the highs that we need for attack in high gain situations as well as playing clean which I do very often also. But now that I've played tgrough this speaker I can say that is not a problem whatsoever. This speaker has twice the highs and twice the lows as my v30. Probably a little less midrange but since it's such a powerful speaker it doesn't feel like it's relying on mids the cut through. Full disclosure I've only had the speaker a few hours and played through it a little over an hour but if it sounds this good outta the box I'm confident things will only get better. It's a great sounding speaker in my opinion that would complement any style/set up. I plan on buying an empty Luke 2x12C cab from seismic audio soon so i can pair the ST and the v30 which im lookong forward to. But in the meantime im in no huge hurry since the ST sounds so good by itself.Michael I.

I've been through many, many 12s for Blackface style speakers. These are my faves. For good 60s tones in country and rock with a BF amp these guys work great. Take pedals well. Not shrill or muddy in my experience. Solid surfy bass. Smooth treble. 120 watts which is triple what I would ever throw at em. For a Deluxe or a Pro in a honkytonk bar, these are just the ticket.edol9871

For me the tones of these are somewhere in between American and British. I use these mainly in a 2×10 cab for a fender vibroverb style amp. Vs the Oxford speakers these have a lil more mid focus and rounded highs that work much better with higher gain tones. I also use these with my Marshall origin 50 set relatively clean to get a slightly bigger bottom end than V30s.RockinJohnson

I bought this speaker in the 16ohm version to replace a v30 in my orange ppc1x12. I love the v30 but I mainly use a 100w Marshall DSL100HR and the v30 by itself couldn't handle all that wattage since it's only 60watts. So I decided to go with the swamp thang cause a little more defined low end sounded like a good idea as I play a 7 string ltd (fishman fluence pups) half the time. But I was worried I would loose the highs that we need for attack in high gain situations as well as playing clean which I do very often also. But now that I've played tgrough this speaker I can say that is not a problem whatsoever. This speaker has twice the highs and twice the lows as my v30. Probably a little less midrange but since it's such a powerful speaker it doesn't feel like it's relying on mids the cut through. Full disclosure I've only had the speaker a few hours and played through it a little over an hour but if it sounds this good outta the box I'm confident things will only get better. It's a great sounding speaker in my opinion that would complement any style/set up. I plan on buying an empty Luke 2x12C cab from seismic audio soon so i can pair the ST and the v30 which im lookong forward to. But in the meantime im in no huge hurry since the ST sounds so good by itself.Michael I.

The speaker cabinet was promptly shipped and arrived with no damage. Breaking in the stock speakers now. The 2 12" speakers sound better that I expected for the price point as I was expecting to swap out the stock speakers right away, but I will wait and see. The whole package is a screamin deal! Might buy another one.Pat H.

I used this speaker to replace a blown speaker in a floor monitor. It sounded better than original and handled more power. Eminence makes great speakers, I haven't had a bad one yet in 15 years.Ronsmusicrepair

I love it. It is loud for a monitor driver and shuns my other factory monitor driver. One review thought it was guitar speaker – it’s not. This is a quality pro audio speaker that is awesome in sound reproduction.Iam Az

I replaced the incredibly pathetically cheap Crate Speakers in my FW120 4×12 Cab with these and the sound driven by my Crate FW120H was simply amazing. Then I used my Carvin MTS3200H 100W Tube Head (w/JJ Tubes and they still sounded amazing. Plus … Although my Carvin 4×12 Cab is equipped with the EXCELLENT(!) WGS ET-65's (2ea) and WGS Retro 30's (2ea), I do love these Rocket 50's as well. Even an acquaintance (a professional musician) who owns a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier and 4×12 Cab with Celestion Vintage 30's was also very impressed.Zerep11

It was exactly what i needed to get a crunchy warm tone Thru my line 6 for practice. It can handle the power of the Amp when i push it and not have that fluffy sound but a nice Edge.Ron

there is a reason this is the cheapest Celestion on the market, its a good speaker if your low on cash but I wouldn't give this speaker to my enemy's.too harsh, no lows, mid range is kind of there. the magnet is very small and weighs nothing. break in period is hours.chuckY Bones jones