Mini-review Fane A60 speaker

[santellavision]

My Mini-review...



As I get older, big speaker cabs are hard to schlep around. I've hauled my share of 4x12, Oversized 2x12 etc. I've always loved the sound a big cab. They always seem to make me sound huge!  I've been using for a few years now (and really digging) my Bogner oversize Goldfinger 2x12 cab. Best tone I've had it a long time, every head sounds good through it. It's loaded with a Celestion G12H/Greenback combo. It's just a magic mix in that cab!. Even after swapping out speakers, I kept coming back to that combo.

I have or have owned just about every Celestion they make, V30, V-Type, Cremebacks, Greenbacks, G12H Anniversary, Alnico Blues as well as many other brands, EV, Jensen, Tone Tubbys (Some of my favorites are the Red Alnicos!), Warehouse, Eminence etc. I love to try different things (As you all know by my selling stuff all the time - haha)

So, back in the day, I used to have a Hiwatt cab with Fane speakers, always had a great tone, a bit different than Celestions. I even had a killer sounding combo with 2x10 Fane Alnicos. So, in my quest to find audio nirvana, I just bought the new Fane Ascension A60 12". Wow, just wow, what a speaker. I loaded it in my small, back-friendly Avatar Vintage 1x12 open-back cab. I can't tell you how great this sounds. Comparing it to the way-bigger Bogner cab, this weighs about 1/2 as much and sounds even better!!! I was blown-away. The bottom of the A60 is tight and full, the top-end is so sweet and has that famous Fane snarl that just kills when pushed. This 1x12 sounded more focused too. A 2x12 can blur a little with 2 different speakers, not always a bad thing, but different.

I brought it to practice last night and everyone thought it sounded better than the 2x12 Bogner. Crazy right. And played clean, it was beautiful. I got to practice early and even played clean stuff for about 1/2 hour without even cranking it up, that says a lot. I can't recommend these more. Oh, yeah, they are a bit expensive, but to be the cool kid on the block is always expensive.

Fane Link

GuitarPlayerMag Review

PS: I am really liking the new Mesa Boogie Triple Crown TC-50 head. Very nice.

[Dave Scepter]

Glad you like it!.. I wonder how it would sound mounted in a Bogner Cube?.. Too much bottom end?.. maybe I'll just buy one & try it in a 212 cabinet

[santellavision]

I don't know if it would be overly bottom heavy in a cube. It's not that bassy, just right. Maybe find one from a shop that you can return if you don't like it.

[django49]

Nice review!

One other option that might be just a touch cheaper for someone looking for a "vintage alnico with high power handling" is the Celestion Cream. Still pricey at about $239 IF you can find a cooperative seller. My experience sounds similar to yours.

Arguably (sez people with better ears than me) the tone of a "Blue" (15 watts) and better than a "Gold" (50 watts) and. despite the power rating, sounds super sweet with lower powered amps. I just stuck two of them in a 2 x 12 Swart cab. Seems like overkill for the 30 watt SST head, but it is dynamite. And a single 12 in an oversized semi-open back cab is my new best friend for lower weight and portability, but superb sound. I am about to order one more for my next custom cabinet build.

I have not tried a Fane, so cannot compare directly.

[Disturber]

Great review. Never heard of this model. Will check it out. 

I have a 3x12 cab from the mid 1960's. Really light to carry around, great size, Semi open back. Sounds big, deeper bass than a 4x12. I currently run a reconed mid 70's G12H-30 16 ohm with a Tayden Smooth Alnico 8 ohm and a 70th Anniversary G12H-30 8 ohm in there. Might be cool to swap one speaker for one of these Fane's just to try it out.

The Tayden Smooth is a killer sounding, UK made, Alnico speaker. Like it better than the Celestion Gold. Not that tight in the bass though, so it likes to be paired with a G12H-30. Tayden makes great speakers in the UK. Not that expensive either. http://www.taydenspeakers.co.uk/