The differences were surprisingly noticeable, even on my phone

Lesson learned: no speaker will tune our guitars. Wow, that alnico sounded great clean and on the slightly dirty arpeggios. Thanks for the comparison. The Celestion Alnico Cream sounds great with vintage-style Marshall-type amps.

Easiest blind test I’ve seen, Getting an alnico.

Your analysis was spot on. I preferred the alnico for the clean to light breakup and the ceramic for the heavy distortion. I guess the solution is to only buy amp heads and have separate alnico and ceramic cabs $$$$

Time for another blind test! Which tone was your favorite, Alnico or Ceramic? would you ever shell out the cash for that vintage Alnico tone?

Good demo/analysis, thanks. I could hear the clarity in the AlNiCo for clean immediately. I think the AlNiCo is ALWAYS preferable if you have the money. Reason 1 is for the best clean tones. Reason 2, you can always get the ceramic tone from AlNiCo simply by either rolling back the tone on your guitar, rolling back the treble on your amp, or rolling back the tone/treble on your effect devices. No brainer to me, IF you can pay the difference. The same basic logic applies to guitar pickups for vintage tones. To me, clean is the standard. You can always warm up, distort, overdrive or dirty up the tone from there! If you don’t start with good clean tones as the benchmark, you don’t have a solid baseline or foundation IMHO.

Excellent comparison Darrell! The warm sound of the ceramic sounded beautiful to me. By the way, the gorgeous Tele build looks great in the background. Thanks again.

Super helpful, one of the few times I could hear a difference and it was consistent, so thank you for the excellent setup and delivery of this info.

I went into this thinking this was going to be another one of those "I can't hear any difference" video's, I was wrong. Aside from the first setting, clean, I picked the ceramic. It just sounded more balanced over all to me. I have a hearing problem, the problem is that I can't hear! lol, so usually I don't detect subtle differences anyway but this time I did. I will say it was not a major difference in the first three but the last, heavy distortion, the ceramic stood out even more. The Alnico sounded muddy on the lows. Not real muddy, as in if It wasn't being compared with the ceramic I wouldn't have noticed an issue. But since it was being compared I noticed it. Thank you for doing one of these tests the way they should be done. Fairly short demos, and most importantly, you played the exact same thing for both demos! So many times guys will play completely different parts and then ask you to compare the sounds. You cannot fairly do that since there are so many other things that could interfere in your perception.

Great comparison Darrell! Loving the new intro.

From Leo: Great test, that Filtertron type clean definition in your Tele was a great choice for the demonstration. My personal all time favorite speaker is the Eminence Cannabis Rex, but I really like the ceramic speaker in your test.

Very helpful demo and pretty clear differences. I agree with your assessment about clean vs. distorted tones.

Thanks, man! These are exactly the speakers I was looking at and trying to decide between

I was shocked at the difference in sound for the final test. The other tests showed a noticeable difference between them, sure, but nothing like the night & day difference with high gain. That's a surprise. That said, overall, I actually prefer the warmer sound of the ceramic speakers. Good job, as usual, Darrell. Oh, I should mention that based on reviews by you & Brett Kingman, I purchased a Mooer GE 200 to add to my little arsenal of MFX pedals.

Very helpful stuff. Thank you!

Top, top marks. Difficult to find identical everything apart from motor materials. Extremely useful and well recorded too. Subscribed

Another fun vid. Very informative and interesting. I may have to have both! Both strong for different applications. I like the alnico for cleans and even moderate dirt. But I also like the ceramic, especially for heavy dirt. Nothing wrong with either one, though.

Fantastic comparison! Agree 100 %. Thank you!

Excellent demo! Just replaced my 1-12” cabinet from EV Ceramic to a Jensen Blackbird Alnico 100 watt & was a huge improvement!

Exactly why I always run alnico and ceramic together as a pair. You can get a great mix where best attributes shine through

Great video! Thanks! 👍🏼

Darrell - Your analysis was spot on. Both sounded good. Just depends on the type of music you want to play.

Nicely done Brother! I enjoyed both tones, very useable! Yes I would spend to have both! Really liked the intro mix! Thanks for sharing D!

I appreciate this comparison. I am more into clean with perhaps mild distortion. The Alnico does it for me.

Great shootout, spot on!

One of the first blind tests I could hear the difference every time. I think the Alnico sounded little better.

I loved the ceramic speaker sound! To my noob ears, they sound more warm and dreamy!

NexGen is a great company for us canucks. Thanks to them for supporting the channel.

Very helpful video, I really like the alnico! Bet my BJ2 is gonna get an alnico soooon 😎

Both of these speakers are a winner in my opinion. Of the many comparisons I'v done along with the many I've watched performed by others, these two are the closest I've heard to sounding so much alike instead of drastically unalike. Going to have to get me one of each as soon as possible.

Great video! Really useful. Thanks!

Great comparison! Drastic sound changes - almost sounds like the tone knob was adjusted

The Alnico speaker just shines through so much better in every one. Those speakers just have that bright shine that lights up the mix and cuts though.

I love the sparkle of the Alnico speakers on clean tones. I was 100% sure the 1st one was alnico. It just sounds right. I can't get enough of it. In fact, I have Celestion Blue, Fane A60, WGS Blackhawk, Jensen Blackbird, Jensen P12Q, Amperian VSOP. I make speaker cabs professionally so it's easy to justify getting all of them 😂.

The way you did the video was actually useful (so many are not) - thanks!

Great comparison, Man. Thank you. It was especially revealing to hear 2 speakers which are identical in every way except for the magnet. I haven't seen that done before and it's especially useful. My .02 (not that anybody asked) is that you've just clearly demonstrated how no single speaker type is perfect for every playing style, or every amp. I agree with the overall consensus that the alnico sounded lush and lovely on the clean tones but mushy and muddy on the crunchy stuff, whereas the ceramic was a bit thin and lifeless clean compared to the alnico but sounded the punchy and defined bollocks on the crunch tones. I'm pretty fortunate to currently have 3 different amp heads (a Tone King which is basically 2 different Fender circuits, an Orange, and a custom-built Marshall-style circuit) and 3 different speaker cabs (one with a 12" Celestion Blue alnico, one with a 12" ceramic Greenback, one with 2 10" Celestion alnico gold), so I can rotate around, mix and match. I think that's the only way to really get all the best worlds. I know a lot of Nashville session guys take 3 or 4 heads as well as 3 or 4 cabs to every session, and I reckon this is why. Thanks again for the comparison. Cheers!

Very helpful thank you. I don't have a good ear + got it rt every time. Alnico for me with my blues rock style. Replacing a speaker this week video although a smaller speaker this was a perfect test .

Very helpful video. It has changed my plans - in the right direction.

As always thanks always greatness

That was great ! Thanks !

I liked the alnico overall, except for the heavier drive. Ceramic was very warm, alnico sounded more like a vintage speaker.

Great test. Liked the alnico everytime and heard a clear difference in every test.

I like them both for different applications thank you.

Great comparison test. I own a mix of both ceramic and alnico myself and came to similar conclusions as you. I don’t use much high gain, and use 2x10 cabs with alnicos mostly, but also have some 12” cabs with high power handling ceramics if I need to use a higher watt head than the 10’s can handle.

Dang relevant test. Thanks!

Thank you. I'm rebuilding an old Fender Twin Reverb. I've been looking at alnico speakers.... After this review, I'll spend the extra for the tone. To me, they sounded better in every test.

Another great video, keep up the good work 👍

After watching the AlNiCo pickup comparison and wishing the LP wasn't in neck position the whole time, this video is pretty helpful. I like how on the clean and dirty settings, the difference in speak was like orange vs tangerine, but then the saturated distortion showed it was more like cantaloupe vs grapefruit. Thanks for the video!

I've had nobody explain this so well. thanks.

Excellent test! Ceramic for me on the hard overdrive section.

Very cool vid. I'd prefer the alnico since it seemed like it would be more responsive at lower volumes. Haven't played out in years. Another factor to consider is how these speakers would sound once they're borken in, unless they were already (some are).

Usually I would disqualified a speaker review because it's not played on a loop.. but damn you play consistently.. like the 3 times I saw Orbison.. album quality spot on consistent and that's a huge compliment! My two fave speakers are a old Thomas organ vox ceramic Oxford and strangely enough a vox wharfedale (ac30) transplanted into a fender drri. And I wanted a ceramic to sound different but as good, but that alnico (for my style of tones) is a real killer.. so damn many variables when it comes to speakers.. weather this helped or not it's back to the drawing board.. and ad on English vs. American voiced.. lucky you they gave you the chance to try out two and keep one.. haha.. love your channel and your positive smile..

Great demo! My school of thought has always been if you play single coil guitars which are usually bright, ceramic speakers always helps out in the amp to warm things up.

first test - def preferred the alnico, fourth test - def preferred the ceramic. second and third were toss-ups for me. fun test.

Definitely caught off guard by just how big the difference is. Personally prefered the alnico throughout. Seemed to have more clarity, every note was defined and distinguishable while I felt the ceramic kinda blended them together at times. Might have to swap out my own amp speakers now.

Agreed- great job and the analysis was spot on

Darrell, a fellow Canuck! I had no idea! Keep up the good work, man!

This is a very useful video for me. On the 1st test, my guess is wrong. Then I listen to your explanation about the sound different and listen to the test more closely. For the last 3 test my guess are correct. What I learn for this video is two things. 1st. In clean, light to medium overdrive. The speaker retains most of its characteristic. If I like/dislike certain speaker in certain amp, I will still like/dislike it when I put a pedal in front of it. In other word, pedal won't drastically change the sound coming out of the amp. 2nd. with heavy distortion. The speaker looses a bit of its characteristic. But, if I listen to it very carefully, I can still differentiate it. Regarding ceramic vs alnico. I agree with your opinion. My experience comes from celestion IR. I play with heavy distortion from amp sim. When I use celestion cream IR, the sound seems too smooth and lack of bite. When I change it to G12T or V30 IR, then my sound really comes alive.

To my ears the difference was night and day on the clean test. The alnico speaker just sounded so much more lively. The ceramic one just sounded flat and lifeless in comparison. However the ceramics seemed to be better for high gain. It makes me think I should get a 2x10 cab and plug in 1 of each speaker!

I guessed right on tests 1-3, only test 4 stumped me. Alnico just has a special character to it!

Both speakers were great . Next Gen is ACE Canadian parts supplier !

The first time through I was impressed with the extra punch the Alnico brought to some of the tones in some of the examples, but after repeated listenings the more uniform warm sound of the ceramic was more enjoyable to listen to in each example. The more I heard the Alnico the more it wore on my ears!

Another great video, thanks. Could you make another comparation video of alnico and ceramics pick up playing with those speakers. I really want to hear the differences. Thanks.

Loved the new opening!

Hey Darrel, nice comparison. Overall, I preferred the Ceramic, but for test #3. After being broken up, they should sound even better. Cheers !

Hello Darrell. I deleted probably 4 comments but I'm going to try again. You always sound great, I like the new intro. I wish you were a part of Guitcon, but its their loss. You're one of the best channels on YT. OK, with that said and out of the way... I have really been pining for the Mesa Triple Crown TC-50. With a rack format preferred, and MIDI already enabled in my rig, that TC-50 would add a new flavor, actually 3 new, and I could customize them with tube options, and reap havoc with a single 50 watt channel. I have already got cabinets and speakers, but I really dislike cable jockeying, so I would try to get it nailed down with one single speaker that likes 50W pummeling it. I would have to use my knowledge of speakers and pick one, not two, that would be ideal and then load that into a vacant spot on my 4x cabinet and wire up an input jack and mount the new input jack in one of the handles, making it a 4 channel 4x cab. Then I would mount a mic clip, screwed directly to the cabinet and locked into place with a single mic, prob just a 57. From there I would need a channel, and I could use my interface preamps, I have a couple extras, OR I could get one channel (or two) of outboard preamps... I have 4ch outboard, but 6 would be nice. Where would I go next? Chandler? Avedis? Hmm... I'm not really into 500 series, but I would get a chassis for it and stay 19"... Maybe get a Crane Song, or a single channel of Great River with their EQ on the other half... prob to die for. But why? I have 7 decent channels already... So what's stopping me? I'm stopping me. Maybe I should stop stopping myself and just get the channels I want. Maybe you should too.

I like the sound of the alnico better. But what I really love is how alnico is so responsive under your fingers. It seems more dynamic and touch sensitive. Ceramic is definitely more versatile. I have homemade birch plywood semi-open 2x12 cab with a scumback j75 (ceramic) and a wgs BlackHawk 50 (alnico) that I push with a jtm45 clone and it is total sonic heaven. Unreal blues and classic rock setup

Lol the new intro is sick luv it

They both sound great, can't go wrong either way. Alnico for me, I felt that note definition with distortion was clearer.

Love the new intro!

I like ceramic magnets. I play a MIM Strat with Ceramic pickups through an AC-15 with a ceramic Greenback speaker, I’m very happy with the tones that combo delivers. And yes, I did try out some alnico pickup Strats through alnico Blue sneakers before making my decision on what rig to buy.

Very helpful video! Which one did you choose?

clean tone I actually like the warmth of the ceramic. , Second test, Alnico took it with chime &harmonics,third test Alnico ! fourth test :o

este canal es excelente.Gracias!

Totally agree !

As a bedroom rock star with an EQ pedal, the ceramic speaker seems to really do the job for me, for quite a nice price difference. Great comparison!!

Thnx Darrell for your outstanding! explanation in comparising I agree with you that Alnico is more beautiful in cleantones, but when we’re gonna roll🫣to distortion the ceramics rules! I am used with my Marshall JCM 2000 TSL 602 and Marshall recommended strongly the ‘Wolverine Celestion’s’ but as you read the comments they we’re ‘worst choice ever ‘ especially sayed by Celestion V30 lovers …… But…. you used Filtertron ( Gretsch-style) pups and so it that could be all sounding different with single coils It’s like the relation to components together and that works out different in every situation We should listen with our ears and not just reading specs or take reviews personally because every situation is different, do never underestimate the room acoustics

I've known a lot of guitar players that use 2 x 10" or 2 x 12" speakers in their amps and they use (1) Alnico and (1) ceramic speaker I've done it myself. When you set you tone controls right you can get the best of both worlds and also get some unique tones you can't get with either of them alone.

I may be late but i am Thankful for this video!!!!

Definitely liked the alnico better for the clean tone and the ceramic for the distortion. I would have never known. Awesome comparison.

I think it really depends on your ears because I found myself favoring the ceramic all the way except for the high distortion demo which is the opposite of what you said. Somehow the ceramic sounded more "real" to me. I dont know how to explain it. But as always, great video! :D

Hey dude, didn't know you were a fellow Canadian! where are ya? Love the channel and content.

Both great I love the nice good looking alnico vintage

Hey Darrell love your videos! It seems like you record a little too hot as I can sometimes hear clipping when you hit the strings hard. Love the sounds you're getting out of every setup though! Keep up the great work!

I was surprised to be able to hear the difference so readily. I could tell during sample 1 each time and preferred alnico each time, which was a relief as I payed a small fortune for the alnico Weber Chicago 15" for my Yamaha G100ii. Can't even remember what drove that selection!

Well, I'm at work so I only could use 1 ear bud to listen. I've always preferred warmer, low mid tones. So, with that said & 1 ear bud, I preferred the ceramic on the clean & arpeggio test & the alnico on the light dirt & heavy distortion...I will try this video again with my headphones...

Did you notice any response difference, when you hit the strings? Is any of these speakers more sensitive to the pick attack? Great test, thanks!

Thank You! For my ears thru headphones the Ceramic sounded better with all four tones.

To my ears, the alnico is marginally superior in Tests #1, 2 and 3, but VASTLY superior in Test #4 (heavily overdriven). No question. So it confirms the age-old, but simple and general rule to use ceramics for black-face and alnico for brown-face and tweed. Many thanks for posting this helpful video.

Wasn't expecting one over the other but I did find the ceramic more pleasing on all tests.

The ceramic immediately sounded ice picky to my ear after listening to the alnico played clean. I've had that same issue with strong alnico magnets in my pickups. I think it's less about the material and more about the strength of the magnetic field it creates. Maybe demagnetizing the ceramics a bit or making them smaller would help? I thought once you started adding dirt I'd have a harder time telling them apart, but that wasn't the case. Alnico sounded sweeter everywhere, but the Trainwreck. There, I prefered the brighter sound of the ceramic. As I prefer playing cleaner sounds, I'd take the alnico.

Right on down the line I preferred the Ceramic speaker samples.....to each they're own. The Ceramic won hands down is my opinion.

It depends on the music played, the amp and guitar used - I couldn't generalize about which type of magnet ALWAYS sounds better, because of the variables.

Hmmm, I was surprised to find going strictly by which tone sounded best to me I picked the ceramic each time. The first test instead of picking the best tone [to me] I was trying to pick the alnico and was wrong. After that I just went by tone and like I said picked the ceramic. I am in the process of picking a 12" speaker for my Vox TV8 which the stock 8" speaker sounds like crap-0-la. But I played it through a Marshall 4x12 and it sounded killer. I don't need [or want] and 4x12 so I picked up a used empty 12" cab which now needs a speaker. I'm trying to get as close to a vintage AC30 sound as possible. I was leaning toward Jensen which I used in previous amps but I've heard good things [no pun intended] about WGS so definitely on my radar. Great video.

Normally I like brighter sounds but I really preferred the ceramic across the board. I would like to see a comparison with adjusted EQ for each, trimming highs in alnico and cutting bass/boosting highs on the ceramic.

i preferred the alnico but, I think we may be sniffing corks here. Or we could just put them both in a dual 12 cab.

Great Review. Had all correct. I prefer the Alnico.

Wow! new intro video Coooool

Darrell, Alnico vs Ceramic pick-ups. Funny thing is when I though about the subject, I came directly to your channel, because I was sure you had a video on it. Well... Not yet. 😁

The ceramic speaker sounds like someone threw a wet blanket over it. The AlNiCo speaker just sounded.....alive. That's the best way I can put it.