User`s manual

Speakers
Changing speakers is like getting a whole new amp. Every model sounds completely different,
some sounding quite good and some amazingly bad. The amplifier is particularly suited for use
with Celestion loudspeakers, which give the characteristic "British" sound this amplifier is
designed to create.
Celestion Greenbacks have less volume and a dip in the mids, which makes them nice and
smooth. The amplifier was voiced for this speaker in a 4x12 cabinet or a 2x12 cabinet. They are
rated at 25W, so they make a good match for the Sabre in a 2x12 or 4x12 cabinet, but are under-
rated for the 50W Sabre in a 1x12 configuration, so they shouldn’t be used in that case. Celestion
Vintage 30's have a very pronounced midrange, which may be a bit too harsh in an open-back
configuration, which naturally enhances the midrange frequencies, and can sound a bit "boxy"
with the wrong speaker. They do sound good for some blues and rock styles, and can easily
handle the power of the Sabre in a 1x12 configuration. Celestion G12H30's are like a cross
between the Greenback and the Vintage 30, with more low end than the Vintage 30 and not quite
as pronounced a midrange, so they tend to sound subjectively "better" in an open-back cabinet.
Eminence is now making some very nice British and American voiced speakers. Their Private
Jack is very close to a Greenback, but louder, a slight bit brighter, and handles more power.
Your mileage may vary.
Our standard speaker is the Aiken A12L, which uses the actual British Greenback cone, but is
assembled here in the United States, using a different magent/basket structure. It has better low
end, but retains the Greenback tone. This is the same speaker Mojo Musical Supply sells as their
BVM-25.
Closed-back cabinets have better and tighter bass, without the pronounced midrange hump of the
open-backs, but they don't disperse on stage as well, and tend to be "beamy", sounding very loud
out front, but if you stand above and to the front or back, you can't hear yourself as well. Still,
there is nothing quite like the tone of a cranked up 4x12 cabinet loaded with Greenbacks! For a
more portable closed back, a 2x12 loaded with either of those Celestions will do the trick nicely.
Putting a 2x12 on each side of the stage fills up the tone very well, and provides an almost
stereo-like sound field because of the cancellations that occur when standing in different places
on stage. The Greenbacks are the recommended speaker for 2x12 and 4x12 cabinets for the
“classic vintage” tone.
When changing speakers, always insure that the output impedance selector is set to match the
impedance of the speakers connected to the output jacks. The Sabre has two paralleled output
jacks, and can easily drive two 4x12 cabinets to extremely loud volume levels, despite the 18W
rating.