Eminence Governor (V30 clone)

[Heady Jam Fan]

Just popped an Emi Governor I got used for $30 into my MKIII

For reference, the Governor is Emi's V30 clone and has an American cousin; the Emi Red White and Blue.

I played a bit with my WGS Blackhawk for a bit first, then switched so I could have a reference point.

Both are amazing speakers and more similar that I expected in some regards.

I found the Governor a bit more punchy while the Celestion Blue/Gold clones are warmer and smoother.

I should note that the Governor is a 16ohm version - Mesa's handle mismatches very well, but are designed to see 8ohm drivers. Other drivers I have used were 8ohm.

The midrange on both is fairly similar - its there. The Governor, Blackhawk and Red Fang (and Celestions) are not as clear and bell-like as a Blue Dog, it has more complexity and depth that I think adds to overdriven tones (and sounds great clean too). This is really a matter of preference between complexity and depth vs clear and bell like - don't ask which is better, but this seems to be the particular difference that draws people toward or away from the Blue Dog. Most of the C Blue/Gold clones seem to have a bit of a boost around 1k and a dip around 1.5k, but this is more subtle on the Governor - I like how this is balanced on the Gov, but the more extreme boost and dip on C Blue clones might add a bit of character or uniqueness.

Considering the top-end, the Governor has more upper midrange and is more attenuated in the region guitarists describe as treble compared to Blue/Gold clones. I turned my treble down a bit when I switched to the Governor to tame/control the upper mids a bit - I think this frequency region is a blessing and a curse in V30 type speakers; it makes the speaker very 'present' in the mix, but could also result in ear fatigue if not controlled (which is people's biggest complaint about V30s). I think the upper mids are some of the most important frequencies in Trey's tone; it keeps him present in the mix and gives him that 'slappy' attack to his playing (particularly noticeable on staccato chords). Controlling the upper mids and treble is key to balancing between not sounding bland and in the background, while keeping the overdrive sounding smooth. This particular tonal range is what drew me away from the EVM12L that came with my Mesa; it sounded to bland, albeit smooth - the EV was awesome with the R2 overdriven channel, but wasn't great for my style of music (Jam) and had more bass than I needed.

The bass is fairly similar between these speakers - the typical tight bass of a British speaker. I found the bass on the Governor to be a little more articulate and punchy, but that could also in part be the ceramic magnet compared to Alnico on most Blue/Gold clones (like my Blackhawk and Red Fang).

Considering the type of Magnet, I usually prefer Alnico, but the Mesa is so compressed and smooth anyway that I didn't mind the ceramic speaker. I definitely think Alnico is better in a Fender that has very little compression relatively (unless you push a Fender until the rectifier tube can't put out enough power and you get some sag). This came up when I compared the Blue Dog to the Red Fang on a Blackface Bassman, Weber was awesome for sending me a speaker, but I think the Alnico version would have been a closer comparison.

In the end, I found the Governor to be a bit more articulate and punchy - probably due to ceramic and upper mids, respectively. The Celestion Blue/Gold clones were a bit warmer sounding and smoother. The punchiness and upper mids gives a slightly more aggressive overdrive that can be harsh if your not careful, however, I loved the cleans I was getting. I need to spend more time with the Governor to solidify some opinions; I will probably be working on balancing the upper-mid clarity on cleans that I really liked with keeping my overdrive as smooth as possible. I can see why Trey likes V30's with his Mesa and Celestion Blue's with his Fender Deluxe Reverb - the WGS Blackhawk or Emi Red Fang will definitely be in my SFDR, not a V30 clone.

[Happyorange27]

Hey thanks for that review. The last couple statements make me consider which speaker I want to use in my Fender because I don't have a Mesa. Hell I don't think I've ever played an alnico. Good stuff above.

[Heady Jam Fan]

For sure happy! It helps me think critically about what I am listening to when I write it out, even if no one else reads it or writes back

Glad it might provide insight into speakers for a Fender - the fact is that Alnico costs a lot, so pretty much all the Alnico Blue clones will be in the same price range. For a small Fender, a Celestion Blue from Avatar speakers would be my suggestion, but you can't go wrong with a WGS Black and Blue. If you are nervous about busting the voice coil on a pricey speaker, you have a few more options; Celestion Gold, WGS Blackhawk, and Eminence Red Fang. I would go with WGS over Eminence, but they are quite similar - the Emi is louder, but I think the WGS sounds a little better, and they are a great, small company with awesome customer service. Although your more likely to find a used RF at a great price.

Weber is also another obvious choice with their Blue Dog. Its nice they have a ceramic version if you prefer that or want to save a few bones (its about half the price). Its also nice they have various power-handling options. Weber's customer service is great as well.

Some people like Scumback, Tone Tubbies or ASW (which is super pricey), but they either hadn't grabbed my attention or I just never got the chance to try them.

[Heady Jam Fan]

Hey all - I figured I should write back after playing some more...

I ended up switching back to the WGS Blackhawk. The Gov was a great speaker and I am deciding if I will hang onto it or set it free (sell it). I preferred the Alnico and less intense upper-mids of the Blackhawk in the end - it has more complexity and depth as well, but I could have been very happy with the Gov. I will miss some of the articulation and some of the upper-mids of the Gov, but not enough to sway me into continuing to use it for the time being.