Eminence Red Fang Red Coat Guitar Speaker (30 Watts, 12 in.)

Feature:
Aside from superb tone, the best feature is that it ISN'T made in China. Well, that and it cost almost 1/3 less than the speaker it sounds like (better) that everyone else is raving and drooling over.

Quality:
Eminence has been around for ages. They know what they are doing. They must since they are the OEM supplier for most amps on the market made in the US. If it wasn't quality, they couldn't last that long by just being less expensive. Not in a market where quality of sound is what is being sold. Their speakers HAVE to deliver.

Value:
Built solid, offers the same/better tone than one of the (currently) hottest "must have" guitar drivers for a lot less cash. And I do really find a great value in keeping my money close to home with people that are doing fine work on a product I am proud to own and play.

Desirability:
If you're putting it into a closed cab, looks won't matter - only the sound. But for open cabs, you'll either love, or hate the the red colour. Personally, I think it's kinda cool. Amongst the techie-type guitarists, it sure makes a good conversation piece!

Sound:
I'm not usually one to say much of anything is "the best". That's such a hard measure to reach. But for my use, the Red Fang just couldn't be matched by any other speaker I have tried. Wanting my 30W Class A 1X12 to get the best jangley, warm, smooth tone (yeah, the best of everything), I tried a few Celestions; G12M, G12H, Vintage 30, Alnico Gold. The Gold was the real winner (no surprise to me there). But when I learned that I'd be paying about $280 to get a British speaker made in China, I decided to look around. After a good bit of research, the Red Fang came up as Eminence's answer to the Alnico Gold. It actually has a little more harmonic shimmer that the Gold. But otherwise it offers the same tonality and attack response. It's made in the USA, and yet costs more than $100 less!

Ease of Use:
Uh, take it out of the box, don't damage the paper, tighten the screws, connect the speaker leads, button up the amp, turn it on, and smile. Pretty easy, for sure.

Support:
In my research, I was able to get some great information that helped me find what I needed.

Overall:
I'm a tone snob. I've spent dozens of years trying to find the best way to sing through my fingers via guitar and amp. I pick out just the right strings, swap out tubes, modify effects, really try to maximize what my gear can deliver. In terms of my amp, my work is done and now I can spend 100% of my time enjoying it. The Red Fang will be my starting point with any amp I might ever change to later on. Though I doubt that will need to happen.

Feature:
Its a speaker. Came with a couple picks and an Eminence plate for your amp.

Quality:
Looks pretty good to me. The magnet covers are epoxied on to prevent rattling. I've heard that the covers on the Bluebacks rattle sometimes.

Value:
They are a bit pricey, but a hell of a lot cheaper than other comparible Alnico magnet speakers. Half the price of the Celestions...

Desirability:
The red finish looks pretty cool throught the back of the cab.

Sound:
I'm playing a 1966 Fender Bandmaster throught a 2x12 with two Red Fangs in it and the sound is incredible. The only thing I've heard that even compairs are the Celestion Bluebacks in my friend's Vox AC30. After some experimentation I've discovered that to really get the rich harmonic overtones out of then, they need an open-back cab.

Ease of Use:
I just dropped them into my cabinet and they sounded great out of the box. Some more break-in time is sure to bring out even more great tone. Again, an open-back cab seems to sound beter to my ear.

Support:
No issues yet. The best customer support is making a product that doesn't need any customer support.

Overall:
If these speakers were lost / stolen / damaged - I would definately replace them. They faithfully recreate the Alnico british tone with lots of rich harmonics and a bell like tone that sounds incredible. Smooth compression at higher volumes make for a fantastically rich overdriven sound. I was borrowing a friends Crate 4x12 cab for a while and wasn't sure if I really liked the sound of the '66 Fender Bandmaster I had recently purchased. Little did I know the problem was the cab, not the amp. The combination of the Fender and the 2x12 Red Fangs sounds better than I could ever have imagined. As I said, the only comparison I can make is to my friend's AC30 with the Bluebacks. If you buy these speakers you will not be disappointed.