I went looking for a Matchless 2x12 for my DZ30, and bought a DC30. Eventually, I got a Matchless 2x12 as well (slightly bassier and darker).
Comparing the DC30 and DZ30 through each pair of drivers, my observations are:
The Matchless drivers make a lot of difference
The DZ30 is close. Close enough to stand in for the DC30.
The DC30 does sound/feel better. With either pair of drivers, the 3D sounds is there more with the DC30.

my conclusions are:
the DZ30 is probably close enough for most people, and good enough as a backup.
You need to get close to the Matchless 2x12 drivers to get the sound. Celestion Golds aren't enough. Phil says they are too hifi.

I found a Victoria 50212, with 2x12 Jensen P12Q speakers (i.e. the Vicky 5E8A). It sounds wonderful
Just curious if anyone has ever tried the Vicky and the Ceriatone Tweed Twin?
Any other recommended speakers for me?

Cheers
Tone

Guitarist magazine reckons these are great
http://www.customtonesinc.com/Home_Page.php

I would hope that even in front of a nice twin these would not match a Ceriatone ODS,
but if they are close I would like to know

Has anyone tried one?

it was on ebay in the USA, it's now sold though, went for $850 on 21st Jan

I think they are mostly voiced for Alnicos

So far I prefer either a 1x12 Celestion Gold or a newish Matchless 2x12,
Fane AXA12 was good but not as lively. I have ordered a Wienbrock 1x12 with a Tayden Alnico, and then will compare with these, from memory at the Guitar show, it was closer to the Gold than the others I've mentioned.
I tried them with Vintage30, no good, and my jazz-country-ultraclean Twin 2x12, no joy at all with that. Very poor with dark Fuchs 2x12 (Eminence RWBs)

not mine, just pointing it out to you guys

doh
I should have been less lazy and looked up the model number.

I know the purpose of the missing bottom end, I just want to know if it is just done by doping the cone

Cheers
Tone

I've found my DZ30 sounds great with a Celestion Gold 1x12

However, since buying a Matchless DC30, and a separate Matchless ES212, I have been doing a few tests. DC30 vs DZ30 with diff cabs, etc.
The good thing for you guys is that the DZ30 is close to the DC30, there is a difference though, and IMO the kind of "feel" difference that guitarists pay for.
But I have no plans to ditch the DZ30! The DZ30 sounded nearer to the DC30 when using the DC30 speakers of course.

Anyway my query: I had assumed that the ES212 had the same dissimilar pair as the DC30, but it sounded a lot darker
on checking the Matchless website, the
ES212 contains a Customized Celestion G12H30 and Celestion 12M Greenback
whereas the DC30 (and the Independence 2x12 combo) contain One Celestion G12H30 and one Celestion G12M25

So, does anyone know why this is so? If you have a DZ30 head or a Matchless SC30 head, how can you get the sound if the ES212 cab drivers are diff to the DC30 drivers?

Both the DC30 and the ES212 have very little bottom end. I had assumed the DC30 rolled it off, but whatever amp you put through gets the treatment.
Is it just the doping, or is there something else happening?

Depending on my mood,
Jeff Beck or Dave Gilmour

I could only see this brand for £40+ in the UK,
which for a Chinese brand with no reviews, no history, no anything, looked like paying s/hand BOSS prices for a new copy of an unbranded model,
so sorry I won't risk it.

In the end I bought an MXR Phase 90 Script 1974 reissue. Shame it has no DC input, but it sounds good, not too swirly, just right

Cheers
Tone

How does it sound?
What can you compare it with?

Cheers
Tone

I thought of getting a 4x12 cab, or making a 3x12 cab, and fitting a switch to configure a few combinations. Probably less trouble to just wire up separate cabs

I would agree that speakers would usually change with use. I assume it's mostly the cone rather than the voice coil and magnetic characteristics

These were both new, it was the volume difference that startled me, since the Fane should be 1-2dB louder.
I got the Gold direct from Celestion, to replace a new one with nasty rasping on 2 notes, this replacement has quieter nasty rasping on one note, I am still not sure whether they all have these faults. But it sounds so good with my BM50. Any advice anyone?

So my point is that with 2 parallel different speakers - the interaction is way more complicated than it first appears, they can each steal power at different frequencies, as if they had some king of weird crossover filters, presumably hence Matchless cabs deploying a tested successful mismatch. But as well as that, you may drive one voice coil more than the other at some frequency, and if you are expecting an even split of power into max rating, you could be overloading one.

Cheers
Tone

thanks, I should have said, I had one of those, I wasn't convinced it helped my sound,

Ceriatone amps I'm after really

Cheers
Tone

You're a little confrontational sounding really. Please try to be a bit less blunt.

I have a Celestion Gold 8 ohm
and a
Fane AXA12 8 ohm

I ordered them specifically, and bought them new, and that's what is says on them.

Do you believe that all voice coils in all speakers of the same nominal impedance have the same characteristics?
The impedance is not even consistent across the frequency range in a single driver.

see http://www.installer.com/tech/sit.html

cheers
Tone