Celestion
Encyclopedia
Celestion is a British maker of loudspeaker
s.
(suburban London
) in 1924. Celestion Radio Company and Celestion Limited were formed in 1927, and two years later the company moved across the Thames to Kingston
. The company grew rapidly, but was hit by the depression. Wartime restrictions forced Celestion and the nearby British Rola Company to produce loudspeakers to the same specification; British Rola bought Celestion in 1947 and moved production to Thames Ditton
a year later. The name of the company changed to Rola Celestion; with its products sold under the brand name "Celestion". (MPP
, later a camera maker, was formed as a subsidiary during the war.)
Production of radio, television and "hi fi
" speakers continued in the postwar years. Rola Celestion was bought by Truvox - a manufacturer of public address systems in 1949.
In 1968 the company started production in Ipswich
, moving all production there by 1975. The company merged with a clothing company in 1970 and the result was named Celestion Industries, which in turn became Celestion International in 1979.
In 1992 the loudspeaker part of the business was sold to Kinergetics Holdings, which also bought KEF
.
Today Celestion International and KEF
form GP Acoustics UK
. In 2006 Celestion ceased to manufacture pro audio finished systems and now completely focus on the manufacture of guitar, bass guitar and pro audio drivers.
, made of copper
and designed with the help of laser
interferometry
. They followed this model up with the SL600, which used rigid honeycomb alloy called Aerolam instead of wood in the speaker casing; a material previously used only in the aerospace industry. Both these speaker models, while highly regarded as "breakthrough" designs with outstanding high-frequency clarity, also known for a somewhat "depressed" sounding high-frequency range, as a result of the relatively heavy copper dome tweeter. Later iterations of this design deployed a similar tweeter, but with the dome made out of aluminum, a much lighter and more efficient driver, which allowed for a more balanced output with the woofer. The aluminium-domed versions, in the standard cabinet (MDF and wood veneer) were designated as the SL6s, and then (with an improved crossover and woofer surround) the SL6si; The aluminium-domed models using the Aerolam cabinet (the honeycomb alloy) were designated as the SL700 and the (improved) SL700SE which dual inputs - i.e., separate inputs for woofer and tweeter (allowing for bi-amping or bi-wiring). Around that same era, another version of the copper-domed model, with both the Aerolam cabinet and improved crossover elements, was marketed as the SL600si, also with dual inputs. Finally, in 1992, Celestion produced the final variation of this design, as the Ten Year "Anniversary Edition" Model 100, which featured a conventional, but highly-refined MDF / wood veneer cabinet, dual inputs, updated mounted plates, an improved crossover, the improved woofer design, and a variation of the aluminium tweeter with an updated faceplate.
The Celestion Blue can claim place as the world’s first dedicated guitar loudspeaker. The 1950s witnessed the emergence of the electric guitarist and Celestion responded to their needs for a rugged, reliable loudspeaker by modifying a standard "G12" radio speaker. The unique tonal character of what came to be known as the Celestion Blue, combined with the valve amps of the time, helped to define the electric guitar as we know it today. It was rapidly adopted by pioneers of rock & roll and popular music throughout the late 50s and early 60s. Other popular Celestion guitar loudspeakers include the Vintage 30 and the Greenback. Although Celestion speakers are used by a variety of different amp companies, they are probably most famous for their frequent use in Vox
and Marshall Amps.
Loudspeaker
A loudspeaker is an electroacoustic transducer that produces sound in response to an electrical audio signal input. Non-electrical loudspeakers were developed as accessories to telephone systems, but electronic amplification by vacuum tube made loudspeakers more generally useful...
s.
History
The work of what would become Celestion started in Hampton WickHampton Wick
Hampton Wick is a Thames-side area, formerly a village, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in London, England.Famous for its market gardens until well into the twentieth century, it is now commuter-belt territory, housing developments having been built on these areas...
(suburban London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
) in 1924. Celestion Radio Company and Celestion Limited were formed in 1927, and two years later the company moved across the Thames to Kingston
Kingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames is the principal settlement of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in southwest London. It was the ancient market town where Saxon kings were crowned and is now a suburb situated south west of Charing Cross. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the...
. The company grew rapidly, but was hit by the depression. Wartime restrictions forced Celestion and the nearby British Rola Company to produce loudspeakers to the same specification; British Rola bought Celestion in 1947 and moved production to Thames Ditton
Thames Ditton
Thames Ditton is a village in Surrey, England, bordering Greater London. It is situated 12.2 miles south-west of Charing Cross between the towns of Kingston upon Thames, Surbiton, Esher and East Molesey...
a year later. The name of the company changed to Rola Celestion; with its products sold under the brand name "Celestion". (MPP
Micro Precision Products
Micro Precision Products Ltd was a British optical company that between 1941 and 1982 produced cameras and related equipment....
, later a camera maker, was formed as a subsidiary during the war.)
Production of radio, television and "hi fi
High fidelity
High fidelity—or hi-fi—reproduction is a term used by home stereo listeners and home audio enthusiasts to refer to high-quality reproduction of sound or images, to distinguish it from the poorer quality sound produced by inexpensive audio equipment...
" speakers continued in the postwar years. Rola Celestion was bought by Truvox - a manufacturer of public address systems in 1949.
In 1968 the company started production in Ipswich
Ipswich
Ipswich is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell...
, moving all production there by 1975. The company merged with a clothing company in 1970 and the result was named Celestion Industries, which in turn became Celestion International in 1979.
In 1992 the loudspeaker part of the business was sold to Kinergetics Holdings, which also bought KEF
KEF
KEF is a British-based loudspeaker manufacturer with international distribution.It was founded in Tovil, Maidstone, Kent in 1961 by electrical engineer Raymond Cooke and named after Kent Engineering & Foundry which previously occupied the site....
.
Today Celestion International and KEF
KEF
KEF is a British-based loudspeaker manufacturer with international distribution.It was founded in Tovil, Maidstone, Kent in 1961 by electrical engineer Raymond Cooke and named after Kent Engineering & Foundry which previously occupied the site....
form GP Acoustics UK
Gold Peak
-Over View:Gold Peak Industries Limited is an Asian battery manufacturer established in 1964 and based in Hong Kong. They are also involved in the domestic appliance cabling business via purchasing 16% of the stock value Chengdu based Ling Xu Cabling Corp in 2001.-Gold Peak Industries Limited...
. In 2006 Celestion ceased to manufacture pro audio finished systems and now completely focus on the manufacture of guitar, bass guitar and pro audio drivers.
Products
In 1982, Celestion broke new ground in loudspeaker technology when they presented the SL6, a compact hi-fi speaker featuring the first ever metal dome tweeterTweeter
A tweeter is a loudspeaker designed to produce high audio frequencies, typically from around 2,000 Hz to 20,000 Hz . Some tweeters can manage response up to 65 kHz...
, made of copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
and designed with the help of laser
Laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
interferometry
Interferometry
Interferometry refers to a family of techniques in which electromagnetic waves are superimposed in order to extract information about the waves. An instrument used to interfere waves is called an interferometer. Interferometry is an important investigative technique in the fields of astronomy,...
. They followed this model up with the SL600, which used rigid honeycomb alloy called Aerolam instead of wood in the speaker casing; a material previously used only in the aerospace industry. Both these speaker models, while highly regarded as "breakthrough" designs with outstanding high-frequency clarity, also known for a somewhat "depressed" sounding high-frequency range, as a result of the relatively heavy copper dome tweeter. Later iterations of this design deployed a similar tweeter, but with the dome made out of aluminum, a much lighter and more efficient driver, which allowed for a more balanced output with the woofer. The aluminium-domed versions, in the standard cabinet (MDF and wood veneer) were designated as the SL6s, and then (with an improved crossover and woofer surround) the SL6si; The aluminium-domed models using the Aerolam cabinet (the honeycomb alloy) were designated as the SL700 and the (improved) SL700SE which dual inputs - i.e., separate inputs for woofer and tweeter (allowing for bi-amping or bi-wiring). Around that same era, another version of the copper-domed model, with both the Aerolam cabinet and improved crossover elements, was marketed as the SL600si, also with dual inputs. Finally, in 1992, Celestion produced the final variation of this design, as the Ten Year "Anniversary Edition" Model 100, which featured a conventional, but highly-refined MDF / wood veneer cabinet, dual inputs, updated mounted plates, an improved crossover, the improved woofer design, and a variation of the aluminium tweeter with an updated faceplate.
The Celestion Blue can claim place as the world’s first dedicated guitar loudspeaker. The 1950s witnessed the emergence of the electric guitarist and Celestion responded to their needs for a rugged, reliable loudspeaker by modifying a standard "G12" radio speaker. The unique tonal character of what came to be known as the Celestion Blue, combined with the valve amps of the time, helped to define the electric guitar as we know it today. It was rapidly adopted by pioneers of rock & roll and popular music throughout the late 50s and early 60s. Other popular Celestion guitar loudspeakers include the Vintage 30 and the Greenback. Although Celestion speakers are used by a variety of different amp companies, they are probably most famous for their frequent use in Vox
Vox (musical equipment)
Vox is a musical equipment manufacturer which is most famous for making the Vox AC30 guitar amplifier, the Vox Continental electric organ, and a series of innovative but commercially unsuccessful electric guitars and bass guitars...
and Marshall Amps.