Cabinets

[Spivonious]

I have zero experience with cabinets. Enlighten me.

What's good? What's bad? Do I need one for an outdoor festival?

[markD]

yeah, you'll need one for an outdoor festival. a few, depending on the size of the stage, monitor, side-fills, and weather conditions.

what's good or bad depends on what you want to hear. MANY, if not most people, like a 4x12, closed-back cab. me, i hate them. the sound is too directional. i prefer multiple 1x12 open-back cabs that i can place around the stage (especially for an outdoor festival), OR 2X12 half-back cabs that i can place around the stage.

i use rivera and mesa cabs - both of which are made out of high quality materials and have a great resonance about them. if i were buying a new cab now, and it was going to be my main cab, i'd look for the cab that was built from the best materials and was "eq'd" to work with my sound....

for instance, one of the reason i hate closed-back cabs is because of the bass response...for the way i want my sound, they are to boomy. i would also look for a can that has speakers that will contribute to MY sound, as oppossed to using what you are TOLD will sound best. i hate most celestions with a passion...in fact i hate almost EVERY speaker except the EVM12L....though i do use the v30's in my mesa cab, but ONLY when mixed with the EVM cabs. if i have to take a smaller set up to a gig, i will ALWAYS take an EVM cab...

[horns666]

WEll I have five standard Marshall 1960s loaded with 75wt Celestions. I've owned these for about 14 years now..I have no complaints. Sure there maybe "better" boutique cabs out there, but nothing says "Metal" more than a wall of Marshalls!!!

[toddstaples]

WEll I have five standard Marshall 1960s loaded with 75wt Celestions. I've owned these for about 14 years now..I have no complaints. Sure there maybe "better" boutique cabs out there, but nothing says "Metal" more than a wall of Marshalls!!!

+1
There's a reason why this is the industry Standard.

That being said, I REALLY like the Randall Lynch Box 412 with Eminence super V's.

[Leo Chang]

I have very limited personal experience with cabinets, but these cabs have very good reputations:

Bogner cabs
VHT (now re-named Fryette) cabs
Mills Acoustics
Avatar
Genz Benz
vintage Marshall cabs (reportedly way better than the newer ones)

You can Google them and read on from there to see which one fits your needs


The only extension cabinet I have personal experience of is the Bogner UberKab, and it's awesome (though I have a Mills Acoustics 2x12 and a 4x12 on the way)


- Leo.

[Spivonious]

Thanks for the info so far. My combo has a G-Flex speaker in it now, so I'm leaning towards getting a G-flex 2x12. Although I did play the head version of the El Diablo at the store through a full stack of their "Tribal series" cabs. They have the Eminence Private Jacks inside of them...nice and punchy.

What are some things to avoid? When I see brand new $200 4x12s I get suspicious. What should I expect to spend for a solid quality 4x12 used?

[fuel0707]

Mojotone makes a great-sounding 2x12 closed back cab. That would make me think that their 4x12's are worth a listen, too. As was mentioned, open- vs. closed-back makes a big difference as will the speakers in the cabinet. Mixing and matching speakers within can be cool but be aware that you can get into issues with speaker sensitivity ratings, impedance, etc.

And be sure to watch the impedance rating on the cab and the amp. Some amps can handle a mismatch will some can't and you could end up frying an output transformer.

[fuel0707]

What are some things to avoid? When I see brand new $200 4x12s I get suspicious. What should I expect to spend for a solid quality 4x12 used?

Loaded vs. unloaded cabs will affect the price. A number of cabinet makes will sell loaded as well as unloaded/empty cabs. Perhaps you should check out some used cabs in your local area if you want to keep the cost down, if that's possible where you live.

As for things to avoid, Bobby at RJS Amplification went to great lengths to make sure that my 2x12 cab got British-built Celestions instead of the Chinese drivers. He said that there's a very noticeable sound difference between the two. So if you're looking at Celestions, you may want to keep that in mind.

[krimson]

My faves are Mesa and Orange. I'll probably give Orange the edge.

[Partial @ Marshall]

WEll I have five standard Marshall 1960s loaded with 75wt Celestions. I've owned these for about 14 years now..I have no complaints. Sure there maybe "better" boutique cabs out there, but nothing says "Metal" more than a wall of Marshalls!!!

+2...1960b has more low end

[horns666]

+2...1960b has more low end

Exactly, my double stack Marshalls is four 1960b, but my halfstack w/ Uber is an A. I don't need more low end with the Uber and the slanted baffle points to my ears..so it's all good.

[Psh511]

I have been using a port city 2x12 with good results....

[DonP]

yeah, you'll need one for an outdoor festival. a few, depending on the size of the stage, monitor, side-fills, and weather conditions.

what's good or bad depends on what you want to hear. MANY, if not most people, like a 4x12, closed-back cab. me, i hate them. the sound is too directional. i prefer multiple 1x12 open-back cabs that i can place around the stage (especially for an outdoor festival), OR 2X12 half-back cabs that i can place around the stage.

i use rivera and mesa cabs - both of which are made out of high quality materials and have a great resonance about them. if i were buying a new cab now, and it was going to be my main cab, i'd look for the cab that was built from the best materials and was "eq'd" to work with my sound....

for instance, one of the reason i hate closed-back cabs is because of the bass response...for the way i want my sound, they are to boomy. i would also look for a can that has speakers that will contribute to MY sound, as oppossed to using what you are TOLD will sound best. i hate most celestions with a passion...in fact i hate almost EVERY speaker except the EVM12L....though i do use the v30's in my mesa cab, but ONLY when mixed with the EVM cabs. if i have to take a smaller set up to a gig, i will ALWAYS take an EVM cab...

Hello. I am the Anti-markD.

Take everything you read above and multiply it by negative 1

[markD]

good one!!

[horns666]

Get a Marshall. I had about a billion Marshall cabs of every year and color..I don't buy that the old ones sound better. In fact, the 1960's are much more focused, with tighter, better low end even when compared to the 800 series with 70 wt celestions. ..I test everything side by side at loud equal band levels.