2x12 Cabs don’t get enough credit

[Classic]

I absolutely get the love for 4x12. There’s nothing like it in person with the air it moves and tone. For practicalities, a 2x12 is much easier and when mic’d up, the differences are minimised.

Where the concept for a 4x12 is lost are where touring bands use a mic’d up speaker in an isolation box. No one complains their sound isn’t full or big enough, yet it happens a lot.

IR’s are also used far more in live performances than we might want to believe.

 

[Speeddemon]

I converted a 1965 4x12 into a diagonal 2x12

If you mean the 1965A or B from Marshall, those were 24" wide 4x10" cabs.

Had the A and B version of those, while I also had the 1966A (2x12" diagonal) and a 1966B (which actually was a converted 1965B with a new Siberian birch baffle).
The 4x10"s (G10L-35 speakers) had a nice tone, quite smooth and punchy, so they helped shaving some of the bitey nature of my 5150III 50W and I gigged with them too. But in the end, I preferred the bigger push of the 12" speakers, so I sold those both and kept the 1966s.
I mostly gig with a Mesa Vertical 2x12 (G12-65 in the top, Mesa V30+beamblocker in bottom), which gives me the right balance of tone and portability. But I hate the look of the 'T' as well, so I don't use it with a full size head.
The other guitarplayer in my band does, and when he's not schlepping his Marshall 4x12 cab, he uses a JVM410H with an Engl 2x12 vertical...Creates the T. I stick to the smaller width of the EVH 50W.

Only for the bigger shows, I'll take out my Engl 4x12 Pro cab, which is more than 1.5 times heavier to schlep around than any Marshall 1960xx cab.
Sure it looks cool, sounds big (I replaced 2 V30's with vintage G12K85's for even more low-end punch), but it's a 120+lbs cab for cryin' out loud. The Mesa 2x12 vertical is 75lbs (close to a Marshall 1960A).

And as some people mentioned, once you start close micing it, the difference becomes naught. Closed back cabs that is.
Oh, and adding proper absorption panels inside a 2x12 make ALL the difference in getting it sounding bigger.
Besides, I just like the look of 24" heads like Mesa Marks, Engl Savage 60 etc., which fit perfectly on those diagonal 2x12s....

 

[SpiderWars]

Round these RT parts, seems like it’s all 4x12 talk. But really my point is it’s not about either one being better, but that they’re inherently different sounding and both have their benefits.

At the end of the day it’s all so personal. Just sharing my love for the 2x12 and its midrange emphasis. I can really get the mids to grind in a killer way with the right 2x12

It seems that as you add more speakers you get more phase cancellation since the speakers (and their reflections) are at a slightly different distance. In my little jam room if I use 2x 4x12s it doesn't sound as good as just using one 4x12 and I think it's due to all that phase cancellation making it sound less focused and just messy for lack of a better word.

I wonder if that is the richness in the mids you're hearing?

I also removed two speakers from a 4x12 and blocked the open holes, mainly because my SS power amp likes 4/8 ohm and not 16 and I've got too many 4x12s with killer vintage speakers so that's what I'm going to use. Still sounds great to me. EDIT: But I don't move this shit, it sits in Madison Square Basement.

 

[Smash]

The Afterburner cabs are massive. Mine is loaded with v30s and K100s right nowView attachment 347702

Those guitars are beautiful. I ran that combo of speakers early on with the mills. I think it is a very solid one. I wanted "more" and went all k100 and that got a bit fatiguing. I have settled on all redbacks and it is a truly unholy sound.

 

[PiggySmallz]

Those guitars are beautiful. I ran that combo of speakers early on with the mills. I think it is a very solid one. I wanted "more" and went all k100 and that got a bit fatiguing. I have settled on all redbacks and it is a truly unholy sound.

Thanks! I've been wanting to throw a set of redbacks in there or a combination of redback and creambacks. It originally came with a quad of 16 ohm V30s which got a bit bright and fatiguing. The k100s helped a bunch but they aren't fully broken in yet. I want to A/B a bunch of speakers at some point.

Going to add a 2x12 to the mix at some point as I love the way the 2x12s sound micd up. Just haven't thought about speakers for that yet.

 

[Dan Gleesak]

I would put a gflex 2x12 against about any 4x12. But hell it weighed a lot.

Hell yea dude

I gigged this for a bit

 

[glpg80]

2x12 takes up the same floor space as a 4x12 and a 2x12 is just as much of a pain in the ass to move assuming you don’t have bricks for speakers in the 4x12.

 

[itsme]

I have 2 Splawn 2x12’s that sound really good. I use them for gigs when one of 4x12’s would be overkill

 

[Spaceboy]

2x12s always sound scooped compared to their equivalent 4x12 to me. Sometimes that can be in a good way though.

 

[NowYou'rePlayingWithPower]

I have two Avatar 2x12 one open back and one closed back.
Was wondering about perhaps trying some alnico speakers after putting some in my daughter's 4x10 since I pretty much only use for clean.

 

[rsm]

I love my rat hair ADA’s.

yes, I had 4 x ADA 2x12 vertical splitstacks back in the day.

I have a Mesa compact 2x12 I use with my JP-2C; and a pair of Engl PRO E212VHB 2x12 cabs I use with my Engl Artist Edition 100. The only 4x12's I have a Marshall, because that's how it should be. IMO

 

[Speeddemon]

2x12 takes up the same floor space as a 4x12 and a 2x12 is just as much of a pain in the ass to move assuming you don’t have bricks for speakers in the 4x12.

Nope, not the vertical ones or the old Marshall ones.
Typical 4x12=30" wide. The 2x12's I'm talking about are 24" wide.
And 'just as much of a pain to move'...Nah...75lbs vs. 120lbs, I know what I and my ol' back prefer.
But sure, a well made 2x12 like the Mesa weighs almost the same as a meh-made Marshall 1960A. MDF backplate or worse, particle board... Yuck.
The Engl 4x12 Pro is a different beast. Probably weight-wise in the same league as 4x12s by Bogner and Mesa.

Oh, the Marshall diagonal 2x12's are even lighter, around 48lbs. A little batting inside goes a long way. YMMV, but physics are physics.

 

[braintheory]

For me 212’s are kind of an awkward middle ground because they don’t do what 412’s can nor what my unique designed 112’s have (which for me sometimes have their place). My Schroeder Tone Ring 112 can sound almost as big as some of my 412’s and has its own cool voicing and light weight from being made out of pine

 

[anomaly]

My fav 2x12 was the Avatar Vintage 2x12 I owned. I liked it so much that I bought the 4x12 Vintage... I then sold the 2x12. Nothing beats a 4x12. But sure their are some good 2x12's that I wouldn't mind having.

 

[NowYou'rePlayingWithPower]

My fav 2x12 was the Avatar Vintage 2x12 I owned. I liked it so much that I bought the 4x12 Vintage... I then sold the 2x12. Nothing beats a 4x12. But sure their are some good 2x12's that I wouldn't mind having.

I think that's what one of my avatars is. Not sure model names, tbh. (Pics in above post)

 

[glpg80]

I have two Avatar 2x12 one open back and one closed back.
Was wondering about perhaps trying some alnico speakers after putting some in my daughter's 4x10 since I pretty much only use for clean.

View attachment 347885
View attachment 347888

The avatar 2x12 is on par with the Bogner OS 2x12 and both sound amazing.

I’ve heard a lot about the Gflex ported 2x12 cabinets but never played or heard one in person.

 

[NowYou'rePlayingWithPower]

The avatar 2x12 is on par with the Bogner OS 2x12 and both sound amazing.

I’ve heard a lot about the Gflex ported 2x12 cabinets but never played or heard one in person.

Do you have any recommendations on speakers for clean/edge of breakup? They had eminence legends and t-75 then I switched out for greenbacks in one and creamback/v30 in the other, but not really getting what I'm after for them as I use my 4x12s for high gain and these with my jtm45. I almost bought a 4x12 cab that had all celestion rubies in it because it was cheap I think around $400? But I missed out by lollygagging too much. Didn't really want the cab though, just the speakers.

 

[glpg80]

Do you have any recommendations on speakers for clean/edge of breakup? They had eminence legends and t-75 then I switched out for greenbacks in one and creamback/v30 in the other, but not really getting what I'm after for them as I use my 4x12s for high gain and these with my jtm45. I almost bought a 4x12 cab that had all celestion rubies in it because it was cheap I think around $400? But I missed out by lollygagging too much. Didn't really want the cab though, just the speakers.

Honestly for metal I’m a big fan of G12H30 70th anniversary speakers. You could do one of those and a G12T-75 non-vented and it would sound great. The H30 takes some time to break in but the top end comes to life after a while.

For a more vintage sound go G12-65 but you need to research what cone. You want the ones used in angle 4x12s as the bass cones sound like straight ass. I owned one and learned that lesson the hard way.

 

[ners]

I've got two 212s, both a bit custom, and both wired for stereo and then I use a KHE ACS 8x4 so I can mix and match all 4 of my speakers (across 2 cabs).

Emperor 2x12RS that has a ton of resonance. Sounds awesome for amps without a depth knob or lacking in low end (Plexi/JCM800) but was overwhelming for my Skeleton Key. These days I have a Mesa V30 and a Weber Ceramic California 12 in it. The V30 for metal and the Weber for surf/spaghetti western cleans.

Sourmash 212 built to Mesa 212 specs. Way tighter and less resonance compared to my Emperor. These days I have a Scumback M75 and a Celestion Alnico Cream in it for a bit of an updated vintage greenback-esque tone.

 

[NowYou'rePlayingWithPower]

Honestly for metal I’m a big fan of G12H30 70th anniversary speakers. You could do one of those and a G12T-75 non-vented and it would sound great. The H30 takes some time to break in but the top end comes to life after a while.

For a more vintage sound go G12-65 but you need to research what cone. You want the ones used in angle 4x12s as the bass cones sound like straight ass. I owned one and learned that lesson the hard way.

Apologies, I was actually asking about what speakers for non metal/non high gain. Sorry, my post was a bit all over the place. I was saying I use my 4x12s for high gain and was looking for something for clean to use with the 2x12s if that makes sense. I have most of the speakers you mentioned, not sure exactly which ones/cones/variants, but I was mostly looking for something clean to compliment my jtm or twin reverb to use in them. Was thinking alnico ones could be cool?