4x12 Speaker Cabinet "Holy Grail"

  • Thread starter Thread starter the4thlast1
  • Start date Start date
the4thlast1 said:
I've been wondering if X pattern or top/bottom is the way to go when mixing. What were your findings ?
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Definitely top/bottom. In my case the ET65's are less harsh and in cab angled cab are tilted slightly up towards your ears and the more spikey V30's are down on the bottom so you are hearing them off axis. The combination sounds really good.
 
I have read through this and thought about a response. I don't think there is a a 'master of all.' I have cabs that I like and love and it's all about the speakers and how it behaves with the amp.

I have redone my area over the past month and have 11 fully setup and fully configured rigs. I have several heads that are tucked away at the moment too.

Amps like different things. My Tremoverb loves my Mesa cab. My Splawns do not get along with a recto cab. At all.

My doom rig (orange) slams with the Randall can that has two V30's and a single 15" fullback. The Nitro does not get along with it.

If you are running similar amps there are some that are more universal just in general. I find that a 4x12 with K85's on top and V30's works better hooked up to more amps just in general.

If I had to go down to two cabs, it would be the aforementioned Randall cab and the k85 butcher cab.

I have a relatively broad range of amps that I use (not as crazy as some of you guys) so I would need to compromise more for each rig and diversity.

If you have mainly or mostly JMP/JCM based or modded / Marshalls orientated amps, it's going to be different than me with things from a Splawn to a Recto to an Orange to a bassman to a Fryette. That is why I have a shit ton of cabs around for my selection of amps than others would need that have a less diverse rig. (not saying that in a bad way).

This was probably wasted breath, but it just depends what you have to do.
 
skullfxr said:
I have read through this and thought about a response. I don't think there is a a 'master of all.' I have cabs that I like and love and it's all about the speakers and how it behaves with the amp.

I have redone my area over the past month and have 11 fully setup and fully configured rigs. I have several heads that are tucked away at the moment too.

Amps like different things. My Tremoverb loves my Mesa cab. My Splawns do not get along with a recto cab. At all.

My doom rig (orange) slams with the Randall can that has two V30's and a single 15" fullback. The Nitro does not get along with it.

If you are running similar amps there are some that are more universal just in general. I find that a 4x12 with K85's on top and V30's works better hooked up to more amps just in general.

If I had to go down to two cabs, it would be the aforementioned Randall cab and the k85 butcher cab.

I have a relatively broad range of amps that I use (not as crazy as some of you guys) so I would need to compromise more for each rig and diversity.

If you have mainly or mostly JMP/JCM based or modded / Marshalls orientated amps, it's going to be different than me with things from a Splawn to a Recto to an Orange to a bassman to a Fryette. That is why I have a shit ton of cabs around for my selection of amps than others would need that have a less diverse rig. (not saying that in a bad way).

This was probably wasted breath, but it just depends what you have to do.
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Great point..I really wish I had researched what cabs/speakers sound best with which amps..long ago. Matching up amps with the right cab/speaker combinations can make or break your experience with each amp you try. I'd have saved a ton of cash if I had looked into it.
 
I have a Scumback 69' spec naked cab that is my #1. I also have a 80's Marshall cab that was rescreened and back panel replaced by the late Kerry Wright. One cab that I regret selling was a Deizel front loaded 4x12. That cab was perfect for metal. Tight, thumpy, but with a very even response in all freqencies....
I recently bought a halfback MESA metal grill 4x12. I'll report once its loaded..
 
LCW said:
Agreed especially once the speakers break-in.
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Yeah, I agree..no boominess at all, with any amp I’ve owned when I had the OS. Now, the Traditional WILL be tighter but maybe sound a little smaller too. You really can’t go wrong with a Mesa cab if you’re looking for a V30 cab.
 
I don't know if it's the "best" cab but I've owned my Splawn 1960B style cab for close to 15 years and I know it so well that I'm biased but I also REALLY like the Mesa Traditional straight and I played a Wizard cab with Zakk wylde EVM12l's and that was insane.
 
Detroit1973 said:
My oversize Mesa was a Favorite but ieventually sold it in favor or a normal sized cab. I got a great deal on a Marshall 1960BHW with the Heritage G12h30's. I miss having a higher powered cab though & have always wanted a Broken in Mesa Traditional from the 90's- early 00's.

I really would like to try a bogner straight cab with V30's cause i've always heard good things. Derek B had a cab from VHT that had Green backs in it & it was one of the best sounding cabs I've heard.
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Was that the 2530 model? Greenbacks v30s?
 
I have a Avatar Vintage 4x12 with V30's that sounds and looks very close to a Bogner 4x12, has the slightly slanted front baffle, it's a great cab. My favorite cab though is my Mesa OS 4x12, it's perfectly balanced and really punchy at volume.
 
skullfxr said:
I have read through this and thought about a response. I don't think there is a a 'master of all.' I have cabs that I like and love and it's all about the speakers and how it behaves with the amp.

I have redone my area over the past month and have 11 fully setup and fully configured rigs. I have several heads that are tucked away at the moment too.

Amps like different things. My Tremoverb loves my Mesa cab. My Splawns do not get along with a recto cab. At all.

My doom rig (orange) slams with the Randall can that has two V30's and a single 15" fullback. The Nitro does not get along with it.

If you are running similar amps there are some that are more universal just in general. I find that a 4x12 with K85's on top and V30's works better hooked up to more amps just in general.

If I had to go down to two cabs, it would be the aforementioned Randall cab and the k85 butcher cab.

I have a relatively broad range of amps that I use (not as crazy as some of you guys) so I would need to compromise more for each rig and diversity.

If you have mainly or mostly JMP/JCM based or modded / Marshalls orientated amps, it's going to be different than me with things from a Splawn to a Recto to an Orange to a bassman to a Fryette. That is why I have a shit ton of cabs around for my selection of amps than others would need that have a less diverse rig. (not saying that in a bad way).

This was probably wasted breath, but it just depends what you have to do.
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This is a very well thought out reply, and I agree 100% with everything stated. :yes:(y)
I keep six 4x12 cabs around for these reasons.
 
In the room for Marshalls and 5150 style circuits, it's an EVH 4x12 with Heritage Greenbacks.
In the room for Mesa stuff, Mesa Recto 4x12 cab.

My favorite IR for just about everything is the Marshall TV Greenback Mix cab, one of the in-house developed Fractal Audio cabs.
 
Based on memory alone, I have bought and sold 52 different speakers and have owned probably 15-20 cabs. From years of trial and error, my holy grail is a Mather slant 4x12 with old U.K. greenbacks on top and Mesa/UK V30’s on the bottom.

The only cab I have ever bought and not even considered fooling with is the Bogner Helios 2x12. I couldn’t stand the 65w Creambacks in any other configuration, but they somehow work in that cab alongside the Chinese V30.

My sleeper cab is a Splawn horizontal 2x12 loaded with a Heritage G12-65 and a V-Type. Almost gave up on that cab before I settled on that.
 
Mr. Willy said:
I can’t imagine many cabs sounding better than my Bogner straight 4x12. Granted, I’ve never played through a proper vintage Marshall cab. But still, everything I run through it sounds better than with any other cab.
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That's because there are very few cabs as well put together as a Bogner cab, and it's not just a craftmanship thing, it's a good design.

There are many 4x12" I happen to like almost as much tho, for certain things at least. Engl cabs are rock solid and great for everything heavy and distorted for example (not a fan for cleaner sounds and crunch). I also like some higher end Blackstar cabs, not super ballsy but very articulate and cutting, and I've played a friend's Frog that sounded thunderous.

Marshalls are mandatory sometimes tho.
 
My modern (Fryette-built) Sound City 4x12 is my favorite cab i’ve ever played, and pretty much everyone else who’s heard it or played through it is blown away.

It has Fryette’s “V-brace” (whatever that is), a slim bottom rear port and is loaded with custom Fane Sound City Power speakers.

It’s also insanely heavy lmao.
Quite an expensive cab but 100% worth it in my opinion
 
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