Poplar vs. Birch for 412 cabs

[esizer]

Anyone notice any difference in sound or durability? I believe several companies such as Krank, Diezel, etc. have used poplar so I'm guessing it's a suitable cab wood.

I am looking at Carvin's 412VB as an more affordable option for a front loaded cab than Diezel, Bogner, etc. so the question sparked up when doing a little research. I've always heard that Carvin's cab construction is pretty solid but I called them up to get some specifics and they said they use 13 ply poplar plywood.

 

[dfrattaroli]

13 ply is the important thing. Poplar is fine. 13 ply means it will be voidless and has the same integrity and structure as the Baltic Birch everyone else uses. Carvin cabs are built as well as any you can buy.

 

[mjtripper]

poplar is fine and as long as it's the 13 ply voidless which it is - the carvin cabs are well built.

 

[JB6464]

Poplar wood cabinets will sound much different than birch wood cabinets because of difference in density between the two types of wood , If it didn't most companies would be using it as it is much cheaper in cost . Also Carvin builds front loaded cabinets which also sound different than rear loaded cabinet designs . Using the same speakers in both types of cabinets you can easily hear the difference between the two like night and day.
I also found that when I tried different speakers in my Carvin 4X12 cabinets there was only minor tone changes , basically how the speaker itself distorted or compressed under volume. But when I did the same test with a Marshall 1960BX you could hear a major difference each time I tried a different speaker. The speakers I experimented with where the Greenbacks , V30's , and EVM12L so I had three different levels of speaker breakup and tonal differences within each speaker design .
Is one better than the other , no just different . But different enough to hear a major change in your amps tones .
IMHO my Carvin 4X12 cabinets that are made of poplar wood sounds better for playing metal or lead guitar most of the time like Steve Via does or if I want darker/warmer tones all around , where as the rear loaded Birch cabinets like Marshall styles sound more balanced and defined for rhythm and lead work .
After hearing both types , the harder Birch wood cabinets to me just sound more alive and balanced .

 

[tripstan]

3/4" maple for the br00tz, duh.

 

[dfrattaroli]

I think your speakers, pickups, guitar, pedals, etc., will have way more effect on the tone than the wood in your cab.

 

[JB6464]

I think your speakers, pickups, guitar, pedals, etc., will have way more effect on the tone than the wood in your cab.

Last time i heard speakers unmounted it sounded like a AM radio .
A bad or wrong cabinet design can destroy the best speakers available .
I also think one must get a good tone first before shaping the signal chain with effects , Guitar/Amp/Cabinet & Speakers .

 

[jsp]

I think your speakers, pickups, guitar, pedals, etc., will have way more effect on the tone than the wood in your cab.

Last time i heard speakers unmounted it sounded like a AM radio .

That just means you need a cab, not that the cab material is crucial

 

[esizer]

It's really between the Carvin and an Uberkab for me. The Carvin is about half the price and solidly built but it would be a little bit of a gamble over the Uberkab...which I have played before and loved it.

 

[JB6464]

I would get a Avatar Vintage 4X12 anyday over the Carvin cabs if you want to save money.
Atleast their built with all birch plywood and you can have alot of different speaker choices.
I had two Carvin cabs , gave one away to my brother and selling the other .
Carvin cabinets are built well but they do sound much different than most Marshall style cabinets.

 

[esizer]

I would get a Avatar Vintage 4X12 anyday over the Carvin cabs if you want to save money.
Atleast their built with all birch plywood and you can have alot of different speaker choices.
I had two Carvin cabs , gave one away to my brother and selling the other .
Carvin cabinets are built well but they do sound much different than most Marshall style cabinets.

Yeah the Avatars are top notch as well...but ideally, I'm looking for a front loaded cab.

 

[glassjaw7]

I have a mid 90's Carvin front-loaded 412 cab. Compared to my rear-loaded Mesa recto 212 and 1960B, the Carvin "breathes" more and seems to sound great anywhere in the room. I've tried several speakers in it but currently have the original speakers installed. Pretty sure they are BR12s made by Eminence.

 

[esizer]

I have a mid 90's Carvin front-loaded 412 cab. Compared to my rear-loaded Mesa recto 212 and 1960B, the Carvin "breathes" more and seems to sound great anywhere in the room. I've tried several speakers in it but currently have the original speakers installed. Pretty sure they are BR12s made by Eminence.

Do you know if it is Poplar or Birch?

 

[thunda]

I think your speakers, pickups, guitar, pedals, etc., will have way more effect on the tone than the wood in your cab.

+1. Wood choice is IMHO yet more guru BS. I have plain plywood cabs that sound great, a home made oak thiele cab that rocks and a birch 2x12 cab that sucks.

 

[thunda]

I would get a Avatar Vintage 4X12 anyday over the Carvin cabs if you want to save money.
Atleast their built with all birch plywood and you can have alot of different speaker choices.
I had two Carvin cabs , gave one away to my brother and selling the other .
Carvin cabinets are built well but they do sound much different than most Marshall style cabinets.

Yeah the Avatars are top notch as well...but ideally, I'm looking for a front loaded cab.

I also have an old Avatar 4x12 cab that is made of the wood chip type of plywood, is front loaded and carpet covered with a metal grill. It's loaded with Jensen Mod 35 speakers and it freaking rocks.

 

[JB6464]

I think your speakers, pickups, guitar, pedals, etc., will have way more effect on the tone than the wood in your cab.

+1. Wood choice is IMHO yet more guru BS. I have plain plywood cabs that sound great, a home made oak thiele cab that rocks and a birch 2x12 cab that sucks.

It's not just the wood type but how the cabinet is Constructed and it Design.
Not all cabinets are built the Same Way with the Same Dims even if they used the Same Birch wood.
Also certain speakers sound better in certain cabinet designs , a V30 is not going to sound or react the same in all cabinets you stuff them in to .

Example , my EVM12L speakers loaded in my 4X12's sound and react totally different than them loaded in a Mesa Thiele or a open back combo or partial open back 2X12 . So your speakers may suck in that Birch cabinet you have but replace them with different speakers and it may come to life and be your best sounding cabinet you have.