What year is my Boogie cab? Should I change the speakers?

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anomaly

anomaly

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It's an oversized recto cab I bought from Long & Mcquade in 2008, it's got a watts rating of 280, so this was when they rated their V30's at 70 watts instead of 60 watts. On the cab it says C2-61332 stamped. It has a tag that I still have with the serial of E50-3135, or E50-3131? it was corrected so I'm not sure of that last number?? hard to read, then there's another number on the tag that says 49259? I don't get it, but I'm gonna go with the number on the cab.

Anyways I think it was made during the shitty era of V30's 2005 - ?? cause when I first got it, I hated it. Very spiky tone with some fizziness. Over the last 14 years though, those bad frequencies have lessened and the tone has smoothed out quite a bit it seems so it sounds pretty good now IMO, but maybe my ears have just gotten accustomed to it? Do you think it's still worth it to change the speakers out for some late 90's to 2003 V30's? or perhaps some of the brand new 2022 V30's, which are supposed to be voiced better.
 
You can remove a handle and check the production code stickers on the speaker magnet sides to be sure of their date. I'd sooner get an entire other cab with a lower serial number and just compare them rather than gamble with a quad of replacement speakers that you may or may not prefer. A loaded cab around here costs about the same as the individual used speakers.

2004 and 2005 V30s are supposed to sound similar to 2002s. I have 2002s in my Uberkab and they're excellent, refined-sounding V30s. According to Nolly, it's the 2006 models onwards that got harsh.
 
Like Snave said, look at the production code of the speakers, not the cab serial number. Sometimes the Cab serial number doesn`t exactely match up with the production date of the speakers, but the speakers determine the sound. Cabs or speakers from 2001-2003 are supposed to sound most different.
Here is, what you can expect:

 
Nobody can answer that question except you if it sounds good keep them if you're not happy with the sound replace the speakers. Those should be England made and should be good and broken in now.
 
Snave said:
You can remove a handle and check the production code stickers on the speaker magnet sides to be sure of their date. I'd sooner get an entire other cab with a lower serial number and just compare them rather than gamble with a quad of replacement speakers that you may or may not prefer. A loaded cab around here costs about the same as the individual used speakers.

2004 and 2005 V30s are supposed to sound similar to 2002s. I have 2002s in my Uberkab and they're excellent, refined-sounding V30s. According to Nolly, it's the 2006 models onwards that got harsh.
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Shipping and handling. That's why I don't just get a new cab. I live in a small hick town in the middle of nowhere so I have to order my gear. It's cheaper for me to just buy 4 new speakers, but I wonder if it's nessessary?? I'm basically just curious if this thing could sound better than it does currently?? It does sound good NOW, after many years of being played loud it seems to have smoothed out?? When I first got it though, it wasn't the most pleasant cab I've heard.

Anyone know the year of the cab by that serial # C2-61332 ?
 
gbsmusic said:
Nobody can answer that question except you if it sounds good keep them if you're not happy with the sound replace the speakers. Those should be England made and should be good and broken in now.
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Yes they are made in England and well broken in... many hours of loud playing. I'm just curious if I can make it sound even better by putting in V30's made during that peak era 1998 - 2003 or so?
 
anomaly said:
Yes they are made in England and well broken in... many hours of loud playing. I'm just curious if I can make it sound even better by putting in V30's made during that peak era 1998 - 2003 or so?
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In a few different cabinets in the past I ran an X pattern with V-30s & greenbacks and I think the greenbacks made the cabs sound much better!
 
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BesaMoogie said:
Like Snave said, look at the production code of the speakers, not the cab serial number. Sometimes the Cab serial number doesn`t exactely match up with the production date of the speakers, but the speakers determine the sound. Cabs or speakers from 2001-2003 are supposed to sound most different.
Here is, what you can expect:

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Those are so drastically different. I like the 2001s all-at-once tone much more than the '08s. I know that extra brightness helps it "cut through" and all that, but there are far more pleasing frequencies to be present in a mix or band situation. This perfectly shows why I love/hate V30s. Thanks for posting.
 
ZEN Amps said:
Then go forth and make great music! Otherwise the internet will have you chasing ‘better’ tone indefinitely.
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Good God you have spoken the truth my bank account has suffered because of this exact point!😭😭🤘🤘
 
As far as I know MESA v30's have always been the same, even when/after Celestion changed the retail version. Mesa didn't like the newer v30's, and demanded Celestion make the originals for them. Something to that effect.
 
CrazyNutz said:
As far as I know MESA v30's have always been the same, even when/after Celestion changed the retail version. Mesa didn't like the newer v30's, and demanded Celestion make the originals for them. Something to that effect.
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Interesting, I didn't know that. Thanks for the info.
 
So the serial on two of the speakers is 20 JR T43358 or T4335B what year does that mean they are?

I can't tell if that last digit is a 8 or a B, my eyes are not what they used to be. I can only see the codes of the far speakers too. From the cab handle position.
 
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ZEN Amps said:
Then go forth and make great music! Otherwise the internet will have you chasing ‘better’ tone indefinitely.
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Ya, I think you speak wise words. I'm always in that pursuit of the perfect tone though. There are things I love about my tone and things I think could be better. Like I love EMG's, but I dislike their compression (i wonder if the 18 volt mod would help this?), the way they squash the tone. I want something more dynamic sounding sometimes. V30's, I love and dislike certain things about them too.
 
anomaly said:
So the serial on two of the speakers is T43358 or T4335B what year does that mean they are?

I can't tell if that last digit is a 8 or a B, my eyes are not what they used to be. I can only see the codes of the far speakers too. From the cab handle position.
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The T code is the type of V30 you have; ie Mesa spec 8 ohm etc.
 
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