Getting my first 4x12 and I have a question

[smac4th]

So later this week I plan on buying my first 4x12 cab. I hear people say that there is a difference in tone between straight cabs and slanted cabs. Do they really sound different from one another? Also I play 80's metal, some Metalica, Guns N' Roses and my favorite Steel panther. Based on the music I play which cab would be best? I hear that straight cabs tend to be easier to dial in your tone and they also sound better. Is this true?

[TomCarlos]

I doubt that straight vs slant is the determining factor. With two speakers slightly angled, you'll get a different dispersion of the sound.

When it comes to "sound" I'm putting my money on the speakers and type of wood the cabinet is made from. If you're playing metal, you'll want to make sure your speakers can handle the power from your amp. Again, lots of speaker options out there. Some cabinets are made of that cheap press wood- yuck. Other cabinets are 3/4" plywood. If you could find pine, even better.

If you're playing a heavily distorted guitar, you might not be able to tell much of a difference in sound? I can't, sorry my main axe is an acoustic electric. But I have heard enough speaker cabs in my day and watched lots of videos comparing speakers. And to me, much of what I hear sounds the same.

Good luck....

Tom

[smac4th]

I don't usually play with tones of distortion, the heaviest I go with distortion is Metallica and I still a fair amount of unused gain I can to add to my sound. As far as speakers I recently found out how big of a difference they make because I swaped out the stock speaker in my Line6 spiderIV 30 which sounded muddy to me (Stock speaker was a celestion rocket50) with an Eminence Governor. So as far as that I have an idea on how speakers can effect your tone. Anyway Thanks Tom, I will keep in mind what you have told me when I get my cab.

[The Dude]

My $.02:

If I were going to run a single 4x12, I would want an angled one so that I could hear myself better without having to crank.

[TomCarlos]

Yup... Monte is right... the top two speakers at an angle will help you hear yourself. Otherwise, everything is blasting straight ahead and at a level below your hearing zone. For that matter, it's good practice to stand out a good 6 to 10 feet in front of your amp anyway. Otherwise, if you stand right smack in front, you really can't hear what the audience hears.

Yes, different speakers have different tonal qualities. There are lots of videos on YouTube where they compare speakers- unfortunately, it is one at a time. So you can't tell how 4 of them will sound in your cabinet.

Back in the 70's, I had an Acoustic Control 105 cab. It had four 12 inch CTS speakers. I think each speaker was rated at around 30 watts. The amp head that was part of that combo (the Acoustic 150) put out around 80 watts. So the speakers had a definite break up characteristic. But if I loaded that cab with four speakers rated at 150 each, you wouldn't get that same break up. It took me 30 years to figure that out!!!

By the way, what are you using as your amp? A solid state? Tube amp? Just be careful when you're buying speakers to end up with a workable "impedance." Most solid state amp heads will work just fine with a 4 ohm load. There are a couple ways to get 4 ohms out of 4 speakers. The easiest way is to get four 16 ohm speakers and run them in parallel. That gives you 4 ohms. If you have a tube head, you need to match the speaker cab impedance with the output transformer.

[Audiotexan]

My .02?

For a "starter" cab...nothing beats a Marshall 1960A (slant front).
They're built like a tank. Easy to swap out speakers as your tastes change. Excellent internal bracing. Thicker than most other cabinet woods = better rigidity in high power applications.

You can even find them unloaded on CL sometimes.
Avg. used price around these parts is 4-500 from an individual.
(Don't ask about new as they've lost their minds IMHO. *chuckles*)

An old Ampeg 4x12 slant would probably be my second choice.
They're close in build quality.

Tom's pic does bring up another quick note though! If you notice at the very bottom of that Acoustic 105, it's dual ported. Marshall 1960A is sealed. It's been too long since I had my hands on the old Ampeg, but I want to say it was sealed as well IIRC. Just something to think about!

Happy hunting!

[loudthud]

A slant cabinet can be too loud if you have to stand close to it like on a small bar stage. The two top speakers seem to be focused right on your head. With a straight cab you always have the option to stand close to the cab and the volume goes past you straight to the audience.

[smac4th]

The amp I'm getting the cab for is actually a hybrid. The amp is a Marshall Valsestate vs100 head. It has a 12AX7 in the preamp. I actually got it for free from a friend who no longer plays guitar.

[olddawg]

A slant cabinet can be too loud if you have to stand close to it like on a small bar stage. The two top speakers seem to be focused right on your head. With a straight cab you always have the option to stand close to the cab and the volume goes past you straight to the audience.

The first thing you need to know is where you will be playing and how loud you need to be. Many beginners just have to have a half stack because it simply looks so cool. Looks can be deceiving. You might want to try a 2x12 or even a 1x12 can if you aren't going to crank it to Lear jet level. 4x12 cabs are heavy (especially MDF ones) and difficult to transport. If you can get a better sound from smaller gear (and not piss off the venue) why not consider it? Less expensive too.

[potatofarmer]

If you can get a better sound from smaller gear (and not piss off the venue) why not consider it? Less expensive too.

Definitely good advice, but oddly enough 212s can be more expensive than 412s. I can find a (lousy) used 412 for under $200 all day long, but the cheapest 212s are at least $300 for chipboard or MDF construction. So many people out there buy a 412 and find out it's too loud and want to unload them quickly to get a 212.

Either way you go, pay attention to construction and try to get a peek at the speakers inside. Some of the cheaper brands actually use decent plywood (Jet City and I think B-52 as well) and decent speakers as well, but you'd never know it without peeking inside.

[olddawg]

Definitely good advice, but oddly enough 212s can be more expensive than 412s. I can find a (lousy) used 412 for under $200 all day long, but the cheapest 212s are at least $300 for chipboard or MDF construction. So many people out there buy a 412 and find out it's too loud and want to unload them quickly to get a 212.

Either way you go, pay attention to construction and try to get a peek at the speakers inside. Some of the cheaper brands actually use decent plywood (Jet City and I think B-52 as well) and decent speakers as well, but you'd never know it without peeking inside.

The lightest 2x12 cabinet I have seen is a Carvin open back made of Baltic burch ply. You can usually pick them up for $200/250 loaded on CL on the West Coast. The Valve Jr 1x12 cab actually wasn't bad and you can pick those up for $100.

[in a vacuum]

Having put five 4x12s up for sale about two years ago, I quickly sold the two Marshall 1960s for $450 without any trouble. I am still looking at a peavey, fender and ampeg 4x12--all three unsold at an asking price of $150. I would say, that there are some great bargains to be had in 4 x 12s. They were all consigned in a store--the owner said no one even asked about the three unsold cabinets at the $150 price point. Folks seem to only want the marshalls at 3X the cost of other pro quality 4 x 12s. I may just pull the speakers and junk the three cabinets.

[eschertron]

Having put five 4x12s up for sale about two years ago, I quickly sold the two Marshall 1960s for $450 without any trouble. I am still looking at a peavey, fender and ampeg 4x12--all three unsold at an asking price of $150. I would say, that there are some great bargains to be had in 4 x 12s. They were all consigned in a store--the owner said no one even asked about the three unsold cabinets at the $150 price point. Folks seem to only want the marshalls at 3X the cost of other pro quality 4 x 12s. I may just pull the speakers and junk the three cabinets.

Myself, I would jump at a bargain like that, too bad I'm a ways from NC. Maybe the price point you're asking affects the buyer's perception - marketing them differently (as "pro quality", with the quality-appropriate price) might get you a bite.