Randall 4x12 cab MDF 4x12 versus Birch ply Marshall 4x12

[Slobrain]

Hey folks,

I just recently found a 1985 Randall 4x12 snakeskin straight cab that was loaded with celestion GM12-70 speakers at a pawn shop. The cab was kinda beat up but it sounds good. The one thing I noticed is that it doesn't seem to have that low end oomph or knock that Marshall 4x12 straight B cabs have. I was thinking maybe I should find a unloaded Marshall 4x12 and drop those 70 watt speakers in it.

The Randall cab is made of MDF from what I can tell. I wanted to ask opinions on 4x12s made from MDF or Birch ply. I always preferred the Marshall Cabs but I never had one made from MDF and not sure to keep this or sell it.

Slo

[Chuck H]

I think it may be the speakers. The G12M70 rolls off on the top and bottom. More than any other Celestion and, incidentally, Celestion's least popular speaker. Well, that needs a qualification. They were sort of a love 'em or hate 'em speaker. I loved mine. Ted Weber liked them too. Very different speaker. For mid 80's to early 90's rock those are THE tone. They absolutely can't do clean tones worth a squirt of piss in a fire. Consider the tone of the late 80's JCM800 amps. A quad of these speakers would tame the boom, fizz and spikes. Used with other amps they have a chunky, mid heavy rhythm tone and a more focused lead. Think Scorpions. Anyway, it's such a different speaker that no cabinet should be judged for it's tone with a quad of them.

[Slobrain]

Hey Chuck,

Thanks for the info, Your are probably right that those speakers are the reason for the sound in that cab. I just wondered how good ol birch ply cabs compare with these same speakers. Some of my buddies use the Marshall slant 4x12 cabs but I always liked the straight 4x12 cabs for the tone.

Yep, these 70s are definitely the sound of the mid 80's. I have a Marshall model 5010 SS 1x12 that uses the 70 so I guess that was what sort of helped make the SS sound a bit closer to the Marshall sound mimicking a JCM800. It does a decent job and its kind of cool but definitely not a tube amp...