4x12 cabs

cassie · #1 07-29-2004, 06:09 PM

Has anybody here played a Crate BV412RVB or SVB with 4 vintage 30's in it, or the Genz Benz G-Glex 4x12?

I'm thinking about getting one or the other.

I played a Marshall 1960a the other day and I disliked the G12t-75 speakers. Are vintage 30's more smooth sounding that those?

Also any other 4x12 cab suggests are welcome - 4 or 8 ohms mono.

Thanks!

frethack · #2 07-29-2004, 07:31 PM

The G12T-75s are VERY harsh sounding to my ears. Personally, I use Greenbacks and Vintage 30s in my 412s (one type in each cab) and I have a 212 that I mainly use now that has G12H100s (Or is it 120? have to open it up and see). Quite some time ago I owned a BV cab, but Im not sure what speakers it was loaded with. I CAN tell you this...I didnt like the way the cab was constructed. VERY flimsy and light and it added a lot of sand to my tone. Ive only had limited play on the Genz Benz gear, but I will say that the two cabs Ive played were heads above anything Ive seen Crate put out. The 412 had a little too much bass response for what I personally do, but the 212 was amazing

Probably not exactly what you were looking for, but I hope it helps somewhat.

cassie · #3 07-29-2004, 08:12 PM

THANK GOD! I thought I was the only one who hated the harshness of the G12t's. Man, everybody I talked to loves those speakers. I just don't get it. I like a smoother, warmer sounding speaker. lol

Thanks for the heads up on the Crate and Genz Benz. I was afraid the Genz Benz G-flex might have too much bass. I don't like over-the-top low end.

I'm also considering a Randall 4x12 with vintage 30's. Waiting for their new models to start shipping. Somebody also suggested Mesa, but aren't those Bass heavey too?

Any other 4x12's in a $750 price range I should be looking at?

Carlo · #4 07-29-2004, 10:39 PM

Check out a carvin legacy cab......great for the price.

the.godfather · #5 07-30-2004, 06:35 AM

I have never found cabs to be that bad. Because at the end of the day, whatever you get, you can always replace the speakers on it! But obviously the Carvin is worth checking out. There are loads!

Gary - The.Godfather

Drew · #6 07-30-2004, 10:08 AM

A Mesa Recto 2x12 may be bass heavy, but should have nothing on a Genz-Benz in terms of low end. I used to own a Recto- great cab, realy smoothed out my TSL. Pricey, but built like a tank, attractive, and great tone.

-D

cassie · #7 07-30-2004, 07:46 PM

Thanks guys. I just got another pay check today and looks like I've got more money to put towards a cab.

I have a question, should I blow a wad of cash on a cab like the Marshall 1960 BV or the Randall XLT cab -- OR should I buy something less expensive and save some cash for other guitar stuff?

I mean, is the quality that much better in the Marshall and Randall I mentioned than their lower-end counterparts?

Now that I have the money I still don't know what to do. I ask because this is my first stack and I want to get something that's going to last a LOOONG time and is good quality -- but I'm not sure how much money will get that. And I'm not a gear-switching freak, so I plan to keep whatever I buy for a long long time.

Advice? What say ye, who have been through this whole rig buying game before?

RSVampire · #8 07-31-2004, 01:43 AM

I thought I'd chime in here too. I also hate GT12's. My friend has them in his 4x12 hooked up to his Carvin MTS3200 and they suck. Hooked the head up to a 2x12 vintage 30's cab and it sounded fabulous.

frethack · #9 07-31-2004, 11:51 AM

Someone suggested a Carvin Legacy cab. All artist endorsements aside, hes right, its about the biggest bang for your buck if youre looking for a smooth cab with an even low end response. As far as Mesa, even though Im not much for the Recto head, I think the most of the rest of their stuff is incredible, including their cabinets. They do tend to accent the low end a little more, but not to the extreme of GenzBenz, and the overall sound is very chunky and full.

Id suggest going to the local music store and trying out some of the mesa gear there. They might also have the Marshall Classic cabs with the Vintage 30s as well and you could hear the change in tone from cabinet to cabinet with the same speakers.

cassie · #10 07-31-2004, 01:32 PM

Thanks. I'm inquiring about the Carvin Legacy cab as we speak. The only trouble I'm going to have with that cab is that it's wired for 16 Ohms. I'm trying to figure out how difficult it would be to make it 8 or 4 Ohms mono. For the price and the quality it looks like a pretty good deal.

Man, I would love nothing more than to try out some cabs w/vintage 30's but none of my local guitar shops carry them. It's annoying. They seem to stock only low-end stuff that sells quickly on the floor.

frethack · #11 07-31-2004, 03:04 PM

Yeah, thats the problem with a lot of guitar shops these days, especially the Megacorporate ones (not mentioning any names, but the initials are GC

).

As far as wiring, its easy to rewire a cab to whatever specs you want. There are a ton of schematics on the web to rewire to different ohms and also mono/stereo. One suggestion about rewiring though, dont reuse the stock wire in the cab. Spend a few extra bucks and pick up some high grade speaker wiring.

revsharp777 · #12 07-31-2004, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cassie

I have a question, should I blow a wad of cash on a cab like the Marshall 1960 BV or the Randall XLT cab -- OR should I buy something less expensive and save some cash for other guitar stuff?

I mean, is the quality that much better in the Marshall and Randall I mentioned than their lower-end counterparts?

Check out the Behringers!!!! They are great cabs!
You can purchase one & if you don't like it, return it.
Musician's Friend has a 45-day "No Questions Asked" return policy.
GC has a 30-day "No Questions Asked" return policy.
They come with the standard "16 ohms mono, 8 ohms stereo" format, but you can rewire.

What have you got to lose? At $200, you should AT LEAST TRY ONE to see what you think.

Jeff · #13 07-31-2004, 03:38 PM

Does MF pay for shipping if you wnat to send it back?

revsharp777 · #14 07-31-2004, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff

Does MF pay for shipping if you wnat to send it back?

I'm not sure about large items like cabs, but I did send back some smaller stuff in the past & they paid for the shipping.

power freak · #15 07-31-2004, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cassie

Thanks. I'm inquiring about the Carvin Legacy cab as we speak. The only trouble I'm going to have with that cab is that it's wired for 16 Ohms. I'm trying to figure out how difficult it would be to make it 8 or 4 Ohms mono. For the price and the quality it looks like a pretty good deal.

Man, I would love nothing more than to try out some cabs w/vintage 30's but none of my local guitar shops carry them. It's annoying. They seem to stock only low-end stuff that sells quickly on the floor.

All of the speakers in parallel should do it if the Legacy uses the series and parallel approach. If there are 4 ohm speakers you will have to run them all in series.

I would personally try Avatar speakers you can choose any speakers you want:
http://www.avatarspeakers.com

They start at $319 + 49 shipping for either most of the eminence Legend series or a few celestions. Although I would be inclined to get the $488. + 49 shipping option with Tonker speakers. You have a similar choice to me (warm smooth and not bassy) and I love the Tonkers! I hear the Gouvenours are some what similar as well. If you want really "vintage rock n roll" smooth alnico speakers (eg Eminence alnicos, Eminence Red Fangs, Lots of Jensens and the legendary Celestion blues) might be worth considering.