How Important Is The Wood In A Cab?

['59]

I guess another way to phrase this question is "can a decent cab be made with good speakers and decent wood?".

I've got a Marshall MX412 with crappy Celestion Deisgned speakers that are essentially an exact replica of a Vintage 30 except they make it muddy and stupid. I can't speak of the exact quality of the wood, but given the cab was $350, it can't be that great.

I look to put a set of Vintage 30's and G12K-100's in it in an X pattern. Is it worth a shot.

[Empty Pockets]

Re: How Important Is The Wood In A Cab?

How important is the foundation of your house?

Ever try to run a really awesome new video game on a really crappy computer?

Ever try to put enough BBQ sauce on a burnt up steak to make it enjoyable?

You should save your money and buy a cab worth owning.

[Chistopher]

Re: How Important Is The Wood In A Cab?

The MX412 (I have one) is MDF, which is utilized in situations where the maker of the speaker don't really want the material of the cabinet to affect the tone. Plywood is praised in the guitar community because people like the effect it has on the tone.

That being said, many people don't like MDF for several reasons: it's heavy, it's not so durable, if one of the wooden screws strips it's hard to fix it, and many cheapo cabs are made from it. It's kinda like basswood in a guitar. Good guitars can be made from basswood, but in the early days a whole lot of bad ones were made from the stuff so it got a bad rep.

I'd say it's important to look in your cab and make sure everything inside it is up to par, nothing should be loose in there and make sure there are no obvious signs of something being wrong.

There are many ways to make that cab work for you, but you should at least look into better options for the future. Not everybody needs a big heavy 412 in their life.

[dave74]

Re: How Important Is The Wood In A Cab?

If you already had the speakers I'd say sure, do it.
Having to buy the speakers new or used (unless you found them cheap-used local) would make the project unworthy IMO.

[Phantasmagoria]

Re: How Important Is The Wood In A Cab?

Try stuffing it with damping material (glass wool/foam), redo your internal wiring with better quality wire or switch to better speakers. If there's a problem with that cab it will be due to other factors (design/bracing..or lack of/dimensions/drivers etc..) ..despite what manufacturers would like you to believe neither MDF or ply are "tonewoods"

[dave74]

Re: How Important Is The Wood In A Cab?

If the speakers weren't so expensive it could make sense.
It's hard to not be several hundred $ in with 4 speakers, even buying used the shipping will negate the savings almost entirely.

I'd really say to save the cash, make-do for now and start stalking craigslist for a used Mesa. Great-condition rectifier 412s go for $400-$500 all the time.
Marshall Mode-4 cabs come with either v30 or k100,,,,,,so in either case you'd be halfway to the X-pattern and have the beefier cab.

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: How Important Is The Wood In A Cab?

As noted above, it’s not the wood type, per se, but the rigidity of the cab’s construction and its internal volume that matter. Marshall cabs have a particular construction with a certain amount of flex that gives them a particular amount of overhang in the bass; it’s exasperated in their lower end models by cheaper materials but the overall sonic signature is still ‘Marshall’. My other cabs (Rivera and Hiwatt) are made from birch ply and are frightfully heavy, very inert with very little overhang and sound very different from my Marshalls, even with the same speakers loaded.

[justFred]

Re: How Important Is The Wood In A Cab?

Do you need a 4 X 12 cabinet? If not you could spend 2X on speakers for a 2X12 or...4X...Celestion site has good info about building a cabinet...if you're handy not very expensive and very good speakers make a very big difference.

[dave74]

Re: How Important Is The Wood In A Cab?

Avatar still has a sale on their big 212 also. (semi-custom) $488, and they run free-shipping quite often.
Black-only tolex,,,,,you choose the grill, the speakers, and the ohm/jack-plate. Open or convertible back.

https://avatarspeakers.com/shop/favorites/g212-contemporary-promo/

edit; and you can do mixed speakers at no extra charge

[Gtrjunior]

Re: How Important Is The Wood In A Cab?

Do you need a 4 X 12 cabinet? If not you could spend 2X on speakers for a 2X12 or...4X...Celestion site has good info about building a cabinet...if you're handy not very expensive and very good speakers make a very big difference.

Good advise. A good 2x12 will rival a 4x12 imo. I get huge tones from both my Port City and Marshall 1936.

If you want a quality cab I’d suggest looking at the Splawn lineup. Reasonably priced and I haven’t ever heard a bad review on them.

[Jeffblue]

Re: How Important Is The Wood In A Cab?

I think Leo Fender used pine for his' amplifier cabs because the wood was cheaper than exotic hardwoods. It just happens that the cabs contributed to the overall sound. There is a reason why the higher end guitar speaker cab makers use Baltic Birch and other woods. Just like guitars, different woods certainly make a difference in speaker cabs however slight or extreme.

[ehdwuld]

Re: How Important Is The Wood In A Cab?

Carvin has their version of the vintage 30 speaker on sale right now for 39 bucks each
16 ohm 100 watt speakers

Just saying
I like the Carvin branded stuff

[Nightburst]

Re: How Important Is The Wood In A Cab?

Dont try and polish a turd, get a decent cab to start with before you go crazy on speaker swaps. 4x12's go cheap 2nd hand now because mini stacks are more populair. Take advantage of that and you can get a good cab with good speakers for a steal.

[mxaniac]

Re: How Important Is The Wood In A Cab?

I know nothing about this topic other than the sound engineers at a very large well known entertainment company require the use of birch in their custom cabinets. I'd bet money I personally would not hear the difference between birch, pine, and MDF if all other parameters were the same.

[mxaniac]

Re: How Important Is The Wood In A Cab?

Ever try to put enough BBQ sauce on a burnt up steak to make it enjoyable?

OK mind explaining how you know so much about my wife?