1960A ... again

[Dr.Mavashi]

I already asked about this and tried advanced search to find the thread but just couldn't find it for some reason. Now, when I baught my Laney AOR the guy told me that my JCM900 1960A is not an ideal cab for me. In that old thread that I can't find a lot of you guys said if I I was to change the back board to birchwood and put new speakers with thicker wiring it woudl be a great cab. Now Jeff Dunne braught up some new issue that got me paranoid. Any comments ??? Here what he said.

"Man, honestly, the 1960's are pretty **** cabinets, unless you get the JCM800 or earlier ones. The 900 and newer have MDF speaker baffles AND back boards, not to mention the plastic handles, crappy wiring, and crappy jacks/switching."

 

[muttonchopsrule]

Re: 1960A ... again

how do YOU like the sound of it?

no matter who you ask, some people are going to tell you that they're crap and some will tell you that they're good. i happen to love mine... it's a newer one, and whether the back board and baffle are MDF or birch doesn't mean jack to me because i like the tone i'm getting out of it. likewise, you'll get a lot of people saying that the 75's in those cabinets sound like crap, which is another matter of personal taste (i happen to prefer them over V30's).

if people think i'm crazy for that then so be it, i'm satisfied with my tone and that's good enough for me. leave it up to your ears to decide whether or not that cabinet will work out for you.

 

[Dr.Mavashi]

Re: 1960A ... again

Well, the sound is good, I rehearsed and giged three times a week with it for about two years and then it was in storage for almost five years, so I speakers are pretty worn by now.

 

[AdmiralB]

Re: 1960A ... again

="Man, honestly, the 1960's are pretty **** cabinets, unless you get the JCM800 or earlier ones. The 900 and newer have MDF speaker baffles AND back boards, not to mention the plastic handles, crappy wiring, and crappy jacks/switching."

1960s don't have MDF baffles, unless they've changed in the last two or three years (and I can't imagine that they would). The 1936 2x12 is has been particleboard since the mid '90s, but the 1960s are still ply. The only particleboard is the back panel (has been since about '72) and the grill riser strips on the baffle front. Handles have been plastic since at least '81.

I agree the wiring is pretty small, and the stereo/mono switching isn't up to the 300W the cabs are rated for, but the wiring is easy to swap out and most guys aren't running more than 100W or 150W into a single cab.

I've done the ply backpanel thing and there's no difference at all unless you don't have a screw into the post. The ply doesn't flex as much under heavy bass, but if you have a screw in the post (I think most cabs made after about '95 do), there's no difference.

 

[muttonchopsrule]

Re: 1960A ... again

Well, the sound is good, I rehearsed and giged three times a week with it for about two years and then it was in storage for almost five years, so I speakers are pretty worn by now.

unless they sound really screw up, or you can visually see that there is something wrong with the cone or any part of the speaker, i'm sure they're fine. if it's a newer cabinet with the MDF front and back on it, then it can't possibly have nearly as much wear on the speakers as the old cabinets from the 70's and 80's, which a lot of people out there are still gigging hard with these days.

 

[muttonchopsrule]

Re: 1960A ... again

one of these days i'm going to tear into my cabinet and see what the front baffle is made from to settle this once and for all :laugh2:

but honestly, there's nothing wrong with the plastic handles. i don't see anything wrong with the jacks or the stereo/mono switching either. sometimes i think y'all need to just plug in and enjoy playing your guitar :smokin: :smokin: :smokin:

 

[Jeff Dunne]

Re: 1960A ... again

Ahh sorry - not MDF, particle board. Had a momentary brain fart.


Plywood still > particle ply, no matter which way you cut it.

The plastic handles I find to mess with the tone in an un-pleasant way - almost like having semi-sealed ports in the cabinet.

 

[AdmiralB]

Re: 1960A ... again

Yes, but the baffles are not particle. I've got a 1960A from 2000 sitting next to me right now with the back off, I redid the grill cloth and I can assure you the only particleboard in it are the pieces I mentioned above.

The backpanels haven't been ply in over 30 years.

 

[AdmiralB]

Re: 1960A ... again

The plastic handles I find to mess with the tone in an un-pleasant way - almost like having semi-sealed ports in the cabinet.

That's nuts. They don't seal any better or worse than the metal ones (which haven't been used in over 20 years).

 

[casblah]

Re: 1960A ... again

Mojotone sells a replacement metal handle for the 1960 cabs, which I feel is a total upgrade. As far as the handle material affecting tone... I cannot see any difference at all. You're wasting your time if you're worrying about tone-loss from your handles, IMO.

 

[Jeff Dunne]

Re: 1960A ... again

I suppose it's going to play more of a difference with a mic right against the speaker than in a live situation, but I can hear the difference.


I've always heard different regarding the baffle - but it still doesn't explain why they don't sound as good as say a Mesa, Rivera, Splawn, Bogner, etc... I just feel that there is much better constructed cabinets for the price out there - Marshall has been producing rather crap products for a bit now.

 

[Dr.Mavashi]

Re: 1960A ... again

AdmiralB
I've done the ply backpanel thing and there's no difference at all unless you don't have a screw into the post.

What do you mean by "screw in the post", sorry a total gear retard here.
Thanks.

 

[ShredFetus]

Re: 1960A ... again

Sorry for hi-jacking but I think he means the horizontal post that supports the center of the back panel. Either that or I'm a gear retard too!

 

[jimmy]

Re: 1960A ... again

Vintage Marshall cabs with grey grillz are tone central. Actually, celestion greenbacks and vintage 30's are tone central, even for heavy metal in the right cab.

It's up to your ears at the end of the day.

 

[Kamanda~SD]

Re: 1960A ... again

I got a 1960B from 85, its still pushin strong! It all depends to you...can you really argue that its a pure **** cab with all the people using them? I'm sorry but the name doesnt make the tone man. why don't you take your head and go try a bunch of cabs man! When you try the 1960's try them with g12t-75's, V30's, Greenbacks, try the slant (A) or straight (B), then try some mesa cabs etc.

 

[Dr.Mavashi]

Re: 1960A ... again

Kamanda~SD,

Speaking of speakers what speakrs Iommi used on Seventh Star ??? It would be interesting to put them in my marshal cab after the AOR. Thanks.

P.S.
Speak Russian ???

 

[Usurper666]

Re: 1960A ... again

Mojotone sells a replacement metal handle for the 1960 cabs, which I feel is a total upgrade. As far as the handle material affecting tone... I cannot see any difference at all. You're wasting your time if you're worrying about tone-loss from your handles, IMO.

Oh yes, the plastic handles are total tone suckers! There is about a -6db roll off at 800hz due to the inferior plastic that Marshall uses. I replaced them on my 1960A with my own handles made from depleted plutonium (I have connections), brought 800hz right back into the mix, now it sounds great. (end sarcasm) :laugh2:

Cheers,

CJ

 

[milkbone]

Re: 1960A ... again

I found that the stock casters on the 1960s suck tone through all of the audible frequencies and I have replaced them with 31x10.5x15 BF Goodriches on ONLY aluminum wheels with Ford 9" rears front and back to fix the problem! Marshall should be ashamed by the quality casters they are using these days. I think there was only one good batch of casters that came out and it was in Dec. of 1973 (when all was good in the guitar world). End my Sarcasm. Come on!!!! PS pics of my 4x4 cab soon!!!!

 

[Kamanda~SD]

Re: 1960A ... again

Dr Mavashi, I do not know what Iommi used, sorry! And no russian for me.

milkbone, can yo utell me more bout this caster deal? One of my casters on my cab is broke and I was thinking about replacing them. Thanks!

 

[Sune]

Re: 1960A ... again

Dr Mavashi, I do not know what Iommi used, sorry! And no russian for me.

milkbone, can yo utell me more bout this caster deal? One of my casters on my cab is broke and I was thinking about replacing them. Thanks!

The casters thing was totally sarcastic, dude.. :laugh2: