Best sounding 4x12s?

[B2D]

Question for the 4x12 users among us... is there a specific brand you like a lot or have found to be consistently better sounding than most?

I'm looking for a 4x12 cab that naturally reinforces low end. I like having a deep, rich low end on my sound. I've got my speaker selection where I like the sound, but I think the cab I'm using might be influencing the sound a bit more on the bright side than I'd like.

A recording engineer I work with uses Orange 4x12s religiously because he says he's found them to sound consistently above average when it comes to clarity and depth.

Anyone else have a preference?

 

[dave74]

Re: Best sounding 4x12s?

What speakers you like (?) might make a difference on the preferred cab, and vice-versa.

It's hard to beat mixing mesa v30 with something a little cleaner and more open, like c90/cl80 or k100, even scooped like t75/100.
Creambacks are also high-watt/decibel and would be a good mixer in place of the v30 for rich mids.

Mesa oversize are just so plentiful used now for relatively cheap ($400worn----$500great).
The v30s alone in the oversize have rich mids and deep round lows, but the low-end tightness can be a bit lacking, depending on the setup obviously.
A pair of c90 or k100 will add some thump to the lows and some bite to the highs to go along with the v30 mid-focus.

Mesa traditional-size don't come up used as often, but for flatter or more scooped speakers I think they work better than the big cabs. Also great cabs for mixing w/ stock v30.

 

[JeffB]

Re: Best sounding 4x12s?

Orange, Mesa, Bogner.

EVH cabs also have a healthy low end, but I dont think they compare in overall build quality to the above, though they are a good value.

Im gearing up to get myself a 4x12 again by years end (fingers crossed) and Ill be getting an Orange. To match my amp, yes, but also because of the build and I use g12m speakers... so a solid low end is critical.

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: Best sounding 4x12s?

Orange, Mesa, Bogner.

Especially Mesa. Diesel. ENGL. Rivera.

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: Best sounding 4x12s?

I LOVE my vintage Hiwatt cab, but it is far from the 'best' sounding. It doesn't sound bad ... just, has a very particular sound. It is also the heaviest 4x12 I have ever owned; it easily weighs over 100 lbs.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: Best sounding 4x12s?

Matamp / Orange.

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: Best sounding 4x12s?

I can only speak to the one 4x12 that I own, a from the 80s Marshall straight cab, so I don't know how it compares to other brands. But, this 4x12 sounds better than any of the (very good) 2x12s and 1x12s, and combo amps, that I have. So much so that I really only want to play through it despite the impracticality of transporting it and the psychological effect it has on other people. It is currently loaded with G12M 25 watt greenbacks. The warmth, clarity, accuracy, fullness, bass response, and depth of the tone is just a little better.

If your serious about tone then a good 4x12 is a necessary piece of gear to have, regardless of your playing style(s).

 

[HiFiRebel]

Re: Best sounding 4x12s?

I've always enjoyed Orange, Marshall (good ones of course), and Mesa.

 

[NecroPolo]

Re: Best sounding 4x12s?

Engl Pro, Mesa oversized. Peavey 6505 family with its matching head.

For a cheepo, after speaker change I think a Laney cab is a win. I also love their ancient, battered KLIPP cabs.

 

[Nostalgic Distortion]

Re: Best sounding 4x12s?

Orange, Mesa, Bogner, Marshall, Hiwatt, Fender, Peavy, Friedman, Laney, Some Dudes Garage, Exc....

I mean a well built cabinet is a well built cabinet no matter who put it together? Personally, the speakers inside of the cabinet and if it's a open or closed back mean a lot more to me than the brand. I like Greenbacks in a closed back 4X12 for my 6505 & Panama Loco, and I like a 3/4 back with V-30's or Creambacks for my amps that are "cleaner" or have more headroom. I love the added mids because with those amplifiers I tend to scoop my signal & get my dirt from pedals. I can get a scooped high gain distortion from the floor and then get some of those mids back when I switch back to playing clean or with a lighter OverDrive....

I'm currently running my TSA-15 through a 3/4 back 2x12 with a V-30/Creamback combination inside of it. That head & just about everything else I own sounds bloody divine through that speaker cabinet!!! The same principle rings true for 4X12's as well. I had a closed back Orange 4X12 with V-30's & Creambacks in a X pattern for several years. It was probably the best cabinet I've ever owned all around, but definitely amazing for harder, more aggressive stuff???

 

[B2D]

Re: Best sounding 4x12s?

Lots of great info in this thread... also a few names seem to keep coming up consistently.

What speakers you like (?) might make a difference on the preferred cab, and vice-versa.

It's hard to beat mixing mesa v30 with something a little cleaner and more open, like c90/cl80 or k100, even scooped like t75/100.
Creambacks are also high-watt/decibel and would be a good mixer in place of the v30 for rich mids.

Mesa oversize are just so plentiful used now for relatively cheap ($400worn----$500great).
The v30s alone in the oversize have rich mids and deep round lows, but the low-end tightness can be a bit lacking, depending on the setup obviously.
A pair of c90 or k100 will add some thump to the lows and some bite to the highs to go along with the v30 mid-focus.

Mesa traditional-size don't come up used as often, but for flatter or more scooped speakers I think they work better than the big cabs. Also great cabs for mixing w/ stock v30.

The Eminence Governor is pretty much my jam as far as the amps I like and the kind of music I like to play. I like the V30 as well but I like the Governor a little more. The mids and highs sit right where I like them but I do wish it had more lows. I've been thinking a certain cab might help that out, hence my research here.

I'm always looking for a speaker that I can mix in with them to reinforce low end, and for a while I've been using the Man-O-Wars for that, but lately I've been wanting a speaker that has more mids and lows... the MOW has Lows, neutral mids, and crisp highs. Until I figure out a new mix I'm just going to go all-Govs as I like that speaker on it's own more than a MOW alone.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Best sounding 4x12s?

I have an old Carvin cab with the 12M-70's. Plenty of bottom, clear top and a mid spike that you either love or hate. I love it as it really cuts through a mix. The thing is solid, 3/4 ply I think. Oh but no casters.
Friend of mine has an old Randall, originally loaded with Jaguars, now Jaguars and Celestion 70/80's. Not as
much bottom as the Carvin, but great mids and super clear top.

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: Best sounding 4x12s?

Mesa. My favorite is my 412 Half-Back with C-90s in the open top and EVMs in the closed, ported bottom. I also like the Mesa Recto and Traditional cabs with the V30s.

I like the older 1960 JCM 800/900 Marshall cabs. They're usually well made, but they often get beat to hell and look bad. Ditto Orange. Not the best vinyl.

I like Peavey cabs from about 1985 to the late '90s, but most guys will want to upgrade the speakers, and the cabinetry is worth it. I always liked the original 5150 cabs, and they sound good with the stock Sheffield speakers.

Older SUNN, Music Man, and VHT are pretty good.

What I look for is great cabinetry, and good hardware. Speakers can always be changed.

Bill

 

[dave74]

Re: Best sounding 4x12s?

Lots of great info in this thread... also a few names seem to keep coming up consistently.



The Eminence Governor is pretty much my jam as far as the amps I like and the kind of music I like to play. I like it the V30 as well but I like the Governor a little more. The mids and highs sit right where I like them but I do with it had more lows. I've been thinking a certain cab might help that out, hence my research here.

I'm always looking for a speaker that I can mix in with them to reinforce low end, and for a while I've been using the Man-O-Wars for that, but lately I've been wanting a speaker that has more mids and lows... the MOW has Lows, neutral mids, and crisp highs. Until I figure out a new mix I'm just going to go all-Govs as I like that speaker on it's own more than a MOW alone.

Gov/Swamp mix might do the trick for sticking with Eminence.

As for the cab, the newer true straight-baffle mesa oversize will really expand the lows and open-up the highs. (the older ones are straight shell but slant baffle)

The oversize slants have about the same air-space as the traditional straights.
The traditional slants will be the most mid-focused, and the oversize "true" straights will have the most tonal spread.

 

[MkIII Renegade]

Re: Best sounding 4x12s?

My Mesa Mark Series are my favorites. Mesa C90s or Celestion Lead 80s on top, and mighty EVM12Ls on bottom. Wretchedly heavy, but that goes with the territory. The bottom cabs are especially brawny.

The Mad Max/Escape From New York metal grill is a bonus. :cool2:

 

[some_dude]

Re: Best sounding 4x12s?

Recto 4x12... specifically, the oversized slant version. It's darker and smoother than the Orange, which sounds like what you're after.

I had an Orange 4x12 w/ Vintage 30s. I thought it was great for crunch but when used for heavy chugging the brightness drove me up a wall. I eventually bought another Mesa and ditched the Orange.

In fairness to the Orange, it did mic up well... I just hated standing in front of it.

 

[Myaccount876]

Re: Best sounding 4x12s?

I've always liked the sound of 1960 cabs loaded with V30s - it's a bedrock that's hard to beat IMO. What's difficult about 4x12 cabinets is that every part of the design really makes a huge difference. Watch a comparison of different cabinets with the same speakers, and you'll find that different cabinet brands really do make a huge difference. It's not so much the name, as it is that they all use different dimensions, building methods, and building materials. With four speakers, you also have issues of the cabinet needing to be designed with a lot of thought and planning or there'll be issues of phase cancellation, standing waves, etc. All of the big names have at least a few cabinets of sturdy build quality - it's all really just preference and what your wallet can withstand. The best thing is to just have a list of cabinets in your head, bring a single amp head and guitar, and start shooting out cabinets. Your Governors/V30s can sound huge with a massive low end in some cabs, and way too bright/sharp in other cabs (which is how I think a lot of people on internet forums piss and moan about V30s and falsely assuming they all have too much of an upper mid emphasis).

Believe it or not, the grill cloth can also influence the sound; it's not extreme and nothing like "silver cloth sounds better than brown cloth", but the common cloth designs do filter out parts of the soundwaves - it's the same principle as putting a thick blanket over the front of the cabinet, but to a less extreme degree. Take Tony Iommi's Laney cabinets for example; the metal grill with those cross cutouts will make the cabinet/speaker combo sound different than if it were a say, the cloth on a Marshall 1960 cabinet. It's a completely different design, and I'm sure the crosses weren't "tuned" - my intuition tells me they used the cross design because of Tony Iommi's brand/cosmetics, but they still (accidentally, if you will) would have an impact on the sound.

 

[B2D]

Re: Best sounding 4x12s?

What I look for is great cabinetry, and good hardware. Speakers can always be changed.

Bill

My thoughts exactly. I'm looking for consistently good cabinetry that has a positive influence on the sound, particularly in the low end.

Gov/Swamp mix might do the trick for sticking with Eminence.

As for the cab, the newer true straight-baffle mesa oversize will really expand the lows and open-up the highs. (the older ones are straight shell but slant baffle)

The oversize slants have about the same air-space as the traditional straights.
The traditional slants will be the most mid-focused, and the oversize "true" straights will have the most tonal spread.

I've thought about Swamp Thangs before but I'm also not sure if the mids will work for me. More research time!

Celestion did have some fantastic sounding stuff at the last LA Amp Show I went to. I might have to spend more time at their booth this year.

Recto 4x12... specifically, the oversized slant version. It's darker and smoother than the Orange, which sounds like what you're after.

Yep. Dark and smooth but with clarity of course. That's what I want.

I've always liked the sound of 1960 cabs loaded with V30s - it's a bedrock that's hard to beat IMO. What's difficult about 4x12 cabinets is that every part of the design really makes a huge difference. Watch a comparison of different cabinets with the same speakers, and you'll find that different cabinet brands really do make a huge difference. It's not so much the name, as it is that they all use different dimensions, building methods, and building materials. With four speakers, you also have issues of the cabinet needing to be designed with a lot of thought and planning or there'll be issues of phase cancellation, standing waves, etc. All of the big names have at least a few cabinets of sturdy build quality - it's all really just preference and what your wallet can withstand. The best thing is to just have a list of cabinets in your head, bring a single amp head and guitar, and start shooting out cabinets. Your Governors/V30s can sound huge with a massive low end in some cabs, and way too bright/sharp in other cabs (which is how I think a lot of people on internet forums piss and moan about V30s and falsely assuming they all have too much of an upper mid emphasis).

Believe it or not, the grill cloth can also influence the sound; it's not extreme and nothing like "silver cloth sounds better than brown cloth", but the common cloth designs do filter out parts of the soundwaves - it's the same principle as putting a thick blanket over the front of the cabinet, but to a less extreme degree. Take Tony Iommi's Laney cabinets for example; the metal grill with those cross cutouts will make the cabinet/speaker combo sound different than if it were a say, the cloth on a Marshall 1960 cabinet. It's a completely different design, and I'm sure the crosses weren't "tuned" - my intuition tells me they used the cross design because of Tony Iommi's brand/cosmetics, but they still (accidentally, if you will) would have an impact on the sound.

Yep... different cabs DO sound different with the same speakers.

My current cab has a metal grille front with smallish holes on it... I think I might like sturdy cloth for the next one for the look and the slight high end attentuation but I do like the idea of having a spaced metal grill under it just to protect from cases, feet, falling stands, etc.

 

[misterwhizzy]

Re: Best sounding 4x12s?

Governors pair wonderfully with Wizards. The Wizards fix exactly your problem.

 

[Van Noord]

Re: Best sounding 4x12s?

I've owned ALOT of 412s over the years, and my favourite is:

A first gen. Krank Revolution 412 (oversized).

I replaced the front loaded Legends with rear loaded Vintage 30s in the top, and Veteran 30s in the bottom.
I also rewired the cab in series.

Best I can describe is it sounds like a marriage between a Marshall 1960BV & Mesa Standard.