Harley Benton 2x12

[Sam SG]

So Im looking into a 2x12 for my Marshall as a 4x12 is too large in a few venues. (And a 4x12 means your too loud even when your head has 2 masters and a half power tap and further more can be run on half the cab....BIG is loud and Im sick of explaining to idiots)
I was looking into a Marshall 1936 but Holy Shit Im not paying $850 especially being is Ibplan on reloading with Heritage G12-65s.
So I seen Siesmic has an unloaded 2x12 made outta 1/2" birch ply.
But then I spotted a Harley Benton 2x12 even cheaper and loaded. Are these cabs any good? Birch ply? I dont care about the speakers only the box.
Any thoughts?

 

[Chistopher]

Just for reference, a 212 is going to be -3dB quieter than a 412, which is considered to be the smallest volume difference discernible by most people. It's going to be exactly the same difference in volume as running it on half the cab.

If you need to neuter your amp to make it an attainable volume, maybe it's time to look into a new amp. It usually sounds better to run a quiet amp within an inch of it's life than to try to tame a loud amp. Barring that, the best I can recommend is getting speakers with lower sensitivity.

 

[Sam SG]

No the problem is........ size and perception.
I roll my 4x12 into a place I get flack.
Case in point we played a club( now closed) I used a 1x12 Marshall 15w tube amp usually.
One night I dragged out my 100w and 4x12. Befor I even got to the stage thr house engineer is lossing his mind about bleed into vocal mics and having to shield it in plexiglass and not being able to mix around enormous stage volume.
I set it up the way I planned. WRAAANNNGGG an A chord......then its...:Oh....thats not that loud at all"
Its just Im sick of dealing with THAT.
Like back in the day we had no money we used to use a set of 2x15 scoops for subs with 300w to each....amps would be clipping at tge point the kick was even thumping at all. BUT we would get flack about volume as soon as the first came off the truck cause they were the size of a fridge with the scoop mouth( scoops drop off at 42Hz)
2025 we use an EAW SB528 2x18 front loaded cab each side they have a peak sensitivity rating of 142db and play flat to 32Hz on each side backed by a Crest 9200 at 6500w....not a word gets said cause tgey aint the size of a fridge....even though at full tilt in a small club tgey are capable of rattling the dentures out of someones mouth infront of the stage.
Im trying to eliminate perception.

 

[Securb]

I have a MDF Marshall MX212 that is one of my best-sounding cabs. I have 2 Eminence Wheelhouse speakers in it. I stopped getting hung up on birch and pine cabs years ago. Some of the best high-end stereo speakers are made out of particle board, and great studio monitors are made of plastic. Marshal used Baltic birch, and Fender used northern pine because that was abundant and affordable for them at the time, not because of any sonic magic the wood held.

 

[Sam SG]

Mostly is durabilitie. Getting sheleped in and out of a truck week after week sitting in below zero temps in winter, occasionaly getting dropped etc.... Stuff shifting in a truck MDF will start to loosten up after awhile. Thats what Im concerned about.
I mean I could coat the inside in epoxy like stiffening up loose sub cabs but man thats a mess.

 

[ehdwuld]

I got one of the unloaded vertical 2x12 HB cabinets last year

Just finished loading it with EVM12L copies and it is kinda heavy

I got the plus version that allows you to use it open back or closed back

You will like it

It takes up half the space on stage of the 4x12

If you have a large head then it may hang over the edges

The top is 19 inches wide and 12 inches deep

Its designed for 2 16 ohm speakers
I had to get another jack plate to make mine accept the 8 ohm speakers i use

Alternatively
You can always just plug into a single speaker of the two installed

I like a 1x12 but I want my head up where I don't have to bend over to adjust it

The HB vertical 2x12 brings that to waist high
28.5 inches tall

Mine has the cool looking angled upper speaker

The flat front one is probably even less unloaded

 

[Sam SG]

Thats not a bad looking cabinet.
I did more digging I guess the HB horizontal cab is poplar ply and comes loaded with Celestion V30( i can resell) and load my G12-65s and its around $300
Cant really beat that.

 

[ehdwuld]

Mine is 18 mm plywood