How much of your tone comes from the cabinet?

The Kernel

New member
When you are using an amp with a head and a cab, how much tone comes from the cabinet? For instance, would a bright fender bassman head thicken up if it was matched with a mesa or marshall cab?
 
Re: How much of your tone comes from the cabinet?

it depends on what you are using it with now
 
Re: How much of your tone comes from the cabinet?

Probably about 30% of your tone is dictated by the construction/design/speakers of your cab. If you could feed a Bassman LTD's chassis to several different open and closed backs with different speakers, you'd hear a totally different tone each time.

A Bassman into a Marshall 1960A will sound more Marshall-like.
A Marshall into a Bassman's 4-10 cab will make it sound more Tweed-like.

I'm a fan of using the matching cab that was designed to go with the head, but as long as the cab is a similar design, it should sound right.
 
Re: How much of your tone comes from the cabinet?

do you know what speakers are in it? if you used a cab loaded with g12h-30w you would get more beef than the utah speakers that are in there. even the jensen c12n which is the best you could hope for (if they are stock) can be a bright speaker
 
Re: How much of your tone comes from the cabinet?

100% of your tone comes from the cabinet. Without it, you might as well plug your guitar into a roll of toilet paper.
 
Re: How much of your tone comes from the cabinet?

100% of your tone comes from the cabinet. Without it, you might as well plug your guitar into a roll of toilet paper.

so....good cab + horrible amp = good tone?

doubtful. It's a sum of all parts. But a good bit of your tone will come from your cabinet.
 
Re: How much of your tone comes from the cabinet?

so....good cab + horrible amp = good tone?

doubtful. It's a sum of all parts. But a good bit of your tone will come from your cabinet.

Actually, that was meant as a lame joke... as in, all the sound comes from your cab..... Good amp - cab = no sound :scratchch
 
Re: How much of your tone comes from the cabinet?

A LOT comes from your speakers/cab

as someone who has expirimented with speakers & cabs quite a bit, trust me, there is a big difference
 
Re: How much of your tone comes from the cabinet?

i remember Santana using some Cabs Called Fat Boys because the larger the cab the better the lows.... i believe they were 4x12's but larger 4x12's then the average Marshall....
 
Re: How much of your tone comes from the cabinet?

If you're running a TonePort using GearBox, "changing" your "cab" makes it sound totally different...










haha, sorry I'm no help
 
Re: How much of your tone comes from the cabinet?

i remember Santana using some Cabs Called Fat Boys because the larger the cab the better the lows.... i believe they were 4x12's but larger 4x12's then the average Marshall....

Thats why I use a Bass cab :D not bass speakers just the cab
 
Re: How much of your tone comes from the cabinet?

I would think that with a dark high gain amp, a ported and tuned cab might help definition.
 
Re: How much of your tone comes from the cabinet?

When I really crank my amp, the sound reverberates in my kitchen cabinets. It's kinda cool, actually. But I am considering switching to hickory. The cheap pine cabs don't quite have "my" tone.
 
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