Old JCM-800 2X12 with G12T-75s...why do I love this cabinet?

75lespaul

75lespaul

New member
I have that Agile 7 string that I just couldn't sell and someone offered me a trade of my guitar for his old cab. I agreed because I just couldn't gel with the 7 string, and really didn't have time to play it as much as I should have. I have always hated G12T-75s. It seemed like every cabinet I ever played with these speakers sounded scooped and trashy. This was in rehearsal studios. I also had the 30th Anniversary blue tolex/gold Marshall emblem cabinet with these and didn't like it either. So the fella leaves, and here I am staring at this 2X12 Marshall that I just KNOW I'm not going to get much money for, and if I keep it, I gotta swap some speakers into it. I'm broke. I can't afford speaker swaps anymore.

Begrudgingly, I whip out the Jesuscaster with the C5 and fire up my Bad Cat 50H and...WTF??? It sounds incredible. It was late so I had to shut down after a few moments. So last night I fire it up again and plug my Chibson SG with the Brobucker bridge and the tone is to die for. The exact, heavier, not quite bone-crushing but close sound I've wanted and just couldn't get from my Greenbacks or V30/G12H30 X Pattern 4X12s. These have the 1777 cones. I haven't dated them yet, but they sound so much like the G12-65s in the 1981 JCM cabinet I had and NOTHING like the ones I'd heard before. Any info on why this may be?
 
Re: Old JCM-800 2X12 with G12T-75s...why do I love this cabinet?

dunno but if it sounds good then run with it!
 
Re: Old JCM-800 2X12 with G12T-75s...why do I love this cabinet?

Throw a V30 in with one G12t-75 ( Bogners "flamethrower" combination). Those old JCM800 cabinets just are the best sounding of all. Seasoned old growth Birch voidless Plywood and handcrafted from the early times. I *only have JCM 800's, or earlier cabinets, and more than a few. Actually, I also have a 90's "classic" Marsall Greenback cabinet that sounds great. Lots of reports of the later cabinest lacking integrity.
 
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Re: Old JCM-800 2X12 with G12T-75s...why do I love this cabinet?

Well, its entirely possible they are mislabeled. Celestion has done that often since day one.

That said, its probably the smaller dimensions and superior construction of the cab.
 
Re: Old JCM-800 2X12 with G12T-75s...why do I love this cabinet?

JeffB said:
Seems this guy had the same impression as you and had the frequency plotted. His old 75s are nearly identical to his 12-65s and some G12ms. Weird.

http://jvmforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=8008
Click to expand...

That's some good stuff. So if I read this right, the older 75s are nearly identical to the 65s, just with a plastic whatsamajig that gives it the ability to handle a little more power. The back says it is a 130 watt cabinet, so I have to assume the 65s were originally in it. Maybe some of that mojo is still in there, lol.
 
Re: Old JCM-800 2X12 with G12T-75s...why do I love this cabinet?

MetalManiac said:
Throw a V30 in with one G12t-75 ( Bogners "flamethrower" combination). Those old JCM800 cabinets just are the best sounding of all. Seasoned old growth Birch voidless Plywood and handcrafted from the early times. I *only have JCM 800's, or earlier cabinets, and more than a few. Actually, I also have a 90's "classic" Marsall Greenback cabinet that sounds great. Lots of reports of the later cabinest lacking integrity.
Click to expand...

THAT is an interesting idea. My Badcat 50 combo has a V30. I have to see if it's a 16 ohm speaker though. If not, I've got a couple in my 4X12. I also have some Splawn small blocks, so I'd like to try one of those too. Wonder if this cabinet can make the old Peavey Valveking head sound a little more exciting. Mind you, it is a great sounding amp but it is very...generic? Hmm...maybe add life to the Bugera 333 too. I'm gonna be busy this weekend, lol.
 
Re: Old JCM-800 2X12 with G12T-75s...why do I love this cabinet?

75lespaul said:
That's some good stuff. So if I read this right, the older 75s are nearly identical to the 65s, just with a plastic whatsamajig that gives it the ability to handle a little more power. The back says it is a 130 watt cabinet, so I have to assume the 65s were originally in it. Maybe some of that mojo is still in there, lol.
Click to expand...

Or likely have some mislabeled speakers if the cab says 130 watts.
 
Re: Old JCM-800 2X12 with G12T-75s...why do I love this cabinet?

JeffB said:
Or likely have some mislabeled speakers if the cab says 130 watts.
Click to expand...

That would be cool, but the screws definitely look mucked up, like an electric screwdriver gone wild. It is something though how my first impression was that it sounded like my old 65s. I guess all the other ones I heard that biased me against these speakers were the newer, more scooped sounding ones? Just kind of surprised they would have put them in the anniversary cabinet.
 
Re: Old JCM-800 2X12 with G12T-75s...why do I love this cabinet?

75lespaul said:
That would be cool, but the screws definitely look mucked up, like an electric screwdriver gone wild. It is something though how my first impression was that it sounded like my old 65s. I guess all the other ones I heard that biased me against these speakers were the newer, more scooped sounding ones? Just kind of surprised they would have put them in the anniversary cabinet.
Click to expand...

And thinking about it. Mislabeled is improbable. G12m70s ran for two years prior to 75s..so if they were 65s mislabeled at the time...75s were not in existence yet..so no 75 labels.

I know that I hated the 75s in my new at the time 1987/88 cab.. Sold that cab and found a used older cab with 65s. Night and day difference... :shrug:

Anyhoo, enjoy the tone!
 
Re: Old JCM-800 2X12 with G12T-75s...why do I love this cabinet?

I only like the t75 in 112 and 212 cabs. Just too scooped by themselves in larger cabs IMO.
 
Re: Old JCM-800 2X12 with G12T-75s...why do I love this cabinet?

Open the cab, Marshall Cab's got mislabeled all the time as well. Get the code on the speaker too and we can date this sucker!
 
Re: Old JCM-800 2X12 with G12T-75s...why do I love this cabinet?

It could be the age of the cab and age of the speakers- it's nice and broken in
 
Re: Old JCM-800 2X12 with G12T-75s...why do I love this cabinet?

Recone? Magswap? Or, as was suggested, aged to perfection?
 
Re: Old JCM-800 2X12 with G12T-75s...why do I love this cabinet?

On some of the amp forums you can find threads that describe some batches and sets of the early 75s as sounding much like 65s (there are actually several slightly different sounding versions of 65s too), and that there is a noticeable difference between those certain early 75s and late model 75s. The early 75s had a vent in the middle of the magnet that the later ones do not have if that means anything.

Like Jeff B, though, I had a set of 75s dated from 1987 in a 4x12 that I was not fond of. However, in a 2x12 they sounded much better. 4x12s have certain internal phase cancellations that reduce the mids a bit more than 2x12s.

I still have a pair of year 1987 75s that I will sometimes experiment with. I like them for some clean applications or to make a small cab sound bigger. After they aged, they did sound less harsh.
 
Re: Old JCM-800 2X12 with G12T-75s...why do I love this cabinet?

Weird, I didn't know there was a variation in the 75s sound. I will say that I kind of dug the sound of them paired with V30s, but would not like them on their own. I think for some Marshall's though they can be very good as, tonally they fit with the amp. (Marshall mid hump, 75 lack of mids)
 
Re: Old JCM-800 2X12 with G12T-75s...why do I love this cabinet?

So...going to open the cab so we can solve this mystery?
 
Re: Old JCM-800 2X12 with G12T-75s...why do I love this cabinet?

Kamanda~SD said:
So...going to open the cab so we can solve this mystery?
Click to expand...

Sorry, haven't been on the internet much lately. I cracked open the cab when I got it, but didn't write down the numbers. I want to date them too. Still liking them a LOT. So when does the honeymoon period officially end, lol. The cleans from the Bad Cat sound really good as well. Still have yet to put another amp through it.
 
Re: Old JCM-800 2X12 with G12T-75s...why do I love this cabinet?

Zombie thread alert! So a slight update as I found this thread looking for some of my Jesuscaster posts, hahaha! I just had back surgery so it will be awhile before I get to this, but I loved the sound of this cabinet so much I didn't want to experiment with it. I actually did look for another older 75 so I could do all these experiments with my Buzzbomb 2X12 but I couldn't afford to pull the trigger on one and eventually stopped the search. I did put all my amps through this cabinet and every one sounded better than it did through anything else. All but one, which I still have to do which is my 1971 Univox U1246B head. Didn't do that because the cab is upstairs in a small family room and that amp is a Non master amp. Has to be in the basement to dime that sucker.

So bottom line, I kept this cabinet and will never regret that trade. I think he got the better of it money wise but when you find a piece of equipment that you just love, after awhile you totally forget about the cost because you realize it doesn't matter.
 
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