Selling vintage 4x12 cabinets va selling the individual vintage speakers within them?

[Hiwatts and Gibsons]

I have to raise some money and have a good collection of both desirable vintage 4x12's ('72 Hiwatt SE412 and JCM800 1935 Lead), and the vintage speakers ('72 Fane Purple Label, and OG Celestion G12-65) in them.

From a practicality view point in terms of both shipping costs and speedy sales if you had to choose between selling would you try to sell them as loaded cabinets, or as individual speakers?

If you have had experience in regards to both that woyld.be especially helpful.
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[Securb]

I would definitely look into the value of the speakers. I recently was going to sell a cab for $400, then found out there were $1000 in rare vintage speakers in there. Don't just look at the speaker model; if there is a stamp on the cones, investigate, especially the Celestions

 

[uOpt]

Yeah. Unless you have a big catapult to deliver the cab anywhere instantly I would go the speaker selling route, then the empty cab on craigslist/local.

 

[Hiwatts and Gibsons]

I would definitely look into the value of the speakers. I recently was going to sell a cab for $400, then found out there were $1000 in rare vintage speakers in there. Don't just look at the speaker model; if there is a stamp on the cones, investigate, especially the Celestions

The '72 Hiwatt cab is definitely going for more then the individual Fane speakers from the listings I have found, but it hasn't moved after being up for a few weeks despite me pricing it significantly lower than other cabs from the same time period. However the speakers themselves currently list for pretty high prices, and would come out around the same $ as I have the cab listed for currently without having to pay the crazy shipping costs to move such a large 4x12.

 

[Securb]

Check out this article before selling the speakers

https://www.bygonetones.com/vintage-celestion-guitar-speaker-cones.html#Transitional

 

[El Dunco]

I find you make more in total parting out the speakers, even as a quartet, then you can either sell the cabinet, fill it with cheaper but passable speakers or keep the cabinet if you can find a killer deal on your speakers of choice.

 

[Hiwatts and Gibsons]

I hate feakin' option anxiety.

Trying to decide which two to sell out of...

Two early '80s EVM12L's
Two Celestion G12H-100's
Two vintage G12-65's (lead cone)

Pretty sure I am parting with the vintage Purple Label Fanes, but out of the others I am stuck.

The vintage Fane loaded Hiwatt cab is gorgeous for clean to midgain tones, but not so much for hard rock/metal and I tend to play more of those styles.

Also my SRO12 alnico/Fane Medusa 30 loaded 4x12, Fane AXA12/Celestion G12H30 (55hz) loaded 4x12, two JCM800 1935 4x12 cabs one with 55hz G12-65's and one with 75hz G12-65's, and my SRO12 alnico loaded Boogie Half-Back 2x12 cabs all crank out gorgeous clean to mid-gain tones as well as awesome hard rock and metal tones.

Then there is my Electric Amps Green 4x12 loaded with EVM12L's and G12H-100's. That cab excels at metal tones both pristine clean and high gain or with heavy fuzz. But more vintage cleans and classic rock crunch tones are kinda lacking.

As much as I love that cab's sledgehammer punch for heavy styles the two EVM12L's are heavy af, and replacing them with the two Fane AXA12'S would lighten the cab by 15 lbs or so, while bringing the amazing midrange richness the cab lacks for more classic crunch tones and vintage British cleans that are more nuanced. I know I will lose some lowend punch, but between the 100 watt G12H-100's and Fane AXA12's the lowend should still be quite stout, and not lose too much thump. Neither the Celestions or Fanes can be described as thin or lacking lowend, they just aren't quite as percussive or articulate in the lows.

 

[El Dunco]

I’d be very interested in some of those speakers. What’s the 65? A GK?

 

[Hiwatts and Gibsons]

I’d be very interested in some of those speakers. What’s the 65? A GK?

No, they're vintage G12-65's that were in the 'Marshall 4x12's from the 70s and '80s. These are in a vintage JCM800 1935 Lead 4x12. They are the speakers the Heritage G12-65 is a reissue of. Tbt they have slid to last place in the speakers I am willing to as they deliver that British rock sound in spades, and paired with my 1935 Bass cab with the 55hz versions the same speaker sound just insanely huge with my Hiwatt for '70s and '80s rock and metal tones..

I am probably going to off the EVM12L's which are also from the '80s. I love the EVM12L's, but have 4 EV SRO12's I love even more.