What's a Good Openback Cabinet?

Evan Skopp

Evan Skopp

SDUGF Founder
I've been using my Celtic EvanRude with an old prototype Seymour Duncan 2x10 cabinet loaded with Seymour Duncan-made-by-Eminence ceramic magnet speakers. It sounds great and all, but I was thinking I could get more of an authentic Fender sound with an openback cabinet.

Any ideas?

I'm looking for high clean headroom, which is why I'm favoring the ceramics.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
 
Re: What's a Good Openback Cabinet?

Open up the back of the cab you have.......

If you're gonna buy one, I'd recommend having Swanson build you a matching cab with maybe a convertible back.
 
Re: What's a Good Openback Cabinet?

Evan: The guys at Avatar are now making a fingerjointed cab (all their old cabs were just butt jointed and cleated which IMO is not very sturdy). The new cab is called the Avatar G212H Premier and can be had open or closed back (the open backs are made like a Matchless cab) and they can be had with lots of different speakers, prices run from $380 to $700. Great deal for a great cab. If you had specifics in mind you could go with Jeff Swanson and get a cab that matches, which would look cool but it wodl also cost a good bit of cash.
 
Re: What's a Good Openback Cabinet?

Hey Evan, I have been playing the 112 Mesa 3/4 cabs with the 90 watt Celestions for six years now and I have always been extremely happy with them. I use them with my Mesa rack but I have also been known to run my JCM 2203 through one and that sounds killer as well. I also ran a Krank head through one before giving the nod to have the amp shipped to Australia for one of our members and they sounded nice with that amp too. There have been a couple others that also sounded nice.

I'm very anal about my clean/pushed tones and these cabs always come through, very lush and complex sounding to my ears. I receintly did an a/b/c with the Celestion 90 watt speakers, Vintage 30s and g12h75s and the 90 watters won hands down.

With a lot of gain they have a nice tight bottom and plenty of top without sounding tubby or brittle.

Like all things Mesa they are a little pricey and a little heavy (about the size of a Twin - 3/4 birch ply ) but definately worth the effort for the tone.
 
Re: What's a Good Openback Cabinet?

Thanks Rob. Those are open backs?

Keep in mind, I'm looking for high decible clean headroom. I need to keep up with Seymour, and he plays loooooud. And I want to get my "dirt" from the SFX-03. Not from the amp.

You still think the Mesa cabs?
 
Re: What's a Good Openback Cabinet?

They are oversized 3/4 back cabs. The larger cab size IMHO helps keep them from sounding boxy whatsoever like so many smaller 112 cabs can sound.

With the Triaxis and the 2:90 I get gorgeous cleans and at levels that would make even Seymour duck for cover!
 
Re: What's a Good Openback Cabinet?

Evan,

The Evan-Rude is around 35-40 watts right? Whats Seymour playing through these days...still a Custom Vibrolux Reverb...is it stock? You should be able to keep up with a stock CVR with the Evan Rude and the right 2x12. The Avatar cabs I mentioned come open or closed back and the open back versions are done like a Matchless with the oval opening in the back...killer cabs and the price is for sure right!
 
Re: What's a Good Openback Cabinet?

The EvanRude is roughly 50 watts with a couple of 7581s (like 6L6GCs). Seymour either plays through the Vibrolux or a Line 6 Flextone II (I know, it's weird that he plays through a Line 6, but he says if he can sound good through that amp, people will realize how good his pickups really are).

I haven't gigged with the EvanRude amp or cabinet yet, so I don't know about volume levels and I won't know until our next gig in a couple of weeks. I'm going to try out my closed back SD cabinet first. That might cut just fine -- and the closed back might give me more of the clean headroom I'm looking for. I'll have a full report and a review of the amp after my first gig.

Thanks for your comments and advice.
 
Re: What's a Good Openback Cabinet?

I have a Rivera S120 head and use a Rivera 2X12 (can be open or closed back) for the Marshall-ish (channel 1) side loaded with old EV SRO alnicos and an old Peavey Classic 50 cabinet as an open back cab for the Fender side of the amp and this cab is loaded with 4 Eminence Alnico Blues. It really gets Channel 2 into a Super Reverb-ish tone zone.

gt5litre
 
Re: What's a Good Openback Cabinet?

Evan Skopp said:
The EvanRude is roughly 50 watts with a couple of 7581s (like 6L6GCs). Seymour either plays through the Vibrolux or a Line 6 Flextone II (I know, it's weird that he plays through a Line 6, but he says if he can sound good through that amp, people will realize how good his pickups really are).

I haven't gigged with the EvanRude amp or cabinet yet, so I don't know about volume levels and I won't know until our next gig in a couple of weeks. I'm going to try out my closed back SD cabinet first. That might cut just fine -- and the closed back might give me more of the clean headroom I'm looking for. I'll have a full report and a review of the amp after my first gig.

Thanks for your comments and advice.
Click to expand...

Seymour just sounds great through whatever amp he plays through...My guess...:laugh2:
 
Re: What's a Good Openback Cabinet?

PUCKBOY99 said:
Open up the back of the cab you have.......

If you're gonna buy one, I'd recommend having Swanson build you a matching cab with maybe a convertible back.
Click to expand...


I'd definitely go this route. A matching cab with your choice of grillcloth, and then something like a mix of Vin 30/G12H30.
 
Re: What's a Good Openback Cabinet?

Evan:

Have you given any thought to an Alnico and Ceramic mix?

I did exactly that with Little Jimi which is an open back cabinet and it gets a full well balanced tone spectrum that can be played clean and also handle pushed distorted tones.

For boosted tone, lately I have been using Tonebone's TRIMODE and am waiting for the local stores to stock the SFX-03, so that I can A/B it against several pedal combinations that I use and have used.
 
Re: What's a Good Openback Cabinet?

the guy who invented fire said:
The Alnico/Ceramic mix is amazing...I'm running a mix in my v front tweed Super and it's killer!
Click to expand...
And I'm running 2 4x10s with Alnico/Ceramic mixed....very very nice!

And FWIW, one cab is open & the other is closed:D
 
Re: What's a Good Openback Cabinet?

Hi Evan! I heard some really nice cabs from a company called Port City Music at the Dallas Guitar Show. They're not open back...they use a port located all along the bottem of the cab and get a great tone. The guitarist with Sting uses them. But if you want something more vintage, Bruce could certainly help you out with that. I'd recommend a cab about the size of a '59 tweed Super or '65 Vibrolux Reverb and I'd use Weber VST 10's: a mixture of Ted's C10Q and P10RT. I'll call Bruce and have him contact you. Lew
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

belensky
The Humbucker Archive: DiMarzio, EMG, BKP, Suhr & Duncan Tested – My Notes & Comparison Samples (Long Read)
2
Replies
31
Views
1K
freefrog
freefrog
Mincer
Introducing the PowerStage PS100 Stereo!
Replies
7
Views
795
jeremy
jeremy
Rich_S
Pickups for FREE Telecaster
Replies
19
Views
895
Rich_S
Rich_S
B
P-Rails and Tonewoods
Replies
12
Views
850
Mincer
Mincer
E
Celestion Creamback Review
Replies
17
Views
2K
Explorer84
E
Back
Top