4x12 Guitar Cabinets

I acquired this can in the late nineties. I ran this can for about ten years before selling it off (more on that later). My musical stylings were varied over the years: hard rock, metal, pop, punk, rock, atmospheric...but mostly aggressive and loud. I had started playing in 1986 and had a Peavey 4x12 back then, but along the way I downsized to 1x12s. Once I got a live gig happening, I realized I really wanted to push some air. If you're able to play at loud volumes over 90dbs, a 4x12 can really make your chest rumble and your pants sway in the awesome power. I figured all my heroes had Marshall, so time to step up to the big time. Yes, this cab really worked well for me; I played countless practices and dozens of gigs and the cab never failed me- it was a rock. As the years went on, I started seeing different companies putting out products that appeared to be higher quality (based on reviews). People spoke of the abrasive nature of the speakers in the Marshall...perhaps mine was broken in, because I really enjoyed the sound. Perhaps in hindsight it was a bit sharp sounding? This made me want to upgrade...I eventually landed Marshall AV, which sports a higher price tag and v30 speakers. I had the 2 cabs side by side for awhile. I honestly didn't hear a HUGE differnce, perhaps the v30s were a bit warmer and pleasing. Hard to really judge, since the av was a slant and this cab was straight. I enjoyed having 1 cab at home with me for recording, and 1 cab at our band's rehearsal (yeah, no more transporting!). In the end, my band blew up and I realized that I no longer needed 2 4x12s, so this standard cab was sold in order for me to keep the av. A great feature of the cab is the ability to go mono or stereo. The mono was utilized for high volumes with 1 amp. The stereo was great for using 2 amps at the same time, creating a huge monster tone. Or, use 1 side of the stereo setup to reduce volume. Speaking of volume, the only times I could really pound the decibals was at rehearsal. Live shows at local clubs/bars had the soundguy tell me "turn it down" to the point where the 4x12 was ridiculous; the quiet volumes could have easily been produced by a 2x12 or even 1x12. However, hard rock/metal doesn't really sound right with smaller cabs, so there is the quandry. Also, when we gigged up in New York City, I downright felt foolish bringing my 4x12 on stage- everybody had a smaller cab! It is important to note the situations you may encounter. These days I have an oversized vertical Mesa 2x12 that sounds great. Not quite as big as a 4x12, but very close. the Mesa sound is meaner than the Aerosmith-ish tones of a Marshall, so that made it a good choice for me. Also, the 2x12 can fit right into any car's trunk, and its weight is manageable. I still have a large cab at home, but I don't see it ever leaving the home studio. If I had to do it again, I'd probably stay away from the pricier Marshalls. As long as you find a cab that is well constructed (and plenty built better than current Marshall materials), the key is the speaker choice. I hate to give this a bad rating since it served me well, but I'm finding Marshalls are priced too high and at this point you're paying for the name. Your mileage may vary.

I have owned a ton of speaker cabinets in my day. I currently own 6 4x12's, 3 of them being Marshall. The 1960TV is a great cabinet. It looks amazing with it's 'blues breaker' like grille cloth and small logo. If you didn't know, the 1960TV's and 1960AX's are the Marshall cabs that come with Celestion Greenbacks. I am honestly not a huge fan of the Greenbacks for the style of music I play (heard rock/ metal), but they would sound great for classic rock. My issue with them is the 75Hz bass rolloff. Even if I am toiling in bass guitar territory below that, I would like a more extended bass response. They do have very nice mids though! Construction wise, the cab is built as well or better than the other 1960 cabs. Actually, my TV has a plywood back panel as opposed to a particle board one, so that's a huge plus. Marshall is pretty cheap with some of the components, such as plastic handles, crappy casters, thin tolex, and plastic jack cups. Aside from that, they are pretty awesome. They tend to sound a little more loose than say a Mesa 4x12. One thing that bugs me about the cab, is I never really heard much of the extra bass that the cab promised. Sure, it is taller, but it doesn't sound bigger or anything. To be honest, I think Marshall got the 4x12 cab size down the first time. I would, however, be interested in a TV with a straight front. That would look killer! Overall, this is a great cab. But it really isn't that much different than the 1960's sound wise, aside form the Greenbacks. You can find 1960 cabs used for very cheap, so I really believe you are paying for the aesthetics on this one more than anything.

I bought mine from Musiciansfriend.com for about $250 including tax and the shipping, the shipping added in like an extra $50, but it's worth it! This cab is great, it can handle up to 400 watts! It gets very loud. Your tone comes through very nicely with this cab. I use Peavey amps, I have a few Peavey heads and cabs, I ordered the Behringer cab because I ordered another Peavey Head and was low on $, so I found a Behringer cab. I am so impressed with this cabinet, I am ordering a few more now, I like them better than a few of my Peavey cabs. I ordered 3 more of the Behringer 4x12 cabs, 2 straight, and 1 more angled one, they should arrive in a day or so. Don't think this is just some crappy, cheap cab, this thing is better than many cabs I've played through. It weighs much more than most of my other cabs, and since I ordered more, I am gonna have to get some more help bringing these things around. I think they weigh about 103 pounds, most cabs weigh in the area of about 75-85 pounds. A few extra pounds is worth lugging around, because these amps are worth every penny! Also, I replaced the wheels, the stock wheels are pretty annoying. When I order my 1st Behringer cab, 1st off, UPS screwed up my delivery a few times, 2nd, one of the speakers inside were dead, sent it back, musiciansfriend sent me a new one no charge, the even paid S&H, but once again, UPS screwed up my delivery. It took me a while to get my cab, but it was worth the wait. These things are tough, I just wouldn't be kicking in the grill or anything. They weigh about 103 pounds, so they are very tough, built nice and strong. You see the price and think, "they are probably cheap crappy amps," I don't care if you don't buy them, they are like my secret weapons. They came out with a brand new head, the LX1200H, I already ordered two of them, they are on the way. I tried one of the new heads already, you want versatility and great sound, literally, check them out. Behringer has become my secret weapon. I can't wait till my Behringer heads come in, everyone is going to be asking what I use, only the people who read this review will know. And yes, I've played through more amps than most people, Marshall sucks, they are overated and overpriced, Fender is good, but not good enough, Peavey is awesome, I own a ton of Peavey amps, no complaint with them. I've played through a bunch of other amps too, I just wouldn't spend so much $ on most of them. Trust me, check out Behringer, they are secret weapons! This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I play a Framus cobra 100 watt tube amp and occasionally use a peavey 5150 or Hughes & Kettner triamp. I mostly play heavier music but also dabble in ambient looping and classic rock tunes. This is an absolute beast of a cab. The standard orange 4x12 has Celestion vintage 30 speakers while this cab has Celestion g12h30 speakers, a center beam, and some different tolex pipping. I have previously used a Carvin legacy 4x12 with vinatage 30 speakers, Mesa Boogie oversized recto 4x13 with v30's, Hughes & Ketnner triamp cab with green backs, Carvin v412 with carvin british speakers, and a madison 4x12 with some sort of eminence speakers. The Orange killed them all by a mile. I would describe the g12h30 speakers as being the middle ground between Celestion green backs and vintage 30s. They are lower wattage which might turn some people away but I have not had any issues with volume and my band is loud. They have that a bit of that great green back speaker breakup but handle bass like a v30 without getting harsh. Vintage 30 speakers can fizz out quite easily in a live setting but these g12h30s just sound great at all volumes. The legacy was my previous favorite but I always struggled to maintain a balance between cutting through a mix and keeping the treble under control. Sometimes I would run it together with the triamp cab and it sounded great but dragging two large cabs is not something I like to do all the time. The orange cab gives me a similar sound in half the space. The construction of this cab is just amazing and you can tell how it's built when trying to lift it. This thing is easily the heaviest cabinet I have ever had the (dis)pleasure of lifting. They do not come with wheels either but I love the feeling of the stage shacking when palm muting through this cab. The only thing that is a bit cheap are the corner protectors. Mine are already coming off but I plan on installing some of the larger metal kind you see on road cases.

This is a Peavey cabinet with Sheffield speakers, which is the Peavey equivalent of Celestions. It is switchable between mono and stereo, is rugged but not too heavy, has wheels, and can really take a beating on stage or on the road between gigs. The speakers sound really full and can produce great tones at a variety of volumes. In the nearly ten years I have owned this cab I've never had any problems with anything rattling inside the cab, nor any buzzing from the speakers. The front grill of the cabinet is metal and removable, making it relatively easy to paint. This is great for customizing your own rig and giving your band (or just yourself) a really unique look. I was lucky enough to have bought this cab for $100 from a family member! I'll probably never sell it, unless I really need to scale down the size of my rig. I liked this cabinet so much that I had to seek out a matching straight cab (bottom, not slanted cab) that cost me four times as much and was not in as good condition. However, with both of those cabinets paired together, it makes for the ultimate full-stack. For live, I think this is an excellent cabinet, due to its ruggedness and consistent sound. I have used it to record, but in my opinion, a better tone can be found with a more expensive branded, single 12" cabinet, such as a Mesa Boogie with a Black Shadow speaker or a higher-end Marshall with a Celestion. If you can get one used, just check out the sound first to make sure there aren't any problems, and you'll probably be good for a long time with one of these. Just keep in mind that this cabinet is only going to sound as good as the amplifier that it is paired with. I have used this cab with a Fender Roc Pro 1000, a Marshall JCM2000, and a Mesa Boogie Single Rectifier, and by far the Single Rect had the best sound through this cabinet.

I bought this ultra heavy speaker box in 2007 for around AU $450 because I had heard good things about them. I've used it on a Vox valvestate as an extension speaker and then a Bugera 333 Infinium head. I also own two original Rola Celestion greenbacks from the early 70's. I have also owned Marshall 1960A quads in 12 and 10 inch configurations and a 2 x 12 Marshall box. Why did I give it 5 stars? Compared to my original 70's greenbacks, they have a similar frequency response except that the greenbacks have stronger upper mids which are quite nasal. Greenbacks also have very tight low end whereas the Behringer's bass and treble are a bit softer. Now, there's a caveat on this review. My understanding is that the Behringer cab is made of chipboard whereas my greenback enclosure is made of ply and pine. My experience is that chipboard takes away some of the high end and makes the low end less refined (something to do with how the sound reflects inside the cab and absorption of frequencies). I bet if I put the Behringer (i.e. Bugera) speakers in a plywood cab that the sound would improve somewhat. But the cab sounds pretty good as is. In fact, I like that the speakers take away the harshness of my valve amp. The original greenbacks are great but the nasal upper mid range reminds me too much of Marshall in your face sound. I like even mellow tones that stand out but don't overpower. With some EQ-ing, I can dial the upper mid range back in. Not quite the same as a greenback but in a mix no one can tell the difference. If you want the standard Marshall chugga-chugga in your face, go for a Marshall quad. If you want death metal, go for an Engl cab. But if you want a pleasant all-round tone that does rock, fusion, crunch, overdrive and clean sounds well, then this is a great cab. Considering the price, you can't lose. Although I haven't opened up this cab (which is unusual for me), it appears to be well built but it's bloody heavy. Then again, it's been in my studio for 11 years and last time I moved, removalists did the back breaking work for me. Bugera, which is owned by Behringer, now make quad boxes. They go for around AU $460. The speakers in the Bugera cabs are called 'Turbo Sound'. I have no idea whether they are the same speakers just rebranded. If you come across a Behringer version and you're into jazz, rock and fusion, this is a great cab.

Ok, so Marshall 1960A cabs are literally everywhere. You can find them in probably every major city in the world. But, the 1960B cabs are a lot less prevalent for some reason. I actually much prefer the B cabs because of their straight baffle. They tend to sound a little bit beefier and less piercing. The standard B cabs come with G12T75's which tend to work well with the mid heavy voicing of most Marshalls, but the BV cabs are where it's at! the V in BV stands for Vintage, and that is referring to the Celestion Vintage 30; probably the most popular speaker in rock. They are just very versatile speakers in general. Sounds quality is top notch. Marshall cabs might be a little looser than say a Mesa Rectifier cab, but really they sound great. My only gripe about Marshall cabs is construction wise. But, I'm not talking about general cab constructions. They do cut corners a bit with the particle board back, but that's not a huge deal. The handles, corners, casters, and switch-plate are all cheap. There is no excuse for this on a 1k cab. The great thing about Marshall cabs is that you can find them for dirt cheap. There are so many that you can literally buy them for $200 if you find the right cab. Not the best cab out there, but it does the job very very well.

I purchased this cabinet with my Soldano Atomic 16 head for 1k. Overall, this is a great speaker cabinet. You don't see these pop up too often on the used market. But, when they do they tend to go for relatively low prices. Sizewise, they are a little smaller than the Marshall 1960 or the Mesa Traditional cab. They are also somewhat lighter in weight, which is nice. They are made of marine grade baltic birch ply, and are super strong. I don't find them quite as aesthetically pleasing that the Marshall 1960, but that's just me. They are a little plain looking. The metal handles and all the appointments blow away the Marshal cabs, so that's big plus. Everything it top notch. The speakers are also front loaded, which makes swapping speakers pretty easy. You just take off the grill cloth and frame which is actually attached with some very strong velcro. Super convenient! I've heard front loaded cabs are actually a lot punchier than rear loaded ones, but I haven't really noticed anything too convincing. Probably the best part about the cab, are the custom X12000 speakers made by Eminence. They are like Vintage 30's without the mid spike. Sometimes, they can sound almost too smooth. I might drop in a pair of V30's just to even them out. Oddly enough, I probably use this cab the least, but I plan on trying it out with some of my newer amp acquisitions. I've had it the longest out of all my cabs, so I got somewhat sick of the sound.

I am almost positive that the Marshal 1960A cabinet is the most prevalent speaker cabinet on the planet. I myself, have owned 6 or 7 of them over the last few years. Sure, they may not be as refined as other cabs out there, but nothing says rock like a Marshall cab. No matter how many times I sell all of my 1960 cabs, I end up finding a great deal on a used one and I snag it. These cabs come loaded with Celestion G12T-75's. They are far from being my favorite speaker. But, they can do the job. I find them somewhat harsh and scooped, but that may work in your favor if you have a very mid heavy amp. I just think they are way too 'colored' and I wish these cabs came with something a little more neutral. As I mentioned in my 1960TV review, these cabs are great, but have some cheap parts. The handles, casters, tolex, and jack assembly are very cheap. These are what tend to crack, break, tear, and get messed up on these cabs. Also, the wiring is somewhat thin and cheap. I'm not a big fan of the particle board back panel. If you can overlook these things, or upgrade them, you have the potential to snag a great cab for stupid cheap. I have never paid more than $400 for one of these, and that was with Vintage 30's. The two I currently own now, I purchased for $200 a piece. That's crazy! Also, they have the look and tend to look more and more awesome with wear. Overall, you honestly can't go wrong with one. I prefer the 1960B (straight front), but a 1960A will do you right.

I am Brent Kathrens,I've been playing guitar for 7 years now. I play the following guitars. Epiphone Les Paul custom, and an Ibanez RG 350 DX. I have a Peavey Triple XXX half stack that I run my gear threw. I play in a metal band called In Sight of Silence and have for the past 4 years now starting from the ground up. I listen to a variety of music such as metal, country, radio rock, and classical music. I bought the amp used at Gearsourse Music For about $1300. I played every amp in that store with my then newly bought Ibanez RG 350 DX. The Tripple X stood out to me. I love everything about the Peavey Triple XXX. Its got dual distortion channels and a smooth clean channel. It's got sweet dampening controls tight medium and loose, and each channel's controls let you get the sound you want. It also has an effects loop spot with pre and post controls. The best part about it is the tubes. its got 4 preamp 12ax7s and 4 interchangeable El34s or 6l6gcs. I don't like how heavy the amp is but thats a given considering its all tube. this amp is heavy duty as is much of Peavey equipment. Over all this amp (or any Peavey amp) is a must have, its durable and has great sound. I recommend ruby tube 6l6GCs for the most natural sound from the amp. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I got the spider II 75 watt from music123.com last christmas. I needed a decent amp that was good sounding and loud enough to play over drums. At fist I was looking in the $200 price range but i found nothing that looked like the same quality of the spider II. I went to line6.com and listen to the sample tracks that were made with the guityar, and man thats when i was really turned on, it sounded awsome, and sounds even better at home. So I decided to spring for the extra 100 bucks and get a really good amp. What isnt there to like about this amp? I have a 150$ epiphone sg and it makes it sound like a thousand dollar gibson. The best part of the amp is the 12 different amp models, its like having 12 different amps in one, and no area is left behind. If ur into anything from rock to country to blues to death metal, it has everything. The tone is crasy, i can play on clean all day and if what they have already created isnt enough then you can create your own sounds with the 7 effects, with a sepatate gain and reverb knob. The only thing that I think that could make this amp any better would be to have a foot switch pedal so that you could switch between the different effects without pressing any buttons or changing the effects with the knobs. You can buy one separate if u wanna fork up ike 70 bucks. Ive only brought the amp to my friends houses and its held up well. It looks like it could take a beating though, it has plastic protectors over the corners to prevent damage whick is a nice touch. I think that is safe to say that gigging would be no problem, you could kick this thing and it wouldnt harm anything on it. Nothing is flimsy or damaged so far on mine. If ur a beginner or a every weekend gigger, this is a great choice for an amp. Now they even make a 30 watt and they also have a half stack. No matter what style music you play, this thing can cover it, i recomend going to line6.com, there is tons of good info on there. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

How Purchased: (1)New 2003 and (1)New 2004 model. Cost: 1199.00 a piece. Where: A little store in Ft. Worth, Tx Why I purchased: Conducted solid bench test and research for MY sound. Compared sound to other manufactures/models and decided on 2 Marshall MF heads for my rig. So far, both heads prove to be solid performers. I'm a metal musician (lead gutitar player 14 year vet). The MF gets its best reviews for good cleans and bottom end for detuned axes. However, my Gibson Vs and RR1s cut through nice and clear with standard tuning as well. (My bass player and drummer love me for it)! Dialing in MY tone took a little work but I was successful at achieving the "singing tone" along with the feedback and saturation I deperately depend on. Ah yes, feedback! Achieiving and controlling it has never been sweeter! (As we all know, pickups have a lot to do with it too). Yes, I'll agree that the MF is a little weak and thin to some degree but all hybrids are. Also, the MF sounds DARKER than say the TSL/DSL/2203s. That's because its a Marshall hybrid (Solid State) and the head/cab combinations i.e., MF400 A/B Anyway, I like this particular hybrid because it is simple, explosive and to the point. I prefer not having to deal with the expense and care of hotroding/biasing/tube matching of say a JCM 800 etc.. However, to each his own. Actually, I owe a lot to the aforementioned Marshalls. They set the stage and were the spring board to the sound I have now! With a little tweaking, I have the tube sound through the MF. The first stage to achieving MY tone is a solid performing graphic EQ run through the effects loop. Talk about boosting signals and tone shaping! The MF loves it! Thats only the first stage though and newer guitarist will have to dig in and find THEIR sound like us veterans. Good luck! I bought two of em, so that should sum up how I feel about this particular hybrid. The overall contruction of the Marshall Mode Four is highly comparable to most of the big boys in the Marshall line up. Solid as a rock! The cooling fans in both heads needed extra care by adding a little machine oil to reduce friction hum. **Always take time to perform minor maintenance checks on your gear.** Bottom line: I'm a personal fan of the British made Marshall, so I'm a little biased. If it weren't Jim... Anyway, both hybrids are a powerful selection to MY inventory and fit my taste well. When I step off stage at the end of a gig, I'm told my sound is "awesome." It makes me feel freakin good to hear that! Ultimately, I'm glad that I selected something from the Marshall family that pleases my taste and encourages me to play! This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com