glassjaw7 « Suits most amps and playing styles »
Published on 03/20/11 at 23:09I bought the Carvin slant 412 cab as a half-stack package along with the MTS 3200 head which I also wrote a review on. The cab is a slant design and its dimensions are similar to those of Marshall's 1960 slant cab.
The cab is wired at 8 ohms and can be run in mono or stereo, which is selected via a switch on the rear panel of the cab. The speakers in this cab are front loaded.
The current Carvin cabinets are shipped with Celestion V30 speakers (chinese made, I believe) but mine is the older model and is loaded with 4 Carvin BR12 100 watt speakers. They are described as having a vintage british sound. I find them to have a fairly present and somewhat dark and smooth tone. They are not as bright or "spiky" sounding as my Mesa cab rear loaded with V30s.
The Carvin cab has a very evenly distributed tone that fills the room and sounds mostly the same no matter where you are standing on stage or in the room. This is the exact opposite of what I experience with my Mesa 212 cab, which is very directional. I believe this is a combination of the cab's dimensions and the fact that it's front loaded. Very omni-directional.
The BR12s don't have quite the complex character that some higher-end speakers have, nor do they cut as well in the mix, but the tradeoff is smooth creamy tone that is perfect for lead playing. I find that it's best to stack this 412 on top of my Mesa 212. That way I get the smoother Carvin tone and the cut and punch from the Mesa V30s.
I highly recommend this cab to anyone looking to add a solid 412 to their arsenal, and especially to lead players who want a smooth tone and a lot of power. The BR12 speakers are a nice alternative to the more common popular brands that most players use. They have a unique voice.
The cab is wired at 8 ohms and can be run in mono or stereo, which is selected via a switch on the rear panel of the cab. The speakers in this cab are front loaded.
The current Carvin cabinets are shipped with Celestion V30 speakers (chinese made, I believe) but mine is the older model and is loaded with 4 Carvin BR12 100 watt speakers. They are described as having a vintage british sound. I find them to have a fairly present and somewhat dark and smooth tone. They are not as bright or "spiky" sounding as my Mesa cab rear loaded with V30s.
The Carvin cab has a very evenly distributed tone that fills the room and sounds mostly the same no matter where you are standing on stage or in the room. This is the exact opposite of what I experience with my Mesa 212 cab, which is very directional. I believe this is a combination of the cab's dimensions and the fact that it's front loaded. Very omni-directional.
The BR12s don't have quite the complex character that some higher-end speakers have, nor do they cut as well in the mix, but the tradeoff is smooth creamy tone that is perfect for lead playing. I find that it's best to stack this 412 on top of my Mesa 212. That way I get the smoother Carvin tone and the cut and punch from the Mesa V30s.
I highly recommend this cab to anyone looking to add a solid 412 to their arsenal, and especially to lead players who want a smooth tone and a lot of power. The BR12 speakers are a nice alternative to the more common popular brands that most players use. They have a unique voice.