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are any cheap mass produced 4x12 cabs super loud?


earthoverdrive

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I'm looking for more volume and am hoping to avoid spending $1,200+

Currently have a goofy pair of cabs- Stagecraft 300 watt vertical slant 2x12 with Eminence Swamp Thangs and an old no name 300 watt slant 4x12 with blank speakers. Both are 8 ohm. I tend to prefer using solid state amps with a distortion pedal because they are tight(before they clip anyway) but I've been having trouble getting enough volume for practice using my Ampeg SS 150 head(200+ watts at 4 ohms I think) into these cabs. Also tried my Ampeg as a preamp into my friends Mosvalve 500 power amp which ended up clipping and smelling like it was ready to melt after about 90 minutes although it did give me a bit more headroom than the Ampeg. Both of these amps are 20+ years old and possibly on the fritz but I've had people suggest that I should be getting enough volume out of them with the right pair of 4x12s. Even two loaded Avatar 4x12s shipped will run me over $1,200 and that's a relatively good deal.

 

I'm hoping there might be a Crate or some other cheap, easy to find used at Guitar Center 4x12 that has super efficient/loud high wattage handling speakers that don't break up easy when pushed and the right qualities to push a lot of air in the same way some expensive cabs do.

 

If I'm dreaming and no such cabs exist I would appreciate recommendations for mid-range priced super loud cabs, loaded or unloaded. I hear that bigger and heavier tends to be louder but I'm hoping to keep the weight under 100 lbs if possible.

 

Avatar and Stagecraft seem to be cheaper than most of the other no middleman cab companies but I don't know how loud their 4x12s actually are.

 

I am planning on maybe upgrading to either a 200-300 watt tube head or 500-800 watt SS power amp but want to get new cabs first.

 

I play B tuned metal with a very high gain pedal by the way. Drums + us all wearing earplugs at practice = needing mondo guitar and bass volume. As it is they can't hear me well enough unless I'm clipping which makes my tone sound like ass.

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The Peavey Butcher/VTM cabs usually go for $100 to $150 and are often loaded with G12K85s.

 

Changing to a tube amp (as you mentioned) might help your situation. They often cut through the mix better and can be perceived as louder than solid state, at least IMO.

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The Peavey Butcher/VTM cabs usually go for $100 to $150 and are often loaded with G12K85s.


Changing to a tube amp (as you mentioned) might help your situation. They often cut through the mix better and can be perceived as louder than solid state, at least IMO.

 

 

Guessing those Peavey cabs are 16 ohms. Wouldn't be a problem with a high power SS rack amp but with my Ampeg that would be an 8 ohm load vs the 4 I current have with my cabs. Just read that the those speakers are rated at 99 to 100 dB. Would prefer 102 or 103.

 

I do have a tube amp- Laney GH50 which breaks up way too fast. I imagine the 100 watt version would be somewhat better but I doubt it would have the amount of headroom I like. For tube I'd want to go ever bigger but the idea of hauling around an 80+lb head to gigs doesn't appeal to me very much. Plus there is the cost involved in buying one. For $300 I could theoretically get all the super light class D solid state power one would ever want.

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The only thing I can think of is the Peavey 412M series cabs. The speakers are Sheffield 1200's which aren't terrible, are 75 watts each and the cabs are decent build quality. I sold to of them for 125$ a piece a few years ago. I'm not sure about their sensitivity, but a 300 watt mono cab should give you decent enough headroom.

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You are running high wattage amp but imo solid state never cuts as well in a mix as tube. Sounds like your problem might be more in your amps than in your cabs.

 

 

+1 the difference between 120 crate ss watts and 120 tube watts is immense. Also if the no name cab has low efficiency speakers you might actually be making your whole setup quieter by running it as the swamp thang cab is only recieving half the power and Swamp Thangs are loud speakers.

 

My band has been known to play super loud, so loud in fact that ive had to renail down my siding as the ring shanks were backing out on the practice room outside walls. I use a peavey triple xxx 2x12 combo thru a g-flex 2x12 and have never had a problem with cut even thru my bassists 1000w setup.

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The old Peavey cabs that came stock with G12K85's FTW. My broe bought one awhile back for $150. Sold the cab empty for $50 & kept the speakers for an empty 1960B he had laying around. $100 for 4 G12K85's is a steal.

 

Those 90's Ampeg full size 4x12's (looked kinda like a Marshall 1960) are cheap & loud. Crate had a version of the same cab, just had diffrent tolex & grille that can be had for nothing. Ugly as sin, but will work.

 

Dont forget the 80's Carvin 4x12's (the ones that look like the metal grilled Mesas from that era) . Those cabs slay, and can be had super cheap. Sound good & look good too.

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If we're talkin single 4x12's, I'd rather have a 1960B. A bottom cab sounds bigge, to my ears. (More air space, no split baffle like a 60A. Remove casters & sit directly on the ground. win. )

 

 

Yep.

 

Also, if you are having trouble hearing eachother with 100 watt amps, maybe you are playing in too small of a room?

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Yep.


Also, if you are having trouble hearing eachother with 100 watt amps, maybe you are playing in too small of a room?

 

 

OR perhaps some setting changes on the amps. Simple adjustments of the Presence, bass, mids, and treble can remedy things.

 

I always LOL at the guys who complain they cant hear their amp, so they turn up the volume..meanwhile, the mids are scooped all the way out.

 

(not always the case, but it happens)

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The only thing I can think of is the Peavey 412M series cabs. The speakers are Sheffield 1200's which aren't terrible, are 75 watts each and the cabs are decent build quality. I sold to of them for 125$ a piece a few years ago. I'm not sure about their sensitivity, but a 300 watt mono cab should give you decent enough headroom.

 

 

I like that price. Do Sheffield 1200s break up fast? That I don't want.

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+1 the difference between 120 crate ss watts and 120 tube watts is immense. Also if the no name cab has low efficiency speakers you might actually be making your whole setup quieter by running it as the swamp thang cab is only recieving half the power and Swamp Thangs are loud speakers.


My band has been known to play super loud, so loud in fact that ive had to renail down my siding as the ring shanks were backing out on the practice room outside walls. I use a peavey triple xxx 2x12 combo thru a g-flex 2x12 and have never had a problem with cut even thru my bassists 1000w setup.

 

 

I'm full on board with getting super efficient speakers, to the point where when someone says a certain cab is good and I read that the speakers are only rated at 99 dB I wish they were 102 or 103.

 

Tube amps do tend to sound louder watt for watt, I agree, but I don't want the breakup and compression that most of them produce when you crank way up. I'd like to keep my Laney GH50 for E tuned rock but I'll probably have to sell it to finance buying new gear for my metal band.

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You are running high wattage amp but imo solid state never cuts as well in a mix as tube. Sounds like your problem might be more in your amps than in your cabs.

 

 

My first idea was to go with a mondo wattage solid state power amp but I don't want to destroy my speakers. For a tube amp I'd need something super clean(Fender?) or 200-300 watts.

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The old Peavey cabs that came stock with G12K85's FTW. My broe bought one awhile back for $150. Sold the cab empty for $50 & kept the speakers for an empty 1960B he had laying around. $100 for 4 G12K85's is a steal.


Those 90's Ampeg full size 4x12's (looked kinda like a Marshall 1960) are cheap & loud. Crate had a version of the same cab, just had diffrent tolex & grille that can be had for nothing. Ugly as sin, but will work.


Dont forget the 80's Carvin 4x12's (the ones that look like the metal grilled Mesas from that era) . Those cabs slay, and can be had super cheap. Sound good & look good too.

 

 

 

Cool. I'll read up on these. Probably turn up used on Craigslist and at Guitar Center from time to time.

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buy a single used Marshall 1960a. it will put out more sound and awesome than either of the cabs you are currently using. 1960's are cheap as {censored} on craigslist. Like $300, little man.

 

 

So if I had the full stack I should be set I would think. What speakers tend to be in these? Little man? lol

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Quote Originally Posted by almightycrunch View Post
having trouble being loud enough for "practice" with a 120 watt amp? icon_lol.gif

wow
My Ampeg SS 150 is around 200 watts at 4 ohms. We all wear earplugs(because being able to hear is nice). No way around needed tons of volume. When they ask me to turn up and I can't without clipping(solid state) or getting too much sludgy breakup(tube) I know it's time to make changes.
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Quote Originally Posted by BEMUSofNthAmrca View Post
Yep.

Also, if you are having trouble hearing eachother with 100 watt amps, maybe you are playing in too small of a room?
The room is fairly small, it's in my basement. We have to make do, no money to rent a larger space somewhere else. Our bass player now has a powerful enough amp so I can hear him across the room but it means I have to turn up more.
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Quote Originally Posted by 100 watt View Post
OR perhaps some setting changes on the amps. Simple adjustments of the Presence, bass, mids, and treble can remedy things.

I always LOL at the guys who complain they cant hear their amp, so they turn up the volume..meanwhile, the mids are scooped all the way out.

(not always the case, but it happens)
My distortion pedal(Amptweaker TightMetal with the "thrash" switch on) does have somewhat scooped mids but it's not to a ridiculous extent. I don't like too much presence, high mids, and treble in my tone. This means I need more power it seems. I like a balanced but dark tone.
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Quote Originally Posted by theAntihero

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Also if the no name cab has low efficiency speakers you might actually be making your whole setup quieter by running it as the swamp thang cab is only recieving half the power and Swamp Thangs are loud speakers.

 

You might be right. If I replaced that no name cab with something louder I might be fine having the 2x12 on top I'm thinking.
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Quote Originally Posted by earthoverdrive View Post
The room is fairly small, it's in my basement. We have to make do, no money to rent a larger space somewhere else. Our bass player now has a powerful enough amp so I can hear him across the room but it means I have to turn up more.
I hate to say it, but if your room is too small, you have to turn down. Otherwise, it will always sound like {censored}. Loud bands need room to breath. It sucks, but I've been in loud bands that play in small spaces. When we didn't know any better, we would crank our amps and always wonder why we sound like {censored}. Then we would play a show in a big hall and suddenly at the same amp settings, we sounded amazing. It's the room. You have to adjust to the size of the room you are playing in.

Playing super loud in a small room can be death for your ears.

It sounds like you want to keep going louder and louder to make up for it. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe your room is big enough, but based on the gear you already have, I can't see you needing to be louder.

How big is your bassists amp? I'd like to know what you are "competing" with. I don't like the word compete because you should never have to compete with your bandmates to be heard.
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