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How much effect does a cab have on tone?


Cliff Fiscal

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All of it?
Is there any benefit to dampening materials in a guitar cab
?

 

 

Only if it needs dampening.

 

If you think it sounds "dark/dead", take out the dampening material.

 

Also, Try it in another room. I don't know how much you gig, but my old basement/practice/jam room was just plain bright as {censored}. You might have curtains/couches/carpet/etc that absorbs all of the highs.

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Depends on the material. Take it out and if sounds better leave it out. If not put it back in :idea:

 

The foam can be used for a few purposes depending on density and shape. Sometimes its used to effectively increase the internal volume which gives the cab a lower tuning or it can be used to break up the reflections from the baffle back to the speaker.

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I'd say half if not more depending on the amp.


My HK, or V3's sounded like crap with the stock cabs/speakers, but sound great on my beat to hell 30 year old Marshall cab GB's. Even my old 2203 Marshall head sounded like crap on the HK 412 for the Switchblade. The Carvin cab for the V3 sounded like poo too. Got rid of them both and just kept the trusty Marshall cab. IDK, maybe I'm just used to that older cab's sound.

 

 

This. The cab can and will make or break the tone.

 

If I had to choose between a better cab and an average amp or a better amp/average cab, I'd take the better cab every time.

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My Blackstar HT-5 combo was {censored}ing awful.

I tried it through a 1x12" with a V30 and a 4x12" with greenbacks and it sounded great.

 

I tried swapping the speaker out to a nice Eminence and a G10 greenback. Still sounded {censored}.

 

I guess the cabinet itself was too small and made of crappy wood.

 

My Dual Recto sounds OK with a Marshall 1960, but great with its own Mesa cab.

Annoying, cos very unlikely to get a Mesa house cab.

In fact, most likely to get an MG 4x12"

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It would probably sound good in a concrete basement....but then again mobile homes don't have basements.
:idk:

Crazy poor people.


(if the guy I bought it from still posts here....I'm just joking around.
:D
)




All of it? Is there any benefit to dampening materials in a guitar cab?



Ya...makes an overly bright or resonant cab darker or less resonant.

Take it out...try it...you can always put some or all back in if you have to.

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a cab has plenty of effect on tone. Along with the speakers, the quality of wiring, how its wired (series, paralell, series/paralell. Paralell / series) , if it has casters or not ( casters suck out resonance) , the bracing inside, the baffle that the speakers mount to (split baffle cabs like an angled 4x12 are less resonant than a solid baffle like a straight cab) , and sometimes the grille cloth can make a difference (a dense weave cloth can darken tone..think the heavy weave Cane cloth on Orange cabs, or real bluesbreaker cloth on old school Marshall cabs) the wood the cab's made of..the rear panel.. all kinds of {censored}

All depends on how much of a tone snob you are. some people can hear it..some cant.

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My Blackstar HT-5 combo was {censored}ing awful.

I tried it through a 1x12" with a V30 and a 4x12" with greenbacks and it sounded great.


I tried swapping the speaker out to a nice Eminence and a G10 greenback. Still sounded {censored}.


I guess the cabinet itself was too small and made of crappy wood.


My Dual Recto sounds OK with a Marshall 1960, but great with its own Mesa cab.

Annoying, cos very unlikely to get a Mesa house cab.

In fact, most likely to get an MG 4x12"

 

 

 

Try the Blackstar HT-5 thru a epiphone valve jt 1x12 cab.........AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

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To my ears two different cabs can have a bigger effect on tone that two different amps dialled to sound similar.

 

My JCM800 sounds completely different when changing from a 1960A and a 1960AV.

The 1960A never feels right to me. I always end up boosting it to get a classic rock tone and it's still not quite right.

The 1960AV just sounds right even without a boost.

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Massive.

Get a good cab. Lifes to short.

From experience Id say the cab makes a lot of difference. Spent ages changing speakers in a newer JCM900 series Marshall 1960a; should have just gone out and got a good cab.

Replaced with an old JCM800 (which I loaded with V30s & H30s and decided the 65s in it were the best) and then checkerboard cab (blackbacks) which is awesome :love:

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Went from a run of the mill 1960B Marshall cab, to a MF280B. Same speakers... BIG difference. The MF cab has a plywood back panel, and is 3" taller than a 1960B. Sounded bigger, ballsier & more "opened up" .


taller cabs, FTW.

 

 

+1.

 

Just today I transferred my V30 from a vintage sized 2X12 made with 12" pine into my new oversized (360mm deep, MESA 2X12 sized) 2X12 built with 15" birch.

Even at bedroom volume it's a whole lot bigger sounding, and I had to roll back the bass and resonance to get a balanced tone.

I haven't tried it with my band yet but I'd imagine it will blow the other cab away.

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If you think cabinet design doesn't matter then you claim more knowledge than Henry Kloss, designer of the AR-3A, Advent, KLH and Tivoli, not to mention the designers for Boston Acoustics, Definitive, and about 8000 other brands of high-end speakers.

 

The sound is produced by the driver moving back and forth. Half that energy goes forward, half backwards. The cabinet design reflects that backwards sound forwards again....think about it.

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+1.


Just today I transferred my V30 from a vintage sized 2X12 made with 12" pine into my new oversized (360mm deep, MESA 2X12 sized) 2X12 built with 15" birch.

Even at bedroom volume it's a whole lot bigger sounding, and I had to roll back the bass and resonance to get a balanced tone.

I haven't tried it with my band yet but I'd imagine it will blow the other cab away.

 

 

Yeah. Aside the extra "oomph" , the taller cabs are the way to go. Other than my MF cab, I like my Sourmash tall bottom (it's like a 1960TV, but in straight configuration) better than any standard sized 4x12.

 

And they look mean too lol.

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