DetroitBlues Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 I saw a CL posting for a 4x12 Marshall Cab from their budget MG series. But other than speakers, is there a noticeable difference in quality, durability, or sound? I've seen the 1960 Cabs for over $1000, then see something cheap like a MA cab for a $100.... What's the deal here? I've really only had combos, so the cabinet deal is new to me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsp17 Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 Pine v. Birch, solid v. ply, speaker placement, porting, open back, closed back, "voicing", grade of the wood, finger joints,... http://www.guitarplayer.com/article/paul-mccartney-by/jan-00/6598 "Aside, of course, from the speakers you mount in the cabinet, major variables include the size and depth of the cabinet, the type of wood used to build it, the way that wood is fixed together, the type and thickness of the baffle material (the sheet of wood to which the speaker is mounted), and the way this baffle is mounted to the cab. One of the single biggest variables in the sound of any cab, however, involves whether you close off the entire back of the cab, or leave it open. And as with most of these variables, it isn’t a matter of one approach being universally better than the other, but of obtaining the results that best suit your playing style. - See more at: http://www.guitarplayer.com/article/paul-mccartney-by/jan-00/6598#sthash.bgVa6G9A.dpuf" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billgelder Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 It is also smaller. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
t0aj15 Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 My son had a pair of the cheap Marshalls and IMO you'd be better off to skip them altogether. Aside from cheaper speakers, even though they are smaller in size they are made of MDF rather than birch plywood which makes them heavier, and as far as sound they just don't don't come close to the real deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buzzy Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 I'm not 100% positive, but I think the modern metal players benefit from a transparent speaker in a MDF cab for less k'chunk and more djent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitArtMan Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 I'm not 100% positive, but I think the modern metal players benefit from a transparent speaker in a MDF cab for less k'chunk and more djent. k'chunk and djent - those are technical terms, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest HRB853370 Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 Talk to Steiner, he is the cabinet man! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HANGAR18 Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 I've owned all grades of Marshall cabinets and I feel like I'm quite knowledgeable in this subject if I do say so myself. I could ramble on all night but I'll just stick to the highlights for now. The MG series of 4x12 cabinets are 8 ohms and so if you've got a lot of seriously professional amplification, 16ohms is the "industry standard" to use my own terminology. Not completely compatible with an amp which performs best at 16 ohms output. These cabinets can not be rewired to any other useful ohm configuration. I got rid of mine because they weren't 100% compatible with my pro quality amp. (They would work but they didn't sound as good and I only got 50 watts of sound from them when using a 100 watt amp which preferred 16 ohms... or something like that.) If you want to get the best sound out of an MG 412 cabinet, you'd need to use an amp which runs well on 8 ohms output and they are not as common as those which do 16 ohms. The Marshall MG series amps sound good (if you like that sound) but the best sound I ever got out of them was when I paired up the Marshall MG 412 cabinet with a 100 watt VOX Valvetronix (tube/solid state hybrid) amp. That combination sounded incredible! But I got rid of all my MG cabinets and the VOX amp because I felt like I was being tied down and I wanted the ability to swap around amps and cabinets from different manufacturers at will. BTW, while it is true that the MG series is made of cheap particle board and the expensive Marshall cabinets are made of birch plywood, the smaller cabinet size is really nice. I have two 1960 cabinets now and yes they are really nice and the speakers do sound really great, but if you ever need an 8 ohm cabinet, the sound it a lot better than MANY other brands (imho) and the price, you can't beat it. $100.00 at GC is not too uncommon. The M412 cabinets are bigger in physical size and 16 ohms but they're okay sounding, a generic Asian clone of the 1960 cabinets, but particle board construction. Overall, not really worth buying. Marshall 1960 cabinets... it doesn't get much better than that. I've got a full stack with an A cab and matching B cabinet. Fantastic! Bought mine on Craigslist separately for under $400.00 each. Well worth keeping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HANGAR18 Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 then see something cheap like a MA cab for a $100.... MA= Run away! The M412 cabinets were designed to go with the MA series amps... which suck. I know someone out there will say they don't suck... all that means is that you just haven' realized it yet. They suck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DetroitBlues Posted November 9, 2013 Author Share Posted November 9, 2013 A 4x12 is more than I'd need, but adding a little more to my Traynor would be nice... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blunote Posted November 10, 2013 Share Posted November 10, 2013 I could see a 4X12 for an outdoor gig, but mic'ing a smaller amp into a PA system would accomplish the same thing, wouldn't it? I have a feeling a 4X12 would see a revolving door at your place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DetroitBlues Posted November 11, 2013 Author Share Posted November 11, 2013 There is a 2x12 in my near future! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HANGAR18 Posted November 11, 2013 Share Posted November 11, 2013 There is a 2x12 in my near future! For a while, I wanted a 2x12 but the problem I found was that they were a lot less common and just as expensive as the 4x12. Marshall made a model 1936 2x12 cabinet but it wasn't half the price for being half of a 4x12. Perhaps someone other than Marshall makes an affordable 2x12 cabinet. I wouldn't mind having one but it is not a priority for me at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffB Posted November 11, 2013 Share Posted November 11, 2013 For a while, I wanted a 2x12 but the problem I found was that they were a lot less common and just as expensive as the 4x12. Marshall made a model 1936 2x12 cabinet but it wasn't half the price for being half of a 4x12. Perhaps someone other than Marshall makes an affordable 2x12 cabinet. I wouldn't mind having one but it is not a priority for me at the moment. The labour cost that goes into a 212 isnt much less than what goes into a 412 I guess. Kinda like a 1/2 size violin costs the same as a 4/4 in the same brand/series. I went from a 412 to two 212's. Really liked it. Eventually ended up at a 112 combo and a 212 cab and found pretty much what I had been looking for. Love 212 cabs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DetroitBlues Posted November 12, 2013 Author Share Posted November 12, 2013 For a while, I wanted a 2x12 but the problem I found was that they were a lot less common and just as expensive as the 4x12. Marshall made a model 1936 2x12 cabinet but it wasn't half the price for being half of a 4x12. Perhaps someone other than Marshall makes an affordable 2x12 cabinet. I wouldn't mind having one but it is not a priority for me at the moment. What if it says Heritage in the cab? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HANGAR18 Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 What if it says Heritage in the cab? When I decide to revisit the effort to find a 2x12 cabinet, I will look at materials, workmanship and what speakers are installed (and how) before I look at the name on the front of the cabinet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DetroitBlues Posted November 12, 2013 Author Share Posted November 12, 2013 I was just messing with you. However, there is no doubt in my mind the Heritage cab is a quality built cab Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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