Shocker: Cabs matter

[afjungemann]

Had practice tonight with the band but one of the other guys has a couple cabs there so I just brought my DD100 and plugged into his cab. It sounded like absolute garbage. No low end and just gross sounding. I thought maybe it was just me but one of the other players commented that it sounded really junky.

I just couldn't believe the difference it made. I knew different cabs would behave differently but this was extreme. I might just lug around my orange cab more often.

[onetracker]

Had practice tonight with the band but one of the other guys has a couple cabs there so I just brought my DD100 and plugged into his cab. It sounded like absolute garbage. No low end and just gross sounding. I thought maybe it was just me but one of the other players commented that it sounded really junky.

I just couldn't believe the difference it made. I knew different cabs would behave differently but this was extreme. I might just lug around my orange cab more often.

how did his cabinet sound with his amp and guitar?

[a.hun]

Speakers and cabs make a HUGE difference to the sound. Logical when you think about it, but many people don't...


Andy.

[lunchbox]

While I don't hear a lot of difference between cabs built with the same or similar materials of approximately the same size, I do hear night/day differences in the speakers that are in them.

As an aside, I just took delivery of my new-to-me CRPRO412 yeaterday and got to rock it with my drummer last night. OMG, what an awesome tone I have now. HUGE and beefy, tons of low end with really well pronounced mids. I really like the VOTW speakers so far (which I think are just re-branded V30's ).

[Ronnie Robinson]

Speakers and cabs make a HUGE difference to the sound. Logical when you think about it, but many people don't...


Andy.

+1 ......It's another massively important part of the chain.

[thejay]

Agreed https://orangeamps.com/blog/the-size-of ... it-matters

[afjungemann]

Speakers and cabs make a HUGE difference to the sound. Logical when you think about it, but many people don't...


Andy.

I completely agree. And I did expect the cab to affect the tone but I just couldn't believe it was THAT different.

[fiveightandten]

Speakers make a HUGE difference. I'd say they matter just as much as the amp and guitar. Speakers have a drastic and profound affect on:
-Frequency response
-Dynamic response
-Overall volume

Frequency response:
Obviously different speakers sound different, but many people who have not experimented with speakers don't realize just HOW different. Even within a single manufacturer, Eg., there is a huge difference in sound between a V30 and a Greenback. G12T75's will make even a mid-forward amp sound scooped. A SF Fender through a V30 will sound more mid forward than a 70's Marshall through a G12T75. It can not be overstated just how much of a difference speakers can make in the overall sound of your setup.

Dynamic response:
Lower powered speakers, and those with smaller magnets, compress very easily and pretty early on. They get a grind and add natural compression that makes for a huge part of the sound. Anyone who has ever played a Vox AC-30 through 2 Celestion blues or 50W Marshall JMP through a Greenback 4x12 has experienced this, but they may not notice it. When you take those same amps and run them through higher powered speakers, you will find that the grind, compression, and dynamic response is completely changed. It's as profound as the difference between your amp being played with the master on 1 vs 10.

Overall volume:
There's a HUGE variation in speaker sensitivity (efficiency). You have speakers out there as low as 96dB (or lower) and up to 100 dB (or even higher). The consequential volume difference between these 2 extremes is as large as the difference when you double the power of the amp (15W vs 30W, or 50W vs 100W). It's not to be taken lightly. Speaker choice can be used to squeeze the most volume or headroom out of your amp, or it can be used to take the edge of the volume of an amp that needs to be cranked to sound best (read: all of them).


I think every guitar player should AB their amp through some contrasting speakers that have different attributes. You'll learn a lot about what you like and what you don't.

Cabinets also make a difference. Cabinet construction makes a noticeable difference as well and you will definitely her a difference between open back, closed back, and ported.


Personally, my go-to these days is an open back 2x12 loaded with V30's (I have a PPC212OB and 2 Avatars). I like the clarity, fast response, and mid forward sound of the V30, and I prefer the open sound and nice dispersion of an open backed cab. These speakers sound great, but the high efficiency they have is a hindrance with most of my amps, which are powerful to begin with. I run Greenbacks as well, and those compress very easily, have less low end, a warmer (yet more blurry) midrange, and sweeter highs. They work well for some things.


If you haven't messed around with speakers, do it! To any guys in New England, USA, i'm always down to get together to compare cabinets, amps, or whatever. It's always a learning experience.

-Nick

[murkofaeons]

I just got a PPC412 this weekend because all my amps sounded awful through my marshall cab with g12t-75s but they all sounded pretty good through my PPC112. I have to say the PPC412 sounds great and I wish I had gotten one sooner!!

[fiveightandten]

I just got a PPC412 this weekend because all my amps sounded awful through my marshall cab with g12t-75s but they all sounded pretty good through my PPC112. I have to say the PPC412 sounds great and I wish I had gotten one sooner!!

Nice. Another CT member.

[onetracker]

While I don't hear a lot of difference between cabs built with the same or similar materials of approximately the same size, I do hear night/day differences in the speakers that are in them.

As an aside, I just took delivery of my new-to-me CRPRO412 yeaterday and got to rock it with my drummer last night. OMG, what an awesome tone I have now. HUGE and beefy, tons of low end with really well pronounced mids. I really like the VOTW speakers so far (which I think are just re-branded V30's ).

great comparison on cabs here.



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