Slant vs straight?

MrFlexx

Active member
I'm about to buy a new 4x12. Because we don't have any reseller of Splawn in Sweden I need to get a Marshall 1960 instead. Should I go with the slant or straight, 1960 vintage or normal? My amp is a Quickrod 100 2014. I'm a sucker for Lynch and DeMartini and alike from the 80's.
 
I'm about to buy a new 4x12. Because we don't have any reseller of Splawn in Sweden I need to get a Marshall 1960 instead. Should I go with the slant or straight, 1960 vintage or normal? My amp is a Quickrod 100 2014. I'm a sucker for Lynch and DeMartini and alike from the 80's.
Where will you be playing it?

Captain Obvious: the slants point two speakers up towards your head depending on where you are standing. That can be good and bad. If you can’t hear yourself because a straight isn’t spreading the sound a bit that’s bad. But I don’t like speakers pointed right at my ears either. I typ play slants.
 
The difference is negligible.
Between straight and slant yes, but there was two parts to the OP's question.
The difference between a 1960 and a 1960v is huge.

Also remember that 1960b/bv cabs are pitched with a slight upward angle on the baffle. It isn't much, but they are not truly straight.
 
I have an old JCM800 top /slant I gig with loaded with Scumback M75/J75's and I love it
if you can find one of the older cabs that are actually made of wood and not Particle board , I'd go that route and load in any speakers
you desire
 
Where will you be playing it?

Captain Obvious: the slants point two speakers up towards your head depending on where you are standing. That can be good and bad. If you can’t hear yourself because a straight isn’t spreading the sound a bit that’s bad. But I don’t like speakers pointed right at my ears either. I typ play slants.
I will mostly use it in the studio for recording, but also just to feel the power from it when practicing.
 
I have an old JCM800 top /slant I gig with loaded with Scumback M75/J75's and I love it
if you can find one of the older cabs that are actually made of wood and not Particle board , I'd go that route and load in any speakers
you desire
So the build quality and wood makes the older ones sounding better!?
 
Between straight and slant yes, but there was two parts to the OP's question.
The difference between a 1960 and a 1960v is huge.

Also remember that 1960b/bv cabs are pitched with a slight upward angle on the baffle. It isn't much, but they are not truly straight.
Will the vintage one be too much mid?
 
You get a little more low-end depth and punch with the straights, and I tend to prefer that, especially with traditional/1960 sized cabs.

Really though, if you will always be close to the cab you might well prefer having those top speakers angled up. it's kind of like a tonal blend because you are more on-axis with the tops and very off-axis with the bottoms.

IMO slant cabs definitely need x-pattern if mixing speaker models.
 
Will the vintage one be too much mid?
I don't hate t75s at all, but most would agree that V30s cut and record as well as any model.

You could always find one with t75s for cheaper, and then later buy a couple different speakers for an x-pattern blend.
One of the best cabs I've ever played-through was a 1960a with a t75/greenback x-pattern.
 
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I will mostly use it in the studio for recording, but also just to feel the power from it when practicing.
Johan Segeborn has a video comparing slant v straights when close mic'd. There is a difference because of the geometry/space behind the speaker in the cabinet. Even the top speakers sound different than the bottom ones and that's even in straights because the whole baffle is slightly angled. I'll let you listen and decide.
 
When Mic'd, there most likely wont be sound difference between Slat vs Straight with the same speaker. However, from my experience a straight cabinet will be more directional vs a slant that may have 2 top speakers facing up a tad bit. gives it a bit more spread but also may shoot some of those high end frequencies towards your ears.

That's based on my experience having owned both in the past.


Good luck!
 
If I only have one cab, I think slant is best as it gives you more frequencies. But i like straight better just because they don't feel like they are going to topple off the lower cab or drop the amp off of them. (irrational, I know) I have both now.
 
I'm thinking of getting the Marshall 1960B and replace the speakers with a pair of Lynchbacks and a pair of Creambacks in an X-pattern. What's your input about this? I'm no fan of either Greenbacks or V30s because of the harsh top.
 
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