2x12's: Orientation, Why, and Brand Experiences...

Junk Yard Dog

Well-known member
I'm a convert from horizontal to vertical and also from closed to to semi-open back. I am thinking to get a custom made vertical 2x12 with a vertical semi-open back like my current homemade cab which kills. I sold my Bogner OS 2x12 and kept this cab, if that tells you anything. I don't play metal so I don't need it super tight and I've found speakers make a difference. However, I'm thinking of looking back at another HORIZONTAL OS 2x12 like the Bogner, Stonage, Peterson, Stagecraft, Mather or others. Wanted to get some of your experiences with the sonic differences and preferences for the 2x12 cab orientations and why.

...and just for fun, here are the 2x12 cabs I've had and findings:

Marshall 1936 w/ G12-75's: It was OK. Hated the speakers. Sold it.

Port City Wave 2x12: good, but directional and smaller than I'm used too. Sold it.

Port City Wave OS 2x12: Huge sounding, filled back of the room well, but on stage also too directional for me and I messed with my EQ too much on smaller stages to compensate. Sold it.

Splawn: bought it used with Hellatone 30's. Sounded great until I cranked up the bass and it rattled and fell apart. It was an obvious defect, b/c Splawn is great quality, but I found out why the guy sold it so cheap. When I played it at his apartment, it didn't rattle until i got it home and cranked it the next day. Traded it at GC.

Bogner OS 2x12: Loved it. Sold it because it did not beat out my current homemade wide horizontal/vertical semi-open back, which bloomed just slightly more and is taller when vertical. If I get another horizontal, it would be this but with adjustable back panels for closed and semi-open back options.

Forte 3D S/V: Really amazing cab and unfortunate they are not getting as much notoriety on the forums. Extremely well made and and does exactly what they are intended to do. If I could do it again, I would get the full vent, with side vents on the top and bottom. I had lots of compliments from people asking where I got it at a few shows. Not directional at all and pumps out the jams. However, I am have this one up in the Classifieds. My vertical semi-open blooms slightly more.

Faux Dr. Z Semi-open: This is my #1 out of all the cabs I've had over the last 10 years. It is NOT a real Dr. Z cab; I called and asked them and they said, "Hope you got a good deal on it." I did and then some. No idea who made it. Traded the Splawn for this one. I'm thinking to have another made just like it, but with thicker wood and a slightly smaller gap between the panels, which is 6", so maybe bring it down to 4". Pic below:
 
I've been really happy with my full-sized closed-back Orange 212. Lots of mids, pretty good low-end. I'm a bit more of a metal player, so might be tough for me to be really helpful for ya.
 
My recommendation is Stone Age! John is great to deal with, the workmanship is outstanding, the quality is top notch (seriously I've tried them all) and the sound is incredible!

Just my 2 cents!
 
Got an Orange closed back w/V30s. I dig it. Nice mids, not shrill at all, can be boomy in the low end though. I stuffed some material in it and sealed it, and it took care of the problem. Snagged it off a friend for $400 new; can't beat it for the price.
 
I'm another happy Orange closed back 2x12 (V30's) user. I've been using it for years to play hard rock and classic rock and find that it is a great all around cabinet. I agree with the previous post that the bottom end can be huge but I've learned to dial it out somewhat. These cabs are built like tanks and I've seen them on the used market all day from $350-400. I'm often told that my 2x12 sounds bigger and punches more than my 1960B with 75's and V30's. I actually had two of them and sold one to get the Marshall........a decision that I still have second thoughts about.
 
fender126":283v0k6j said:
I'm another happy Orange closed back 2x12 (V30's) user. (...) These cabs are built like tanks (...)

Not to mention that they have recessed handles like a 412. What's not to love about that?

Word of caution: The market's getting flooded with PPC212OB (open back) and PPC212C (compact). You want the plain-ol PPC212.
 
been reading reviews all weekend. Ugh... I'm thinking Stone Age or Petersen 2x12, Stage Craft Diagonal, or getting a custom built vertical from Mather. I need a convertible or semi-open back. Decisions....
 
IMO I would find an old Tube Works vertical 2x12. The one I have have has a door on the back that allows you to have one open and one closed speaker. I bought mine for $90 and threw some greenbacks in it, it sounds killer. :rock: :rock:
 
My go to 2x12 is a Mesa 3/4 Back 2X12. They sound better as you turn them up, I guess because of the tuning of the cab. I have two of them and don't miss a 4x12 when I use just one of the Mesa's. More pluses is that they are compact and light in weight.
 
Junk Yard Dog":21wo6oa4 said:
been reading reviews all weekend. Ugh... I'm thinking Stone Age or Petersen 2x12, Stage Craft Diagonal, or getting a custom built vertical from Mather. I need a convertible or semi-open back. Decisions....

I have two Petersen Custom Cabinets horizontal oversized 2x12's. One is closed back, the other is convertible. They are incredible cabs that are built like tanks and sound amazing. My other cabs are now used as drink coasters......

And, better yet, Matt Petersen is a super cool guy to deal with and his turnaround time is super quick!

Check them out:

http://www.petersencustomcabinets.com
 
rlord1974":35u6v2tj said:
Junk Yard Dog":35u6v2tj said:
been reading reviews all weekend. Ugh... I'm thinking Stone Age or Petersen 2x12, Stage Craft Diagonal, or getting a custom built vertical from Mather. I need a convertible or semi-open back. Decisions....

I have two Petersen Custom Cabinets horizontal oversized 2x12's. One is closed back, the other is convertible. They are incredible cabs that are built like tanks and sound amazing. My other cabs are now used as drink coasters......

And, better yet, Matt Petersen is a super cool guy to deal with and his turnaround time is super quick!

Check them out:

http://www.petersencustomcabinets.com

I saw previous thread where you had the Mojo BB/OS 2x12, I think convertible. How would you rate that one compared to the Petersen?
 
Junk Yard Dog":yw5z1y2a said:
rlord1974":yw5z1y2a said:
Junk Yard Dog":yw5z1y2a said:
been reading reviews all weekend. Ugh... I'm thinking Stone Age or Petersen 2x12, Stage Craft Diagonal, or getting a custom built vertical from Mather. I need a convertible or semi-open back. Decisions....

I have two Petersen Custom Cabinets horizontal oversized 2x12's. One is closed back, the other is convertible. They are incredible cabs that are built like tanks and sound amazing. My other cabs are now used as drink coasters......

And, better yet, Matt Petersen is a super cool guy to deal with and his turnaround time is super quick!

Check them out:

http://www.petersencustomcabinets.com

I saw previous thread where you had the Mojo BB/OS 2x12, I think convertible. How would you rate that one compared to the Petersen?

Good eye! ;)

Well, if you are determined to run your convertible back cab as a fully closed back, the Mojo might edge out the Petersen *slightly* due to the way the three panels attach to the rear of the cab. Basically, Mojo's system is less likely to result in any unwanted rattling when running it this way. However, if you intend to run your cab as a closed back, you shouldn't be buying a convertible back cab to begin with. I run my convertible Petersen with the centre panel removed on the rear, loaded with an English G12M-25 Greenback and a G12H-30 Anniversary. It sounds amazing with my Matchless and Aiken heads.

Construction wise, the Mojo is very nice and largely comparable to the Petersen.

Tone wise, I like the Petersen better. It has a real 'woody' quality to it, which I like for the style of rock I play.

Overall, I prefer the Petersen. The cosmetics have a vintage vibe and are cool as hell, the build quality is amazing, and knowing Matt made me my cabs to order with his bare hands provides added 'mojo' (parden the pun. :D )
 
I went through the same thing as you.
Got rid of a bunch of cabs and speakers and kept my homemade 2x12.
It's vertical, angled top, rear loaded 1" thick BB with Mesa Celestions.
I made it so I could baffle the front and back if need be, but havent wanted to yet. I've also got it set up so I can velcro muffling in and out.
So far the only thing I have changed is removed the back panel behind the top speaker.
It sounds very open and yet projects very well, especially the lower frequencies.

I'm of the opinion that a great speaker does well in any configuration, given the proper power.
Good luck on your hunt, but if I were you, I'd just build/have one built how you want it.
:yes:
 
I was gonna say Forte S/V ...

As for the vert vs horiz debate. I believe guitarists are just used to the old standard horizontal cab.

Vertical is infinitely better.


It is better to vertically arrange drivers than horizontally because of column effect.

"When you start stacking boxes something else comes in - the column effect. Point sources in phase stacked up cause a radiation pattern that is fan-shaped, wide horizontally but confined vertically. The longer the column the greater the effect. Placed side-by-side the effect is rotated 90 degrees so that it is narrow left-to-right but fans up and down (+/- stage and carpet), and in most venues this is not desirable."

Read ROLY posts here for more information:

http://www.guitargear.net.au/discussion ... 55.15.html

i use two forte S/V cabs right now.
 
moltenmetalburn":j136zfxu said:
I was gonna say Forte S/V ...


i use two forte S/V cabs right now.

I do love my S/V, but I find that I like my taller, vertical semi-open back slightly more. Then again, I'm always standing within 10 feet of it, so maybe I'm not hearing the difference sonically at a show.

I sing the praises of the S/V all the time, but side-by-side, same flavor of speakers, the cab in the picture at the start of the thread slightly beats the S/V, though I still love the S/V.

I want to find a quality cab maker who can make me a cab I can play vertically, that is slightly wider, deeper, and with heavier wood components than the one above. Though this one above feels somewhat cheap, it still rocks.
 
taliababa":uwox311i said:
I had really good results with a Mesa Rectifier 2x12 with V30's


Thats what ive been using a lot lately and love it, i usually stand mine up on end and put my amp on top, i can hear it better that way. That or the bogner OS are the two 2x12s ive always come back to.
 
Junk Yard Dog":3ner8ngm said:
moltenmetalburn":3ner8ngm said:
I was gonna say Forte S/V ...


i use two forte S/V cabs right now.

I do love my S/V, but I find that I like my taller, vertical semi-open back slightly more. Then again, I'm always standing within 10 feet of it, so maybe I'm not hearing the difference sonically at a show.

I sing the praises of the S/V all the time, but side-by-side, same flavor of speakers, the cab in the picture at the start of the thread slightly beats the S/V, though I still love the S/V.

I want to find a quality cab maker who can make me a cab I can play vertically, that is slightly wider, deeper, and with heavier wood components than the one above. Though this one above feels somewhat cheap, it still rocks.


Have you talked to Dave at forte? He'll do anything you ask for you.

I almost had my s/v built wider than standard to accommodate a head I used to have.
 
Back
Top