4x12 Cabinet Choice Help

[glpg80]

Having a hard time deciding and need the expertise of RT.

I've been looking for a pair of unloaded marshall 1960b or 1982b cabinets, and I'm noticing koolaid sipping pricing for them on the order of what a vehicle is worth. I'm looking for something in the next 2 months, not one of a kind cabinets destined to be caged in a studio under a barrage of recording mics

Many moons ago, I ran two peavey 5150 cabinets with stock speakers. Wasn't happy with the percussiveness and upgraded to two matching splawn 4x12's. Life happened while in graduate school and moved the splawns to a well deserving home.

Not against owning splawn 4x12s again, but I gigged two 5150 straight cabinets for over a decade. Splawn cabinets were definitely better in terms of tightness, but I'm not quite sure the price difference necessitates the cabinet upgrade/investment a second time around. I kind of just want to find two 5150 cabinets in more mint condition and speaker swap them?

I've considered getting 5150 III cabinets, selling the speakers, and loading them with what I'd like, but I've heard they're based on marshall cabinets in terms of size and construction anyway. So that brings us back to the search for marshall 1960b or 1982b cabinets if I'm going with a marshall style cabinet.

Avatar is an option as well but the price point is in the ballpark of splawns, and honestly, I'd rather drive to Scott's shop and grab a few more for what new avatar cabinets are going for.

Suggestions?

 

[fek]

Marshall cabs can be found fairly cheap. I have two. One with V30's and another with Greenbacks. I pretty much always use the greenie's.

Keep checking your local Craigslist and one is almost always bound to show up at a reasonable price.

 

[sg guy]

-What's your speaker of choice?
-GC's used gear section, start creepin, look for mislabeled cabs that don't match the pics, that way if it isn't loaded with your speakers or you don't like it, you can send it back-

 

[Wayniac3]

Used splawn at GC site - they ship cabs cheap/... if you don't like it, get your $$ back too.

 

[Racerxrated]

Used splawn at GC site - they ship cabs cheap/... if you don't like it, get your $$ back too.

This. If you order online they will charge 25 bucks to ship a cab, if you call and order over the phone they will at least double that. Many B cabs available from Splawn to Marshall. 3-500 bucks.

 

[Apex1Rg7X]

There's a Marshall 1960A cab at my local GC for $450 but the dude had no idea what speakers are in it.

 

[mooncobra]

I just got a cab from avatar. great cab, free shipping.

 

[MYDEMISE]

I have a custom white with black stripe Splawn 4x12 with Bogner g12t75 speakers and Bogner batting material on the back panel if interested.

 

[glpg80]

Marshall cabs can be found fairly cheap. [...] Keep checking your local Craigslist and one is almost always bound to show up at a reasonable price.

60 or 82's? I've always wanted some basketweave cabinets. I owned an 83 marshall cabinet with original G12-65's but sold it many years ago. Didn't sound right with a 5150 II.

Ideally an unloaded cabinet would work best which makes it challenging. I don't really want to deal with selling off 8x speakers of something else. I'd assume most of the pricing hike is with the original rola speakers in the 60 and 82 cabinets which I could personally care less about.

 

[glpg80]

Used splawn at GC site - they ship cabs cheap/... if you don't like it, get your $$ back too.

This. If you order online they will charge 25 bucks to ship a cab, if you call and order over the phone they will at least double that. Many B cabs available from Splawn to Marshall. 3-500 bucks.

Damn I didn't know this. Splawn's quote to ship cabinets years ago was high enough that I'd rather drive the 700 miles round trip and just spend the gas money to get them myself.

Problem with finding splawn cabinets on GC is finding something someone's designed that looks like a marshall cab and not something only a mother could love.

 

[glpg80]

I just got a cab from avatar. great cab, free shipping.

See, I've been eyeballing avatar cabinets, but I know nothing of their construction quality compared to a Splawn. They're in the same price range new so I'm not against grabbing a few avatar vintage cabinets. I just worry about losing my ass on resale value. The benefit of the Splawns was that when it was time to sell, they went for a very fair price very fast. Not sure I could do the same with Avatars these days unless things have changed since 4 years ago. 5150 III or Peavey, as well as vintage marshalls, all retain their value as well.

 

[NinjaRaf]

Avatar cabs are awesome. Pretty much all I have been using the past few years. Their contemporary 212 and 412s are awesome, and are priced well. I know their prices have gone up about 20% over the past 2 years, but they are doing 212 specials at $430 shipped for a contemporary 212 with V30s. Havent looked into the 412s lately, but the best recorded tone I have gotten was with an Avatar contemporary 412 cab. I love their cabs. Good construction, too. Been playing my Signature 212 live lately, and its been the best sounding cab I have had on stage. So much so that my other guitar player grabbed a contemporary 212 to match.

 

[Racerxrated]

I just got a cab from avatar. great cab, free shipping.

See, I've been eyeballing avatar cabinets, but I know nothing of their construction quality compared to a Splawn. They're in the same price range new so I'm not against grabbing a few avatar vintage cabinets. I just worry about losing my ass on resale value. The benefit of the Splawns was that when it was time to sell, they went for a very fair price very fast. Not sure I could do the same with Avatars these days unless things have changed since 4 years ago. 5150 III or Peavey, as well as vintage marshalls, all retain their value as well.

I had an Avatar contemporary 4x12 a few yrs back, I thought it was OK but a step down from a used Marshall or the like. Great prices though, but the tone wasn't quite there for me compared to a Marshall B cab.

 

[johnpace2]

Mesa Traditional 4x12 with V30s should sound killer with the 5150 II.

 

[SpiderWars]

Never had an Avatar cab but FWIW I had a Mojo 4x12 and I didn't like it as much as the Marshall cabs I had at the time.

If you do get an older one, check/tighten the baffle screws inside. I've been surprised how loose some of them are.

 

[fek]

Never had an Avatar cab but FWIW I had a Mojo 4x12 and I didn't like it as much as the Marshall cabs I had at the time.

If you do get an older one, check/tighten the baffle screws inside. I've been surprised how loose some of them are.

+1! Every Marshall cab I have owned needed at least some of screws tightened up after I opened them up.

 

[glpg80]

Called a local marshall dealer to me, looking into seeing if they can order two 1960BX cabinets new unloaded and what the total damages would be to do so.

Thinking marshall 1960Bx reissues or Splawns at this point. Avatar has gone up 20% on their pricing recently yes. I've played an avatar cabinet once before and they're nice, but they upcharge for dovetail construction when 5150 cabinets are a dovetail design for $600 cheaper.

 

[glpg80]

Mesa Traditional 4x12 with V30s should sound killer with the 5150 II.

Every mesa cab I have ever played was way too dark to my ears. I'm not sure if it's the cloth they use or what - just seems muffled

 

[barnesjd]

Look for used Bogner cabinets. I own four and never paid over $600 for one. I also own two old Marshall cabinets.

The Bogner cabinets are unapologetically designed like the late 60’s Marshall cabinets, but their construction is far superior to Marshall. Someone mentioned always having to tighten screws. Hell, I always have to completely rewire because the speakers typically aren’t soldered; they use cheap plastic 1/4” jacks etc. they typically don’t use plywood for the back panel (particle board crap instead). The plastic shit they mount to the top for stacking cabs and so forth is annoying too.

That being said, you can get a loaded Marshall cab cheaper. Unless it has some harder to find speakers (old G12M25s, G12-65s, Marshall V30s etc) you should be able to find one for $400.

 

[fek]

Look for used Bogner cabinets. I own four and never paid over $600 for one.

I have wanted a Bogner cab for a long time. I am in the market but the only one I see is a great deal at $500 but it is in Texas. I am in Ohio. I have not seen anything pop up locally.