Biggest sounding 212 you've played?

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PSGuitar

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Hey guys,

I'm a huge 412 guy. I have played lots of cabs and always come back to 412 cabs.

The 212 cabs I have now are a Bogner 212 OS and Stone Age 212 PS. Both super nice but still can't give me what my Splawn and Bogner 41 cabs give me in terms of depth, size, complexity of tone. My Bogner 212 OS and Stone Age 212 C are easy to just grab with one hand and carry but they sound a lot smaller and not as full or deep as my 412 cabs. It's noticable!

I have friend over playing my 212 cabs and then they plug into my 412 cabs and it's a real eye opener how much larger and deeper the 412 cabs sound. You can't compare the two. For that reason, I stuck on 412 cabs. And I prefer heavy magnet speakers for the fuller, punchier tone.

I may be joining up with a new band and I'm thinking ahead if I need to get a 212 that can give me what I love about 412 cabs.

Anyone try a Port City Wave cab, or a Stage Craft diagonal 212 cab? There are a lot out there but do any come close to approximating what a 412 can do?

Some good friends of mine gig every weekend using 412s for the same reasons.....they much prefer the tone, feel and can't get the same vibe from a 212.
 
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I dare say my cheapo Seismic with G12T-75s may be the best sounding of my three. The other two are a Marshall 1936 with Eminence CV-75s and a Marshall JVM with a Vintage and Heritage in it. All sound great, but the practice space where I keep the Seismic is the band that likes to practice at eye-popping volumes. Those Seismics are dirt cheap and a huge bang for the buck.
 
I was always a 412 user. Have a Splawn 412 that I used for years. But last year I got a Splawn oversized vertical wide 212 cabinet. Recently loaded it with WGS Retro 30 and loving it. It's loud, punchy and has absolutely no issues keeping up with a drummer and cutting through.

I can tell you that I would agree with you and your friends that no 212 cabinet will unfortunately sound like a 412. I've tried a couple and there's that punchy tone you get from a 412 that a 212 won't put out.

For me at the end of the day to be honest was portability, space saving and understanding whether it's a 412 or 212, you're only gonna get one speaker mic'd at a show, so no point lugging a 412 around.

Cheers
 
If you can find a hermida ported 2x12 or a bob burt it will get you there.
 
Marshall 1960 cabs are the lightest 4x12s you can get that you can carry yourself and sound great. The Marshall 1936 2x12 is good and half the weight, but it’s actually about 3/4 the size of the 1960 so why bother. Last week I tried a Mesa vertical 2x12 in a store with the Badlander 100 and it sounded very good for a 2x12.
 
The old Laney GS212pe sounds huge but it's hella directional with stock V30s
 
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Rick Lee said:
I dare say my cheapo Seismic with G12T-75s may be the best sounding of my three. The other two are a Marshall 1936 with Eminence CV-75s and a Marshall JVM with a Vintage and Heritage in it. All sound great, but the practice space where I keep the Seismic is the band that likes to practice at eye-popping volumes. Those Seismics are dirt cheap and a huge bang for the buck.
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You like the T-75s that much huh?
I know the V30/T75 or K-100 are very popular. A friend of mine gigs a UK built Marshall JCM 900 412 from the 90s with T-75s and it sounds great. I think it has an MDF backbut sounds awesome.
The older T-75s are said to be great.
 
Bogner OS and the KSR vertical are both great.

The best sounding one I ever owned was a 90s Laney OS with g12h30 anniversaries

In general though, none of them can hang with my best 4x12s. I guess there's no replacement for displacement.
 
rottingcorpse said:
Anything with EVs sounds huge.
That's the way I would go.
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I know, wish I coild afford to get EVs for my cab. Problem with those is they are so accurate and stiff, and non forgiving.
I like speakers with a little more give so I have Redbacks, K100s and CL80s in my 212 cabs. I did have a K100/V30 in my Bogner 212 and always sounded good at rehearsal but next to my 412s, it's noticable, the difference.

Hoping I can stick with my 412s.
Friends of mine who gig locally all use their 412 cabs.
 
nigelpkay said:
Marshall 1960 cabs are the lightest 4x12s you can get that you can carry yourself and sound great. The Marshall 1936 2x12 is good and half the weight, but it’s actually about 3/4 the size of the 1960 so why bother. Last week I tried a Mesa vertical 2x12 in a store with the Badlander 100 and it sounded very good for a 2x12.
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I had a Marshall 412 but didn't seem much different from my Bogner size wise. I carry it easily but I'm just thinking ahead if I ever need a 212.
I may just stick to 412s for now. I love them! :)
 
Bash_Man said:
I was always a 412 user. Have a Splawn 412 that I used for years. But last year I got a Splawn oversized vertical wide 212 cabinet. Recently loaded it with WGS Retro 30 and loving it. It's loud, punchy and has absolutely no issues keeping up with a drummer and cutting through.

I can tell you that I would agree with you and your friends that no 212 cabinet will unfortunately sound like a 412. I've tried a couple and there's that punchy tone you get from a 412 that a 212 won't put out.

For me at the end of the day to be honest was portability, space saving and understanding whether it's a 412 or 212, you're only gonna get one speaker mic'd at a show, so no point lugging a 412 around.

Cheers
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Thanks bro.

I have tried vertical cabs but never sound as good to me as horizontal or 412 cabs. They are always too narrow for my amp heads.

Interesting you like SGs speakers.
I founds they didn't have the cut or complexity of Celestions so I went back to Celestine and Eminence speaker. You have good results? I see Revv uses the Vet30/ET90. I've just always used Celestion and some Eminence speakers.

None of the places we play mic the guitar cabs. It sounds better to just use stage volume so the 412 sounds best. Always sounds smaller and less full with my 212s. That said, I'm old school and need/want that 412 behind me. I have to feel and hear that cab. Hell, I only gig once in a great while, may as well as enjoy it. Even if you do mic, everyone still hears the effect of the 412. I've had audience members comment on the sound and they agree they prefer the vibe of the 412. :)

It's funny I have a friend in an old school rock band and he's used 412 cabs since the 70s and he always says, what's a 212?
I'm only familiar with 412s. It's funny he won't even acknowledge anything less than a 412. I'm sort of becoming that way, especially after I had a friend over to compare them side by side and it was so obvious.

So maybe I'm answering my own question. :)
 
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