Correct cabinet for 69' 100 Marshall Super Lead Tremolo ST/A

[JLB BCM]

Hello from Blues City Music.

Little history. Mike Soldano is my good friend and amp tech for most of my gear including this amp. He has worked on this Marshall many times. It is BONE STOCK with all the correct mustard caps and resistors, Drake, and Laydown trannys. He says it can run with or better than any Plexi or SL he saw in LA during the 10 years when he was building his amps in Hollywood. Because of this, I really want to find the correct sounding 4x12".

Currently, I'm running a custom built and era correct Splawn 2x12" rear loaded cabinet with Jim Seavall Scumback H75 HP's in 100 watts. Sounds fabulous no doubt, not selling it, but I'm also looking for an era correct Marshall vintage cabinet as well. NOT a collector rig. I gig with this sometimes although not that much, but when I do I run it hard. 4/8 on the volumes. Top right bridged with bottom left, then plug into top left.

So I have a few leads on vintage Marshall 1960 A and/or B 4x12" cabinets but some have green label G12 H30's, Vintage 30's and then Greenbacks. Greenies won't work as it would be either an 80 watt Heritage G12M cabinet, or 100 watt Chinese G12M cabinet. I run LOUD and hard in my 2,200 sq. ft. acoustically correct shop so these probably won't last long and I'm not running a silly full stack. Looks cool, but not necessary. Single 4x12" is more than fine.

I'm a Friedman dealer and I know Dave digs the G12M and Vintage 30's. I've got one too with my Friedman demo rigs. Some say G12 H30's set the tone for this era of a Marshall 100 watt head. It's a December 18, 69' build.

I"m also great friends with US distributor for Celestion and he recommends 75 watt Creambacks and 90 watt AlNiCo's in an X pattern. Awesome speakers but that means buy a loaded cab, then do what with those speakers, then buy the Celestions even at my OEM price isn't cheap.

Any ideas? Needs to be era correct not just untried modern boutique speakers tossed into an empty cabinet.

Thanks.

Lynn Burke
BCM - Owner

 

[Browns Fan]

What about the Friedman Celestion speakers Dave was talking about at the namm show?? Might be worth inquiring!

 

[JerryP]

Era correct would be G12M or G12H. That's why they ran full stacks, vintage 1/2 stack doesn't handle a cranked 100 watt Marshall. At the volume levels you mention you're over 100 watts, I'll be over 150 watts of output.

 

[halebox]

75 watt Creambacks and 90 watt AlNiCo sound like a great combo if you want great tone and be able to crank it up

 

[paulyc]

An era correct half stack will be a problem for the wattage involved, closest would be OLD 30 watts (the bass cabs like supposedly Hendrix used), but cab construction will come into play also. Didn't Scumback make those purple raygun cabs for Steve Stevens years ago that were correct '69 spec ? Plywood back and metal handles for starters... the 30 watt speakers will give you 120 watt capability, but IDK if I'd trust them not to blow if used often with a cherrished amp

 

[Wizard of Ozz]

Pre-Rola M25s are what I use in my original 1967 Marshall 4X12. Sounds amazing with my original 67 SLP. The H75s are another good option. Tons of Marshall clone/cab builders out there... some accurate, some not. There are only 2-3 builders that do it 100% right will all the correct little details. I also never cranked the amp flat out thru a single 4X12, and always use an attenuator... 1 for the volume (these are loud amps) and 2 to protect the speakers.

 

[Racerxrated]

Stone Age cabs are period correct repros from what I gather. There are also many vintage marshall cabs at GC.com but who knows what condition the speakers are in at this point, or what's actually in there.

 

[Wizard of Ozz]

Stone Age cabs are period correct repros from what I gather. There are also many vintage marshall cabs at GC.com but who knows what condition the speakers are in at this point, or what's actually in there.

No, they are not. Good cabs... but not even close to a decent replica.

 

[psychodave]

Era correct would be G12M or G12H. That's why they ran full stacks, vintage 1/2 stack doesn't handle a cranked 100 watt Marshall. At the volume levels you mention you're over 100 watts, I'll be over 150 watts of output.

Agreed... but I was at Chris Merren’s house back in the early 2000’s and we cranked his stock 100 watt 67 plexi into his 4x12 pinstripe loaded with 4 original 20 watt greenbacks and the sound was glorious. Those speakers were screaming.

On a side note, I’ve blown multiple G12H30’s (70’s celestions) when running a full stack with my 67 plexi. Go figure...lol

 

[Wizard of Ozz]

Era correct would be G12M or G12H. That's why they ran full stacks, vintage 1/2 stack doesn't handle a cranked 100 watt Marshall. At the volume levels you mention you're over 100 watts, I'll be over 150 watts of output.

Agreed... but I was at Chris Merren’s house back in the early 2000’s and we cranked his stock 100 watt 67 plexi into his 4x12 pinstripe loaded with 4 original 20 watt greenbacks and the sound was glorious. Those speakers were screaming.

On a side note, I’ve blown multiple G12H30’s (70’s celestions) when running a full stack with my 67 plexi. Go figure...lol

... and this is why I ALWAYS use an attenuator... even with a full-stack. You can't replace these sort of speakers that easy anymore.

 

[sg guy]

-I would make, or have made,.. a MARSHALL TV look alike, but built much better, so it sound's much better--------(100%--3/4"--Cabinet Grade, BALTIC BIRCH, 13 Ply, -----------------EVERYTHING!!!-,.. baffle, back panel, side's & top)-casters on the side or not at all, couple the cab to the floor with a dense rubber mat--&--(POOF)--!!!.. you now have a bigger & fuller tonal spectrum at your disposal-

-GREENBACKS- -(and all there 20 to 30 watt lineage)- get there --"MAGIC"-- when pushed,..... The --(HIGH WATTAGE GREENBACK)-- is an urban legend, it doesn't exist, CELESTION & everyone else has tried to duplicate the magic but like everyone else, they too Failed,.. -(the G12-65 was the original high wattage greenback)- theres some great speakers, but none of them will ever get mistaken for a GREENBACK, the low wattage is a huge part of the equation-

-CELESTION- then selves admit that there wattage rating's are on the "safe side",.. Me & the Minion's have been using 20w & 30w GREEN & BLACKBACK 4x12's in a half stack for a million years, I've never blown one,... Ever!!!.. Cone bounce has a very distinct, horrible sound,....

-best of luck, I'd be interested in your decision & how it worked out for you-