Regarding the whole marshall farty low end and mills super tight chugging, I think that the splawn cab I've got is a really good compromise between the two types of sounds.
It has a very rich and full low end and lower midrange, is very clean and punchy with good articulate sound on stage but not stiff and abrasive like the diezel and mesa cabs. The upper end cuts but is still smooth.
that's just the voice of the cab.. I've used about a dozen different speakers in the cab and it has always shown these qualities no matter what speakers were in it.
The thing is woodier sounding than any of the Mesa cabs I've owned (Stiletto, Oversized, Road King) or the Marshall 1960 I had. My Marshall 1982a has a woodier vibe too it than the Mills, but the Mills still has a woodiness/warmth/character/whatever to it the makes it work. Yeah, it's an oversized cab and it does metal well, but it's not a one trick pony by any means. I'd still probably give the edge to something like a marshall or splawn for a vintage sound, but don't discount the Mills.
