What's Up With Expensive Cabs?

FourT6and2

FourT6and2

Well-known member
Why are some companies selling 4x12 cabs for upwards of $2,700? Wizard? Hiwatt? These things are bonkers expensive. And then people trying to sell them used are asking more than a NEW 4x12 from companies like Bogner, Diezel, Fryette, Mesa, etc. It's a wood box and for a rear-loaded 4x12 using void-free Baltic birch, with the same dimensions as any other, I can't for the life of me figure out what makes one worth $800 and another command nearly $3,000...
 
Saw someone selling an old 60s Marshall cab beat to hell for $5k...I don't get it, but maybe someone will. Like you said, plywood or MDF box with four speakers, nothing magic there.
 
MetalHeadMike said:
Saw someone selling an old 60s Marshall cab beat to hell for $5k...I don't get it, but maybe someone will. Like you said, plywood or MDF box with four speakers, nothing magic there.
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I have a 1971 Greenback that is unique and very different from current production.

I would potentially value the speaker at $400-500. It is fantastic.

This doesn't add up to 5k but there could be a collector that need the authenticity and condition.
 
MetalHeadMike said:
Saw someone selling an old 60s Marshall cab beat to hell for $5k...I don't get it, but maybe someone will. Like you said, plywood or MDF box with four speakers, nothing magic there.
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I have a 60’s Marshall cab that is also beat to hell. Another one just like it, but not beat to hell. Same speakers etc. The beat up cab is the best sounding cab I have ever had. No matter what speakers are in it, it sounds awesome. My two old Wizard cabs sound awesome as well. Some cabs just have “it”.
 
FourT6and2 said:
Why are some companies selling 4x12 cabs for upwards of $2,700? Wizard? Hiwatt? These things are bonkers expensive. And then people trying to sell them used are asking more than a NEW 4x12 from companies like Bogner, Diezel, Fryette, Mesa, etc. It's a wood box and for a rear-loaded 4x12 using void-free Baltic birch, with the same dimensions as any other, I can't for the life of me figure out what makes one worth $800 and another command nearly $3,000...
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That's an easy answer.

The brands that are selling them for crazy prices are able to money-grab because they know many or at least some of the players that use their amps/heads are only going to settle for the cosmetically matching cab, and finding used cabs of those brands can be very difficult, and who the hell would sell them at reasonable prices when they had to pay $3000 new lol.

Mesa, Marshall, Diezel,ect cabs can be found used very easily, so at least there is competition on pricing, and being that they are much more plentiful it keeps the common brands from being able to max-jack their new cab prices.
 
Breaking down the numbers from cab's I've personally built.
$150 - Baltic Birch Plywood
$50 - Tolex and grill cloth
$680-$800 - 4x 12" speakers
$50 - Misc. hardware and other.

Let's call it about $800 - $1000 to buy the materials and 4 new speakers plus whatever your time to build it is worth.
This is paying retail prices, not bulk/wholesale prices.
I can save a good chunk of money and be more in the $500-$600 by shopping for deals on speakers and buying used.

My takeaways from this are:
- I'm amazed at the manufacturers who can offer quality plywood cabs with good speakers in the sub $1K range and still have a profit margin.
- The $1.5K range seems to be a fair retail price for a Baltic Birch ply cab with name brand speakers where companies can still make a decent profit.
- Once you get past $2k diminishing returns hit hard. Regardless on the name badge that much doesn't seem to be worth the price of admission.
 
I paid like $2k for a '72 Hiwatt cab with 3 of the OG Fane Purples in it, and one replacement '93 Fane Blue which has the same exact cone code as the '72s.

I think I paid a little over $1000 each for my two JCM800 1935 4x12 cabs. both of which OG G12-65's in them. One is a lead cab with 75hz G12-65's, the other a bass cab with very rare to find 55hz G12-65's.

In all three cases the speakers inside them either equal or out value what I paid for the cabs.
 
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FourT6and2 said:
Why are some companies selling 4x12 cabs for upwards of $2,700? Wizard? Hiwatt? These things are bonkers expensive. And then people trying to sell them used are asking more than a NEW 4x12 from companies like Bogner, Diezel, Fryette, Mesa, etc. It's a wood box and for a rear-loaded 4x12 using void-free Baltic birch, with the same dimensions as any other, I can't for the life of me figure out what makes one worth $800 and another command nearly $3,000...
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Mostly vintage Marshall cabs with desirable speakers/original cones are still garnering the highest prices anywhere from $1500-$3000 depending on what speakers and year of the cabs.

Everything else... Marshall, EVH are the most common are $500-1K from what I see in my area, but you will also see that ONE person that will list stuff at or near list prices I recently picked up a mint 2013 1960A cab with 12T75's for $400.
 
Greazygeo said:
I have a 60’s Marshall cab that is also beat to hell. Another one just like it, but not beat to hell. Same speakers etc. The beat up cab is the best sounding cab I have ever had. No matter what speakers are in it, it sounds awesome. My two old Wizard cabs sound awesome as well. Some cabs just have “it”.
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What he said............................:2thumbsup:
 
MadAsAHatter said:
Breaking down the numbers from cab's I've personally built.
$150 - Baltic Birch Plywood
$50 - Tolex and grill cloth
$680-$800 - 4x 12" speakers
$50 - Misc. hardware and other.

Let's call it about $800 - $1000 to buy the materials and 4 new speakers plus whatever your time to build it is worth.
This is paying retail prices, not bulk/wholesale prices.
I can save a good chunk of money and be more in the $500-$600 by shopping for deals on speakers and buying used.

My takeaways from this are:
- I'm amazed at the manufacturers who can offer quality plywood cabs with good speakers in the sub $1K range and still have a profit margin.
- The $1.5K range seems to be a fair retail price for a Baltic Birch ply cab with name brand speakers where companies can still make a decent profit.
- Once you get past $2k diminishing returns hit hard. Regardless on the name badge that much doesn't seem to be worth the price of admission.
Click to expand...

I'm talking mostly about used prices. People asking crazy prices for a modern, used 4x12. If you tried to sell a quad of used V30s, you'd get what... $100/speaker? The wood box by itself isn't worth $1,200, let alone $3,000.
 
I remember 30 years ago a friend of mine was buying speakers in bulk from Celestion. He was paying about $25 a speaker for most models. I imagine that number has doubled.

Most 4x12 cabs the speakers probably cost around $200 for the builder.
 
dave74 said:
That's an easy answer.

The brands that are selling them for crazy prices are able to money-grab because they know many or at least some of the players that use their amps/heads are only going to settle for the cosmetically matching cab, and finding used cabs of those brands can be very difficult, and who the hell would sell them at reasonable prices when they had to pay $3000 new lol.

Mesa, Marshall, Diezel,ect cabs can be found used very easily, so at least there is competition on pricing, and being that they are much more plentiful it keeps the common brands from being able to max-jack their new cab prices.
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And they are made in the place as cheaper cans at times
 
For used on FB market place I either see really cheap 412 cabs like the lower series Marshall cabs or vintage cabs for crazy money. Very little in between and honestly not a ton of listings in my area for 412s at all.
 
FourT6and2 said:
Why are some companies selling 4x12 cabs for upwards of $2,700? Wizard? Hiwatt? These things are bonkers expensive. And then people trying to sell them used are asking more than a NEW 4x12 from companies like Bogner, Diezel, Fryette, Mesa, etc. It's a wood box and for a rear-loaded 4x12 using void-free Baltic birch, with the same dimensions as any other, I can't for the life of me figure out what makes one worth $800 and another command nearly $3,000...
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I currently have 10 4x12 cabs and I’ve never paid more than $400 for one. Picking up another (straight as new EVH) this weekend. I’ve never had and prob never will have a Bogner/Wizard/Diezel cab because like you say, people ask way too much for them. At any given time there are several $500ish quality 4x12s for sale locally around me—no clue who is buying a used 4x12 for $1000+
 
If people are rich or dumb enough to pay the asking price, then why not ask it?!?
 
The most I have ever paid for a 4X12 was during the lockdown when I paid $700 for a 1960BX in mint condition. Still have it. $250 to $500 for the other 20 something cabs I have owned over the years.
 
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