Amp cabinet - which one to get if I'll just have only one?

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backpacker

New member
Hi everyone,

I'm looking to get a good cab to go with the amp head that I'm planning to buy, which would also be great for future heads that I may get down the road. So basically, I thought to get 1 X nice solid cab, and in future I will just need to spend money on amp heads.

Am thinking of a 1x12 cab since it is most likely only be for home use.

For the amp heads, I'm currently planning to buy a 15-20W tube amp head (HT-20, Haze 15 or others). Don't know what other heads I may get in future, but most likely they will be in the 1W to 50W range.

Are there any cabs you would recommend? I have no budget in mind - I think a few hundred dollars should get me a good 1x12?

Thanks!
 
Thanks for the recommendations so far.

The Dr. Z 1x12 cab looks interesting but is not cheap. It starts from US$519. In comparison, a Marshall 2x12 '1936' cab is listed at US$550 online.

Anyone has played through these cabs before?

Will check them out at SV and Davis respectively.
 
backpacker said:
Thanks for the recommendations so far.

The Dr. Z 1x12 cab looks interesting but is not cheap. It starts from US$519. In comparison, a Marshall 2x12 '1936' cab is listed at US$550 online.

Anyone has played through these cabs before?

Will check them out at SV and Davis respectively.
Click to expand...

Hi there,

I have tried all 3 1x12 Dr Z cabs (Celestion Vintage 30, Blue and Gold) and I recently bought a 1936 Marshall cab 2x12 right here from SOFT.

My personal favorite amongst the 3 Z-cabs is the 1x12 Celestion Gold. The tone is clean, yet "full", not muddy at all. I found it takes drive pedals very nicely, especially with the Bearfoot Model H. Sorry but I didn't have much play time with the other 2 cabs as this Gold had my attention all the way! All I remember is "Wow, this thing is GOOOOD!". Oh, the Z cabs are convertibles, i.e, you can remove the panel behind for an open cab, or put it back up for a closed back. I like that feature!

The 1936 cab comes with 2 Celestion 12" GT12-75, capable of going stereo. Its a closed back, so expect slightly more "boomy" sounds. The Marshall cab was meant to be driven, and driven hard, I feel. If you're looking to play clean tones, or at lower volumes with a lower wattage amp, then this cab is not being pushed to its full potential. Something is lurking in the cab, waiting for a nice gut-punching riff to power through. If you like to play loud and filthy, this is IT. Once a while, I do plug my amp into this cab and let rip, just to feel the power. Shiok.

I'm a big fan of Dr Z, after having tried a few other amps. I am using a Maz 38 head, playing through the Carmen Ghia's 2x10 combo speakers. Once a while I plug the Ghia back in, and the speakers never disappoint. 2 different amps, same set of speakers and the speakers can produce 2 distinct tones. The speakers in the Ghia are designed by Dr Z himself, and manufactured in USA by Eminence. I love the punchy and fast response of the speakers, which goes well clean AND driven.

I don't think there are any 2x10 Dr Z cabs at SV at the moment, the closest being the Ghia combo, which is essentially the 2x10 cab with an amp. The 2x10 cab from Dr Z uses the same speakers as the ones in the Ghia combo, so if you want to know how it sounds, check it out at SV.

I hope I didn't confuse anybody here, meanwhile I need to visit the gents..!!!!!!
 
what kind of music you play?
I am partial to open back cabs

w/out knowing any variables,
you can build your own cab from the lopo line series
and modify it to be convertible between open/closed back
 
Thanks again for all your suggestions.

@Ratboy: I play mostly classic rock nowadays. But I would want something versatile that sounds good clean to heavy metal distortion.

@chungmun: Excellent! Thanks for your informative post. I checked out the Dr Z 1x12 Celestion Vintage 30 cab just now. I think it sounds fine and the construction is definitely of good quality.

The Marshall 1936 is out of stock at Davis, so I couldn't test it. But I saw a 4x12 Marshall cab there that sells at very similar price level as the Dr Z 1x12! Man, this gave me a perspective of how costly Dr Z is. Unless I can hear the difference, it would be quite hard for me to justify the premium. Will need to check out a Marshall soon.
 
Does anyone know where we can buy and install a Celestion speaker?

Am toying with the idea of getting a Marshall 1936 and replacing one of the GT12T-75 with a V30...
 
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