cabinet issues

[GunToHeart]

Hey all, im having some problems with my cab n i need some help.

My setup is a Rectoverb head into a MARSHALL 1936 2x12 closedback cab loaded with stock Celestion 75s. The cab itself is about 1 year old. I had bought it from Davis and was confident about it as i thought, it's a marshall, u cant really go wrong with them.

Now, the thing is, the dry tone im getting is VERY boomy and muddy and i believe does not do my head any justice watsoever. There is no sustain and is very harsh sounding especially in the band situation. There is little crunch or high end..it is very dark and dull sounding. I doubt that it is the head that is responsible for this. Also, the cab is very DIRECTIONAL. If it is angled slightly away from stright at me, it becomes dull and less dynamic, which it wasnt in anyway in the first place.

I did some research on harmony-central and as i thought, there were ALOT of negative reviews about this cab. Apparently, these cabs are made extremely cheaply in china for the past 5 years or so. Is this true? There were many complaints on the lack of quality, mainly the poor woods and construction. I opened the cab up to inspect, and honestly it looked no better than ass.

I would appriciate some advice on what i should do!
Should i get rid of it?
Is it definitely this cab that is degrading my tone?
Any other 2x12 to recommend (available in sg)?

thanks guys n gals, much appreciated.

 

[MadWerewolfBoy]

i think its because its closed back? i'm not too sure, but the kinda chracteristics u're saying sound like those of closed back cabs... lots of boom, great bass and directional...

maybe mod it and saw a opening behind? like 25% of the back?

haha not too sure ah, see what the pros say 1st...

 

[calibre2001]

Hmm speaker change? 75s are mid-scooped by nature, with smooth highs and boomy lows. Perhaps a pair of V30s might be better. Or maybe Eminence instead. Mesa+Marshall cab might not be the best combination around. YMNV.

 

[GunToHeart]

yeah the 75s sound very punchy and low. I guess i might switch to v30 or greenbacks or a combo. BUT, i still think the cab is WEAK. The wood seems thin and flimsy, as if it sucks the sound instead of projecting it with balls and power.

Can anyone recommend a solid 2x12 cab prefereably with sweet high end. I cant afford a Mesa recto cab and i dont think theyre sold here anyway. Avatar Cabs, Legacy Cabs, Randall Cabs? im not entirely sure what can be found here.

 

[Gearjunkie]

Hey GuntoHeart, i've read the same reviews of the marshall 1936 when i was looking for a 2x12 cab, and frankly the reviews made me think twice about getting any marshall cab.

However, what's making you unhappy with your sound may not be the cab construction. "Boomy" and "muddy" might be due to the cab, a good closed back cab should have tight bottom end, the best 2x12s give you enough bass to sound like a 4x12 cab. The lack of sustain and harshness, lack of high end and dark character might be due to the speakers that came with the 1936. speakers do play a big part in your final sound, you could look over at the celestion website for speakers which accentuate the frequencies you are missing.

Alternatively, the lack of warmth may be due to the tube set you are using in your rectoverb. You could try experimenting with different preamp and power tubes to get more highs, warmth and sustain.

As for the cab being directional, all cabs suffer from this to some extent, if they are too piercing, you can try installing some weber beam blockers. I installed them on my v30s and personally i find them to be a big help in cutting down piercing highs and increasing sound dispersion. The sound from the speakers is more uniform no matter where you stand in relation to the cab.

Best way to know for sure how much the tone can be attributed to the cab will be to play your amp head through another cab, with different speakers.

 

[trianglebiscuit]

def not because of the closed-back nature. open-back cabs will have the boomy bass problem, whereas closed-back should present a tighter and more focused bass. i dont know about the directional thingy, but isnt that how guitar speakers work? brighter/darker when on-axis/off-axis.

for the head, maybe its time for a tube swap?

2x12 cabs, try avatars? based on reviews/forums (not personal exp tho) they seem great sounding for the price paid.

 

[GunToHeart]

haha tight bass response is more like super dark loose lanky sloppy boom, no character or mid/high presence. Attack sux.

Avatar cabs sold here?

 

[thor666]

I think it depends, if you have a poorly designed closed-back, it can sound horrible - especially if paired up with the wrong amp.

Avatar cabs don't ship here unfortunately. Some 1x12/2x12 Cabs available in SG - Vox 2x12, Crate 1x12, Carvin 1x12/2x12 (preorder).

You can also hit ebay - there's surprisingly good stuff for the money there if you're patient enough - but watch the shipping costs.

 

[GunToHeart]

cheers guys

 

[trianglebiscuit]

i might be getting an avatar 2x12 from ebay soon.

i have a strong feeling its your tubes.

 

[calibre2001]

Why don't you test the head through other cabs to identify the problem?

 

[GunToHeart]

i have a strong feeling its your tubes.

Stock Mesa 6l6's sounded bad with my setup. Gritty by nature loads of clean headroom and a more grit distortion.

I replaced those with a pair of JJEL34. Obvious change in tone as a result of tube change but did not solve the problem i think im getting from my cabinet. Just smoothed out alittle, slightly warmer. The overall final tone is still overpoweringly dark and muddy sounding.

I doubt its my powertubes. Perhaps my preamp tubes? 12AX7's? They shouldnt be the cause, they are not even a year old yet. I dont believe they need to be changed this soon.

 

[gsonique]

check if anything has lodged itself near the speaker cone or some loose part in the cab ....or maybe even something close by thats giving a bad vibe.

best isolate the issue by having your head tested with another cab ...

 

[calibre2001]

Try fidling using different preamp tube brands on V1 to ascertain if preamp tubes are the source....