Matching the Amp to the Cab..VERY IMPORTANT!

[trower]

I'm sure many of you already know this but for that minor percentile, If you've ever bought an amp only to find it to mussy or too brittle, consider my discovery.
I recently picked up a CAE+ 100wtt. I have a vintage Marshall 4x12 w/Celestion 65's, a Bogner oversize 2x12 w/Vintage 30's and a small Homemade Solid pine 2x12 also w'Vintage 30's. First I ran the amp thru the 4x12, the results were predictably impressive enough. Big wide sound lot's of mids but a bit flabby and dry. I was able to get a very decent Marshall crunch but It seemed to lack character. Next up was the Bogner. I was expecting this to be the perfect match since this is my favorite cab ever! but to my surprise it was a nasally mess. Plenty of mid's but very loose low end and buzzy highs. Not a defined tone at all! In desperation I dug out my home made Pine box that I stored away since it basically sounded like crap with every amp I threw at it and ...Voalla...Lots of Thump, controlled mids and a sweet treble with an all around perfect timber. This sat so well with the CAE that it no wonder CAE's 2X12 cabs are so small. This amp was made for that size cab it seems.. whereas my TopHat Emplexador sounds like a Pignose thru it and screamed for the over-sized Bogner or Marshall slant. But never have I owned an amp that was so particular to a cab under it as this amp..I also tend to consider the pine to plywood construction a factor. All in all a very interesting consideration before you dump that amp.

[prsnstrat]

Defintely a great topic that deserves a bump; I don't think this topic could ever tire. There are so many variables. There are some cabs that sound great no matter what you hook them up to and for me the OS 2x12 is that cab.

[drbob1]

Which is why you have to use the original speakers with Mark Sampson's amps (you know, they're "Matchless")!

[electronpirate]

I wish there was some sort of formula you could apply here. I've had several high end amps that sounded like crap with one speaker cab, and glorious with another...and (what I thought were) minor variations on the same theme.

Of course, you can always point to what the amp designer had in mind for a cab, but I've seen a helluva lotta misses on that one too. (HK Triamp with Greenbacks comes to mind.)

EP

[papa taco]

I disagree. A good amp should and will sound excellent through any speaker. A speaker doesn't make much difference.




























Totally kidding.

[guitarsnguns04]

+1 Matchless....Mark Sampson

[trower]

Originally Posted by electronpirate

I wish there was some sort of formula you could apply here. I've had several high end amps that sounded like crap with one speaker cab, and glorious with another...and (what I thought were) minor variations on the same theme.

Of course, you can always point to what the amp designer had in mind for a cab, but I've seen a helluva lotta misses on that one too. (HK Triamp with Greenbacks comes to mind.)

EP

Good point! Guytron and his early closed backs come to mind here. They call for a much larger cab.

[GAT]

I have 4 cabs and they all have their place. If I get an amp and it doesn't sound good through one of them, then there's a problem.

[nashvillesteve]

Speaker and cabinet have a huge effect on the sound... More than tube changes.

[pickslide]

I ws just going to start a thread about choosing a cabinet. I will be getting a Peters 50W and want a 2x12 with it, but not sure what to get as this is my first head/cabinet purchase. James said that the vintage 30 and GH model speakers go very well together.....

[suhr_rodney]

Great thread. A cab can make or break an entire rig. Finding the perfect match is part of the fun. And I could not agree more with the Matchless comments. Those amps & cabs/speakers go together and the result is pure magic.

[bluesmain]

cool thread!!! Great truths exposed

[bluesdoc]

Absolutely. Probably the most overlooked factor when judging one's amp. And most of the time it does seem like a crapshoot. Trial and error and more $ :NUTS There are so damn many speakers to choose from (although I tend to narrow my selection to neos as I've become a weight fanatic..... )

jon

[cram]

Originally Posted by prsnstrat

Defintely a great topic that deserves a bump; I don't think this topic could ever tire. There are so many variables. There are some cabs that sound great no matter what you hook them up to and for me the OS 2x12 is that cab.

+1

I've been trying amps out lately and doing a lot of research when ever something tickles my ears or there's a strong recommendation as I am in the market these days for a good amp.

Just last week I crashed my friends' rehearsal with his band and their guitarist was bitching about his jcm800. I brought two of my cabinets over to plug in and test out - dude's jaw dropped with the difference it made.

This is also one of the best reasons to keep cabinets (whatever size they may be). Testing and experimenting is very interesting to me.

There's even a thread up there in the queue right now about 2203 vs 2210 and along with praise there are mentions of either not sounding as expected. I wonder if these examples were tested out with different cabs... I know it's only one part of a multitude of factors, but it's a damn important one.

[LSchefman]

I couldn't agree more with the sentiments expressed in this thread.

Here's an example: the best cab I ever played my TR Onyx through was a late 60s Marshall 4 x 12 with vintage Greenbacks. It was magnificent. I can't even describe how delicious it was. It belonged to a studio I was working in.

I also really like my Mesa 3/4 back with a C90 in it with this amp. Totally different sound. And of course, the TR and Bogner 212s I had each did their own thing, and gave the amp different colors.

Then again, I don't necessarily strive for the typical sounds most TR owners seem to like.

Cabs and speakers make a huge difference.