Fender Cabs

[fenderbender4]

What are people's opinions and experiences with vintage fender cabs like the blackface and silverface eras? Certain years better than others? Are they good or would people prefer to go with something else?

 

[Custom50]

I have a 2x12 blackface bassman with matching cab. The original speakers were on their last legs so I put in some well broken in greenbacks and it sounds great.

I use it with my Orange amps as well and it sounds great with them too.

 

[swiveltung]

-The Older Fender cabs were fingerjointed pine until roughly 1970. It may depend on model. They used a floating speaker baffle.
-After that they were pine, but rabbeted corners which are coming apart on many. The speaker baffle is glued into a groove and has a separate grill cloth frame that is removeable.
Both these types sound fine to my ears. But the older fingerjointed ones are very sturdy and the rabbeted ones can come completely apart in shipping.

-After that I think they went to plywood rabbeted for a time but not sure.

 

[old goat]

I have a 64 tremolux cab and a 66 super--both cabs are in great shape.

 

[desertRat]

I bought a 65 Band master last year and it came with the matching over sized 2X12. at first i only used the head with my other cabs and let the 2x12 sit at home. fast forward a year and now the band master is my home amp and the fender 2X12 is my main giging cab! I love it, its super light and with a pair of wizards it'll run circles around most 4X12 at a fraction of the weight (read MOST 4x12's, not all). one thing to keep in mind is while the oversized cab is super light and strong its physically the same size as the bassists 6x10 ampeg......

 

[zenas]

Just built a couple of cabs. A tweed Twin cab and a 2-10 cab for a 65 Bandmaster.
Built them the same way Fender did 50 years ago because they work and hold up.

I've also got two of glued baffle silverface amps an SR and TR that have taken a beating (expecially the TR) and are holding up just fine.

 

[Hulakatt]

I have a drip edge Bandmaster cab that is a pretty nice but pretty basic cab. Solid but no frills. Got a pair of Jupiters in it now but I might pick up a pair of Scumbacks later down the road.

 

[kekaiakea]

I have an oversized 2x12 Bandmaster Reverb cab. To my ears it has sort of a compressed sound. Very nice cab, if you have the space (or are willing to haul the beast to gigs).

 

[fradubio]

I have an oversized 2x12 that I let sit for a long time, but plugged the bandmaster into it the other night and dang. What a great sound!

 

[vibrasonic]

My favourites are my 210 tremolux cabs, great sounding and portable.

I used to have two of the giant BF 215 cabs with a couple of BF dual showman amps that I used to own. I actually hauled them to a few gigs. My bass player used one with his BF Bassman and I used mine with the showman. They sounded really good but after a few gigs I gave up on them.

I still own a couple of 212s but even those are getting to heavy to lug around nowadays so I pretty much stick with tremolux cabs.