Newbie Question - Connecting to 1936 cabinet

[barkingpumpkin]

Hi guys,

Just picked up a Marshall 1936 cabinet for use with a James Peters JP-10 currently on order. In the meantime, I'd like to hook it up to my Peavey Classic 30 to check it out.

What type of cable(s) do I need to connect it to the C30, and eventually the JP-10? From what I remember reading, I shouldn't use just a guitar cable but should use an interconnect (?) cable. Can anyone educate me on this?

Also, the C30's speaker jack is rated at 16 ohms and the 1936 has an 8 ohm connection for mono and two 16 ohm for stereo. How would I go about connecting the C30 to the 1936?

Thanks!

 

[ekp]

Connect the C30 to one stereo input otherwise you will overload the amp.

Have a great day, Eric

 

[JamesPeters]

Hello barkingpumpkin,

I hope I don't dishearten you, but I'm not a huge fan of the 1936 cabinet. I find it starts to sound good when an amp is played through it very loudly. Otherwise it has a fairly somewhat nasal tone and can seem a bit harsh in the upper mids.

If you already like the cab with your Peavey Classic 30 though, it should do fine. The JP-10 is fairly capable of adjusting to different cabinet and speaker types. As long as the cabinet already sounds fairly good to you, don't let my personal opinion get you down.

In terms of what 2x12 cabinets I prefer--I find the Mesa Recto 2x12 to be the best cabinet I've played with a JP-10. The best 2x12, that is. I imagine the G-Flex 2x12 and Bogner 2x12 cabinets would also sound very nice.

Thanks for ordering a JP-10, barkingpumpkin. If you have any questions about the amp, feel free to email or call me.

 

[JamesPeters]

PS--use a "speaker cable" to connect the cabinet to the head. Guitar cables have a thin inner wire, shielded by a braid. That thinner wire isn't capable of handling much current--not nearly as much as a speaker cable, which has two thicker wires in it instead (and doesn't require any shielding). Guitar cable can die on you when used as speaker cable.

If you don't have any speaker cables, talk to a local music store (one that sells guitar amps) and explain that you need a speaker cable specifically. They should hook you up.

 

[John Phillips]

I would second what Eric says about the C30 - it has a rather under-spec output transformer, and if you run the extension cab at 8 ohms you may well blow it. This means you can only use one speaker in the 1936 at once.

I don't like to dishearten you any more than James, but is that a very recent 1936? I've mentioned this a few times here, but it's worth repeating - there is a HUGE difference between older (up to JCM800) ones and newer (JCM900 onward) ones. The earlier cabs are meade of ply and sound good (even not too bad with the Celestion G12T-75s they came with, which were UK-made at that time). The recent ones are MDF and sound IMO lifeless, dead and 'honky'. No good, even with better speakers than the 75s (current ones are made in China and IMO sound terrible). There may be a period early in the JCM900 series where there is a 'transition' (still ply cabs maybe, and definitely UK Celestions up to the mid 90s), but I'm not certain.

If your has the stereo input panel it must be a JCM900 or later. It's worth checking what it's made from, and what the speakers are. BTW, there is some evidence that ditching that switching panel (or more importantly, the PCB and switches behind it) and rewiring the cab for mono with heavier-gauge cable properly soldered to the speakers (not with those little push-tags) may improve things.

 

[barkingpumpkin]

Thanks everybody for the feedback. I will head to the local shop to pick up some speaker cables.

After looking at the inputs, I was thinking that I would only be able to run a single speaker in the 1936 from the C30, but that's okay. My primary intent is to use it with the JP-10 when it arrives.

John - yes, it is a later 900 cab, probably about a year old. I will pop it open tonight to confirm that it is MDF. I am pretty sure that the speakers are the stock G12T-75s, which I have read can sound a bit harsh. I was planning on replacing the speakers with something else such as Vintage 30s or G12H30s. Do you think that would improve the sound a bit? Also, do you know of a place that you could point me to read up on the rewiring mod to remove the PCB and switches?

James, thanks for your feedback as well. I had seen some messages I think on here about the Mesa 2x12 cabs but got a pretty good deal on the 1936. I'll try the 1936 and will continue to watch for a deal on the Mesa cabs. Looking forward to getting my hands on the JP-10!

Thanks.

 

[JamesPeters]

Hi barkingpumpkin,

Changing the speakers out won't do that much good, I'm afraid. G12T-75s aren't bad speakers per se. Matter of fact I just demoed a JP-50 in Winnipeg using a 4x12 loaded with them, and it went over swimmingly. Made me think about picking some up again...

I've played numerous 1936 cabinets, and even the earlier plywood ones didn't sound good to my ears unless an amp was played very loudly through them.

Sorry...