Didn't know the impact a good cabinet makes

[Lungo]

I've been fighting with my guitar tone for weeks now and haven't been happy with it. My Marshall 2266 hasn't been sounding good and neither has my Laney VH100R. After comparing my two amps last night through my old beat to hell 1960 cab, I decided that's the weak link. That cab looks like it's been chewd on by a dog and kicked down the road a few times. I don't even know what speakers are in it. So today I visited my local store and they were happy to stick me in a room and roll in whatever cabs I wanted to try out at high volume. I was able to play through a 425A, 1960AX, and a 1960A with Vin 30's. They had a 2266 in stock so I didn't haul in my own amp.

I plugged in to the 425A first and my first thought was: "wow, so that's what my amp is SUPPOSED to sound like!" Then I went to the 1960A with Vin 30's. I had a hard time dialing in a tone that I liked with that cab but it still sounded pretty good. I think it would sound better with more power and distortion pushing it. Next was the 1960AX and it sounded good. For a moment I was thinking about picking it because it sounded as good as the 425A and I liked the look better. Just to make sure I went into the 425A again and that made it an easy choice. The 425A produces the tone I feel like I've been lacking. It was like taking a blanket off and letting every ounce of tone blast out. I couldn't get a BAD tone out of it no matter where I set the knobs.

I've been reading what you guys have been saying about how much difference speakers make with the Marshall Vintage Modern and I was skeptical until now. I can't wait to crank this thing up at band practice on Tuesday and start breaking in the speakers!

[musicman]

I used to own a Matamp.
The Matamp factory has an arrangement where there are a number of different 1x12 cabs wired into a switch & you can switch between the cabs as you play.
I never realised the speaker made so much difference until I tried this.
It's fun to do the speaker test "blind" so you just use your ears with no preconceptions that a G12M will sound good but a Vintage 30 won't etc.
My favourite speaker was the good old alnico blue followed by G12H & G12M.

[surfnorthwest]

I think speakers make the biggest difference but the quality of the cabinet does also. I am a total homer for Carvins Legacy 4x12 cabinets, the back does not unscrew like a Marshall and they just sound so good. I have three, two of them with the Hellatone 30s and 60s in the X pattern, and the one I use for the VM has Lead 80s which I still think to my ears is the best for the 2466.

[Lungo]

I am a total homer for Carvins Legacy 4x12 cabinets

And for the price of those speaker cabinets they are a bargain for sure.

I'm curious: is it the recorded tone that your speaker preference is based on? If you were playing in a band again would you choose something different?

[Spotted Dog]

I'm curious: is it the recorded tone that your speaker preference is based on? If you were playing in a band again would you choose something different?

Great question Lungo.

I haven't tried recording my 425a/2266 set-up yet, but it sure sounds great live!
And the matching head and cab look good together.

[surfnorthwest]

I'm curious: is it the recorded tone that your speaker preference is based on?

Absolutly, as this is the end product of my playing. I have spent a lot of time and money playing around with different speakers to get the tone I want to translate on my recordings and I have it now. I also have tried many differnt mics and the way I set them up to capture the amps tone. In the end it is simply two Shure SM57s that work best. I had a $1200 Royer ribbon mic but it was to harsh with loud cabinets. It really wasn't until my last two CDs that I had been totally satified with recording my cabinets.

Most people in the studio are using straight digital setups such as my Digitech GSP 1101 or programs like Guitar Rig 3, while doing this has some major advantages to me it's just the easy way out and become difficult to reproduce it in a live setting.

[DeanM]

In the end it is simply two Shure SM57s that work best.

you once said you thought that the sm57 and some other condensor mic...cant remem the name...paired up gave what you thought was the closest reproduction of the sound of the amp in the room. have you switched to the two sm57s or still use that setup?

[surfnorthwest]

paired up gave what you thought was the closest reproduction of the sound of the amp in the room. have you switched to the two sm57s or still use that setup?

It simply depends on how loud I am playing, if I am getting the tone I want at a reasonable volume (<110 dB) the SM57 close up with a AKG 420 condersor back about 3ft can't be beat, you just have to make sure your not out of phase. This works great when capturing subtle playing or adding some lead guitar over keys and during less hard playing. Again very dependent on how hard I am playing hand how hard I am pushing the amp.

When I must crank the amp I can get to much echo in my room using the AKG condesor so in that case I change the setup using one close up SM57 and put a second SM57 exactly 18 inches behind the first on the same speaker, this I have found truley captures the amps tone at high volumes.

In about another year I plan on building a 35x20 shed for my studio outside my home. It will be built with seprate amp rooms, vocal rooms and a drum room. The foam insultaion used in the construction will sound proof it so that the sound is all absorbed, this is much cheaper than buying all the sound baffles. I am also going to build tracks to run all my cables through so the are hidden but easily indentified and changed. Also going to set the power up so it is very clean and steady feeding everything. I am working with my wife who is an accountant to set up a LLC to make the studio a small business thus making the project tax deductable. This will allow me to get more gear and allow other bands to come in and record a song for cheap, I just have to show a small profit to make it legit.

Of course the shed will have some men stuff in it like a nice flat screen TV, fidge, and a shitter. Probably setup a live web cam in there too. I am still planning for it and if I do most of the work it should only be about $30K, not bad for having my own bat cave.

[Spotted Dog]

Of course the shed will have some men stuff in it like a nice flat screen TV, fidge, and a shitter. Probably setup a live web cam in there too. I am still planning for it and if I do most of the work it should only be about $30K, not bad for having my own bat cave.

Sounds like the ultimate man cave, just get somebody to throw some raw meat through the window every once in a while.

Thanks for the tip on the 18" spacing between mics, your recordings are clean and full to my ear. Definitely going to try and record with the double 57s soon, could try the hellatones in a 2x12 but the Carvin cab with lead 80's will have to wait.

[DeanM]

Sounds like the ultimate man cave, just get somebody to throw some raw meat through the window every once in a while.