425A or 425B??

[Sparky4444]

Pretty good deal on a pair of these at Mothers Music...one of each...I really don't have much experience with 4x12's. I'll mostly be using it for recording and jamming on my own in my basement...maybe the odd big gig...Suggestions on which way to go?? I'm leaning towards the 425B simply because it just makes more sense to me from an acoustics point-of-view...I don't like having the speaker facing right at me, but rather off-axis a bit...

...but experience may dictate otherwise??

8)

[Dazed&Confuzed]

If you're only going to have one cabinet you have to pick where the sounds gunna go, to your ears (425A) or to your balls (425B). Haha, but normally if you have one cab its the slant(425A) I've never tested them against each other to see what sounds better, but im guessing that there is a reason for having the slant if you get 1 cab. hope this helps a bit. :)

[SteveD]

In your proposed environment there will be negligable difference in the sound. At a gig it is a matter of personal preference. :)

[LivewireBlanco]

Always heard that the bottom cabs have more bass feeling to them. Maybe cause of a slightly larger cab interior or maybe cause of the direction of the speakers. I know AC/DC only use bottoms and stack them on top of each other.

[kissfanps]

i heard it is easier to control the sound with the straight cabs when playing live...more directional? :?

[jjb]

Always heard that the bottom cabs have more bass feeling to them. Maybe cause of a slightly larger cab interior or maybe cause of the direction of the speakers. I know AC/DC only use bottoms and stack them on top of each other.

KC/DC only uses bottom cabs as well! (Shameless plug...)

Seriously though, I have only ever used bottom cabinets.....I have been told they have more bass as well but I have never actually A-B'd them with tops to find out myself....

[BenjiJuanKenobi]

Whether you have stage monitors can also be a consideration in whether to go straight face or slant. It doesn't seem like you are going to be playing in a situation requiring several musicians playing at loud volumes together.

[surfnorthwest]

i heard it is easier to control the sound with the straight cabs when playing live

I totally agree with that statement.

[Sparky4444]

I haven't pulled the trigger yet...A little over my head I might be getting with a 4x12, but its more of a pre-mid-life crisis thing as opposed to a practical thing

I should be getting a 1936 or some other good 2x12, but screw it...Rock n Roll and screw the neighbors :P

[Dave W]

I have the 4-12. If you think a 4-12 is to much, then just hit the switch on the back to stereo and put the ohms setting on your amp to the correct spot and you have a 2-12 running. I use mine at home andjust prefer the sound of 2-12's being pushed a little compared to all 4-12's at lower volume. I also have the speakers wired in an X pattern. to me it sounds a little fuller when using 2-12's. When going for more volume or more clean sound I switch back to 4-12's. Works well. I have the angled cabs. I do not think it makes a difference as I use at home compared to using a botom cab. basically in the house anything above 2 on the master sounds loud. So whether its a t 2 or 5 my wife thinks its to loud si I just go for 5. The cabs and speakers are cool.

[Sparky4444]

I have the 4-12. If you think a 4-12 is to much, then just hit the switch on the back to stereo and put the ohms setting on your amp to the correct spot and you have a 2-12 running

Does this actually sound good?? If so, good call..I didn't think about that

[jsegovia]

In my experience the angle on the slant cab isn't enough to really affect how much you're hearing, unless you always stand right in front of the amp, facing the amp. Jim Marshall made the original slant cabs so the top of the cab would taper up to about the depth of the head which looked better to him, NOT so guitar players could hear more of their sound.

Unfortunately we play in cramped rehearsal spaces or on smaller stages so even with a 4X12 and a loud 100 watt amp most of the sound goes to my legs anyway - the audience and the rest of the band says I'm screaming but I can't hear exactly what I'm playing! I'll have to tell the wife I need a full stack! :)

But yes, lots of guitar playters swear by the B cabs which they say gives them more bottom. That's all Jimmy Page has used for years and that's all Frampton has used to a long time. I never A/B'd my old JMP half stack with B cab directly with my VM half stack with A cab so this may be completely wrong but in my memory the JMP seemed to have a bit more bottom (as long as the preamp was on 10!) and the VM seems a bit brighter.

Jesse

[Kongels]

I would get whichever one is cheaper. :)

[Dave W]

Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2009 11:35 pm Post subject:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dave W wrote:
I have the 4-12. If you think a 4-12 is to much, then just hit the switch on the back to stereo and put the ohms setting on your amp to the correct spot and you have a 2-12 running



Does this actually sound good?? If so, good call..I didn't think about that

Yes, it does soound good. I took the back of the cab off and rewired the speakers in an X patternso when in stereo you have one uppper and one lower speaker on each side, just figured it would be a little more fuller sounding that way, but its not necessary. If you are using the 100 watt head, when using just 2 speakers you cannot dime the master volume without taking a risk. The speakers are rated at 25 watts each so 2 equals 50 watts. Thats twice of 100 and the amp may possibly put out a few more than 100 watts in high dynamic mode I do not know. I tend to gamble a little, but I have gone up to master volume of 7 in low dynamic but no higher than 5 in high dynamic. I may be an idiot and blow a speaker someday, but it has been fine so far. It still gets loud, I mean the master on 5 in high dynamic into 2-12's in a 15 x 15 foot room will pound your ears after awhile. Think of it as a 4-12 cab that can change into a big box 2-12 cab. If you are looking to just get a 2-12 just google Avatar Speakers they are thye best bang for your buck out there and they are all birch plywood compared to the Marshall being plywood speaker baffle and the rest particle board. Avatar prices just went up a little but still very reasonable. With Avatar you cannot get the Vintage Modern special Celestion speakers though. If you look at the Vintage series by Avatar for the 2-12, just keep in mind, that the Vintage 2-12 is only a few inches smaller than a 4-12. Good Luck!

[Dave W]

Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2009 11:35 pm Post subject:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dave W wrote:
I have the 4-12. If you think a 4-12 is to much, then just hit the switch on the back to stereo and put the ohms setting on your amp to the correct spot and you have a 2-12 running



Does this actually sound good?? If so, good call..I didn't think about that

Yes, it does soound good. I took the back of the cab off and rewired the speakers in an X patternso when in stereo you have one uppper and one lower speaker on each side, just figured it would be a little more fuller sounding that way, but its not necessary. If you are using the 100 watt head, when using just 2 speakers you cannot dime the master volume without taking a risk. The speakers are rated at 25 watts each so 2 equals 50 watts. Thats twice of 100 and the amp may possibly put out a few more than 100 watts in high dynamic mode I do not know. I tend to gamble a little, but I have gone up to master volume of 7 in low dynamic but no higher than 5 in high dynamic. I may be an idiot and blow a speaker someday, but it has been fine so far. It still gets loud, I mean the master on 5 in high dynamic into 2-12's in a 15 x 15 foot room will pound your ears after awhile. Think of it as a 4-12 cab that can change into a big box 2-12 cab. If you are looking to just get a 2-12 just google Avatar Speakers they are thye best bang for your buck out there and they are all birch plywood compared to the Marshall being plywood speaker baffle and the rest particle board. Avatar prices just went up a little but still very reasonable. With Avatar you cannot get the Vintage Modern special Celestion speakers though. If you look at the Vintage series by Avatar for the 2-12, just keep in mind, that the Vintage 2-12 is only a few inches smaller than a 4-12. Good Luck!