Marshall Mode Four, MF400B cab. stock, loaded with K-100's. Yay or Nay?

[mightywarlock]

Howdy.

So recently, after discovering the speaker shootouts, and buying and trying a Rivera KR7, and using the Rivera SEVEN cab in the store, I got it in me that I must get another cab, loaded with Celestion K-100's. ( find the KR7 when turned up gets lost in the mix and the speakers are washing out from the bass with the 1960AV, and I have to keep turning down the bass, and everything I hear says the K-100's are better for this)

Now, I have been thinking of ordering the Rivera Seven Cab, but then got thinking, I remember hearing that Kerry King uses the Mode Four Cabs, and I also have the JCM800KK (Kerry King head), and I thought they were loaded with Vintage 30's, but discovered there were 2 different models, the MF280(V-30's), and MF400(K-100's).

I happened to find a MF400B locally on sale for $500.00, and this by far beats the price I have been trying to figure out how to come up with to get the Rivera Seven Cab, of $1199 (or so)...
But I know the Rivera cab is of very high quality, and I have heard that the MF400 cabs are similar to the Mesa Recto cabs in quality (not like a typical 1960), better wiring, better wood construction, however only 1-8ohm input.

So my question is this...
Does anyone here have any experience with the MF400 cabs?
I wanted to get an A, as even in the user manual Marshall states the only difference is the A is more aggressive, cuts through the mix a little better due to a raised Treble and Mid response, and A's generally look cooler under a head, and the B's are overall generally smoother...and I am used to having B cabs as well (I prefer my Mesa cabs to be B cabs), so I am not apposed to having the Marshall cab be a B either...

So is this cab recommended? Is $500 a good price?
Should I get it, or hold off, and go for the Rivera SEVEN cab instead when I can afford it?

I will probably have to sell my 1960AV cab off in order to offset the expense (I will still have the Mesa cabs (4x12 traditional recto, 2x12 recto) loaded with v-30's, so not loosing too much on those tones.
Or i can try to swing it then have a full stack with the 400B and 1960AV...but I don't think I really want to do that anymore...(since the 400 is 8ohms, and the 1960av has a switchable jackplate, I think this would work) but it is just not really practicle to keep a Full stack like this anymore i feel.

so.

Yay, for the MF400B or Nay, and wait for the Rivera? (same speakers, different brands and construction). Or get it, sell the 1960AV, and still get the Rivera if i feel i want it later on for some ridiculous reason?

whatcha folks say?

 

[warlock7strEMG]

id go for it man, i actually like the Mode Four cabs, esp the MF400's. id try to talk em down to 400 if possible, but if not 500 is still a good deal. im sure the Rivera will prolly sound better but for less than half the price, you can get close enough to the same sound. and if u end up not diggin it or you decide you just have to have the Rivera(which would be understandable) then you can always sell the MF400 for the same price u bought it for

 

[mightywarlock]

id go for it man, i actually like the Mode Four cabs, esp the MF400's. id try to talk em down to 400 if possible, but if not 500 is still a good deal. im sure the Rivera will prolly sound better but for less than half the price, you can get close enough to the same sound. and if u end up not diggin it or you decide you just have to have the Rivera(which would be understandable) then you can always sell the MF400 for the same price u bought it for

got down to $475.
It was a Mode four half stack the guy had, and he was keeping the head.
I decided to try it.

Went to the studio with it that night, and it is a very different tone than the V30's, more like EV12L's.
seemed like less gain in the amp and clearer tone, due to less speaker breakup.
The difference was no matter how loud i cranked the amp, i could still hear everything I was playing and I was able to crank the gain to 10 with the Boost ON.
not sure if i like the tone for sure, but I am willing to give it a shot.

I may drag the cab to a nearby shop to A/B it with the Rivera Seven cab to see if there really is a big difference. seems less aggressive i think...but not sure. Just really loud...much more volume noticed immediately.

 

[The Echthros]

if those are the results you are getting with that cab sounds like it would be a real god send while recording

 

[warlock7strEMG]

got down to $475.
It was a Mode four half stack the guy had, and he was keeping the head.
I decided to try it.

Went to the studio with it that night, and it is a very different tone than the V30's, more like EV12L's.
seemed like less gain in the amp and clearer tone, due to less speaker breakup.
The difference was no matter how loud i cranked the amp, i could still hear everything I was playing and I was able to crank the gain to 10 with the Boost ON.
not sure if i like the tone for sure, but I am willing to give it a shot.

I may drag the cab to a nearby shop to A/B it with the Rivera Seven cab to see if there really is a big difference. seems less aggressive i think...but not sure. Just really loud...much more volume noticed immediately.

yeah i know what you mean, having a more neutral cab isnt for everyone i guess. it was kinda a similar experience when my buddy got his Vader cab.....

its almost like the lack of speaker breakup dries the gain out a lil bit on whatever you run through it. seems like youre gettin less gain while its all still there, it just comes out with different characteristics accentuated due to the speakers having a flatter response than, say, v30s. and with the k100's i think its that combined with the extra headroom that leads to a more open sound and more perceived volume, as the sound coming from your speakers doesnt compress, at least not nearly as much as v30s do.

it can be a good addition for some peoples set up and amazing with certain amps, esp amps that are a bit fizzy, as the whole neutral treble response can kinda round out and tame some of the fizz and add clarity, but i can definitely see where it might not be to everybodys taste

 

[skibus]

Try throwing 2 V30's on the top of the MF400 or X pattern and you should get the sound you're looking for.

 

[juice_74]

I have a MF280 with V30s, using it with a bugera 333 and 5150II and i really like it, sounds huge and constructed very well imo. Its like an overside mesa cab but cheaper.

 

[Wookieslayer]

Great necro bump

 

[Digideus]

Severe zombie necro bump!

I recently got a mode four 2nd hand and played it through the 280 cab, which was ok, but through the 400 watt cab, it just came to life. Those K100 drivers are without a doubt amazing drivers and I have yet to hear any cab that comes close to sounding like the 400 watter.

Thats it. you can go back to sleep now thanks

 

[xCaptainx]

the 400w cab is awesome. I owned one for 6-7 years and really put it through it's paces. They are built like a tank and sound great!

 

[smucarolina]

used to own one..traded it to someone on here for a Vader. AMAZING CABS. I would say pick it up. Talk him down to $400 hehe.

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

The G12K-100's are very underrated speakers, which are loaded in the MF400, which is also an underrated cab.

Another cab to look for that has these are the first edition Peavey 412MS's. They're the ones that look a lot like Marshall cabs.

They have the grillecloth and white piping. If you can find them for under $250, then you have a fucking steal.

 

[Wookieslayer]

They may be called Peavey 412MC... c for celestion and s for Sheffield perhaps.

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

I thought the S stood for "Slanted?" The straight cabs are just called "412M"

 

[Wookieslayer]

I know for sure there are 212mc vertical cabs though and those have the K-85s aka K-100s