What is your favorite 4x12?

[col]

Matamp Retro. These used to be around 650 euro shipped in custom tolex. Now it's 1200.

Mesa
Fatbottom

In that order

 

[myampslouder]

It’s not unique or anything but my 4x12 recto cab is my favorite cab I’ve ever owned. Found it at a pawn shop. It’s from around 2002 and sounds incredible. I’ve owned a ton of cabs but this one is really good.

 

[TheWarAgainstTime]

Mesa Traditional for me also a big fan of the VHT Fatbottom generally, but they can be picky about amps IMO

 

[Screamingdaisy]

Recto Slant Standard.

Bonus points if it's one of the old Slant/Straight cabs. I wish I'd never sold that...

 

[Crungy]

Most of my 4x12 experience was hearing them as a bassist in bands but V30 loaded Soldano's are probably my favorite to hear. I've always liked Mesa and most Marshall stuff that other band members had.

The vocalist/guitarist in the last band I was in used an Egnater Tourmaster with a matching 4x12. Pretty decent sounding rig.

 

[Necky379]

If I had to sell the others I’d keep my tall Marshall 1960TV with Fane F25’s.

 

[SalsaWood]

Anybody ever mess with those 2x15 Vader guitar cabs from years ago? I always wanted to play through one, but never have. I guess if they're nobody's favorite so far I'm not missing much, but I have no idea.

 

[yan12]

VHT Fatbottom cabs for me. I like the slants with p50e and the straight with the original v-30's made for Mesa.
Together, that stack is the best I have heard. p50e alone can be picky about amps, but once they are broken in the are glorious.
I will never sell any of mine.

 

[oracles]

Anybody ever mess with those 2x15 Vader guitar cabs from years ago? I always wanted to play through one, but never have. I guess if they're nobody's favorite so far I'm not missing much, but I have no idea.

Yeah, they don't sound particularly good. No slight against Vader, I've owned a few of their cabs, but guitar through 15s just sounds weird.

 

[bmtf]

Edit:

Edit:most cabs are too loud for me but I quite liked using two Peavey 212-6 cabs they are only 50 watts and kinda take up a lot of space

 

[Deadpool_25]

2002 Mesa straight/slant

 

[youngthrasher9]

Those old Mills Afterburners were something special, absolutely killed no matter what was on top of it. It's a shame how it all went down in the end, wish they bounced back.

But you can't go wrong with just about any Mesa cab made in the last 40 years. I always thought the RK cabs, though absolute monsters, were some of the best.

Honorable mention to the Uberkab.

All that said, I've had a beat old G12/V30 Marshall 1960B since the stone age and while I can't say it's my favorite ever it always delivers the goods.

I just read up on the Afterburner a little, looks like the design is extremely similar to what KSR is doing with their 4x12’s now. No idea on similarities in dimensions though.

 

[budda]

My thing is I have no idea what my jcm900 cab sounds like mic’d or in a mix. Maybe it rules, no clue . Ive heard my open back 212 in a 1 and 2 guitar mix, kind of (standing close). All this to say, all the actual standards of measuring if the cabs are good have not happened. For home use they are all a good time.

 

[youngthrasher9]

My thing is I have no idea what my jcm900 cab sounds like mic’d or in a mix. Maybe it rules, no clue . Ive heard my open back 212 in a 1 and 2 guitar mix, kind of (standing close). All this to say, all the actual standards of measuring if the cabs are good have not happened. For home use they are all a good time.

For me personally I measure quality of a cab on durability as well as sound… if a 100lb piece of what is essentially furniture intended to be moved often in poor conditions isn’t built for it, I don’t see the quality.

 

[Andromalia]

So far, my Marshall MF280 straight still holds that title. Since I've had it for something like 14 years now, it's going to be hard to dislodge from the top spot.

 

[NexusMT]

I have the Marshall 1960AV 4x12 which I’m happy with it. It has lots of focus on mids and rounded highs. For the price I got it used it’s more than worth it.

Dream cab would probably be the Mesa 4x12 oversized but in Europe is almost impossible to find at a good price.

 

[maliciousteve]

There's 3 I've owned that I love/d

1. Prototype George Lynch Randall 4 x 12. 1 of 2 prototype cabs owned by George Lynch and used by him for clinics in the UK some years ago. I came to own one of them. Covered in "alligator skin" cover with 4 Eminence Super V12s. Sounded incredible with the JVM410 at the time.

2. Framus Cobra 4 x 12. Ordered by the original owner from Framus with V30s instead of greenbacks. Eventually I put in 2 K100 speakers in an X pattern and it blew me away when mated with the Peavey JSX I owned at the time.

3. Blackstar Artisan 4 x 12. This is what I currently own, using it with an Engl Powerball. Seems really well built, sounds great and looks cool too. Haven't had a chance to use it with a band yet but I'd imagine it would be cool.

 

[Crungy]

So far, my Marshall MF280 straight still holds that title. Since I've had it for something like 14 years now, it's going to be hard to dislodge from the top spot.

A little googling shows that cab has a customized V30 for the Mode Four amps. Do they sound much different to you compared to a regular V30 loaded cab?

 

[ATRguitar91]

Favorite cab of all time is an original Vader 412 with the custom Eminence speakers and the rhino lining. I dragged that thing all over the east coast and it barley has a scratch on it. Sounds great too. Got the 212 version too, I'll never part with em.

My 2000s Mesa OS is also great and contrasts really well with the Vader.

 

[Andromalia]

A little googling shows that cab has a customized V30 for the Mode Four amps. Do they sound much different to you compared to a regular V30 loaded cab?

Difficult to say: another cab with V30s will also have different construction, isolating a single factor is pretty difficult. In addtion that's pretty old stuff now so how the cab was maintained will be a huge factor.
I gave up on quantifying musci gear a long time ago, the best advice I can give is, if you have one for sale around, do give it a try, but don't buy blind unless it's just pocket money for you. (Cab goes for around 5-700€ in Europe)
To me it's worth trying if you have an opportunity. How it will match with your specific gear is another story.