4x12 or 2x12?

AndrewB

AndrewB

That Darn Kid
Jul 21, 2011
239
0
16
27
Kalamazoo, Michigan
I've started looking for a new cab, and from what I've seen around the forum, the Harley Benton cabs with V30s get the most love for cabs on a budget (which I am).

But what would the real difference be between getting a 2x12 cab and a 4x12 cab?

Also, I live in the US, and since the only place to buy these are Thomann, what is their policy on shipping to the US? On the website, it says that I'll have to pay a 30 Euro shipping fee, but I've heard that if it's more than a certain amount of money, then you have to pay by bank transfer, or something...?
 
hmm i cant get any information about shipping to the us on the website. but if you want to i can call them and ask for the shipping fees to the USA.

And yes the HB 2x12 V30 is a very decent budget priced cab. you can also try to get a 1936 or a Framus 2x12 with v30. Also good cabs and when you buy it second hand about 250 bugs.
 
Because you are in the US, I would really recommend that you look into Avatar. I have the Vintage 412 (the Bogner looking one) and it fucking slays, for $600 it IMO slays anything Mesa and Marshall both in tone, construction and quality, they are build like fucking tanks.

In terms of 212 and 412, I have a ported oversized 212 as well and for the most part it sounds as big as the Avatar in a weird way, but the way it fills the room its obvious that it is smaller. A 212 will have a more linear frequency response, less of a phase shift in the lows which means the lows won't arrive as late relative to the mids and highs than compared to a 412 where the low end is delayed so much that the intelligence of everything below 100Hz can leave you to think that a 212 has less bass. That's not really the case a 212 just has tighter bass because its not perceived as late as a 412 hence that is why it is more linear. 412s will still fill the room much better and if you don't mind carrying the extra weight around I personally believe it is worth getting the 412. If you need something small and light that you can pack around and use for band practice however don't want to kill your back than a 212 is a better choice. In terms of micing for recording and live, the difference in low end or general thickness will hardly be noticed unless you where room micing with an omni.
 
The Harley Benton with v30's gets a lot of love for a very good reason, it's the best budget 2x12 out at the moment in my opinion.

I don't know how true the bank transfer thing is as I just spent €700 with them and I didn't have to do a bank transfer. But I'm in the UK and the rules may be different with the US.
 
CharlesMonroe1989 said:
hmm i cant get any information about shipping to the us on the website. but if you want to i can call them and ask for the shipping fees to the USA.

And yes the HB 2x12 V30 is a very decent budget priced cab. you can also try to get a 1936 or a Framus 2x12 with v30. Also good cabs and when you buy it second hand about 250 bugs.
Click to expand...

If you could call for me, I would really appreciate it, seeing as it's a long distance call for me.
 
jackbraglia said:
for someone on a superrrrr tight budget, what do you guys think of this cab?

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guit...w-4x12-guitar-speaker-cabinet/502590000001306
Click to expand...

Better off saving a bit longer and buying something with decent speakers in it. With cabs it's much better to buy a cab that already has good speakers in it rather than buying something crap with the plan of upgrading. To buy the speakers by themselves can often cost as much as a cab is new or more.

Regarding the difference between 2X12's and 4X12's, yeah the 4X12's sound bigger and more full in the low end but to be honest as long as the speakers are good both work well, especially in a full mix where the sub lows will most likely be filtered out of the miced guitar track anyway. I have 2 4X12's and 2 2X12's and would happily gig with any of them.
 
i dont know what the price of the benton cab is but if i were you id just get a used cab in good condition from the US because i think that with all the shipping customs etc you might be better off buying a brand that you have tried and really liked.

2X12 vs 4X12: depends if you are gonna be carrying that thing around or not as mentionned. Now they do sound different because of efficiency as well which is why the number of the speakers is important, but what i have learned from this forum mostly is that you can get great results with any "good" piece of equipment. for example: So as long as you get a "good" sounding 2X12 i dont believe it will give you an inferior tone for recording than a 4X12.

I have 4 4X12 cabs that i love but when i compare it to my 2X12 (roadster cab) i dont feel that the latter is inferior in anyway. If size is not an issue just grab a nice used 4X12 mesa for example

my worthless advise but either way gluck! (at least its always exciting buying new gear :)
 
I'd look for a used mesa 2x12" or a new Avatar of whatever variety. The bottom line is that there is little advantage to buying subpar gear as you're just postponing an inevitable upgrade.
 
I have a mesa recto oversize 4x12 and an avatar vintage 4x12 (the one that looks like a bogner) with 4 vintage 30's pulled from a mesa cab. I got both on craigslist and paid the same amount for both cabs, so I have no reason to prefer one over the other to justify my purchase. I realize tone is subjective but IMO the mesa slays the avatar. Its not even close. the mesa is tight, elegant and open sounding and will handle a good amount of bass with ease. the avatar has some weird spike on the mids and sounds boxy and honky at the same time.
 
I've heard the mic'ed demos that Ola has done (), and I like the sound. This isn't a completely blind purchase, but the best cab makers don't seem to be stocked in places like Guitar Center or Musician's Friend.

@acalaf, Do you have clips? I'd be interested to hear.
 
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Got the exact same setup as Ola in the vid you posted, Savage60 + Harley benton2x12. Sounds very good for that budget.

Here's a vid by two U.S. guys who bought the cab and talk a little about shipping and some other details.



You can just write an email to Thomann with your questions if you want to avoid the long distance call.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
^The Framus 2x12 is rear-loaded, whereas the Harley Benton is front-loaded (from what i've seen from videos on Youtube dismantling the HB).

The Framus is a very good piece of gear, solidly made and personally I enjoyed the oxblood grillcloth and vintage look quite a lot.

It is very nice, lightweight (you can carry it with one hand), very sweet mids and capable of getting a nice balanced sound.

That said, I sold mine to save for a Mesa Recto 2x12, which I am convinced will fit my sound better. (more bass / deeper sound)
 
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