Help me choose a cab :)

[Heabow]

Hey!

I'm a bit tired of IRs and I actually regret to not working with a real cab anymore (well, I use real cabs sometimes but I don't own one anymore) plus I got some good mics lately and I wanna experiment.

As my place is small, I'd rather like a 2x12. Maybe 1x12??? My budget is around 400 euros so I think to buy one from used market. To be perfectly honest I have not a precise idea of what I'm looking for tone wise, I just want a good sounding cab. I wouldn't buy an Orange one tho. What cab would you recommand me?

Thanks!!

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

What kind of stuff do you intend to use it for? Metal or something else?

 

[Heabow]

Oh yeah, Metal exclusively!

Ideally, I'd like to spend less than 400€. I saw this Randall cab. I've never heard a Randall cab tho! A used EVHIII 2x12 would be pretty ideal. I used a Harley Benton V30 two years ago; great for the price but I'm looking for a better stuff.

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

Then definitely a 2x12, you'll need that extra low end oomph. To be honest, I think the Harley Benton is really difficult to beat in that price range. It costs pretty much exactly the price of two V30's, so the cab itself is pretty much a bonus, and it's actually pretty well built!

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

Oh, missed the Randall cab. I've had a 4x12 with Randall 12-80's. YMMV, but for modern metal stuff, I thought they were pretty meh.

 

[He's Dead, Jim]

Never owned one, but all the impulses of every Randall cab I've ever used have sounded incredibly shrill and harsh in the highs with the exception of their iso cab.

 

[Heabow]

Exact, I've never liked any Randall IR but at the same time, we dont really know how they've been made (at least those I have) so...
Jarkko, the HB is pretty good for the price indeed but I'd like to try another stuff. I've always worked with V30 and that EVHIII is loaded with Celestion G12H on the anniversary series - I remember having liked these on some shootouts - or Celestion Heritage for the regular series... A bit too much expensive to buy new tho :/

Other options would be great

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

Get the HB, replace the V30's with G12's and sell the V30's, they're easy to get rid of!

Shrill and harsh is pretty much exactly how I'd describe my 12-80 loaded Randall cab. Unfocused low end, boxy mids and harsh highs. I sold it for 50 euros at a gas station.

 

[Heabow]

I sold it for 50 euros at a gas station.

Ahah!
You're right for the speakers... Will think about that and keep lurking on the used market just in case hehe. Thanks!

 

[FIXXXER]

is a DIY cab an option?

 

[Heabow]

Not really. I have absolutely no place to built anything and I'm very busy atm.

 

[cfh11]

i really like my orange 2x12, although it can be difficult to mic due to the color of the grill cloth. mesa, engl, and fryette/older vht all come to mind as top quality 2x12s. i would personally look for one of these used.

would not recommend any randall cabs.

 

[Ericlingus]

the genz benz Gflex 2x12 is pretty cool. Very punchy sounding. I haven't been able to compare it with any other cab though.

 

[MrBongo]

if you don´t exactly know how you want it to sound, start with a 2x12 and a separate speaker. here´s how i did it:

play the box as is.
exchange one of the speakers with the third.
sell the worse.
are you happy? keep it. do you miss something? get another speaker and repeat.

that lead me to playing Eminence Wizard and Red Fang (!) in a closed, stuffed 2x12. think outside the box