Are old vintage cabs really worth the bother?

[Rat Blitz]

I recently picked up a couple of vintage tube amps and have been looking for some "big honking cab" to match them.
Ideally it would be a Ampeg 8X10 but they seem to be pricey or dicey (as in very ratty) around these parts.
I've been also looking at old Traynor 2X15 or 6X10 cab which seem to be much more reasonable in price.
But when I contacted the guy about the Traynor 6X10 this is what he told me.

"The cabinet is from the 68-69 so keep in mind that speakers are over 40 years old. There's a bit of a vibration when heavy on the bass so if you want to use it for bass you might want to get the speakers re-coned or replaced. Unfortunately the grill isn't removable. It's screwed in from the inside and there's about 100 screws holding the back panel."

My question is are old vintage cabs really worth the bother? I know they probably build them a lot better today and if I have to go to the expense and bother or re-coning 6 or 8 speakers it doesn't seem to be such a great deal. I see a lot of folks try to make a selling point that it's got the original "Norelco" speakers or whatever.
I've got a 1968 Traynor YBA-3 so it seems to be a good match but I would assume that most speakers would not have a shelf-life of 40 years.
Is it a waste of resources to be looking for older cabs and should I just bite the bullet and buy something more updated (and much more expensive)?

[brekfustuvluzer]

personally, i would buy a vintage rig if it were designated for studio use only. that way, it would have less wear and tear, i could keep it in top working order and if it crapped out in the studio, there arent a thousand people staring at you. for live, id play something newer that can get the old school tone, but be much more reliable/under warranty.

[Stumbo]

Here are a view links you may want to check out:
~Cabs
1 Upgrading/changing speakers
2
3
4
DIY Cab info
fEarful Cabs(plans included) + discussion
fEarful 15/6 pre-cut kit assembly discussion
Fitzmaurice cabs
Low Down Sound (LDS) custom cabs website
TB Low Down Sound custom cab club
2
Example of LDS cabs
Cross-overs made to order
Cab coatings explained
"Zaclite" Fiberglass cab build


1 Happy with my rig
2
Gig rigs

Micro-rigs of doom
Mini-rigs of doom
Rigs of doom
Cheap rigs of doom

10s v. 12s v. 15s v. 18s
2
4x10 vs. 2x10/1x15
2
Benefits of vertical speaker cabs

1x10's that do the job
Full range cab (Carvin LS1503)
1x15/6.5 custom cab
Big cabs
Low B reproduction/speakers/cab thread
Rig for low F#

[naturalkinds]

Originally Posted by Stumbo

Here are a view links you may want to check out:
~Cabs
1 Upgrading/changing speakers
2
3
4
DIY Cab info
fEarful Cabs(plans included) + discussion
fEarful 15/6 pre-cut kit assembly discussion
Fitzmaurice cabs
Low Down Sound (LDS) custom cabs website
TB Low Down Sound custom cab club
2
Example of LDS cabs
Cross-overs made to order
Cab coatings explained
"Zaclite" Fiberglass cab build


1 Happy with my rig
2
Gig rigs

Micro-rigs of doom
Mini-rigs of doom
Rigs of doom
Cheap rigs of doom

10s v. 12s v. 15s v. 18s
2
4x10 vs. 2x10/1x15
2
Benefits of vertical speaker cabs

1x10's that do the job
Full range cab (Carvin LS1503)
1x15/6.5 custom cab
Big cabs
Low B reproduction/speakers/cab thread
Rig for low F#

With all due respect to your post of links, I'm not sure that your recommended threads are on the OP's topic.

[Rat Blitz]

I'm not planning on bringing the cab on the road. I only want to use it for practice (too big to move). None of the links you provided were very helpful. I have been lurking on this forum for a while and have been following the discussions and faqs.
I'm basically asking if old cabinets are worth the hassle:
1) because of technological developments
2) because speakers have a certain shelf life and after a few decades will need a lot of work and expense to get them up to snuff
3) will older amps sound better with the cabs they were originally designed for

I like old gear and would prefer something vintage to go with the old heads I own. However, if I have to go through a lot of expense and hassle it may be better to wait to purchase something more modern.
I was trying to solicit opinions on the merits of old cabinets.
I have not been playing bass for all that long .... However I always found the advice on the bass guitar forum to be very informative .. and forgiving of the fact of my newbie status.
The advice and opinions on this amp forum ... maybe not always so much.

[Jefenator]

I'm glad I have a pickup truck, just in case I get that bug.

It's unlikely I will, though. At least, not as long as my main loud gig loads in up 2 flights of stairs.

[dokazaado]

others may disagree, but I've never heard a Traynor cab I really liked.
some great old amps, but their cabs were never so hot.
I feel the same way about Sunn, honestly.

if you need to be loud and you want vintage tone, I regularly see used Ampeg fridges in my area for $500 or less.
there's one for $300 on my local craigslist right now. they work, and you can always resell 'em.
they're not going out of favor any time soon.

for dirt, DIRT cheap vintage tone, there's always Peavey.
they're sort of the opposite of Traynor and Sunn -
they've never made a bass amp I liked, but they've made some decent cabs over the years.

buying new there's a thousand ways you could go.

[Gaolee]

I play using a 1980s vintage Acoustic head through a 1980 or so Peavey 410 cabinet and a roughly same aged oddball bass scoop cabinet. It is a big, imposing looking, heavy pain to move, but it gets the job done and it was cheap. So, there you go. My value priced two cents worth.

Oh, I have never had an issue with any of it.

[JimmyM]

all depends on the cab and needs to be evaluated case by case.

[korngold]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

all depends on the cab and needs to be evaluated case by case.

+1 to Jimmy's response.

It just depends on the cab & the application. I picked up a Traynor 2x15 cab from the late 60's/early 70's about a year ago dirt cheap. It sounded terrible with bass...sounded great with guitar, but I didn't want to lug that thing around with my guitar setup when a 1x12 cab sounded just as good.

So, I sold the traynor cab. On the other hand, my main gig cab is an older (1990, maybe) Trace Elliot 4x10 that needed one speaker replaced...it is definitely worth lugging around and was worth the expense of replacing 1 speaker. That cab is 104 lbs of pure tone.

Originally Posted by Rat Blitz

I recently picked up a couple of vintage tube amps and have been looking for some "big honking cab" to match them.
Ideally it would be a Ampeg 8X10 but they seem to be pricey or dicey (as in very ratty) around these parts.
I've been also looking at old Traynor 2X15 or 6X10 cab which seem to be much more reasonable in price.
But when I contacted the guy about the Traynor 6X10 this is what he told me.

"The cabinet is from the 68-69 so keep in mind that speakers are over 40 years old. There's a bit of a vibration when heavy on the bass so if you want to use it for bass you might want to get the speakers re-coned or replaced. Unfortunately the grill isn't removable. It's screwed in from the inside and there's about 100 screws holding the back panel."

My question is are old vintage cabs really worth the bother? I know they probably build them a lot better today and if I have to go to the expense and bother or re-coning 6 or 8 speakers it doesn't seem to be such a great deal. I see a lot of folks try to make a selling point that it's got the original "Norelco" speakers or whatever.
I've got a 1968 Traynor YBA-3 so it seems to be a good match but I would assume that most speakers would not have a shelf-life of 40 years.
Is it a waste of resources to be looking for older cabs and should I just bite the bullet and buy something more updated (and much more expensive)?

I have a late 60s Traynor 6x10 cab for sale. It's in need for a little TLC... Because it was intended for guitar, and sounds great for that, it should get new speakers. However, for practicing at home with your YBA-3, as long as you do not crank it, even the vintage speakers should be fine. IIRC, one of the drivers is out of the cabinet, acting like a bass port. It is stored in Cleveland, and Ihaven't seen it in 3 years. BUT, if you are interested, I'll get some more details about it... I bought it for the YBA-1 head, and the seller wouldn't separate them. They sounded great together!

To direct an answer more specifically at your question, I personally prefer vintage amps and new guitars. I also prefer many of the vintage guitar and bass cabs to modern gear. I like that the Traynor cabs are shallower... My Traynor 4x10 was an especially nice cabinet for bass. But my bass style leans heavily toward 60s Blues, R&B and Rock sounds - little to no top end. The Norelcos have a very nice range, however... YMMV.

Certainly the vintage Traynor cabinets will out last the new cabs. But the electronics (including speakers) are a crap-shoot. Even my cab is a crap shoot. I only used it for a couple of months. Then had to come back to Cali, and couldn't afford to ship it here... Such is life, right?

[KJung]

Given that, I believe, the average life span of a typical driver is about 20 or 25 years (before the surrounds start to fail, etc.), buying an old cab, in general, is not a good idea. Once you replace the speakers, it is no longer an 'old cab' anyway.

If you like the look of a classic, vintage cab, there are quite a few options out there to get a new cab with an old look (like LDS, some of the Aguilar cabs, some of the Ampeg cabs, etc.).

[phatbass]

Originally Posted by Rat Blitz

I recently picked up a couple of vintage tube amps and have been looking for some "big honking cab" to match them.
Ideally it would be a Ampeg 8X10 but they seem to be pricey or dicey (as in very ratty) around these parts.
I've been also looking at old Traynor 2X15 or 6X10 cab which seem to be much more reasonable in price.
But when I contacted the guy about the Traynor 6X10 this is what he told me.

"The cabinet is from the 68-69 so keep in mind that speakers are over 40 years old. There's a bit of a vibration when heavy on the bass so if you want to use it for bass you might want to get the speakers re-coned or replaced. Unfortunately the grill isn't removable. It's screwed in from the inside and there's about 100 screws holding the back panel."

My question is are old vintage cabs really worth the bother? I know they probably build them a lot better today and if I have to go to the expense and bother or re-coning 6 or 8 speakers it doesn't seem to be such a great deal. I see a lot of folks try to make a selling point that it's got the original "Norelco" speakers or whatever.
I've got a 1968 Traynor YBA-3 so it seems to be a good match but I would assume that most speakers would not have a shelf-life of 40 years.
Is it a waste of resources to be looking for older cabs and should I just bite the bullet and buy something more updated (and much more expensive)?

One of the nicest fat/warm/thick Bass sounds I EVER heard was an ol' Fender Bassman 135 through an Eden D410XLT.

I know there are a lot of guys that will dispute this vehemently, but I think old cabs are generally not worth the hassle sound-wise, as they tend to fart out too easily for my taste unless they are hugely over-rated in comparison to the amp.

Yeah; this is "the sound" that some guys like, but personally I like to hear the sound of the amp itself coming through loud and clean.

[lomo]

IMHO, with VERY few exceptions, an old cab is just an old cab. I wouldn't go near one unless it was all about the look and matching your vintage heads. I'd have LDS build me a custom with the retro look. In the interest of full disclosure, however, keep in mind this is coming from someone who believes a new P Bass is likely to sound better than a vintage one, if they're auditioned blindly.

[fu22ba55]

Like Jimmy said... it really depends on which cab.

Some old designs were great (Ampeg 8x10)... and some were not so great (some bass 4x12s, some really shallow 2x15s)

And is does depend upon the speakers. (whether they are worth reconing / replacing)

And some of us like stuff that looks old and ratty.

[Kwesi]

No.

[Fishheadjoe]

I have a late 60's YBA-1 and the matching 2x15 cabinet... (The cab is in original state, cloth covered wiring and the original Marsland speakers as well) and together, they sound like poo! The cab sounds like somone threw a comforter over the cabinet, with no defined mids or top end... and the bottom end is boomy and not in any way substancial...
With that being said, when I run the head into my Berg AE410, sonic bliss! Warm defined tubieness!
When I run the 2x15 with my RH450, poo!
Fishheadjoe

[PJMiDi]

I use a Sunn 2x15 and love it. That said I would definitely use a newer cab if I could afford one.

For practice use (which I think you stated) I don't see any reason to not buy a vintage cab if its at a good price though.

[NoHomework81]

Originally Posted by fu22ba55

... and some were not so great (some bass 4x12s, some really shallow 2x15s)

I remember I bought a Sunn 415 (~ '74 maybe? I can't remember now) on looks and cool factor alone. However, it was a sealed cab, V-shaped baffle, and was a little smaller than an 810, so air volume in the cab was minimal.
^^^Much different than the 2x15's from Sunn
It sounded good a low volume, but things took a dive pretty quick when you pushed it. In the end, I was happy to see it go.

[AltGrendel]

I honestly think that unless you are looking for a specific vintage sound that just can't be duplicate without the cab, you're much better off with newer cabs. Building techniques, material, and engineering are so much better these days.

If you want it just for studio use, that's something else, but I wouldn't do it.