Is this a Gene Simmons cabinet?

[beans-on-toast]

Appreciate your insight. Thing is, someone who does a lot of modding and customizing it would take a lot of work and effort to take a regular 215e and make it look like that especially those speakers. Those speakers look very much like jbl's though I am no expert on the speakers. I know for a fact that they do not look like the stock speakers.

This is a problem that I have with buying any used speaker cabinet. Unless you know the seller, you don’t have any idea if the speakers are original unless you open the cab and inspect. Also you don’t know if they have been abused. It’s always a gamble.

 

[wolfkeller]

Maybe I'm misunderstanding your point, but are your saying that with the available information and admitted lack of expertise, your conclusion is that there's some likelihood that's worth chasing down that this is a mislabeled SVT-215LGS? I'm sorry, but I have Lloyd saying, "So, you're telling me there's a chance!" playing on loop in my mind now.

No I was merely giving you my thoughts I highly doubt that I will get it anyways but I do believe it is a possibility for sure.

 

[Tim Schnautz]

I came across this cabinet for sale for a really cheap price for what I believe it to be. The seller says it looks like a Gene Simmons cabinet but the serial number says otherwise I posted a picture of the cabinet he's selling as well as the serial number and the serial number off a cabinet that was sold on reverb. I can't believe that someone would have gone through the effort to make this cabinet look exactly like one has especially when those JBL speakers which this looks to have are hard to find and very expensive. What do you think?View attachment 7472919View attachment 7472920View attachment 7472921

No. It would have GS in the serial number. I know because I have one

 

[stiles72]

I have a couple of real Simmons "Punisher" cabs, along with standard 215's that I've made to look like Simmons cabs. My vote on this is that it's a standard that has been to look like a GS. That said, they did a good job.

But... I've seen odd things come out of St. Louis, and based on conversations with folks at the factory back in the day, I wouldn't rule out this being factory production. They made about forty or fifty of these for NAMM, but I was told a few more were made later on, but no specifics on numbers. My first Simmons cab lacked any feet cups on top. My second had a grill screw pattern slightly different than my first. Is it possible this could be a factory parts bin cab, either pre production or made later on? I suppose it's possible.

Some things to check... There should be a thin rubber gasket running under the perimeter of the grill. When I made my clones back in the day, I never found (locally) anything that was exact so I used felt weather stripping. Also, the black "frame work" under the grill should be made from the same cutout plywood frame that a standard black 810 grill is made from, but it should sit flush to the baffle. There should not be an additional "frame" under it. Of course then also check the drivers to see if they are M151-8s or something else. Heck they could be Peavey Black Widows if it's a clone cab and you don't check.

My cabs are buried in the old band trailer, but if and when I get around to it I'll dig them out and compare serial #s.

 

[stiles72]

I have a couple of real Simmons "Punisher" cabs, along with standard 215's that I've made to look like Simmons cabs. My vote on this is that it's a standard that has been made to look like a GS. That said, they did a good job.

But... I've seen odd things come out of St. Louis and based on conversations with folks at the factory back in the day, I wouldn't rule out this being factory production. They made about forty or fifty of these for NAMM, but I was told a few more were made later on, but no specifics on numbers. My first Simmons cab lacked any feet cups on top. My second had a grill screw pattern slightly different than my first. Is it possible this could be a factory parts bin cab, either pre-production or made later on? I suppose it's possible.

Some things to check... There should be a thin rubber gasket running under the perimeter of the grill. When I made my clones back in the day, I never found (locally) anything that was exact so I used felt weather stripping. Also, the "frame work" under the grill should be made from the same cutout plywood frame that a standard black 810 grill is made from, but should sit flush to the baffle. There should not be an additional "frame" under it. Of course then also check the drivers to see if they are M151-8s or something else. Heck they could be Peavey Black Widows if it's a clone cab and you don't check.

My cabs are buried in the old band trailer, but if and when I get around to it I'll dig them out and compare serial #s.

 

[SDC1-ClickClack]

I have a couple of real Simmons "Punisher" cabs, along with standard 215's that I've made to look like Simmons cabs. My vote on this is that it's a standard that has been made to look like a GS. That said, they did a good job.

But... I've seen odd things come out of St. Louis and based on conversations with folks at the factory back in the day, I wouldn't rule out this being factory production. (...snip...)

Well, to be fair, some odd things have also come out of Mr. Simmons.

 

[pfschim]

Well, to be fair, some odd things have also come out of Mr. Simmons.

 

[stiles72]

For comparison, my #1 GS and standard 215E.

The GS did not come with any feet cups, slide rails, kick plate, or rubber bumpers on the back. I added the four feet cups and the rubber bumpers. This cab came directly from St. Louis after long delays trying to acquire a 1540 and/or a standard 215E. I was told "Well we do have a 215 here we could send, but you probably won't want it. It's one of those (long sighhhh)... Gene Simmons cabinets". LOL

The standard 215E originally had (8) feet cups, slide rails, and kick plate. I converted this cab immediately to look like the GS by adding an expanded metal grill, painting the baffle, and painting the dust caps silver. Later on I swapped the stock speakers for JBLs. Gigging took a toll on this cab and the original tolex was shredded. When I quit using two cabs, I recovered it with factory Ampeg tolex and put it back to its original look, sans the rails, kick plate, and only used (4) feet cups.

 

[stiles72]

For comparison, my #1 GS and standard 215E.

The GS did not come with any feet cups, slide rails, kick plate, or rubber bumpers on the back. I added the four feet cups and the rubber bumpers. This cab came directly from St. Louis after long delays trying to acquire a 1540 and/or a standard 215E. I was told "Well we do have a 215 here we could send, but you probably won't want it. It's one of those (long sighhhh)... Gene Simmons cabinets". LOL

The standard 215E originally had (8) feet cups, slide rails, and kick plate. I converted this cab immediately to look like the GS by adding an expanded metal grill, painting the baffle, and painting the dust caps silver. Later on I swapped the stock speakers for JBLs. Gigging took a toll on this cab and the original tolex was shredded. When I quit using two cabs, I recovered it with factory Ampeg tolex and put it back to its original look, sans the rails, kick plate, and only used (4) feet cups.