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Tell me what isn't a decent cab?

#23
Ostie said:
Hey, it’s finger jointed. No style points for that?
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… sure, lots of extra points …. especially for design … take a close look at it, and lets assume this is a sealed cab (as it appears to be), meaning all four foam sides finger jointed, glued, and permanently affixed … then look at the front baffle board, paying particular attention to the four T-nuts in the corners, and then take a close look at the four T-nuts holding the driver in … notice anything peculiar?

… like the threads sticking out of the T-nuts … which means the heads to all those screws/bolts are sealed inside … ;)
 
#25
If we're going for specifics on bad cabs I would say the SWR Triad has to rate up there in the "interesting idea that didn't work out so well" category IME. The other thing that comes to mind is the Peavey line of cabs like the 1820 where it never seemed that you truly got the best of any worlds. FWIW, I was a Peavey and SWR fan back in the day and owned many of their products that worked quite well.
 
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#26
IamGroot said:
In another thread on rig building, "start with a decent cab" was mentioned.

So which cabs should you avoid?
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Decent here would mean a cabinet that can produce enough volume to compete with a drummer and the guitar amp. This will depend on how loud your band plays and what type of venues you will be playing. Also how loud do your band mates play.

I find that the smallest I can go is a 2x10 or 1x15. I prefer 2x15 and 4x10, and I like at least 150 watts or 300 watts.
 
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#27
A cab is a tool. Like all tools, some are better suited for certain types of jobs than others.

Are you playing dub reggae at outdoor festivals with inadequate PA support? Go the Burninskies route and have a stack of fEarful 15's and a 3000 watt PA amp.

Are you playing background music in the corner of a coffee shop accompanying a single acoustic guitar? Get a combo with decent EQ to fit in the small space and combat weird room modes.

Are you on a big stage with IEMs and professional FOH? Get a 5 watt tube amp into a cab with a tone you like and close mic it.

And on and on and on.

I'd avoid giant heavy cabs unless you absolutely need them, anything with complex internal crossovers that are out of support, and any of the weird super cheap off brands with sketchy quality. Aside from that, decide how much noise you need to make and then try different stuff until you find one that sounds good to you.
 
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#32
IamGroot said:
In another thread on rig building, "start with a decent cab" was mentioned.

So which cabs should you avoid?
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Probably easier to do some looking around, maybe jot down a few notes on what you find, and then revisit the topic here. You'd probably get better guidance if you can also offer what sort of music you're playing, where you're planning to play, how big a vehicle you have to schlep your rig.

The choice also matters if you already have a head because if it requires a certain minimum resistance (ohms) that a cab can't deliver, then that cab is a no-go for that head.

There are a bundle of labels and models to choose from out there and there's no universal best or worst option. One cab might give you really nice sound, but a pair of cabs running together might also work really well. I got rid of a 4x10" cab some years ago when I got a smaller car and couldn't transport that bigger box. My solution was to replace it with a pair of 2x10" cabs and I can use both or just one for a smaller setting.
 
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#33
Al Kraft said:
If we're going for specifics on bad cabs I would say the SWR Triad has to rate up there in the "interesting idea that didn't work out so well" category IME. The other thing that comes to mind is the Peavey line of cabs like the 1820 where it never seemed that you truly got the best of any worlds. FWIW, I was a Peavey and SWR fan back in the day and owned many of their products that worked quite well.
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Actually, I LOVED the Triad cab. It worked crazy well for me. Worst decision was selling it...
 
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#34
klejst said:
One mans decent is another mans great and another mans crap...
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This. There's a ton of different factors, and it's really tough to tell you what works best for you. If it's unreliable or cheaply made, doesn't give you the tones that you want, or if it's inappropriately small (like a small but well made 50w 1x12" combo may be excellent for a light jazz gig, but wont' work for a reggae band). In most band situations, a cab that's rated for less than 200w and less speaker surface area than 2x10" (a 1x12 is questionable) is ~probably~ not a decent cab for the situations. Also, there's some manufacturers that are generally known for lower costing cabs. They would generally want to be avoided, though a beefier, larger cab can be plenty decent, even from those lower costing, economical cabs.

Ask yourself what types of situation you'd be playing (house parties vs. bars vs. who knows what), the type(s) of music you want to play and above all, use your ears to figure out what sounds best to you!
 
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