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Used 1x15 cab choices

cornfarmer

cornfarmer

jam econo
Supporting Member
May 14, 2002
1,986
3,839
#1
I'm thinking about going back to all 15”. I have a modern lightweight 1x12 (no tweeter) that is highly regarded and it was bought in case gigging happened again, but with current life situations, it's not going to happen any time soon. My heads are all old SS or tube. I think the modern cab sounds good, but there is a certain something missing.

Older 15” cabs are pretty thick around here so I have some options. I want to go check out 2 of them - one is a Sonic with a JBL MI-15, the other is a Music Man 115RH, unknown speaker. I'm kind of leaning towards the MM mostly because it will probably pair nicely with my older low wattage heads as long as the speaker checks out. The Sonic might sound good and weigh less, but is probably covered in rat fur which would need to be eliminated. Re: weight, either of these aren't going to be in & out of the house gigging, but used for recording.

WWTBD?
 
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#3
I had a MM 15” years ago. It had a EM15 L or B in it, don’t recall which. Regardless which one, it was the 200w version.
The cab sounded OK, about like you would expect for a cabinet designed in the late 70’s…more for looks than being physically designed for the driver they dropped in it. It sounded a bit boxy w/o a ton of low end.
 
#5
eniac said:
If you bought a new 12" cab identical (mfr. and model #) to the one you already have and stacked both of them, you'd be a lot better off IMO, in more ways than one. And you wouldn't be adopting some old-school fleabitten mutt no one wants that's just looking for the next sucker to go home with.
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While I suspect I might have said it a bit differently (no judgment or criticism intended), this would essentially be my advice as well. :thumbsup:
 
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#7
Well, the naysayers have chimed in. So these 2 cabs are at 2 different stores. The closer one has more inventory, including:

Unbranded cab w/ EVM-15L
Ampeg SVT-15EN 'stock speaker'
Ashdown 1x15 of some sort (no model #)
Mesa Boogie 1x15 (no model #)
SWR Workingman's 1x15

Ampeg & Mesa are the most expensive obviously. Price isn't much of an issue, selling the 1x12 will fund the 15 and then some. I plan to mosey over tomorrow & see what's what.
 
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#8
You’re in a good position considering that music stores really don’t want heavy old cabs hanging around. You might be able to get a killer cash deal on the not name brand cabs. I think you’ve got the right idea heading over and giving them a test drive before committing. I have a pair of older Genz fifteens that will never leave my possession. They are bulky and don’t always get the gig but when they do they make me smile a whole lot.
 
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#10
eniac said:
If you bought a new 12" cab identical (mfr. and model #) to the one you already have and stacked both of them, you'd be a lot better off IMO, in more ways than one. And you wouldn't be adopting some old-school fleabitten mutt no one wants that's just looking for the next sucker to go home with.
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Missed the point. Why would I add another cab? I'm solely recording right now.
 
#11
What are you trying achieve with the single 15"? As eniac as said an additional 12" cab would enhance what you already have. The older 15" speakers really don't compare to either modern 12" or 15".
 
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#12
Well, for one thing I'm certainly not trying to take up more space and add another cab to the picture. My early rigs were a single 15" of some sort, that's the sound I know, that's the sound I like. It's the sound I always come back too. I've done 4x10, 2x10, 2x12, all decent but just not my bag.

2x15 would be the shizznitt but I don't need to move that much air recording at home.
 
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#13
It sort of sounds like you're assigning a certain 'sound' to a particular speaker diameter. IME, it doesn't really work that way. But I also think a music store with as many old marginal cabs as the ones you listed would probably be pretty well motivated to make you a screaming deal, just to move one of those things out of inventory.
 
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#14
I think it would be wise to think about the logistics involved in duplicating (or at least coming close to) the 15s you used to play. You've already mentioned at least one. If I were undertaking such a task, I'd want to pull the driver and check whether it's the original and not some best-guess (or even harebrained) replacement that was never intended to work in that particular box. BUT... do you know enough about which old drivers were used in which old cabs to be able to verify correctness? Can you read driver identification codes and make sense of them and link them to where a manufacturer used them? Do you know how to check a driver for cone creases, brittle/cracked surrounds, overheated/warped voice coils? Do you know what a particular old enclosure used for internal damping and can you verify that such is still the case?

REV's post mirrors my thoughts exactly. A stacked pair's tone can be surprisingly different than a single. Fuller and "beefier" due to speaker coupling.

Anyway, best of luck in your search and I hope it works out.
 
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#16
I own 4 of the Ampeg SVT-15's, so that would be my choice. Good sounding cab without a tweeter. 3 of mine are made in USA and 1 is made in China IIRC. They all sound about the same. Some of the Ampegs (certain years) are made of particle board (osb?) or something other than Plywood. If that is a concern perhaps research which years and then see if you can tell the cab year based on the S/N. Good luck.
 
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#17
Zooberwerx said:
Normally, I’d be the first to suggest we’re not gaining anything by employing an older-tech 15”. Then I remembered that my POS Crate 15” (Amish version) sounds fantastic.

Riis
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I also had a Crate 1x15 and used it for many years. I bought it in the early 90s and it was still sounding great when l sold it last year. It wasn’t light though, and that’s why I upgraded.
 
#18
cornfarmer said:
Well, the naysayers have chimed in. So these 2 cabs are at 2 different stores. The closer one has more inventory, including:

Unbranded cab w/ EVM-15L
Ampeg SVT-15EN 'stock speaker'
Ashdown 1x15 of some sort (no model #)
Mesa Boogie 1x15 (no model #)
SWR Workingman's 1x15

Ampeg & Mesa are the most expensive obviously. Price isn't much of an issue, selling the 1x12 will fund the 15 and then some. I plan to mosey over tomorrow & see what's what.
Click to expand...
assuming stock/ good shape, for me the mesa is the obvious winner.

others have correctly stated that swapped speakers are rarely going to match as well as the ones that come stock from a big company. there's a lot of calculations that go into it, and if you are producing a lot of them i'm sure you've done the math more than once.

where are you located? I have a boutique 15" i'm considering getting rid of that is very inexpensive and sounds amazing. but i'm on long island.
 

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