Getting a cab -- what speakers?

[joezlo]

I forgot: I like Marshall and Marshall related sounds. I tend to play stuff from the 70s and 80s, like Megadeth, Led Zeppelin, Ratt, Dokken, Van Halen, etc.

CELESTIONS. PERIOD.

 

[Whizzinby]

Of the cab combos I’ve had that I really dug

412 Greenacks on top V30’s on bottom.

212 Creamback H75 w/ V30

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

I ordered a Mojotone British cabinet, so hopefully it didn't get bought while I was checking out and I have to wait for it to be built. Still deciding on speakers.

 

[MadAsAHatter]

What cabs do you use?

My main 2 cabs are a 212/115 that I built myself with dimensions modeled after my Egnater cabs and Egnater Vengeance 412. The Egnater's are essentially 1960B cabs but the entire baffle tilt back 2 degrees.

Custom 212/115 - Weber 12" Grey Wolfs on top & 15" Weber Blue Dog on bottom
Egnater Vengeance 412 - Weber Grey Wolf on top & Weber Silver Wolf on bottom
Egnater Armageddon 412 - WGS Retro 30 on top & Celestion G12K-100 on bottom

The other cabs I have are 212's; 2 Eminence 212's and an oversized 212 I built myself and modeled dimensions after a Zilla Super Fatboy. I also made that one to be a vertical 212

Both Eminence 212 - Mojotone Greyhounds
Custom Vertical 212 - WGS Retro30 on top WGS ET65 on bottom

On the Armageddon cab I'm going to swap those speakers out. I want to try either a quad of Weber Black Shuck's or quad of Celestion Redbacks. I use it with mainly with my 300 watt Blue Voodoo amp so I need something that can take that much power. As is, it just barely covers that. As I mentioned in a previous post about WGS starting to fall apart at higher volumes especially compared to Celestions. This cab really highlights that. Doesn't matter which amp I use, as soon as I start pushing the volume the Retro 30's start to lose definition where the Celestions retain their clarity. I even tried pairing the Retro 30's with Celestion 70/80's. Granted the Retro 30's definitely sound better that 70/80's, but the same thing at higher volume. The Retro 30's start to fall apart and the 70/80's stayed more clear.

I'll eventually swap out the WGS speakers on the vertical 212, just not 100% sure what I want to put in yet. For now it works as is since I use it with my couple of lunchbox amps and don't pump full band volume through it.

I also have plans to build myself another 412 to go specifically with my Synergy/MTS setup. It'll be the same dimensions as my Egnater and 212/115 cab. On this one I plan to do a mix of Weber Blue Dogs and Silver Bells.

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

It's too bad the K100 had been discontinued by Celestion. Odd decision when stuff like the Midnight 60 and some of the other offerings would be better off discontinued. I don't know anyone who uses that speaker.

 

[MadAsAHatter]

K100 is a pretty good speaker hat pairs well with a lot of others. I've heard K100 and Redback make a wicked combo. If I end up going with Redbacks in my Armageddon cab I'm going to start off just buying a pair and match them with my K100's to give that a try first.

The downside to the K100 is they are fairly bass heavy. Not that this is a bad thing but you have to be contentious of which cab you put them in and which amp you use. Anything that accentuates the extra low end from the speaker can easily become too much that's hard to dial out.

If you're thinking about going with K100's don't forget about the Egnater Elite 100's. It's just a rebadged K100 and can be found cheaper when they pop up on the used market. If memory serves, the Elite 75 is a rebadged G12T-75 and Elite 80 is a rebadged CL80.

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

K100 is a pretty good speaker hat pairs well with a lot of others. I've heard K100 and Redback make a wicked combo. If I end up going with Redbacks in my Armageddon cab I'm going to start off just buying a pair and match them with my K100's to give that a try first.

The downside to the K100 is they are fairly bass heavy. Not that this is a bad thing but you have to be contentious of which cab you put them in and which amp you use. Anything that accentuates the extra low end from the speaker can easily become too much that's hard to dial out.

If you're thinking about going with K100's don't forget about the Egnater Elite 100's. It's just a rebadged K100 and can be found cheaper when they pop up on the used market. If memory serves, the Elite 75 is a rebadged G12T-75 and Elite 80 is a rebadged CL80.

I think if I paired the K100 with Marshall tones, it'd be fine. The fact they are discontinued sucks though.

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

What are the differences between the CL80, T75, and K100?

 

[JerEvil]

I have to disagree with @DrewJD82 on this one. My experience has been WGS sound good up to a decent medium volume. But when you start working them harder the start to fall apart and lose definition. Celestions comparatively retain definition and sound better the more you push them.

As far as speaker recommendations, recently I've been suggesting Weber. Gray Wolf/Silver Wolf mix is great for high gain. Both sound great on their own, but compliment each other perfectly for a full sound. If you want a more rock vibe Blue Dog/Silver Bell mix is it. You can think of each pair as cousins. And like Celestions they retain definition as you push them harder.

As an added bonus you can customize many models with watts, dust cap size, and amount of dope. They're all built to order. Plus you can ask them to break the speakers in for you. Pricing is a little cheaper than Celestion, being more comparative to WGS and Eminence.

Yep. I have a Silver Wolf and Gray wolf inbound from Weber. Super stoked to get them in.

 

[Life Eats Life]

For cabinetry, I find a maker and run with ‘em.
All cabinets/enclosers made by the same designer/builder/maker.


For speaks’.. I’d recommend T-75 X V-30.
But what came to mind immediately following your needs… Creamback 75 X V-30.
That combo will nail your needs my man based on your descriptions.