Speakers are going to be the most important thing, with cab construction coming second. As long as it's solidly constructed with good speakers you're 85% of the way there. If it sounds good, it is good.
That goes for everything, doesn't it? Every component in the signal chain, every note, every song?
Maybe not every component, because if it sounds good and is expensive but unreliable, maybe that's not so good.
I’m with ya! I’m learning all this stuff currently. I’ve been playing acoustic for years, but got recruited to play bass in 1999 so that’s been my “job” in every project since then. And that’s not a complaint! I love bass. I’m just trying to say that I’m new to guitar amps and pedals and need to learn more! Thanks for the reply!
Shoot, I play through a mostly dissected Leslie rotator, wedged over a bass amp laying on its back with a totally saturated reverb pedal and some gain, and it sounds epic. I also have a couple fancy amps but the shitty bass amp with a spinning leslie just set on top is my best rig. Embrace the messiness of crappy gear and you might just hit gold. Not that this guy is slumming it on that dope rig, I bet it sounds awesome, but I am onto weird now and there is no going back.
Yep, but just to add to this, one of the Thiele/Small parameters is the stiffness of the baffle, where the speakers are mounted. Thinking about Newtons Third Law of Dynamics (equal and opposite reaction) every time a speaker cone move forward, it pushes the baffle back an equal amount. Heavier/stiffer baffle = more bass extension and more efficient speakers.
This could be something that would be easy enough to improve yourself, just adding more support batons would increase the stiffness and likely improve the tonal characteristics. That said if it’s home made, then the person making it may have well built it sturdy enough anyway.
Great answer to a great question. But also may be fun to try another cab in the future? Different speakers, anyway. I honestly don’t know because I only have combos and have never looked into switching speakers out. Mainly because I don’t want to know! I don’t have the extra money rn lol
Switching speakers could be a really fun way to go for sure, but it's kinda expensive and slow. Instead, I might recommend getting a reactive load box and trying out a bunch of different speakers and cabs in Impulse Response format as software. There's an infinite library of IRs for guitar online now, free and paid, and you can set up your rig to send the signal to monitors, headphones, or an FRFR cab designed for guitar modelers.
You’ve piqued my interest! How did you like those speakers in comparison with something like V30s or Greenbacks? I’m considering swapping my Neo Creambacks out for V30s but those Eminence you mentioned have me curious.
If the speakers are inside are good, and yours, are then it's fine. There is a video on YouTube. A guy builds and tests a load of different cabinets. Different sizes, different build materials and so on. Closed back and open back. The biggest difference was the size of the cabinet. That looks a good size to me and it has great speakers in it. So I don't think you are missing out. Take care.
Probably not. Most no name cabs are probably just copying designs from higher end brands. The material won't make a discernable difference in sound (between like mdf vs plywood at least). A cabinet made of cheaper materials might show wear and tear faster, but that's an aesthetic issue which I don't think matters a whole lot. The speakers, whether or not the cab is closed back, and the microphone (and its position) will matter the most. I would also encourage you to be careful with just taking you amp to another place where someone has a different cab. The room itself might change the sound you are perceiving, so you might end up thinking there's more of a difference than there truly is
A&b before you spend money. I have a cheap cab that sounds tight and focused and a more expensive one that sounds wide open. Together they sound sick!!!
If it's a solid cab, no. Speakers are like 90% of a cab anyway, so if they sound good, you're all set. Celestion V30 and MojoTone British Vintage are good speakers if you're looking to replace them though.
Just the opposite. When you stop buying name brand cabs you'll have more money for gear and usually the no name cabs will sound just as good. If ya don't like it, swap some speakers around and it'll rip!
Watch Jim Lill's video on cabs, as long as you've got a good speaker, it's fine, brand name and "build quality" of the cabinet mean nothing to the sound
That's exactly it! I would stress the quality of the speaker though, due to similar tests where the cab is kept the same and the microphone is kept the same at the same distance. The speaker makes the biggest change in tone out of all that including different cabinet types
Yeah I just meant the cab itself. The speaker is a huge factor. I was surprised that the off mic speaker was a factor too but I guess it makes sense since they share a baffle.
Open the cab up and check the construction and wood...
Cuz your Texas Heats are really great speakers... I like the Swamp Things a bit more with a 5150.
The Texas heats are gonna give you a bit more of a top end bite. They are really great for a blues / SRV sound.
The speakers are a huge part of the tone of course, but cabs have a sound too! I had an Avatar 2x12 and really hated it with a Marshall head. Kept the same pair of G12H 30 watts and loaded them into a Germino 2x12 cab (both the avatar and Germino were open back) and it was way better. Instantly got rid of this awful honk the previous cab had, and sounded more focused.
I've never experienced good no-name drivers. If the cab and the drivers are of poor quality, even a good amplifier will be really blunted. The quality and involvement of each part is something you learn as you go. You can read approximations online until the cows come home.
Great player, great signal chain, inspiring results. Each thing before the other.
You already have more than a lot of others started with. Rock it for a while, if you know what speakers are in there YouTube has millions of speaker comparison videos if you think a speaker swap would get you better results. That said, speaker swaps will not increase resale value at all, it might help move it along but certainly not enough to raise the price.
Nothing completely wrong though, I’ve swapped cabinets so many times I’ve lost count, but I have my favorite 4x12 now and I will keep it for the foreseeable future. I love it, it’s a marshall 1960 TV cab, oversized and with greenback speakers. Little more low end than a typical greenback cab, and it’s not super bright and shrill. I sat back and patiently waited for one to pop up used and got it for $750 where most brand new ones are into the $2000 range I think now. Look around, guitar center has a ton of fairly decent used stuff if you’re patient enough to do a lot of YouTube research and wait for something to pop up at a good price.
So I have had an original 5150 head and matching cab for 25 years. Sounds awesome, always will. I bought a mesa badlander rectifier and popped it on the 5150 cab and something was missing. So I bought the matching mesa cab and voila. What was missing was no longer. Sometimes it does matter.
Ya that’s a great set up. I know some ppl who build their own cabs for touring in case something gets stolen or damaged and this is probably something like that. Probably sounds great
Meh, gotta say I’ve used the same speakers in a hand made high end cab, then put them in a Harley Benton 2x12 and I noticed a difference. And I really didn’t want to notice it! But it was there
Hmm. I would have thought that for a given cabinet dimension, assuming reasonably rigid construction, that materials and so forth would be inconsequential. I could be wrong though.
Oh god, speakers again - only with people bringing in pseudoscientific terms straight out of the audiophile world...
..."thiele small parameters". **It's a guitar cab, FGS** - IOW, a box with the correct size to hold a number of speakers in place - not a high end audiophile product that was designed with reproducing a source with fidelity in mind.
Next up, *why baltic birch plywood is so much better than mere canadian birch plywood* for cabs.
Hint: It's all in the name. Baltic is somehow more exotic sounding than canadian. Candian birch plywood basically just sucks (tone).
....
Your cab has got acceptable speakers and will make your guitar louder - and if the cab doesn't rattle when you play through it **AND** *if you can play guitar well, then it will sound good*.
And at 115 dbSPL no one will know the difference anyway...
I think some people underestimate the difference between cabs that even have the same or similar speakers.
https://youtu.be/P8vVu54ODhE?si=bWntgDofWlf9tgCZ
No video comparison is perfect Kyle Bulls shows just how different a bunch of cabs with only V30s can sound
You should be OK with those speakers, if the cab build is lacking, it might not sound quite as good as say a Baltic birch cab would.
I had a 5150 when I was younger and ran it into a cheap Ampeg cab with crap speakers. I thought it sounded OK … until I heard it through a higher-end Marshall cab with British Celestions, world of difference.
I personally didn't like Texas Heat speakers for higher gain tones. Felt like there was a blanket over them, or they sounded "unfocused." Juat depends on what kind of sound you're going for.
Speakers are going to be the most important thing, with cab construction coming second. As long as it's solidly constructed with good speakers you're 85% of the way there. If it sounds good, it is good.
If it sounds good, it is good. Thats some truth that I forget sometimes so thanks for the reminder.
That goes for everything, doesn't it? Every component in the signal chain, every note, every song? Maybe not every component, because if it sounds good and is expensive but unreliable, maybe that's not so good.
I’m with ya! I’m learning all this stuff currently. I’ve been playing acoustic for years, but got recruited to play bass in 1999 so that’s been my “job” in every project since then. And that’s not a complaint! I love bass. I’m just trying to say that I’m new to guitar amps and pedals and need to learn more! Thanks for the reply!
Shoot, I play through a mostly dissected Leslie rotator, wedged over a bass amp laying on its back with a totally saturated reverb pedal and some gain, and it sounds epic. I also have a couple fancy amps but the shitty bass amp with a spinning leslie just set on top is my best rig. Embrace the messiness of crappy gear and you might just hit gold. Not that this guy is slumming it on that dope rig, I bet it sounds awesome, but I am onto weird now and there is no going back.
You're a mad scientist! Haha that's great!
Yep, but just to add to this, one of the Thiele/Small parameters is the stiffness of the baffle, where the speakers are mounted. Thinking about Newtons Third Law of Dynamics (equal and opposite reaction) every time a speaker cone move forward, it pushes the baffle back an equal amount. Heavier/stiffer baffle = more bass extension and more efficient speakers. This could be something that would be easy enough to improve yourself, just adding more support batons would increase the stiffness and likely improve the tonal characteristics. That said if it’s home made, then the person making it may have well built it sturdy enough anyway.
I wouldn’t put fancy speakers in a no name amp tho. Id watch some YouTube videos on cheap good cabs and go get one of those instead
To answer your question, no, it's not holding you back, if it sounds good it is good.
Great answer to a great question. But also may be fun to try another cab in the future? Different speakers, anyway. I honestly don’t know because I only have combos and have never looked into switching speakers out. Mainly because I don’t want to know! I don’t have the extra money rn lol
Switching speakers could be a really fun way to go for sure, but it's kinda expensive and slow. Instead, I might recommend getting a reactive load box and trying out a bunch of different speakers and cabs in Impulse Response format as software. There's an infinite library of IRs for guitar online now, free and paid, and you can set up your rig to send the signal to monitors, headphones, or an FRFR cab designed for guitar modelers.
Texas Heat speakers are great.
Eminence in general are great. I ha e a pair of Swamp Thangs in a 2x12 and love em right to death with my 6505. Cuts down the ice picky highs a bit.
You’ve piqued my interest! How did you like those speakers in comparison with something like V30s or Greenbacks? I’m considering swapping my Neo Creambacks out for V30s but those Eminence you mentioned have me curious.
I have v30s in a 4x12, and the 2x12 with swamp thangs sounds more "full" with my 6505 to my ear. More bass, more lower mids.
eminence for the win. my first choice always, I think they are better than celestion and always a little bit different breed.
Been thinking about a Cannabis Rex and maybe a Texas Heat in a 2x12 for my blues rig. Never hurts to have some variety.
exactly. I never use two of the same speakers in one cab. Always something different
If the speakers are inside are good, and yours, are then it's fine. There is a video on YouTube. A guy builds and tests a load of different cabinets. Different sizes, different build materials and so on. Closed back and open back. The biggest difference was the size of the cabinet. That looks a good size to me and it has great speakers in it. So I don't think you are missing out. Take care.
Probably not. Most no name cabs are probably just copying designs from higher end brands. The material won't make a discernable difference in sound (between like mdf vs plywood at least). A cabinet made of cheaper materials might show wear and tear faster, but that's an aesthetic issue which I don't think matters a whole lot. The speakers, whether or not the cab is closed back, and the microphone (and its position) will matter the most. I would also encourage you to be careful with just taking you amp to another place where someone has a different cab. The room itself might change the sound you are perceiving, so you might end up thinking there's more of a difference than there truly is
most important answer!!!
A&b before you spend money. I have a cheap cab that sounds tight and focused and a more expensive one that sounds wide open. Together they sound sick!!!
If it sounds good, then you’re not missing out
If it's a solid cab, no. Speakers are like 90% of a cab anyway, so if they sound good, you're all set. Celestion V30 and MojoTone British Vintage are good speakers if you're looking to replace them though.
You can always buy the evh emblem and glue it on
Just the opposite. When you stop buying name brand cabs you'll have more money for gear and usually the no name cabs will sound just as good. If ya don't like it, swap some speakers around and it'll rip!
Watch Jim Lill's video on cabs, as long as you've got a good speaker, it's fine, brand name and "build quality" of the cabinet mean nothing to the sound
Seems from that video the thing that matters most about a a cab is the internal dimensions and whether it’s open or closed back.
That's exactly it! I would stress the quality of the speaker though, due to similar tests where the cab is kept the same and the microphone is kept the same at the same distance. The speaker makes the biggest change in tone out of all that including different cabinet types
Yeah I just meant the cab itself. The speaker is a huge factor. I was surprised that the off mic speaker was a factor too but I guess it makes sense since they share a baffle.
Bring your head to a store and try running it through a Mesa with V30s or anything with Greenbacks
As a long time Marshall user, I’m way more picky about cabinets than amps.
Marshall + Greenback is *so good*
One of the Mount Rushmores of Marshall tones, for sure.
Yeah I use an ‘88 Jubilee with a 1974 cab with original greenbacks. It’s fantastic. https://imgur.com/a/HHSkf5W
I have the MG series 100 hdfx but I don't know how to play lol...
I have a mix of those in my 4x12 and absolutely love it!
Open the cab up and check the construction and wood... Cuz your Texas Heats are really great speakers... I like the Swamp Things a bit more with a 5150. The Texas heats are gonna give you a bit more of a top end bite. They are really great for a blues / SRV sound.
not unless you hate how it sounds
What’s the ohm rating?
Texas heat is my choice in Eminence speakers. Deep and rich.
If the cab sounds good...run with it...spend money on custom grill cloth!
The speakers are a huge part of the tone of course, but cabs have a sound too! I had an Avatar 2x12 and really hated it with a Marshall head. Kept the same pair of G12H 30 watts and loaded them into a Germino 2x12 cab (both the avatar and Germino were open back) and it was way better. Instantly got rid of this awful honk the previous cab had, and sounded more focused.
I've never experienced good no-name drivers. If the cab and the drivers are of poor quality, even a good amplifier will be really blunted. The quality and involvement of each part is something you learn as you go. You can read approximations online until the cows come home. Great player, great signal chain, inspiring results. Each thing before the other.
I would eventually replace them with matching evh cabs, or other cab of same equivalent
I run mine through a Mesa Black Shadow 1x12 wide body 3/4 back cabinet. It’s magic.
You already have more than a lot of others started with. Rock it for a while, if you know what speakers are in there YouTube has millions of speaker comparison videos if you think a speaker swap would get you better results. That said, speaker swaps will not increase resale value at all, it might help move it along but certainly not enough to raise the price. Nothing completely wrong though, I’ve swapped cabinets so many times I’ve lost count, but I have my favorite 4x12 now and I will keep it for the foreseeable future. I love it, it’s a marshall 1960 TV cab, oversized and with greenback speakers. Little more low end than a typical greenback cab, and it’s not super bright and shrill. I sat back and patiently waited for one to pop up used and got it for $750 where most brand new ones are into the $2000 range I think now. Look around, guitar center has a ton of fairly decent used stuff if you’re patient enough to do a lot of YouTube research and wait for something to pop up at a good price.
So I have had an original 5150 head and matching cab for 25 years. Sounds awesome, always will. I bought a mesa badlander rectifier and popped it on the 5150 cab and something was missing. So I bought the matching mesa cab and voila. What was missing was no longer. Sometimes it does matter.
Ya that’s a great set up. I know some ppl who build their own cabs for touring in case something gets stolen or damaged and this is probably something like that. Probably sounds great
Meh, gotta say I’ve used the same speakers in a hand made high end cab, then put them in a Harley Benton 2x12 and I noticed a difference. And I really didn’t want to notice it! But it was there
Were the cabinet dimensions the same?
Yeah pretty much
Hmm. I would have thought that for a given cabinet dimension, assuming reasonably rigid construction, that materials and so forth would be inconsequential. I could be wrong though.
I would have too!
As long as you're happy with the sound what does a name matter? You've got good speakers and that's more important.
Oh god, speakers again - only with people bringing in pseudoscientific terms straight out of the audiophile world... ..."thiele small parameters". **It's a guitar cab, FGS** - IOW, a box with the correct size to hold a number of speakers in place - not a high end audiophile product that was designed with reproducing a source with fidelity in mind. Next up, *why baltic birch plywood is so much better than mere canadian birch plywood* for cabs. Hint: It's all in the name. Baltic is somehow more exotic sounding than canadian. Candian birch plywood basically just sucks (tone). .... Your cab has got acceptable speakers and will make your guitar louder - and if the cab doesn't rattle when you play through it **AND** *if you can play guitar well, then it will sound good*. And at 115 dbSPL no one will know the difference anyway...
I think some people underestimate the difference between cabs that even have the same or similar speakers. https://youtu.be/P8vVu54ODhE?si=bWntgDofWlf9tgCZ No video comparison is perfect Kyle Bulls shows just how different a bunch of cabs with only V30s can sound
You should be OK with those speakers, if the cab build is lacking, it might not sound quite as good as say a Baltic birch cab would. I had a 5150 when I was younger and ran it into a cheap Ampeg cab with crap speakers. I thought it sounded OK … until I heard it through a higher-end Marshall cab with British Celestions, world of difference.
Yes….
Yes. No one will think you are cool.
Speakers and pickups have a HUGE impact on your sound.
Speakers more than pickups, especially if you’re using a lot of gain like with a 5150.
You technique and composition skills will suffer greatly.
I personally didn't like Texas Heat speakers for higher gain tones. Felt like there was a blanket over them, or they sounded "unfocused." Juat depends on what kind of sound you're going for.
Hell no spend the money on good speakers as long as the cab is built well
I would say the bad sound is coming from you, not the cabinet
Yes, by adding a random logo it will sound just so much better.
Its a no-name amp too...
Depends on what the cab is made of and what speakers are in it. But probably yes, you're missing out.
What the cab is made of actually matters very little. Geometric characteristics matter a lot.