Choosing a speaker cabinet for new amp.

Simon_M

I’ve just acquired a Hughes and Kettner Tubemeister 18 for a bargain price and need to sort myself out a speaker cabinet to go with it. I’ve done a few test runs through a bass cab I have which proves it works but sounds unsurprisingly dull and boomy.

I’ve looked online at the various offerings and a 1x12 cab varies in price enormously from brand to brand with H and K’s own being reasonably pricey. Some of these cabs have the same speaker in them yet vary in price by over £200!

So where do I start? As it’s only an 18W amp I’d like to get something with a higher sensitivity to compete with the drummer. I play mostly punk and hard rock.

Unfortunately I live somewhere with a shortage of music shops.

drwiddly

The Montage cabs from Lean Business are nicely made and not too expensive - https://www.lean-business.co.uk/eshop/

If you order the cab and a speaker together they'll do all the wiring for you too.

ICBM

Harley Benton G112 Vintage.

Barely more expensive than the V30 speaker it comes with! Which is also about the loudest and most 'present' speaker you will get.

https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_g112_vintage.htm

For what it's worth the guitarist in another band I play with a lot has one, which he uses with an Orange Tiny Terror (15W) turned up no further than just to the point of power-stage overdrive - it sounds great, and is always loud enough.

Jonathangus

ICBM said:

Harley Benton G112 Vintage.

Barely more expensive than the V30 speaker it comes with! Which is also about the loudest and most 'present' speaker you will get.

https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_g112_vintage.htm

For what it's worth the guitarist in another band I play with a lot has one, which he uses with an Orange Tiny Terror (15W) turned up no further than just to the point of power-stage overdrive - it sounds great, and is always loud enough.

One in the Classifieds at the mo: http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/143880/harley-benton-1x12-with-celestion-v30-70

Simon_M

FWIW chaps, I put my good headphones on and listened to a few YouTube comparisons. Ended up preferring the sound of a Celestion V12 rather than the Vintage 30 so bought the Vox cabinet with a V12 in it. It’s pretty cheaply made but I like the sound it makes so all is good.

dcg

Try a second hand Zilla 1x12" with a V30 (or other approved Celestion)...

ecc83

I did a search a few years ago for 1X12 cabs and I too was struck at how pricey some are! Even as IC says, with a fairly modest drive unit.

I guess you can put some of the cost down to lack of sales compared to 2X12s and bigger? I mean, if you have a 12" combo you likely don't need another 1 by and if you have a head most folks go bigger?

Dave.

hotpickups

Just got myself a Zilla cab built. Very nice and good to deal with

ESBlonde

I know most people will say you have to have a 12" driver for a guitar cab, Buy I knocked up a little 1 x 10" 60w Celestion in a cab back when I had my Orange TT. I've long since moved on the TT but that little cab gets used a lot when size or weight are important. TBH in the mix it sounds like a guitar and when stairs or space dictate I'm happy to use it. My regular cab is a 2x12" JBL and the difference is noticable to me, but I can't remember anyone ever commenting on it.