Any love for stock marshall 1960 4x12's??

riffpowers

I've sold off all my gear and am starting to look to buy stuff back.

I'm after a 4x12.The stock marshall 4x12's are easy to get hold of , but I don't really hear people talk about them much.

Are they worth me looking at??!!
 

ICBM

They're OK. The cabinet shells are ply (unlike many of their smaller models which went to MDF) although the back panels are particle-board (I think, don't think they changed to MDF but I could be wrong on the most recent ones). The vinyl covering is not especially good quality or stuck on very well, and tears up easily - if that matters to you.

The stock speakers are G12T-75s which are quite a hollow, buzzy speaker - this is where a lot of the reputation of modern Marshalls for being buzzy comes from. They're not terrible but for a chunkier tone you can change two or all of them for something else - the 75 is actually a good 'mixer' speaker so you don't usually need to change more than two.

The switching panel on the back is a bad idea and a cause of trouble - including blown amp output transformers. They use the jack switching contacts to rout the signal, and they're just not reliable enough in the long term, when the cables have got tugged around a bit. Unless you actually need the impedance or stereo options it's best to remove the PCB and fit two standard panel jacks wired in parallel with the speakers hardwired for 16 (or 4, if more useful) ohms.

Despite the fairly high new price, they're common and don't hold their value second hand - don't pay more than £250 unless it's truly mint and with the wheels (all un-bent and turning properly!). Which is quite a bargain, if you actually want one - the speakers would cost that, new.

There are definitely better-made cabinets, but most or all of them are heavier, cost more or don't look as good (or all three).

guitarfishbay

They're fine. Plastic handles are functional but feel a little cheap next to other brands using metal. 

Speakers are a personal thing and some people dislike the T75 which is why you don't see many people recommend the cabs. A common thing to do is swap 2 in an X pattern with V30s. I prefer the straight cabs 

timmysoft

I prefer the jcm900 version, British celestions and they're just a bit more road worthy 

ICBM

timmysoft said:

I prefer the jcm900 version, British celestions and they're just a bit more road worthy 

The Chinese 75s don't really sound very different from the later UK ones when both are broken-in, I don't think.

The real difference is between the earlier JCM800 cabs with the first-verion vented-magnet 75s, and the later ones with the solid magnets which were used in both 800 and 900 cabs.

Old:

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb266/tuckerbomb/487B516C-1E7D-47D4-B40B-FC3285ABA895_zps4h5hfmrt.jpg

Newer:

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a400/Used666_/IMG_0792-1.jpg

Bygone_Tones

Go vintage for the better made cabs. Anything pre - JCM800. But do your homework on the speakers and give them a good testing before buying anything, there is a LOT of junk out there being sold for silly prices. Most sellers are completely oblivious to how bad their speakers really are but will want a lot for them just because they are vintage.

professorben

Mode Four cabs are pretty awesome

timmysoft

ICBM said:

timmysoft said:

I prefer the jcm900 version, British celestions and they're just a bit more road worthy 

The Chinese 75s don't really sound very different from the later UK ones when both are broken-in, I don't think.

The real difference is between the earlier JCM800 cabs with the first-verion vented-magnet 75s, and the later ones with the solid magnets which were used in both 800 and 900 cabs.

Old:

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb266/tuckerbomb/487B516C-1E7D-47D4-B40B-FC3285ABA895_zps4h5hfmrt.jpg

Newer:

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a400/Used666_/IMG_0792-1.jpg

I found them quite different, especially under high gain and a bit of volume. The JCM900 cab with the UK Celestials sounded warmer, bigger and less abrasive, i always find the newer 1960 cabs to be a bit toppy. 

sgosden

I've got an early 2000's (I was told) one, that has taken a beating (toured by atleast one band before me, and then used also by me for years. Tolex is ruined and the grill has rips in. but it somehow seems to sound better than any newer ones of the same spec (based on sharing backlines at gigs and using others in studio).

short story- even bad less favourable speakers can sound good once they're properly broken in. buy older stuff.

cosmiccarrot

Early to mid 70's marshall cabs are the best build and value for money imo, construction is great plus they have the vertical baffle brace, with the exception of the mdf back and half size centre post this makes them virtually the same as the late 60's collectable (and expensive) cabs.
65 quid for this project, needs recover, grill and plastics!?

guitarfishbay

sgosden said:

short story- even bad less favourable speakers can sound good once they're properly broken in. buy older stuff.

Speakers vary even if they're broken in.

I've got 8 of the same speaker and they all sound slightly different.  I have two identical 2x12s and can tell which is which by sound alone, one is deeper and the other sounds brighter and tighter.  They've both had lots of hours at loud rock band volume.

ICBM

cosmiccarrot said:

Early to mid 70's marshall cabs are the best build and value for money imo, construction is great plus they have the vertical baffle brace, with the exception of the mdf back

70s and 80s cabs don't have MDF backs, it's particle-board. As far as I know they still are, unless it's been changed fairly recently.

sgosden

guitarfishbay said:

sgosden said:

short story- even bad less favourable speakers can sound good once they're properly broken in. buy older stuff.

Speakers vary even if they're broken in.

I've got 8 of the same speaker and they all sound slightly different.  I have two identical 2x12s and can tell which is which by sound alone, one is deeper and the other sounds brighter and tighter.  They've both had lots of hours at loud rock band volume.

that too, that was apoitn I was going to say but just forgot

Moltisanti

i'm not a fan of the T75s in a 1960, i much preferred the Vintage version with Greenbacks in it.

I picked up a Hughes & Kettner 4x12 with Greenbacks for £200 and it was great

Reverend

I use a 1960TV. Sounds great. 

TTBZ

Generally I don't like the ones I've tried but there was one at a rehearsal space that sounded great. No idea what model it was but it's probably the best my guitar has sounded through my normal amp. Usually I find the 1960s to sound flat and fizzy, must be the t75 speakers.

professorben

TTBZ said:

Generally I don't like the ones I've tried but there was one at a rehearsal space that sounded great. No idea what model it was but it's probably the best my guitar has sounded through my normal amp. Usually I find the 1960s to sound flat and fizzy, must be the t75 speakers.

Didn't @icbm figure it to be a mode four cab? Quite tall, single input on the back? 

Reading back your previous discussion I'm almost sure it was a mode four cab, as they have a metal Marshall logo that looks grey. 

Bidley

professorben said:

Mode Four cabs are pretty awesome

I hope you're very happy together @professorben  *sniff*

professorben

Bidley said:

professorben said:

Mode Four cabs are pretty awesome

I hope you're very happy together @professorben  *sniff*

Yes indeed, it's like my perfect woman, tall with an enormous low end 

ICBM

professorben said:

Didn't @icbm figure it to be a mode four cab? Quite tall, single input on the back? 

Reading back your previous discussion I'm almost sure it was a mode four cab, as they have a metal Marshall logo that looks grey. 

Not sure it was me, but yes those cabs sound great and have less of a tendency to catch fire than the matching amps .

They have either V30s or G12K-100s depending on which version they are.

Rave

I love the JCM900 4x12 B Cabinets. Have owned several with stock speakers..The angled cabinets are a no go for me.