1936 2*12 cab mods?

[dixie hustler]

Hello gang. I have the 1936 cab. It's a few years old but basically brand new. Bought it used few weeks ago. It has the stock speakers in it. Was told it had only 20 or so hours playing time on it. Really do enjoy the cab. But I been wondering what you all have done to yours to make it sound a little better. I realize its not a 4*12, which I do own a 1960/a vintage with v30's. Things that crossed my mind to make the 1936 sound a little better was swapping one of the v30's from the 1960 cab. Also maybe cutting it for a little open back action. But I would rather not do that. One thing I haven't seen mentioned here was cutting and glue in better sounding wood over the existing wood. Granted it would be much heavier. But maybe it would be worth it in the end. Also wondering if insulating the inside would be a decent option. Guess I'm looking for a bit more punch and balls out of it. Could be as easy as the speakers aren't broke in just yet. So as you can read I'm not really sure what the best option would be. I'm open to all suggestions you guys have. Thanks in advance.

 

[demonufo]

If you want a better, more solid cab, buy an Orange.

Failing that, play the living shit out of it. If it's only been used for 20 hours you'll need to hit it hard for at least another 300 before it begins to loosen up.
Open backed cabs sound thin and flabby unless you keep them on the floor and close to a corner, so I wouldn't go down that road.

Insulation is a no-no. It will add damping to the enclosure, and the speakers will think they are in a bigger enclosure than they actually are. End result, more flab, less punch.

 

[mickeydg5]

It should have G12T75's. A V30 speaker will add mid and high range plus volume. A G12H(55) or another similar speaker with high decibel low frequency range may help give you more bottom and punch.

If you want punch, then do not cut anything. Open back will take away punch.

An adjustable port may do something for you, but you will be cutting.
Maybe someone else can comment on ports in this cabinet.

 

[demonufo]

Porting in guitar cabs is a bad idea. Porting is used to reinforce certain frequencies and should be calculated VERY carefully using the cabinets internal size, and the thiele small parameters of the speaker units. Porting more often than not, ends up with a resonant frequency, which in musical terms usually means that one particular note will be MUCH louder than the others, and often sound flabby.

 

[dixie hustler]

Cool rather not cut into it any ways. Maybe a greenback in there you think?

 

[demonufo]

Just break it in first. Learn the cab. Try to live with it. Play it hard till it loosens up.
THEN try to figure out what you want to change about it. Like I said, new Celestions take a helluva lot of break-in time.

Everyones in such a rush to alter things these days...Fine for me though, usually means more work.

 

[JohnH]

If you have a newish cab, then Id keep it intact. But you could make a whole new back to experiment with if you wish, so you can revert if you need to sell.

You could try semi open, with a strip across the middle missing. Or, ports cin a closed back cab an be added to add bass to small cabs, which should not be needed on a 1936 which has a particularly large internal volume per speaker. But I added some to my 1x12 and it improved it. Thiele/small parameters didnt turn out to be too useful, the key thing was to work out the internal volume, add volume associated with the compliance of each speaker (Vas, about 38l per speaker for a Greenback), and use equations or software to size the ports to tune it to a frequency well below guitar. This lifted the low bass by a couple of db, in the range of playing frequencies.

WinISD is a good free program for assessing these things.

 

[GIBSON67]

You can swap the speakers as long as they are both match impedance.

You can leave the back panel off temporarily to try open-backed...

You can try 2 of your V30's in there to see if you like that...

 

[dixie hustler]

You can swap the speakers as long as they are both match impedance.

You can leave the back panel off temporarily to try open-backed...

You can try 2 of your V30's in there to see if you like that...

Very good idea. Think ill try on v30 have to see if they are the same ohms.

 

[mickeydg5]

Like said prior, break in those G12T75's. They need quite a bit of breaking in, but will be liked much more aftewards. There are other post that mention this. Search and read up.

 

[GIBSON67]

Nothing wrong with G12T75's and I've heard that mixing those with the V30's really sound good, together.

If all you speakers are 16 ohm, then you have a number of options.

But really, if you just got it...crank it up and try it out for a while...

 

[dixie hustler]

Yeah ill keep jamming on it for awhile. The owner prior just used the cab for a few acoustic gigs. I'm sure ill have a different ear in a few months time. Thanks again guys. On a side note I hooked up both my 1936, and 1960 cabs ran them stereo coming out of my Zakk Wylde chorus pedal. The Marshall 900mkIII paired with the 1936. And the mkII superlead with the 1960 cab. MY GOD! That was a lot of rock coming out of my house. Lol.

 

[IbanezMark]

The most basic mod for any Marshall cab is to retighten all of the screws in the baffle and caulk the edge of the baffle.

Not a lot of work and it can help to tighten up the sound a bit, especially with an older cab. You would be surprised how much the wood shrinks, loosening all of the baffle screws.

 

[GIBSON67]

 

[SmokestackElRopo]

I am changing my speakers for an Eminence barking blues setup. 1 Redfang 16 ohm and 1 wizard 16 ohm. the Redfang has an AlNiCo magnet and is rated for 50 watts while the Wizard has a 59oz ferrite magnet and is ratewd for 75 watts. I will keep yall posted.

 

[mickeydg5]

I am changing my speakers for an Eminence barking blues setup. 1 Redfang 16 ohm and 1 wizard 16 ohm. the Redfang has an AlNiCo magnet and is rated for 50 watts while the Wizard has a 59oz ferrite magnet and is ratewd for 75 watts. I will keep yall posted.

That should be a killer pairing.

 

[Eboy]

I have tried V30's in my 1936, and diddnt like the result, far too much treble. I now have a pair of greenbacks in mine which sound lovely, but the cab is only 50W now.

 

[Dave666]

If you want a better, more solid cab, buy an Orange.

Insulation is a no-no. It will add damping to the enclosure, and the speakers will think they are in a bigger enclosure than they actually are. End result, more flab, less punch.

+1000 on the Orange

That was the first thing I was thinking, you should've bought an Orange cab....
Bogner 2x12 cabs are also very good sounding...

I insulated my 1960 cab once, very bad idea...

 

[mickeydg5]

Orange are nice cabinets. They have a better dimensional ratio for a little more tighter focused sound.

 

[Hollowbody]

My 1936 has slowly changed over the years. Now it is partially open in the back and has one 15 and one 12 both alnico with a better baffle to accommodate. The large plastic handles on the sides have been removed and the rectangle holes glued in with a piece of pine and retolexed. I didn't have to do that to make the speakers fit but I like having the little extra area.

The 15 is a 40 watt Weber blue which sounds like the Bulldog in my other cab exept with more balls. And the 12 is this insane old Altec.

It doesn't sound thin or flabby it sounds huge. I've had a closed back 4x12 that I loved and it was tighter in some respects but failed in the warm round and smooth department.

I guess I started modding it years ago because I wasn't satisfied with the sound but I always liked the look and dimensions of the 1936. These days I'd probably jut get a Dr Z thiele ported or an Avatar cab and call it a day, but I'm glad for the process because I learned a lot.