Any experience with Marshall 1x12 cabs? UPDATED

[Biz Prof]

Any of you have any ownership and/or playing experience with an '80s-era Marshall 1933 1×12 cabinet? If so, I'd appreciate your thoughts/opinions.

Found one about 90 minutes away and I'm suddenly intrigued by the design. Johan "Hi!" Segeborn uses one in many of his demo videos on his YouTube channel. Just want to hear any observations or playing experiences before I plan a tryout.

[RobB]

Play loud through it, you’ll know if it works.  
 

Personally, I like Bogner cubes, but they’re expensive (even used). 

[Hamer95USA]

I have both a blue & black vinyl Marshall 1912 1x12 closed back cabs with the Celestion G12B-150 speaker in both of them so I can't comment on the Marshall 1933 1x12 cab. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Guitar George

[Disturber]

From my experience: small cabs give a small sound. I have not found any smaller Marshall cab to be that great. A 4x12 is where it's at. 

But I am on the look out for a 1961B cab. It's a full size cab, but 2x12.

If you want a smaller Marshall cab then my advice is to look out for an old JCM800 1936 2x12 cab. Solid builds and they will move more air and have more bottom than a small 1x12 cab.

[Dave Scepter]

4 hours ago, Disturber said:

From my experience: small cabs give a small sound. I have not found any smaller Marshall cab to be that great. 

If you want a smaller Marshall cab then my advice is to look out for an old JCM800 1936 2x12 cab. Solid builds and they will move more air and have more bottom than a small 1x12 cab.

This 100%... a larger 1x12, and/or a ported cab

[django49]

4 hours ago, Dave Scepter said:

This 100%... a larger 1x12, and/or a ported cab

Yes....At risk of sounding like a broken record, such as a Thiele or Forte 3D style are the biggest sounding 1 x 12s I have tried.

[crunchee]

My favorite cab is a recent VHT 1x12, 27" wide, which matches the width of their 'Standard' series heads.  I prefer 1x12s, a 2x12 is too much for my apartment (and almost too much for my back), plus the width on this one lets me put nearly any amp head on top of it without worrying about it falling off.  

[Biz Prof]

12 hours ago, Disturber said:

If you want a smaller Marshall cab then my advice is to look out for an old JCM800 1936 2x12 cab.

I have had one of these since '92 and totally agree with your sentiments about it. Just looking for an "even smaller" option for small stages. The 1936 is an awesome cab, but it's easily 2/3 the size of a 1960 4×12. 

[Biz Prof]

8 hours ago, Dave Scepter said:

This 100%... a larger 1x12, and/or a ported cab

The 1933 is apparently a larger, ported 1x12. This, my curiosity. I'll let you guys know what I find out. 

[LucSulla]

23 hours ago, RobB said:

Play loud through it, you’ll know if it works.  
 

Personally, I like Bogner cubes, but they’re expensive (even used). 

Not as much if you go direct through the cat who builds them.

https://www.vboutiqueusa.com/

[Disturber]

12 hours ago, Biz Prof said:

I have had one of these since '92 and totally agree with your sentiments about it. Just looking for an "even smaller" option for small stages. The 1936 is an awesome cab, but it's easily 2/3 the size of a 1960 4×12. 

For what it might be worth I once pulled a Celestion G12B-150 speaker from a Marshall jcm 1912 1x12 cab. I put that speaker in a Marshall Rock N Roll baby 100 w 2150 JMP that I had (that I foolishly sold.... 😕  ). That celestion speaker sounded great. I don't know how the 1912 cab sounds. But the speaker is great so I would not hesitate to get one of those 1x12 cabs. Small and solidly built. Looks cool too.

[django49]

12 hours ago, LucSulla said:

Not as much if you go direct through the cat who builds them.

https://www.vboutiqueusa.com/

They make good stuff....I have the Vumble 1 x 12 with  CL-80. Certainly is in the classic D-style (or Two Rock style). And also sounds great matched with a closed back variant like the Forte or Thiele type. I liked it enough that I built my own replica (with pine/hardwood trim). Will eventually sell the original at a very nice price.....Just not up to shipping big boxes these days.

I am sure their others (closed back/ported)  are built every bit as good.

[LucSulla]

1 hour ago, django49 said:

They make good stuff....I have the Vumble 1 x 12 with  CL-80. Certainly is in the classic D-style (or Two Rock style). And also sounds great matched with a closed back variant like the Forte or Thiele type. I liked it enough that I built my own replica (with pine/hardwood trim). Will eventually sell the original at a very nice price.....Just not up to shipping big boxes these days.

I am sure their others (closed back/ported)  are built every bit as good.

 

I have one of his Cubes, but I got the 2x12 version.  Loaded with neo creambacks, it was a super light, great sounding cab. 

[Biz Prof]

Update: Picked up this '85/'86 JCM 800 1933 1x12 cabinet from a guy living in a van down by the river (no shit).  It has the much maligned G12M-70 in it, but it actually sounds very good. I suppose we can surmise it's broken in by now. This is, indeed, a large dimension, ported, closed back cab. I can see why Johan Segeborn likes it so much. 

[Travis]

17 minutes ago, Biz Prof said:

Update: Picked up this '85/'86 JCM 800 1933 1x12 cabinet from a guy living in a van down by the river (no shit).  It has the much maligned G12M-70 in it, but it actually sounds very good. I suppose we can surmise it's broken in by now. This is, indeed, a large dimension, ported, closed back cab. I can see why Johan Segeborn likes it so much. 

Awesome!  Congrats, looks great!

[Carl.B]

2 hours ago, Biz Prof said:

Update: Picked up this '85/'86 JCM 800 1933 1x12 cabinet from a guy living in a van down by the river (no shit). 

Just the speaker inside the cab right? 😉

[Disturber]

9 hours ago, Biz Prof said:

Update: Picked up this '85/'86 JCM 800 1933 1x12 cabinet from a guy living in a van down by the river (no shit).  It has the much maligned G12M-70 in it, but it actually sounds very good.

The G12M-70's are not bad. They sound a bit plain unless they are pushed. But you can hoax great tones out of them. I've had 70's that sounded better than 65's I had in a 2x12 Marshall combo from 1984.

[Jim85IROC]

If you want a cab that sounds bigger than it is, look for one that has the speaker mounted in a position that keeps it a different distance from each side.  This will help smooth out the early reflections that cause a boxy sound.  This has a lot to do with why 4x12s sound how they do.  Each speaker is only close to 2 sides instead of 4, so there are less reflections that impact the midrange.

When I built a cab for my Super Sonic head, I offset the driver horizontally and vertically so that it's a different distance from each wall.  The cab sounds great, with none of the boxy mids that a lot of cabs have.

[Biz Prof]

1 hour ago, Jim85IROC said:

If you want a cab that sounds bigger than it is, look for one that has the speaker mounted in a position that keeps it a different distance from each side. 

Jim, I totally agree. The 1933 has the speaker offset on both the X and Y axes and it has a 2" port through the baffle in the corner opposite the speaker. Looks like a good design you have there.

[Disturber]

On 1/8/2022 at 12:35 AM, Biz Prof said:

  It has the much maligned G12M-70 in it, but it actually sounds very good.

 

Have to post about the G12M-70 speaker again. On New Years I picked up a Marshall 4210 combo for 550$. Condition is great and it sounds sooooo good. I absolutely love the G12M-70 speaker in it. I just plugged my Deluxe Reverb in to that speaker, (in the Marshall), as well - and it to sounds smokin'. 

The G12M-70 sounds a bit boxy. But at the same time it's very very distinct, even though the bass is kinda loose like a g12-25 greenback. It has a 5E3 flavour to it. Think the Reverend Billy G. It does not like to to much treble, then it gets kinda fuzzy. But if you balance the tone controls right it sounds killer. So much fun to play this speaker. I need to find a used 8 ohm version for my Deluxe Reverb now. I'm in love with the gnarly, 70's distortion tone that this speaker has. Love it love it love it!!!!!!

 

Edit: this is how the G12M-70 sounds in a 4210 amp.
 

 

[JGale]

I've never had any experience with a Marshall cab ever!

Does that help?