New PRS Big Mouth Cabinet Day

[WeFixFlats]

So ask yourself, what's the chance that someone local here in Austin has a single 2012 model Big Mouth cabinet for sale (for 1/2 the price of a new, but now discontinued), dead mint condition one that would allow you to stack it with your existing 2011 pre-production model loaded with Stock Vintage 30's? And then be able to compare visually the 'Stock' V30's with the 'Custom PRS' version? Both flavors are M.I.C. with the same part number: T3904A. Even though my pictures aren't the best, can you spot a difference between the two?

 

[bodia]

Rig looks hot!

No Celestion stamp on the bottom?

 

[WeFixFlats]

No Celestion stamp on the bottom?

Good eye but NO...they're there, just washed out by my camera shot. But, the labels on the speakers are different between the 2011 and 2012 cabinet, the new cabinet isn't spray painted flat black on the inside and the middle support post is padded and two(not 1) screws are used on it to secure the backpanel. Notice the different screw pattern on the baffleboard also. The original cabinet had a cheap plastic plug, not a vintage switchcraft style and used red/black wires from it to the 1st speaker too. (I replaced that wiring harness). I'm going to upload some 'better' pictures of the PRS 'Custom Celestion V30'.

 

[WeFixFlats]

So here's the deal, though it's tough to see with these pictures, but with the naked eye, I can clearly see that what makes the Stock V30 a 'Custom PRS' model is that more 'doping' potion around the circumference of the speaker. The top one is the newer one and looks like it has a fresher factory coat.

 

[bodia]

Interesting discrepancies

 

[HANGAR18]

I keep thinking that I would want to try building my own speaker cabinet sometime.

 

[toothace]

I keep thinking that I would want to try building my own speaker cabinet sometime.

I think the same thing often, and have watched more than a couple youtube vids on the subject. Then I look at all the other unfinished projects I have going...

 

[László]

Probably the lighting in the picture, but I'm not seeing a difference in the speaker doping.

I'm a big fan of the production version that I have. It's much better sounding with my HXDA than my similar Mesa Recto cab was, even though it uses the same speakers (except the Mesa speakers were made in England and were doped for Mesa) and has similar dimensions. Why this is so, I have absolutely no idea!

As a closed back cab, it also works better with the HXDA than my Grissom cab. Then too, the Grissom cab works better with the DG30 than my Big Mouth cab. So that's as it should be.

A couple of additional things I like about the PRS Big Mouth cabs are details like the piping around the ends, the very thick heavy duty tolex that seems more immune to scrapes and dings than even the Mesa stuff, and the overall quality of construction and finish that IMHO competes favorably with anyone.

I've thought about changing the wiring in mine as you've suggested, but to be honest, I'm not feeling a need to tackle that project right now, and I'll admit I may never get around to it.

 

[WeFixFlats]

Probably the lighting in the picture, but I'm not seeing a difference in the speaker doping.

Yeah, it does look that way in the pictures, but with your naked eye in natural light, the difference is there. Look closely around the circumference of the speaker, the 'original' has a deeper crease in the speaker fold than the 'new' one. Whatever they did, it was done with exact precision. If the part numbers are the same and both are M.I.C., then what makes a 'Stock V30' a 'PRS Custom Celestion V30'?.

So can I hear a difference between the two cabinets?. Again, that might be a 'psychoacoustics' situation; if I know I'm just using the New Cab, then yes, but if I immediately plug in the Old Cab, then my hearing memory goes away. I think I remember hearing the New One being more 'smooth' when noodling very loud above the 12th fret. The only sure fire way to know would be a 'blind test' with a 3rd party or someone with much better hearing than me.

Bottom line: With both 8 ohm Cabs plugged into the 50 watt HX/DA and using Les' settings(but with the Bass Tone all the way down and the Master Dime'd), stand back~! You must ride the Volume AND Tone controls(at least on my Custom 22 w/5909's). And Townsend Power Chords with 4 Twelve's moving air? Wow is an understatement. Full English Nirvana~!

 

[László]

Honestly, that combination seems utterly awesome, and I am a little bit jealous, even though it'd be too much for my home studio!

I looked again to see the doping difference, and I couldn't see much of anything, but it could be my old man eyesight, and I'm sure in person it's much more clear.

More power to you for putting that rig together, WeFix...I really, really dig what you did in terms of tone and I have to say that stack looks badazz as hell!

Two thumbs up!

 

[WeFixFlats]

I'm still interested in opinions about the 'Stock Celestion V30' vs the PRS 'Celestion Modified Vintage 30' riddle.

 

[László]

I'm still interested in opinions about the 'Stock Celestion V30' vs the PRS 'Celestion Modified Vintage 30' riddle.

Why not just call PRS and ask? Doug is very forthcoming about answering questions about the amp line.

 

[WeFixFlats]

"We modify Vintage 30 speakers by replacing the original rubber gasket to a harder material for better bass response."

Wow, so yes, my eyes were playing tricks on me, there's NO Doping Goop added at all to the Stock V30's to make them a PRS V30. Now, did I respond and ask exactly what kind of harder material, where did they get it, etc?...That would be no, that's a little too far, it's their company secret, so I'm letting it go. Case Closed.

 

[László]

That's pretty good info right there, anyway.

 

[HANGAR18]

"We modify Vintage 30 speakers by replacing the original rubber gasket to a harder material for better bass response."

Wow, so yes, my eyes were playing tricks on me, there's NO Doping Goop added at all to the Stock V30's to make them a PRS V30. Now, did I respond and ask exactly what kind of harder material, where did they get it, etc?...That would be no, that's a little too far, it's their company secret, so I'm letting it go. Case Closed.

That's interesting. I had been told they removed the rubber gaskets from the speakers but I assumed that they just used the steel frame of the speaker cone to bolt up directly to the wood, But that answer seems to imply that they add a gasket made of harder material. I guess it could go either way.

 

[László]

That's interesting. I had been told they removed the rubber gaskets from the speakers but I assumed that they just used the steel frame of the speaker cone to bolt up directly to the wood.

They couldn't, it would rattle and buzz like crazy. The gasket prevents a speaker from rattling against the baffle.

 

[WeFixFlats]

The next time I decide to remove the backs, (again, but very doubtful), from both the 'old' and 'new' cabinets(32 total wood screws!) I'll let everyone know what I see. But this I do know: A brand new V30 out of the box comes with four(4) very thin pieces of adhesive foam that you can either install on the baffle where the speaker mounts or put on the speaker gasket itself OR not use them at all and rely on the speaker gasket to make the seal on the baffle board.

 

[HANGAR18]

They couldn't, it would rattle and buzz like crazy. The gasket prevents a speaker from rattling against the baffle.

I am prepared to agree with you. The employee that I was talking to at the factory during the self guided tour mentioned two things I found interesting. The above bit about the original gaskets being removed... and also that PRS has used some Warehouse Guitar Speakers in their history of amp and cabinet making. (https://wgs4.com) There seemed to be some sort of a rule as to when they used WGS and when they used Celestion's but I don't vividly remember the details. Regardless, I believe they rejected the original gaskets of both brands of speakers.

 

[Boogie]

The ET65 in open back combos, like the Sweet 16, matched beautifully, IMO. I've even had one in my MkIII combo before and it's awesome for classic rock applications. You can spot the telltale white frame and basket throughout the amp department's stock shelves.

 

[László]

It's all about the details.

I could evangelize about PRS amps and cabs all day long.