The Pine And Other Woods Cab Thread

[László]

The last time I had a pine speaker cabinet was in the late 60s. Now I have a new PRS David Grissom cabinet, and it sounds great! All the usual adjectives about pine cabs - sweeter, warmer, rounder tone, etc. - apply. In fact, I had forgotten all about that pine cab vibe until I heard this cab, and I was honestly shocked at how different it sounds from, say, the Baltic Birch Ply ported cab I had years ago from Two-Rock that had similar dimensions (and yes, the speakers were different on the TR, but there's a "thing" you get with a pine cab that truly isn't there with Birch Ply, and it's clear that the speaker is only a part of that "thing."

I'm not going to claim that Pine or any other wood is somehow "better" than birch ply. It's just different. And because by its nature it is less stiff than plywood, one would expect that it will resonate and vibrate differently and therefore sound different. Regardless, I like it an awful lot, and it really does match up perfectly with the DG amp.

The oddest thing? It usually takes me quite a while to break in a set of V-30s. This cab started out sounding darn good with them straight out of the box! That tells me that the cab is a very good match for what the speakers do.

However, as I mentioned in the "Consummation of a Plan" thread, it doesn't work as well as my Mesa Recto 212 with the HXDA, a closed back birch ply cab with different interior volume, etc., but the same V30 speakers. That amp sounds better (to me) with the Mesa cab, though I think it might be the closed back, and I do intend to procure a pine PRS Stealth cab for it. The combination should really rock!

So whaddaya say, fellas/gals, what kinds of cabs do you like (there can be more than one)?

 

[veinbuster]

The little I know is very old information. These days I mostly use my Boogie combos, one of which is bubinga and the other walnut. Solid wood and they sound excellent.
The best cab I ever used I built myself because I couldn't afford to buy more than a pair of speakers. Lucky for me, my dad hauled lumber and one of the mills was happy to make a wood donation. Not knowing any better I overbuilt using pine for the outside and spruce for bracing. It was rock solid and pushed a nice clean sound whether I used one speaker or two (I wired it so I could choose, not because I had any better reason to believe that was a good idea other than as a hedge against blowing one up - I blew a lot of stuff up in those days). I used it for quite a few years, then stored it for some more until I found an aspiring rock star to give it to.
Anyways, I liked it enough that I would start with pine if I felt the need for a cabinet.

 

[László]

Interesting, Veinbuster! I love stories like the one about building a cab.

I like the solid wood Boogie combos quite a lot, by the way. I think they have a little something going on that you don't get with the ply stuff, though of course I also like the ply stuff too! I would imagine that hardwood like walnut and bubinga would sound a bit different from pine.

 

[Boogie]

Interesting Pete, my first cab was a home brew, too. Second is a Bandmaster 2x12, then two Mesa/Boogie vert. half back 2x12s, a Nerby 1x12 (closed), the pine 2x12, and a pine 1x12 closed back combo cab from PRS. The last two are my only pine cabs and definitely have a unique vibe and, to me, is the best fit for my PRS amp. But the old MkIII also sounds golden thru the PRS cabs. Pine is my go to cab material since falling in love with the Stealth 2x12.

 

[Egads]

I haven't played a pine cab, yet, but it's probably next. I really like the Mesa stuff, too. As I've mentioned, my main cabs are a Mesa Thiele 1x12, a Mesa Lonestar, and homemade figured African mahogany 1x12 based off the Thiele. The hog cab sounds great, so I'm comfortable with the build process. My next is going to be pine. We've got tons of beetle kill available out here. I figured it would be a cool tribute to our area. Hearing how much people dig their pine cabs is a lot of encouragement.

 

[veinbuster]

I would imagine that hardwood like walnut and bubinga would sound a bit different from pine.

I'm sure. I can't offer an informed opinion though because the design of my hardwood is so different from the pine that it would be impossible to know what to attribute to the wood.

 

[László]

I'm sure. I can't offer an informed opinion though because the design of my hardwood is so different from the pine that it would be impossible to know what to attribute to the wood.

Exactly, though you can hear a difference between the standard Mesa offering and the solid wood.

I did forget to mention that the pine cab is very light weight, so for ancient me, that's another very nice detail...

 

[jfb]

I think my paisley 4x12 is pine.

 

[yankeebulldog]

I think my paisley 4x12 is pine.

I thought all the 4x12s were birch ply?

 

[Boogie]

I thought all the 4x12s were birch ply?

That was my understanding, as well, but honestly, unless you look carefully, it's hard to tell. I have not yet disassembled my 2x12 just to cure my curiosity. Staring at my 1x12 cab I still can't be certain it's pine. It's painted and so void and blemish free, it could be anything. But it sounds so good.

 

[László]

That was my understanding, as well, but honestly, unless you look carefully, it's hard to tell. I have not yet disassembled my 2x12 just to cure my curiosity. Staring at my 1x12 cab I still can't be certain it's pine. It's painted and so void and blemish free, it could be anything. But it sounds so good.

Here's how to find out. Take a hammer and give the cab a good whack with it. If it dents pretty badly, it's probably pine. If it only dents a little, or doesn't dent, it's probably birch ply.

You'd do this to an expensive cab just to know, right?

 

[Egads]

Oh crap! My wife is evidently pine!

 

[alantig]

Oh crap! My wife is evidently pine!

My window isn't.