Just picked up a 1980's Era Stevens 4x12 Cab

[Danhalen]

... And it is covered in snakeskin!

Here it is underneath my trusty ol' Metro 50 watt kit 1986 that I built close to ten years ago. This is a killer combo!




I am not into the look, but the sound of this cab is magic! It has a quad of Rola labeled Greenback G12h speakers (non-original to the cab I believe, I think these came with Vintage 30's?). I have not taken off the back yet to check the date codes, but I quite certain that these are early 70's Pulsonic cones. It is also very heavy, but man oh man does it sound good. My head is spinning. This is a whole new level of tone for me. I have never had a setup that is this good. The cab is tight, but not stiff. It's like tight with a soft landing. When you hit the strings hard, it gives just a little bit. And there is lots of thump and clarity but it is not harsh at all. Just amazing.

Now I have to figure out what to do about that snakeskin...

[Danhalen]

I opened up the cab and it has four of these speakers in there:



Celestion T1281. Looks like 4x 1973 G12h 55hz. Hmm, I guess maybe these have been reconed? I don't recognize the markings. One of them has "5980" written on it chaulk and a couple of the others have a strange yellow or white marking. But none of the codes that I am familiar with (I am far from a Celestion expert though!). They still sound amazing, whatever they are!

Here are a few more pictures

https://imgur.com/a/PJEw8bX

[Roe]

Just find some matching shoes and you're set!

[Danhalen]

Just find some matching shoes and you're set!

Shoes would be cheaper than a re-tolex...

[Bygone_Tones]

EF = May 73. Looks like a mix of recones and original cones to me. Get the speakers out and check them over properly, the recones should be fairly obvious by sight. This might help:

http://www.bygonetones.com/celestion-cones.html

The '4' stamp is an original pulsonic, and the 5980 is likely a recone. They were likely removed from a Marshall cab as T1281's dont tend to turn up in anything else.

The first thing I ever do whenever I receive a cab is to immediately get the speakers out and give them a proper checking over. Something I would recommend everyone does whenever they get a used or even brand new cab. Thats before you plug your amp in and use it whatsoever. I want to know exactly what I've got and how the speakers are performing, because a lot of vintage speakers are in bad shape and not worth using, or need repairs. A good 90% of vintage greenbacks will have something not quite right with them. From minor things like a dustcap coming away to something more serious like a bad coil rub or torn cone. Very few are 100% perfect:

http://www.bygonetones.com/common-speak ... -them.html

Just be careful when removing them, if they have been in there a long time the cork gasket tends to stick to the woodwork. If they are stubborn dont yank them out because it will tear the cones. Free the gaskets with something like a feeler gauge and only lift the speakers out when they are completely free.

[Danhalen]

Thanks for that great info! I wonder who would pull these speakers from a Marshall cab and put them in this ridiculous looking thing? That being said, it really is a solid cab (I think the ply is thicker than a Marshall) and sounds great, so there might have been a method to the madness. It's funny how the woodwork looks good on this cab (and based on the sound is good), but then the handles, back jackplate and tolex are so cheap and crappy looking!

I hear you on reasons to go through with the full removal, although I have to admit they sound so good I am a little wary of messing with them. They really sound awesome. I guess I will do that eventually though, because the curiosity will get the better of me...