Help! - Is this Vertical 2x12 cab fake?

[TheBoogie]

Hi all, newly minted Boogie Board member here.

I am considering purchasing a vintage Boogie vertical 2x12 cab. I thought I would reach out to some of the experts on this site and get their opinion as to whether this cab is a real Boogie product or knock-off that someone built on the weekends. Aside from the clear signs of re-tolexing, is there any other way I can confirm whether this cab is legitimate?

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/msg/5854194359.html

Thank you!

 

[Promethean]

I have the exact same speaker. It's a boogie cab design. Quite a few years old now

New cover, new corners by look. Shame about the parting of the tolex at the corners - maybe use some black felt tip in gap. The speaker baffle is also more matte on mine so that may have been sprayed or Boogie had cosmetic variations of the cab. Back and mix of speakers also all look the same as mine and correct. Hopefully they work well. The EVM is a very cool speaker.

The heavyweight metal grille on it is also much nicer condition than mine which is battered and in need of a repaint.

I don't think it's a complete fake, just old and tidied up.

If it sounds good, I'd not hesitate.

 

[TheBoogie]

Thanks for the input, Promethean!

The guy was kind enough to show it to me today in person. Based off of your comment and the photos I have seen online, the baffle definitely looks different. The baffle is smooth in appearance and does not have a matte finish.

Also, I noticed that the screws holding the metal grill are not surrounded by rubber cylindrical shaped pieces. I could probably loosen up about these minor flaws, but I just don't know if it is worth the price.

 

[Whoopysnorp]

I'd say that's a fair price. I picked up a similar cab recently for $300, and I considered that a very good deal. Mine is very clean and has the desirable 2xEVM speaker complement, though it is missing the logo badge. This is probably one of the best cabs of this configuration you can get. I had a Rectifier vertical 2x12 before buying this one, which I loved. When I compared them side by side they were very close, but I found the metal grille version to have a slight edge (though that could be down to speaker differences). Sold the Recto cab for $400.

 

[gts]

Hi all, newly minted Boogie Board member here.

I am considering purchasing a vintage Boogie vertical 2x12 cab. I thought I would reach out to some of the experts on this site and get their opinion as to whether this cab is a real Boogie product or knock-off that someone built on the weekends. Aside from the clear signs of re-tolexing, is there any other way I can confirm whether this cab is legitimate?

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/msg/5854194359.html

Thank you!

-It's a legit (real) Mesa Vertical 2x12 Metal Grille cab.

-As you know it's been re-toexed. They used Black Taurus tolex versus the original Black Fender style tolex that was likely on it.
(I say "likely on it" as it could have had a white or cream colored Fender style tolex on it originally).

-As Promethean noticed the corners are replacements and not correct for the cab. Not being the right corners, imho they look crap. But that's an easy fix.

-The matte finish on the baffle isn't an issue. It's likely someone painted the baffle when they did the re-tolex. Easy enough to repaint if you want a flat black finish. Just get a decent can of flat black spray paint and repaint it.
Fwiw the baffle is original. It's impossible to swap the baffle out without taking the cab apart. Taking the cab apart would be near impossible to do to as well.

-The "rubber cylindrical shaped pieces" that are usually between the grille and the baffle which the grille screws go through are missing but you could use rubber feet to replace them (Mesa used them at one time on their 2x12 and 4x12 cabs).

-It's an older Mesa Vertical Metal Grille 2x12 cab. You can tell by the "logo" handles also referred to as "knife edge" handles due to their shape and the fact that some people felt they cut into you hand using the to lift the cab.

It's too bad about the corners and the tolex job on the corners. At first it looked like the cab make have 'taken a hit' and been broken at the corners, but after looking at the pics again it's just a bad tolex job on the corners.

Overall it's not in bad shape. I think $400 might be touch high considering it's condition but 300-400 is more or less the going rate for one of these.
Offer him 300 see what he says.

Thanks for the input, Promethean!

The guy was kind enough to show it to me today in person. Based off of your comment and the photos I have seen online, the baffle definitely looks different. The baffle is smooth in appearance and does not have a matte finish.

Also, I noticed that the screws holding the metal grill are not surrounded by rubber cylindrical shaped pieces. I could probably loosen up about these minor flaws, but I just don't know if it is worth the price.

 

[TheBoogie]

Thanks, gts!

I purchased the cab - got it for $325. I appreciate all of your input and I will sleep easier at night knowing that it is the real deal.

Do you, or anyone else on this thread, know of any place where I can source the original style cabinet corners? I have scoured the internet but I came up dry.

 

[gts]

Thanks, gts!

I purchased the cab - got it for $325. I appreciate all of your input and I will sleep easier at night knowing that it is the real deal.

Do you, or anyone else on this thread, know of any place where I can source the original style cabinet corners? I have scoured the internet but I came up dry.

That's a decent price.

Corners:
I have some. Can't remember where I got them but will look.

Fwiw I've refurbished a few Mesa 4x12's (same hardware as the 2x12's) and know which corners are the right ones.
I'm pretty sure they are actually a Vox style corner. The correct ones are plastic and will use both screws and nails (wire brads) to attach them to the cab.

 

[TheBoogie]

gts,

Thanks. That would be awesome. If it's too much trouble to locate them, I think I found an online vendor. Let me know if these look like the right ones. To me they do, but I am certainly no expert.

http://www.mojotone.com/Cabinets_x/Corners_x/Vox-Plastic-Replacement-Corners-Set-of-4

 

[RR]

I can't remember the old Mark Series upright angle 2x12" used for their corners but besides Mojo Sounds and Parts Express for speaker cabinets hardware here's a good place to source out speaker enclosure hardware:

http://www.speakerbuildersupply.com/Default.asp

 

[gts]

gts,

Thanks. That would be awesome. If it's too much trouble to locate them, I think I found an online vendor. Let me know if these look like the right ones. To me they do, but I am certainly no expert.

http://www.mojotone.com/Cabinets_x/Corners_x/Vox-Plastic-Replacement-Corners-Set-of-4

Yup those are the corners.
I have the right size screws and nails (wire brads).
Let me pull them out and I'll let you know what size to get for both.

 

[TheBoogie]

Thanks for the link, RR.

Much appreciated, gts.