SLANT vs. Straight cab?

[Elpelotero]

Whats the tonal difference? Is it just for aesthetic purposes?

 

[Kyle]

I think this discussion was on another thread (or maybe another forum), but to my knowledge the "slant" cabinet was created simply for looks. It made the cabinet blend more with the amp head.

Some arguments to the contrary are that the top two speakers point a little more up and thus disperse sound more "up and out" or that that cabinet is not as wide at the top resulting in a little tighter feel. These things IMHO make very little difference tonally. I go with the "looks" argument. I personally wish I would have bought a straight cab since it gives me more room on top to put stuff (Bobble head doll, tv and dvd player, pictures of family, etc..) :lol:

 

[no soul]

I think this discussion was on another thread (or maybe another forum), but to my knowledge the "slant" cabinet was created simply for looks. It made the cabinet blend more with the amp head.

Some arguments to the contrary are that the top two speakers point a little more up and thus disperse sound more "up and out" or that that cabinet is not as wide at the top resulting in a little tighter feel. These things IMHO make very little difference tonally. I go with the "looks" argument. I personally wish I would have bought a straight cab since it gives me more room on top to put stuff (Bobble head doll, tv and dvd player, pictures of family, etc..) :lol:

There is no argument, the slant cab was invented for looks and looks alone. Jim Marshall (also inventor of the 4x12) designed the 4x12 slant cab because he thought the amp heads looked odd with the fatter top of a straight cab.

Of course there is a slight tonal difference, but its so minimal I dont even think its worth quantifying.

 

[Elpelotero]

Thanks for the replies!

 

[Red Suede]

I beg to differ. I've been in this game for 35 years, and square Marshall cabinets always produced more bass than angled ones, to me. The angled ones produced more upper mids, so I would use them with humbucker guitars, and I would use square cabinets with strats. Back in my rack days when I was running stereo, I would run one of each. But don't take my word for it. Ty Tabor of King's X gets a fabulous tone, and he states in the May 1996 issue of Guitar Player "I use slant cabinets (Boogie Rectifier cabinets with Celestion Vintage 30s) when we play live, but for recording I favor bottom cabinets for more beef". So i'm not the only one who seems to notice this phenomenon.

 

[no soul]

I beg to differ. I've been in this game for 35 years, and square Marshall cabinets always produced more bass than angled ones, to me. The angled ones produced more upper mids, so I would use them with humbucker guitars, and I would use square cabinets with strats. Back in my rack days when I was running stereo, I would run one of each. But don't take my word for it. Ty Tabor of King's X gets a fabulous tone, and he states in the May 1996 issue of Guitar Player "I use slant cabinets (Boogie Rectifier cabinets with Celestion Vintage 30s) when we play live, but for recording I favor bottom cabinets for more beef". So i'm not the only one who seems to notice this phenomenon.

Thats absurd. If you want to make a statement about the difference a cab size makes, then you have a valid argument.

Go read anything Jim Marshall said about comming up with the slant cab, I assure you he mentions NOTHING at all about changing frequency response.

And as far as the guy from Kings X goes, he is out to lunch when it comes to recording, if you want more bass for recording, just tell your enginere.

 

[tele_jas]

I've had both the slant and the straight cabs....I couldn't tell enough difference in sound to argue about, but I personally liked the slant cabs becasue it did see to project the sound up just enough to hit my ear from 8-10 feet away where the straight cab went under my line of hearing and I ended up having to fnd a stand/box for my my straight cab to sit on to raise it up enough to hear properly.

Thats my $.02 worth.

 

[screamingdaisy]

I really don't care what Jim Marshall says. I like slant cabs because I can hear them better.

 

[David.W]

My next cab will be a straight, I just gotta stackem, *I *just *got to!(*spoken in Captian Kirks vioce)

 

[pau_leader]

I really don't care what Jim Marshall says. I like slant cabs because I can hear them better.

Lol. You tell them!

 

[Red Suede]

I hear a difference, and so do many others, no soul. But you are entitled to your opinion, as am I.

 

[Inearthed]

If I'm standing right next in front of my cab I can hear slant cabs better than straight ones mainly because in the slant cab the top two speakers are angled upwards slightly, versus all four aimed right at my legs.

 

[redmax61]

What Inearthed said. If both cabinets are sitting on the floor, the angled one will sound brighter because the top two speakers are pointed more at your head.

 

[Red Suede]

You two are missing the point. I'm talking about the tone of the cabinets. I can tell the difference if i'm standing to the side of the cabinet. I'm not just talking about hearing the cabinet. I hope you guys aren't about dissing people like Ty who have made records and toured and have great tone and use the equipment and therefore have an informed opinion on this. That guy NoSoul seemed to be flaming me and Ty Tabor which I thought this board didn't do. Where's he coming from? Have an opinion, but allow others theirs also.

 

[redmax61]

No. Not dissing anyone here. I have both cabinets, and I'm just saying what I've heard with my own ears.

 

[Kyle]

I knew this topic would get some heat when I saw the orginal question asked. The poor guy didn't know he was openning a can of worms! This is cracking me up! :lol:

Elpelotero, if you're still following this thread, go try each for yourself and go with what makes you smile. And no soul, whenever you get two people together, especially guitarists talking tone and gear, there is always differences of opinion, and in this case, you see there is "argument". Just because Jim Marshall doesn't state he did not intend to change the sound of a straight cabnet by slanting it, doesn't mean someone else doesn't hear a difference. and that it doesn't matter to them. What about other manufacturers of cabinets? What do they say? How did Jim Mashall get pulled into this? Where's Jim Marshall when you need him? JIMM.....JIMMMM! The original question was: "Whats the tonal difference? Is it just for aesthetic purposes?"

I personally think it is just a matter of looks,mojo, whatever, and the difference in sound to my ears is very nominal, but I ain't GOD here and everyone else hears something different and I'm glad. There just ain't no absolutes when it comes to sound and tone. It would be a very boring world if we all heard things the same way. Just think if we all liked Brittany_____! AGHHHHH!! But hey, "I'm not that innocent". I think I may have just opened another can of worms on that one! :lol:

 

[Red Suede]

My point: When I stand directly in front of a cabinet with whatever speakers, what i'm going to hear is the speaker. The same when you mike a speaker directly on the cone. What are you going to hear? Not the cabinet. I've found when I mike the cabinet also from the side or behind, I pick up the sound of the cabinet resonating as well. To me it's no different than the construction differences between guitar models, which gives each it's own sonic imprint. Stand beside the two types of cabinets when you fire them up and see if you can hear the difference between them. For me, I hear it, that's all i'm saying. (And please, have some respect for Ty Tabor, he has gotten some of the best guitar tones in the last 30 years in my opinion). I'm glad someone lightened all this up a tad. (At least in my case).

 

[MesieBooga]

Whats the tonal difference? Is it just for aesthetic purposes?

The Straights are "boomey" and overly "bassey". The Slants seem to have a more balanced sound. (in my opinion) :lol: Also that little angle (Slant) makes a surprisingly big difference when trying to hear it on stage.