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Advice from Emperor Cabs/Weber Speaker dudes?
Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 9:19 am
by Gunner Recall
All the facebook lulz has convinced me I should be giving these fine professionals my money.
Going with an OS2x12, they recommend the weber 1265 (celestion g12-65). Thoughts on this speaker?
I run through a mesa mark V (=C= EL34's) and will sometimes be stacking it with a 1x12 (EVM12L) for 3x12 awesomeness.
What about the silver bell/gray wolf? Those also caught my attention.
Re: Advice from Emperor Cabs/Weber Speaker dudes?
Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 9:22 am
by Gunner Recall
Oh and burst or no burst?

Re: Advice from Emperor Cabs/Weber Speaker dudes?
Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 10:05 am
by aen
NO BURST.
Re: Advice from Emperor Cabs/Weber Speaker dudes?
Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 10:33 am
by Chankgeez
No opinion on the choice of speaker.
I'm with aen on the subject of burst. NO BURST. (It just makes it look like the cabinets are really dirty around the edges.)
Re: Advice from Emperor Cabs/Weber Speaker dudes?
Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 10:47 am
by Holy Schnikes
Will this be your lone cab or paired with something else? I have the Weber 65s in my standard Emperor 2x12, they're great!

I used V30s in an Orange 4x12 previously but could never deal with the harsh mids and highs. The Weber, a hand-made clone of the Celestion g12-65, improves upon everything the V30s lack, imo. Basically gives you a tighter, more controlled bass response that never gets flubby along with smoother, more useable highs. Actually, that 2x12 sounds bigger and better than the Orange 4x12 it replaced at half the cost, with insane lows and clarity like I've never heard. Much of this can likely be attributed to speaker choice, but the cab design plays a huge role. You'll get haters saying "it's just a box with speakers". People with this opinion either haven't tried one or have no clue wtf they're talking about regarding cabs/speakers and the drastic improvements a good design can make.
The Oversize is the way to go if you plan on only one cab though, comes in maybe an inch smaller than their standard 4x12 and sounds like a beast. I had 'em load mine with the Weber 75W Silver Bells on Dylan's recommendation. I'll be picking that cab up in 2 weeks (along with a custom headshell) so I can get back with speaker reviews soon. Described to me as a darker speaker than the 65 with plenty of low end and very smooth mids. Should pair wonderfully with the brighter 65. The 65 isn't harsh-bright or anything, just very present and crisp. Like most speakers, it just improves as you get through initial break-in.
I personally love the "burst" finish, that vintage sunburst look being my favorite but it wasn't available when I ordered. Choosing finish/grill combo took forever as those guys can do most anything you concoct. I ended up with ebony and bluesbreaker grill, looks flippin' gorgeous.
One last plus with the Emperor stuff is weight. They look heavy as fuck but they're shockingly light when you first lift one. Helps the ol' back out if you play shows/rehearsals with any regularity. It's their acoustic style design that lends to this lack of weight but enormous sound. Really surprised me when I first visited their shop and and saw the cabs in different stages of construction. People tend to equate physically heavy cabs with bigger sound, not the case here.
EDIT: Disregard my "lone cab" question, missed that in your OP. I don't think you can go wrong with the 65s either way.
Re: Advice from Emperor Cabs/Weber Speaker dudes?
Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 11:16 am
by Ancient Astronaught
My 6x12 (ebony with wheat grill) with the weber 65's is coming in either tomorrow or early next week so i can give you a review once i get it. What i can tell you is that what schnikes says about the cabs themselves (aside from your speaker choice) is correct, i currently have a 4x12 and a ported 2x12 both with eminence swamp thang speakers and the low end is insane, the clarity is amazing and the tone is unreal. I noticed one time when we were rearranging the practice space I was carrying my 4x12 while we had a stereo blasting that unlike any other cab in our studio (and we have atleast 5 or 6 4x12's and numerous other cabs from mesa, peavey, sunn, etc...) they resonate! Holding it i could feel it vibrating with the bass from the stereo, and not just one resonate frequency but a large spectrum of the bass (i'd say atleast 60hz - 250hz, it was vibrating to the kick drum and the bass line). Too my ears this translates to an almost 3d tone when playing through it. Schnikes was right that their weight is misleading, my 4x12 weighs less than my sunn 4x12 while coming in wider and deeper, although maybe 1 to 2 inches shorter. As far as the burst finishes i do like them, but i'd feel even worse about taking em on the road and destroying the finish, i feel bad enough getting road rash on my cabs from playing out as it is with just their normal stains. If you don't play out and you like the burst finish i'd say go for it, otherwise don't waste the extra dough.
Re: Advice from Emperor Cabs/Weber Speaker dudes?
Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 11:31 am
by Gunner Recall
Awesome thanks for the info guys...I'll probably stick with the 65's, tight ass bass with smooth highs sounds about right.
Look forward to hearing what AA thinks of his 6x12
I actually dig the burst...though it would save me the cash to skip it
I was thinking one of the red finishes with oxblood.
Re: Advice from Emperor Cabs/Weber Speaker dudes?
Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 11:45 am
by kosta
I don't know from speakers, but I'm feelin' those bursts....
Re: Advice from Emperor Cabs/Weber Speaker dudes?
Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 11:47 am
by Ancient Astronaught
I'm excited for the 6x12 too... and the matching 3x15
My 4x12 is the special mahogany stain with the oxblood grill, it's awesome but i do think it would match better with a red stain. My 2x12 is the same stain but with the salt n pepper grill and i kinda think it fits beter. I'm super excited for the ebony and wheat combo, i've seen 1 4x12 with that combo and i was sold immediately.
Re: Advice from Emperor Cabs/Weber Speaker dudes?
Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 12:22 pm
by D.o.S.
A.A., you'd best post some rig pics when you get 'em.
Also, at this risk of sounding like a dumbass, is this for skinny string-thingy or bass?
Re: Advice from Emperor Cabs/Weber Speaker dudes?
Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 1:50 pm
by Holy Schnikes
Yo A.A., I bet that's your shit right there in this recent FB pic?
My OS 2x12 is stacked on the left and my "under-construction" headshell is chillin' out up there too.

Re: Advice from Emperor Cabs/Weber Speaker dudes?
Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 2:05 pm
by Ancient Astronaught
Re: Advice from Emperor Cabs/Weber Speaker dudes?
Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 2:07 pm
by Ancient Astronaught
Oh and mine are for skinny string guit fiddles....
Re: Advice from Emperor Cabs/Weber Speaker dudes?
Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 2:15 pm
by Holy Schnikes
Yeah, those look badass! I'd love to play through a setup like that, fuck! Are you running your current Emperor's too, dual amp rig or something, a mammoth wall of Emperors on stage??

What speakers did you go with for the 3x15 again?
First I've seen of my shit too! The shell has a ways to go with the lower routing, more BB grill cloth up top, and a badass Dunwich nameplate Dylan's crafting. EXCITING TIMES!

Re: Advice from Emperor Cabs/Weber Speaker dudes?
Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 2:24 pm
by Ancient Astronaught
That will be my normal Live rig Dunwich 200watt head (coming in march) and the 6x12 and the 3x15, the model t w/ the emperor 4x12 + 2x12 will be my practice rig so that i'm not using the same rig for practice and live. If i want to run the dual amp setup i had nick install a preamp out so i can daisy chain into the model t's power amp (the model t has 1/4 inputs on the back built just for this). So if i play a huge festival or something where i can crank into oblivion i will be running the massive wall of 6x12, 4x12, 2x12 and 3x15 powered by the dunwich and the model t.
The speakers are Weber Michigan's rated at 100watts per, making it a 300w cab and the 6x12 is 390. I wanted plenty of headroom so i could crank the Dunwich and not blow the cabs.