Can any one ID this cab?

[jaybird]

I just bought this head and cab on craigslist a few days ago - the seller didn't know much about it, other than he bought the both of them together about 15 years ago. The cab is a 4x10 staggered "S" configuration - I opened up the back panel, but couldn't find any serial # or ohm rating or anything like that. I have read a bit online that Sunn made 4x10 cabs like this in the early 90s, but any info on ohm rating or model # would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[loudthud]

It's got the pre mid-69 grill cloth and badge. Sunn didn't make any 4x10's back then. Atleast there are none listed in catalogs. Probably a 4x12. Are you sure about the speaker size. I saw a 6x12 on ebay listed by Guitar center listed as a 6x10 bass cabinet. I even emailed them and sum guy insisted it was a 6x10 in a 30 inch wide cabinet.

Is the cab 24 inches wide, 15 inches deep and 42.5 inches high including wheels? (40 inches without wheels.) Take a picture of the inside. The 4x12 has scalloped braces to make the speakers fit.

[jaybird]

Mystery solved - it is indeed a 4X12. Measurements are 40" H x 24" W x 15" D, and it has the scalloped braces.



the top left speaker is different from the other three though... It appears to be a bit older... hard to make out in this pic, but the label on the back says "Utah, over 50 years":



 it seems to be the only one with an aluminum dome in the center, as far as I can see through the grill cloth - you can kind of see the reflection in the first pic...

The other three speakers look like this:



So you think this might be a 60s era cab, at least the cab itself? It's missing a bunch of screws on the back panel, and judging by the different speakers, I'm guessing they've been replaced at least once.

Thanks for the input!

[loudthud]

The bottom three speakers look like Jensens. 220 is the manufacturer's code and 733 would be the 33rd week of 1967 (or possibly 1977). From the catalog thread that cabinet came with the Sceptre. Back then the cabinets didn't have model numbers, they were known by what amp they came with. The cabinets are pretty rare. It looks like it is in good shape. Screws can be replaced.

[jaybird]

So was it originally intended as a guitar cab? I picked up the cab and the head for $300 total. Sounds like I got a pretty good deal?

It sounds pretty good when I play my '75 P-bass through it. Lotta thump.

[Isaac]

Sceptre cabinet. Original drivers would have been Sunn Transducers, I think.

[loudthud]

It was intended for guitar.

[jaybird]

Thanks for the info. I did some poking around on the Jensen site and other places online, and it seems like C12n speakers are serviceable as bass drivers, but from what I can gather, they're somewhat less than ideal. Does anyone have any recommendations on good 12" bass speakers, should I decide to swap these out? Or would it even be worth doing, since most modern bass cabs are ported, and this one isn't?

[Ryan Phelps]

Jaybird,
I have this same cabinet. Mine is dated 9-12-1968 and has the original matched set of Jensen 12" speakers. This cab was matched with the Sceptre amp head and was designed for guitar, not bass. You could swap out the speakers for modern, high-wattage speakers, but the cab isn't ported as you noted. So, you'd be trying to re-engineer a guitar cabinet for bass with ports, baffles, etc. Unless you know how to design speaker cabinets, I'd recommend you leave this fairly original, vintage piece alone. You could likely sell the cabinet for nearly what you paid for the entire rig. Put that money towards a modern bass cabinet!

Ryan

[jaybird]

Yeah, I have a bunch of modern bass cabs I can run with the Coliseum head. I just wondered whether it'd be worth trying to swap out for some better bass speakers. Probably not - I guess I need to keep looking for a matching Sunn bass cab. Does anyone know if the Coliseum 300 was originally paired with a specific cab?

[Ryan Phelps]

Jaybird,
Reviewing Loudthud's catalog thread, the Coliseum 300 dates to 1985 (could have been made slightly earlier or later too) and shows both a 412B (28.5" x 28.5" x 14.5") rated at 300W, 8 ohms and a 215B (40" x 24" x 15") rated at 200W, 8 ohms. Now you just need to chase one down!

Good Luck,
Ryan

[bigobassman]

Don't forget the folded horn MV18 300 watt cab pairing.  I have 2, and they are seriously deep.   

[basiklybass]

I believe both the Utah and the Jensens are rated for no more than 50 watts each. Bass through them with a Colisium head....expect them to last part way through your first gig.

Follow the other advice, get some speakers that can handle more power at the very least however, since the cabinet is not ported for bass....I recommend selling this one and buying a bass cabinet. You just won't produce any low frequencies with that cabinet no matter what speakers you put in. OK, maybe some JBL 2206's or similar might get some balls shaking, but that is at least $600.00 in speakers....buy another cabinet. IMHO