Randall R412S

[Stjofön Big]

Hi! Anyone here knows if the Randall R412S is a cabinet for bass?

[Highlander]

Most threads spec guitar...?

[Stjofön Big]

All right... or wrong.... Wonder if I dare to use it in company with my Dual Showman silver face, and the Gibson Ripper?

[Granny Gremlin]

You can use it for bass just like any other geetar 4x12 (see Geezer Butler, Lemmy etc back in the day, if not more recently).  It won't be flat response down to low E, but it will get down that low, depending on the drivers.

[Stjofön Big]

Thanks! I'm looking forward to testing the cabinet out next week. But for tomorrows gig it'll be a borrowed Ampeg, transistor with 4x10. Not what I want, and not what I like, but it'll have to do.

[Highlander]

When I was playing metal back then I primarily used a pair of Sound City 4x12 column cabs that were spec'd for PA (voice) and I ran them to death with my present Hiwatt and before that a Sound City 120... made a lovely sound... later I was running a WEM 2x15 with my present Marshall 4x12 (with oddly spec'd Celestions)...
Not your standard operation but I was happy with it...

[Granny Gremlin]

Dude, you've had some cool rigs!

[Highlander]

70's, Jake... the stuff was commonplace...

btw, only bit left of the Sound City's is a name plate that I plan to stick to the Marshall, just to cause confusion...

[Granny Gremlin]

In Britain, sure, but WEM stuff never made it over the pond in any sort of mass-marketed way.  Sound City is only slightly more common to see.

I was gonna buy a Sound City years ago and I regret not doing it; they're almost as much as actual Hiwatts now.  I never actually seen one for sale here (but they are plentiful enough on US ebay; think I've seen a few in use around the scene).  Hiwatts come around but sell quick and cher unless the seller refuses to split the head from the cab in which case it sits around longer. Nobody seems to dig the Hiwatt 4x12s around here (the other configs are another matter), personally I was never a fan of the Fanes they were loaded with.  Possibly they don't want to pay a Hiwatt price for a 4x12 - other brands are similar enough and significantly cheaper/ubiquitous.  So Hiwatts exist but are still not 'common.' 

[Highlander]

As for the heads, Dave Reeves was involved in Sound City (as an employee and designer) and took his ideas elsewhere... but the reliability of the Sound City's compared to Hiwatt's in that early period... no comparison really...
BTW, the tranny in the Sound City had a meltdown and the beast died in a shower of sparks...
My Hiwatt presently does need work but has been relatively trouble free since purchase in '77 or '78... manufactured in 1970...

[Stjofön Big]

So now I've tried the Randall 412 out. Kinda like it, but I miss the earthshake and airmoving of my old 2x15. I guess the perfect configuration for my taste must be a combination of the two of them, cause I'm not satisfied with the Ampeg combination of 1x15 with 4x10. Gave that rig to my son, don't want it myself. I'm a spoiled old boy!

[Highlander]

My 4x12 sat rather nicely on top of my 2x15...

[Granny Gremlin]

Yep.  If you wanna sound huge, you need a huge rig.  I can't be botherred (to transport such rigs to gigs - tried it twice.... also don't have the room for such awesome insanity in the jam space, though I was tempted when I saw a matching 4x12 Riviera [sic; not Rivera but a similar ly named off-brand] to the 1x15 + head my buddy owns for only $80 at a local store; might have to go back for that).







BTW - anybody know anything about those Hiwatts on the bottom right there - seems like a 4x10 reflex horn - similar to the Musicman 2x12 or 2x15 RH cabs.  Seen (pics of) em before but always  witth he grilles on so not sure.

[Nocturnal]

So now I've tried the Randall 412 out. Kinda like it, but I miss the earthshake and airmoving of my old 2x15. I guess the perfect configuration for my taste must be a combination of the two of them, cause I'm not satisfied with the Ampeg combination of 1x15 with 4x10. Gave that rig to my son, don't want it myself. I'm a spoiled old boy!

There is a Randall 2X12/1X15 cab that keeps turning up on the local Craigslist. I believe it's what Dimebag Darryl used? It always tempts me when I see it listed but I cannot justify it in any way.

[Highlander]

Ported 4x12, iirc, Jake...