Dr. Z describes the designs and applications of the 3 variations of 2x12 cabs he offers: the Z Best, the Backline, and the Oval Open Back. www.drzamps.com
2x12 cabinets are legendary and awesome , nice alternative to a 4x12…. You put some solid engineering into those cabinets especially when you use pronged tee nuts…lol…. Keep on rocking…
Wow Doc, these are great informative videos! I learned something from that. You’re a great communicator, well spoken and interesting to listen to, they don’t call you Doc for nothing I guess. ;) Cheers!
My Z Wreck Jr. is the best amp, by far, that I have ever owned. So now I guess I need one of these to round out the setup. Great video, thanks for posting.
"Inside Trader Deal"! LOL, that is exactly why you don't see them on the GC used site. The counter guy would tell you there not worth that much if no one is selling them.!! LOL Great job Dr. Z!!
It's great how these cabs are so popular and probably sound good. But I don't like how ambiguous the audio terms are. It's not for everyone to use precise audio terms, but it is really useful to use a frequency analyzer tool to see the curve of everything so you can approximate sounds with an eq. Audio is so subjective and mutable, the eq is a really useful too to get a "close enough" result.
Hi Mike, these cabs look great. I'm seriously thinking of getting rid of my 1965 BLACKFACE FENDER 2X12 cab. I'm just curious about your opinion on those old pine Fender cabs. To be honest, I was never impressed with this cab. I put 2 Celestion blue in it with a Marshall JTM45. Ken Fischer was once quoted as saying that 1 Celestion blue Alnico speaker could take 25 watts all day long with no problems. I was afraid of blowing the speakers. But so far I haven't had any problem using them with the JTM45.
on guitar cabs: when people say " guitar cabinet design is an art, not a science" they are Not talking about vented guitar cabs...that is science. vented guitar cab designs are more often used in small speaker bedroom practice amps ... because vented, or ported, designs generally have a less flat group delay, and so poorer transient performance than a closed box or open back.. where transient performance has a lot to do with how well the low end projects and builds into a space ..but large and short vents have Better transient performance than small long ports...and vented cabinets need to be tuned to the speaker, ( less forgiving design ) an open back has good transient performance, which is why that is typically the "guitar way" to do a box open to the air....but where a vented box resonates, an open back starts comb filtering. but comb filtering isn't all bad ... granted... it is like having "frequency holes" for the bass and low toms to poke through....or comb filtering is "easier to mix" ... where closed and vented cabs don't really"mix with", as much as "blend with" ,the other instruments ... but even though open backs comb filter, and have less "bottom end" ( around 120Hz ), they have more deep bass which people associate with the "open sound" even though it's very quiet...though the comb filtering is also a part of the "open sound" , inference frequencies ( like bent note, against held ) do synthesize frequencies lower than guitar fundamentals . to me, closed back and open back are at least part science too ... for example the EPS 1x15 is what i call a cross-genera cab...that's my thing, i go for a closed /open in-between sound..
Hi, great video. But who do you design those cabinets, how to find the Frequency response of the cabinet and all the other parameters associated with a close enclosure. Thanks
So if I want to purchase the Fender 5150 3 to go with a Z Best Cabinet I found in a 2x12 cabinet have you any advice or suggestions if I should pair or it or not?
Great video. I want to order a back line cabinet. I have a Therapy and a Prescription Rx Jr head. What speakers would you recommend? Thanks for all you do.
Would the Z-Best 2x12 work well with my Fractal FM3 floor modeler if I bought an amp as well to power this cab? Or would it colour my sound too much and would need to go to a FRFR approach?
@@mmatthewias280 There would probably be a small difference between the two just because of the cabinet dimensions will cause different sympathetic resonances, but close micing will roughly be the same.
Does anyone know which speaker goes in the top of the Z-Best 2x12 when you stand it up vertically...? V30 or the G12H30...? I purchased an empty Z-Best 2x12 cab, looking at speaker options....
the only thing is i don't want a cab that trows to much in a smaller or medium size place because i want to mic the amp and have it coming out the mains does anyone no if the backline throws less than the z best
I have a 15watt amp, im planning to swap the speaker with the same 8ohm impedance and with the following specs: Maximum Power: 300 watts - Impedance: 8 Ohms - Sensitivity: 100dB / W / M +- 1dB - Frequency Range: 70Hz-12KHz Will it sound ok? Wiĺ it work? Thanks in advance!
Kind of. It is not front ported. The Backline comes with a convertible open back. So you can have a sealed closed back or remove the middle panel for an semi-open back.
@@DrZAmplification Arrived yesterday...blown away! Sound is so full for a 212! I'm running a Mark V and all my settings sound great! Cab responds to EQ changes as anticpated. No suprises - just full, responsive tones. Running upright for the moment. Thanks for designing such a great cab!
Alot of people say modern celestions particularly the standard production ones like chinese made vintage 30s and g12h30 are cheap or junk speakers but this is not true . Evwryone has different tone tastes but not liking a speaker does not make it junk . I have used almost every celestion and with the right amp guitar etc . The Chinese v30 g12h30 and Chinese g12m25 are just as good and in some cases better then their more expensive made in England heritage and creamback speakers . People say modern celestions do not have the vintage celestion tone but I hear the classic celestion tone in many of their modern speakers. Alot of people are biased simply becuase they are w big company other manufacturers make killer speakers like scumback Weber warehouse etc. But they are no better or no worse then celestion . The scumback reissues of vintage celestions do not sound better than the celestion hertiage just diffrent and the scumback and Weber do not sound any closer to the originals than the celestion reiisues . Compared to the originals scumback and celestion reissues both sound diffrent from the originals and neither is really closer and both sound fantastic. Without the pulsonic cones you will not nail that sound entirely but you can get quite close .
More than you think. A cab is an acoustic chamber, just like an acoustic guitar. Different speakers will change the acoustical properties and the cab will resonate at different frequency nodes depending on the construction.
This was very helpful, and I like Dr. Z‘s Cleveland accent. It’s classic.
2x12 cabinets are legendary and awesome , nice alternative to a 4x12…. You put some solid engineering into those cabinets especially when you use pronged tee nuts…lol…. Keep on rocking…
Wow Doc, these are great informative videos! I learned something from that. You’re a great communicator, well spoken and interesting to listen to, they don’t call you Doc for nothing I guess. ;)
Cheers!
Another informative video from one of the best in the amplification world. Thanks again Doc.
Great video Doc. Phil W’s z-best is the best sounding cab I’ve ever played. Phil knows tone, that’s why he has so many Zs!
My Z Wreck Jr. is the best amp, by far, that I have ever owned. So now I guess I need one of these to round out the setup. Great video, thanks for posting.
Hey Doc! I learn something new with each of your videos. Can't say that about your competitors!
Love my Z-Best!! it's a BEAST! Paired up with my Z-Lux . . . And MAN!!! What a tone! It even sounds great with my Mini-Z.
Z-best hits like a 4x12- it’s amazing!
Doctor Is really Z Best! Love your show thanks a lot!
"Inside Trader Deal"! LOL, that is exactly why you don't see them on the GC used site. The counter guy would tell you there not worth that much if no one is selling them.!! LOL
Great job Dr. Z!!
It's great how these cabs are so popular and probably sound good. But I don't like how ambiguous the audio terms are. It's not for everyone to use precise audio terms, but it is really useful to use a frequency analyzer tool to see the curve of everything so you can approximate sounds with an eq. Audio is so subjective and mutable, the eq is a really useful too to get a "close enough" result.
I have a 4 ohm Z Best from the same year my V1 Mazerati was built in '00. I've yet to find its equal.
Much love Doc!
I have one of the heavy Z Best cabs, sounds awesome but never leaves the house any more. I have a 112 Z cab on order with a cream back 65
Hi Mike, these cabs look great. I'm seriously thinking of getting rid of my 1965 BLACKFACE FENDER 2X12 cab. I'm just curious about your opinion on those old pine Fender cabs. To be honest, I was never impressed with this cab. I put 2 Celestion blue in it with a Marshall JTM45. Ken Fischer was once quoted as saying that 1 Celestion blue Alnico speaker could take 25 watts all day long with no problems. I was afraid of blowing the speakers. But so far I haven't had any problem using them with the JTM45.
You can put a 100 watts into one greenback, just not for long. You speakers might not explode instantly, but you'll have to get them fixed sooner.
Maz 38 and z best cab. My favorite set up
on guitar cabs:
when people say " guitar cabinet design is an art, not a science" they are Not talking about vented guitar cabs...that is science.
vented guitar cab designs are more often used in small speaker bedroom practice amps ... because vented, or ported, designs generally have a less flat group delay, and so poorer transient performance than a closed box or open back..
where transient performance has a lot to do with how well the low end projects and builds into a space ..but large and short vents have Better transient performance than small long ports...and vented cabinets need to be tuned to the speaker, ( less forgiving design )
an open back has good transient performance, which is why that is typically the "guitar way" to do a box open to the air....but where a vented box resonates, an open back starts comb filtering.
but comb filtering isn't all bad ... granted... it is like having "frequency holes" for the bass and low toms to poke through....or comb filtering is "easier to mix" ... where closed and vented cabs don't really"mix with", as much as "blend with" ,the other instruments ...
but even though open backs comb filter, and have less "bottom end" ( around 120Hz ), they have more deep bass which people associate with the "open sound" even though it's very quiet...though the comb filtering is also a part of the "open sound" , inference frequencies ( like bent note, against held ) do synthesize frequencies lower than guitar fundamentals .
to me, closed back and open back are at least part science too ... for example the EPS 1x15 is what i call a cross-genera cab...that's my thing, i go for a closed /open in-between sound..
thanks
Thanks, I learned a lot about your cabs this way. :)
Z-Best... have Two... best ever!!!
Reagan was a great speaker, Winston Churchill too.
What does this have to do with anything this video was about?
@@JessePoland "speakers" DUH
I agree, Lol.
Yes sir! 👌
Well i think im going to get two z bests, its pretty much exactly what i was looking for in a speaker cab.
Hi, great video. But who do you design those cabinets, how to find the Frequency response of the cabinet and all the other parameters associated with a close enclosure. Thanks
They are suggested by the manufacturer specification sheets.
So if I want to purchase the Fender 5150 3 to go with a Z Best Cabinet I found in a 2x12 cabinet have you any advice or suggestions if I should pair or it or not?
I'm sure it'll sound great with that amp, especially with it in the horizontal position.
@@DrZAmplification good for looking out, I’m more in for the speaker set up. I can’t wait I found one at a music go round so I better get on it
Open in front - AKA bass reflex for standard speaker construction actually :D
Great video. I want to order a back line cabinet. I have a Therapy and a Prescription Rx Jr head. What speakers would you recommend? Thanks for all you do.
V30 and H30 are always a good pair for most of the line.
i have designed everything from pro-audio hyperbolic folded horns to guitar cabs...mains, balcony fills, bass guitar cabs, reference...i know cabs.
Would the Z-Best 2x12 work well with my Fractal FM3 floor modeler if I bought an amp as well to power this cab? Or would it colour my sound too much and would need to go to a FRFR approach?
I guess that would be all in how you dial in your amp models to begin with and what sort of power amp you are using.
What’s the general sonic diff b/t running a 15watt amp through a 1x12 vs a 2x12?
louder, in general.
@@DrZAmplification so if you’re close micing the same speaker on each (1X12 & 2X12) then you’d get the same results for either cab.?
@@mmatthewias280 There would probably be a small difference between the two just because of the cabinet dimensions will cause different sympathetic resonances, but close micing will roughly be the same.
@@DrZAmplification thanks for the knowledge. Love yalls amps and openness to share information.
Does anyone know which speaker goes in the top of the Z-Best 2x12 when you stand it up vertically...? V30 or the G12H30...? I purchased an empty Z-Best 2x12 cab, looking at speaker options....
In stock configuration the H30 is on the bottom, and the V30 is on the top.
the only thing is i don't want a cab that trows to much in a smaller or medium size place because i want to mic the amp and have it coming out the mains does anyone no if the backline throws less than the z best
the backline does throw less than the Z Best and is slightly less loud as it has a smaller internal volume.
I have a 15watt amp, im planning to swap the speaker with the same 8ohm impedance and with the following specs:
Maximum Power: 300 watts
- Impedance: 8 Ohms
- Sensitivity: 100dB / W / M +- 1dB
- Frequency Range: 70Hz-12KHz
Will it sound ok? Wiĺ it work?
Thanks in advance!
Only way to find out is to try it!
It should work fine as far as it sounds it depends on the driver and so many thanks give it a shot !
Do you use any polyfill in the Z best cab?
No, you are looking at it exactly as it is in this video. Just add speaker and grill.
Back line 2x12 is not ported?
Kind of. It is not front ported. The Backline comes with a convertible open back. So you can have a sealed closed back or remove the middle panel for an semi-open back.
Z Best on the way. Expected Monday!
Congrats, you'll love it.
@@DrZAmplification Arrived yesterday...blown away! Sound is so full for a 212! I'm running a Mark V and all my settings sound great! Cab responds to EQ changes as anticpated. No suprises - just full, responsive tones. Running upright for the moment. Thanks for designing such a great cab!
haha yes... mine isn't for sale
Great video. Like Donald Trump will say: This is Z best cabinet.
Trump sucks. So True.
So sad. But tremendous.
Alot of people say modern celestions particularly the standard production ones like chinese made vintage 30s and g12h30 are cheap or junk speakers but this is not true . Evwryone has different tone tastes but not liking a speaker does not make it junk . I have used almost every celestion and with the right amp guitar etc . The Chinese v30 g12h30 and Chinese g12m25 are just as good and in some cases better then their more expensive made in England heritage and creamback speakers . People say modern celestions do not have the vintage celestion tone but I hear the classic celestion tone in many of their modern speakers. Alot of people are biased simply becuase they are w big company other manufacturers make killer speakers like scumback Weber warehouse etc. But they are no better or no worse then celestion . The scumback reissues of vintage celestions do not sound better than the celestion hertiage just diffrent and the scumback and Weber do not sound any closer to the originals than the celestion reiisues . Compared to the originals scumback and celestion reissues both sound diffrent from the originals and neither is really closer and both sound fantastic. Without the pulsonic cones you will not nail that sound entirely but you can get quite close .
whole heartedly agree with you
all that weight in wood adds weight
Two thiele's built into one cab.
" there is a lot going on" lol Its a wooden cab how much could be going on??
More than you think. A cab is an acoustic chamber, just like an acoustic guitar. Different speakers will change the acoustical properties and the cab will resonate at different frequency nodes depending on the construction.
Overpriced
About the same price as a Mesa. Both have excellent build quality and the Z has more thought to design IMO. Not cheap but not overpriced.