How would you describe de difference between “open back” and “closed back” 2x12 cabs?

[blueman]

How would you describe de difference in tone between “open back” and “closed back” 2x12 cabs?

Would you say that different styles benefit more with one or other?

Is this a big difference?

All the descriptions, adjectives and examples are welcome.

I’m trying to figure out what should I buy. I’m going to buy 3 of 2x12 cabs (one with V30s, one with Greenbacks, and one with Blue Alnicos) and the style of music will be kind of sweet & fresh rock (crowded house, Gavin DeGraw, Matchbox 20, etc.
They have to be 8 Ohm (exception of Blue Alnicos that has to be 16 Ohms) and have to be findable in Europe. Brands I’m looking at: Engl, Mesa, Fender, for V30s and Greens; and Vox for Blue Alnicos.

Thanks

[Blast9]

Open back:

Nice focused mid-range

Fuller low-mids

Wider "spread"/dispersion/Not so directional

Less bottom-end"thump"

Less boxiness

I reckon that's the one for you --- OR mesa semi-open back?

[tradarama]

I like open backed cabs for clean to Blues to some classic rock.

For example...a Dumble which is the reference point for clean to overdriven (note not distortion/gain) has open cabs (a football opening).

A Diezel or Marshall has a closed back.

I realize there are many examples that we can find where X player has a Marshall stack but this is just to paint an extreme on the continuum.

One alternative is to find a cab that allows you to remove 1/3 of the back. Not sure what's available to you there but in the states I use a small builder named Jenkins Sound Shop. That might be more for down the road when you find one.

[Tommy Fobia]

As sound is produced by both the front and the back of a speaker, open backed cabs can suffer phase cancellation problems as the sound produced by the back of the speaker is naturally 180 degrees out of phase with the sound produced by the front of the speaker. This can result in an unnatural sounding midrange and absent low mids/bass frequencies. Of course the affects of this can be altered by room placement amongst other things. The advantage of open backed cabs, is that they are very dynamic and can reproduce fast transients accurately.

Closed back cabinets work on an adaptation of the infinite baffle theory which relies on the condition that the sound produced by the back of the speaker never reaches your ear. The method of doing this is by enclosing a sealed box around the back of the speaker. This does work to some extent, but as the back half of the speaker is in a partial vacuum, the speaker usually takes a little more 'motivation' to get moving, so fast initial transient peaks can seem a little muted.

[blueman]

Thanks to all of you.

I think that open-back is what I'm after, but ...

Why almost every stock 2x12 cab with V30s by main brands are closed back?



With the Alnicos I think I'll go with Vox

But for the other two, do you know of any stock cabs by any brand that is:

1st cab: 2 x V30s - openback - 8 Ohm

and

2ond cab: 2 x Celestion Greenbacks - openback - 8 Ohm

Thanks

[FFTT]

I would look for a combo back cabinet both for sound and for versatility as long as you're running a low to mid level power amp. 5-40 watts

Check out the ported cabinets from Tone-Tools

and the variety of custom cabinet designs at Vintone.

Also take a look at rawoods.com

His combo cabinet is very nice.

Shown is a solid pine 2X12 Fender reproduction cabinet with a nice upgrade.




Nice work!!!

I'm wishing I had a set-up with 1 Vintage 30 and 1 Tone Tubby Hemp Cone
or the more affordable Eminence Wizard or maybe the Weber Thames.
Mixing two compatible speakers can give you a nice blend of the best
of the two speakers combined or individually at reasonable volumes.

A combo speaker cabinet run either mono or stereo/mono would also give you a variety of tones to choose from.

If you're running class A, you can do amazing things with 8" and 10" speakers.

[Blast9]

Wow! Nice nice nice!

Originally Posted by blueman

Thanks to all of you.

I think that open-back is what I'm after, but ...

Why almost every stock 2x12 cab with V30s by main brands are closed back?



With the Alnicos I think I'll go with Vox

But for the other two, do you know of any stock cabs by any brand that is:

1st cab: 2 x V30s - openback - 8 Ohm

and

2ond cab: 2 x Celestion Greenbacks - openback - 8 Ohm

Thanks

Maybe check out Framus. I have a 2 x12 which you can remove a panel so it is semi-open back.

Or get an old combo that doesn't work and put V30s in there?