Never having owned a tube amp before, I went and got a used Crate BV-120H from sam ash today.. paid $280 for it. I didn't get a cab because I wanted to try out a 2x12 which they didn't have any of. Is there much of a tonal difference between 2x12 and 4x12 cabs with the same speakers? I don't play live and this is just going to be a rehearsal setup so it only needs to be a little louder than my buddy's drumset and another guitar player. I'm hoping I can get by with a 2x12 setup. You guys think so?

In addition, I want to get a 'pretty' sound like that of Dissection and at the same time be able to get a harsh sound like you would hear in Darkthrone, Judas Iscariot, Graveland, Burzum, etc.. What speakers should I be looking for? I dont think the black metal sound will be so hard to pull off but I can never get Dissection songs to sound so good. I have two quality guitars, one with an active EMG, the other with a SD JB so I think I'm good there.

Thanks for any advice.

Edit: Here's a pic of what it looks like except mine is 120 watts. I guess it's an older version. Anyone else have one? Likes, dislikes?

Attached Images

BV60.JPG (21.5 KB, 104 views)

Also, the BV didn't come with a footswitch. Can I get any brand footswitch or do I need Crate?

2x12 and 4x12 have the same tonal qualities, but the 4x12 will seem louder because it moves more air. For black metal, i'm going to be honest, you dont need good speakers. ANY cabinet will due. And yes, you need a crate footswitch.

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Well, I like to play different styles too.. clean stuff like Ulvers Kveldssanger album, some Opeth.. all the way to harsh shit like Ad Hominem. I want to be able to do it all pretty well.. I just dont play really brutal death metal/grindcore stuff that a lot of people here seem to be into. I like some Monstrosity, some Krisiun, old Deicide, Nile, old Hypocrisy. Vader has a really sweet guitar tone. I just don't do the Necrofagist or Dying Fetus style, nor do I do power metal.

Anyways, I need a cab quick because I'm sick of using the blue voodoo as a footrest already! I think I've narrowed it down to an Avatar 2x12 cab but I don't know whether to get the two Celestion V30 one with a closed back or the Celestion G12H30/V30 cab with a partial open back. For my musical taste and existing equipment, which would you all suggest and why?

Edit: I just realized the partial open back Avatar cab with the G12H30/V30 combo is only 60 watts. This may be a dumb question but does that mean I can't use that cab with my amp? I guess that would make my decision easier lol.

Well not exactly the same, a good 4x12 will always have much bigger bass response at higher volumes because of the way they're built,that'll just make you have to EQ differently for the different type of cab.

I'm selling my Marshall 4x12" to a dude and getting myself a closed back Framus 2x12" with vintage 30's, of course a 2x12" will be enough for rehearsing with a 120W tube amp!

Get at least a 200W 2x12 cab for your BV-120W, to avoid any unpleasant surprises when you crank the amp. If you want good tight lowend(of course you do, you're posting here right?), get it closed back.

Avatar is probably the cheapest find you can get in the US. I hear the G12H30/V30 cab is good for cleans. BUT that cab will be a total of 120W right? You should get something with a higher wattage handling capability if you plan on cranking that amp to be safe.

Other considerations for a 2x12":

Genz Benz G-Flex - (weighs like 4x12", sounds like a 4x12", but is a 2x12". Handles lots of wattage, costs 500$ new, 250-350$ off ebay.

Avatar cabinet with higher wattage speakers(Ie: Eminence or some high watt Celestions).

Vader 2x12 - 400$ new, extremely good, handles 280W!! I would get this or the Genz Benz.

Ear Candy cab with Eminence speakers?

All of these are awesome choices for your amp considering its wattage. I would particularily get the G-Flex or the Vader if you find the G-Flex to heavy.

Anything with high wattage handling really, go to ebay, search under Musical Instruments>Amps>Electric Guitar and search for 2x12.

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the bands you named pretty much use celestion v30's and eminence texas heat (hypocrisy uses krank)... but you wont ever get a good vader tone with a crate, their tone is pure engl. Vader cab though, that will do you sexy, and make sure you get it closed back so that it can be super punchy and responsive.

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Thanks for the input fellas. What do you think about this cab? I think it's the cheapest high wattage 2x12 I've seen so far. Never heard of the speakers though.

http://cgi.ebay.com/2x12-AVATAR-Gui...1QQcmdZViewItem

Wtf. Vader used to use JCM900s, later 5150's, nowadays Triple Rec's, never Engls. Though I do agree I get similar sounds out of my Fireball.

But if they used a JCM900 I see no reason why you couldn't get sounds like that out of a Blue Voodoo, given that it has tons of useable gain. A good ol boost in front of it will fix that if it weren't the case anyway.

Those speakers are pretty high end so that'll sound great. I don't know much about Eminence speakers so I'll let someone else inform you on their sound, but it will be a good choice regardless. I would personally get a 2nd hand G-Flex. In fact that's what I'm probably gonna do if I can find a 2nd hand one shipped from the US for the same price I'm gettin a Framus for(450$ shipped, or like 340 euros)

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you might be able to get away with another footswitch other than a crate...my 5150 uses my old ibanez footswitch...it has 2 buttons but only 1 of them works and it just switches the channel.

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thats a BV 60 not a BV120......

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I was referring to my amp when I said "I guess it's an old version of the BV120" I realize the amp in the pic is 60 watts. I just wanted to show it was not the newer style BV in order to strike a conversation if there was any differences, really.

i was thinking of the Revelations album and it just always sounded like an engl savage or SE to me... but yeah... these days they seem to be using peavey XXX's and Ashdowns... but i could see marshalls and other stuff being used in their older stuf.... i havent heard anything newer than litany though... fucking canada has a thing with the nonexistance of metal records.

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DL soulseek at http://www.slsknet.org/

There you can find rare records out the ass along with all the big time bands' music as well. You can DL full length albums to see whats good then go buy it, thats what I do.(assuming the record is still available of course)

Cool. In the 2 Vader dvds I've seen they were playing in front of Marshall amps/cabs both times. One was 2002, the other newer than that. Hopefully I can get their sound with my amp, although I'm not so much into their music as it's often pretty boring, their tone is what I'm after. I just checked my bank account today though and I don't think I should be buying a cab right now, unless I can sell the tires off my truck like I'm trying to do. Anyone want to buy some 39.5in. Super Swamper Boggers? lol

you are a god among men. Good luck with the cab.

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nope. i'm using a marshall footswitch with mine.
the bv is a good amp. i like mine a lot.

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On the last 3 or 4 records(including EP's) that's a Triple Rec you're hearing. Litany was a 5150 most likely. Older stuff like BTTB and De Profundis was done with a JCM900.

Live it's usually a triple rec or a Peavey I guess, I've always seen em playing boogies(I've seen them 3 times). Sometimes I guess it's whatever they get to borrow/rent when they hit up the states.

Thx for the SL link, Emule is not as good as it used to be nowadays.

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