Guitar speaker cabinets are available in a wide array of sizes and styles, with options both cosmetic and functional. The same speaker mounted in different enclosures can sound different, in ways that are subtle and significant. An obvious choice is to choose the cabinet that the manufacturer pairs with the amplifier, but what if you decided to experiment? Understanding the differences in cabinet design and how it affects your overall sound can help you make more informed choices.

Basic History
Speaker cabinets designed for accurate sound reproduction such as home stereo, studio, or live sound reinforcement, are based on mathematical principles that involve speaker sizes, room coverage, etc. However, guitar speaker cabinets tend to be designed for a combination of convenience and sonic properties. Look at an open-back combo amp, for example. The main factors for this design are to properly house the electronic components and to allow venting to keep them cool. Most combo amps are designed with enough room to baffle the speaker with a symmetrical border, while not interfering with the amp’s electronics. This also has to do with the overall physical size and weight, which affects the manufacturing, shipping, and ultimately the owner.

Closed-back enclosures seem to have the same origin. Jim Marshall, who designed an iconic guitar cabinet, stated in an interview that the dimensions for his cabinet design were dictated by the smallest practical enclosure size for four, 12-inch speakers. The acoustical properties of the cabinet weren’t heavily considered, in a mathematical sense. This is not to say that traditional guitar enclosures are inferior, quite the contrary. Since every element of a guitarist’s signal chain is an integral part of the resulting sound, including the cabinet, a typical, mathematical cabinet design aimed at efficient sound reproduction doesn’t necessarily apply. Much of the desirable guitar tone results from the comb filtering and other sonic anomalies that are the product of specific, inefficient cabinet design.

Part one is about speaker cabinetry, specifically. I chose 1×12 speaker cabinets as a way to easily highlight the differences, sort of an apples-to-apples approach. In subsequent articles, I’ll discuss the differences in speaker cabinets with multiple and varying size speakers, along with the effect that has on your amplifier.

Closed Back vs Open Back
One distinction makes the largest difference in guitar speaker cabinet design: closed back versus open back. Open-back cabinetry may have been born out of necessity but the design definitely has its own sonic stamp. This design allows sound from both the front and back of the cabinet, having the greatest effect on the low-end. Looser and less-focused overall, an open-back cabinet has an almost 360-degree effect allowing the notes to bloom. A cabinet with larger physical dimensions will enhance this effect. The degree of rear closure matters as well; more closure, more focus. Compare this smaller open-design Mesa Boogie 1×12 Lone Star 19 to this larger, nearly closed Friedman Dirty Shirley 112. From a practical use viewpoint, an open-back cabinet is great on a small stage with limited monitoring or a rehearsal situation, where everyone needs to hear each other from the source. In the studio, mics placed in various places around an open-back cabinet will each pick up something different, giving you more sonic options.

A closed-back cabinet will have a tighter, more focused sound across the entire frequency spectrum but most noticeably in the low-end. Much more of the sound projects from the front of the cabinet. Compared to an open-back cabinet, a closed back will have a sharper attack and more low-frequency response, especially from the front of the cabinet. Overall cabinet dimensions and ported-front designs change the low-end emphasis, accentuating different frequencies in various amounts. Check out this Bogner Shiva 1×12 Dual-Ported cabinet and compare it to this Orange PPC112. The way a closed-back cabinet projects sound is very directional and easier to isolate than an open back and the total sound of a closed-back cabinet is easier to capture with one or two mics.

Other Factors
As with any music tool, better-quality materials and manufacturing integrity make a better-sounding product. Woods such as birch or pine provide a solid structure and great tone. A speaker cabinet resonates, which becomes part of its sound and solid wood resonates better and more musically than other materials. This principle applies to the baffle board, too. Depending on the type of grille cloth, it can make a difference by diffusing and sweetening the high-end. Conversely, for a more in-your-face sound, a cabinet with no grille cloth would further that result.

Having these guidelines as a reference is a good way to make basic decisions concerning speaker cabinets. Ultimately, your choice depends on what you like and as always, your ear is your best guide.

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How To Choose a Guitar Speaker Cabinet – Part 1

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