Guitar Gear Forum

What are some of the cheaper 212s that are actually decent?

what do you mean by 'cheaper'?

I see a lot of used 2x12's in the $300 range - which is cheaper than new prices.
But then I compare them to Marshall 4x12's which can be had for $300 all day - and they don't seem so cheap anymore.

I already got a badass 412. I want something lighter

Can't really go wrong with Avatar. I use a Contemporary 2x12. Not only do they sound great for the price, but you can also get them in a bunch of different colors. Mine is blue with Fender-style grillcloth

Avatar, whitebox (heavy tho), marshall, aftershock


Check tgp, used is the way to go for sure

The Mesa 2x12's are some of the most solid I have seen - you can usually pick them up for $350 or so.
Avatar has a bunch of nicer ones - I don't care for their original Fender-style series (Traditional), but the Orange-style (Contemporary), or Bluesbreaker-style (Vintage) are nice.\

Orange cabs are rock-solid - but are usually pricier than the rest.
The newer OB212 (open back) is cheaper, but I don't really care for open back, or the fact that they are made in China.

If you could find a Vader 2x12 with the rhino lining for a good price - that would alse be a very solid cab - but built more for heavy metal music.

The jet city 2x12 cab is well constructed and cheap as shit, the stock eminence speakers are flat sounding....they kill some fizz...but you could always swap in some other speakers if you feel the need.

Buy used.

DISTORT6 wrote:Buy used.

I agree. Resale is terrible on on Avatars even though they are great cabs. I picked mine up used for $225 and it was basically brand new.

I'm sure you can find them even cheaper, I see them on CL all the time.

+1 on the Avatar cab. I bought mine used and love the thing.

roszatycki wrote:+1 on the Avatar cab. I bought mine used and love the thing.

I got a traditional 4x12 on blowout and love it, it's build really solid, no rattles, very well done fit and finish and it sounds great!! you can find them used for around 250 a lot of the time for a 2x12

The Avatar Contemporary and LopoLine Signature are both cheaper cabs that are built well enough and sound good. They are modeled after the Orange 2x12. I personally wouldn't go any smaller than that for a 2x12. The smaller ones never sound nearly as good to me.

Splawn is also a good choice. About the same dimensions as the Avatar Contemporary. $400 unloaded. It's a little more expensive than Avatar, but not by much. Splawn 4x12s are among my favorites, so they make nice cabs.

*EDIT*
Apparently LopoLine changed the dimensions of their signature line. They are taller and not as deep. Probably similar to the Avatar Vintage.

A dude near me is selling an Avatar Contemporary 2x12 with V30s for $275. I wanna buy it, but I'm pretty set on 2x12s....

ovid9 wrote:A dude near me is selling an Avatar Contemporary 2x12 with V30s for $275. I wanna buy it, but I'm pretty set on 2x12s....

I think you'd be disappointed to hear it beside your mesa cab, but you could just run them together.

Sourmash, ftmfw

SuperFlyinMonke wrote:I think you'd be disappointed to hear it beside your mesa cab, but you could just run them together.

I'm weaning myself off buying stuff on CL just because its a decent deal. Especially things that aren't easily to flip online like cabs and stuff.

Just to repeat what others have said, I wouldn't go dirt cheap, but you can pick up used Marshall or Avatar 2x12's for very reasonable prices.

FWIW, I've owned Orange, Mesa, Two-Rock, Vox, etc cabs, and Marshall V30 cabs are the ones I find perform best in Live and Studio situations by a large margin.

I love my Whitebox cab and they have a good selection of WGS speakers to choose from.

I see a ton of 4x12s loaded from 300-500 but 2x12s are harder to come by and when you do, they want just as much as the 4x12s....

JerkN'Chips wrote:I see a ton of 4x12s loaded from 300-500 but 2x12s are harder to come by and when you do, they want just as much as the 4x12s....

why the fuck is this, you reckon? i see this too. i mean, to be fair though, other than the price of the two speakers, its only a bit more wood so i know they wouldnt be half price, but more like 60-70% i would think.

It's because people are generally willing to pay for the convenience of a lighter cab I think.

thats fucking stupid.

My whitebox 2x12 is FAR superior IMO to my avatar 2x12 regardless of which speakers are in which.

My port city 2x12 is really good too but doesn't have nearly as huge of a stage presence as the whitebox.


My money is with the whitebox but if you want a virtually identical but superior built marshall or fender clone, get a mather cab. His prices are quite reasonable.

http://mathercab.com/

Y0UNGBL00D wrote:thats fucking stupid.

Yep, but that's what people are for the most part.

67mike wrote:The jet city 2x12 cab is well constructed and cheap as shit, the stock eminence speakers are flat sounding....they kill some fizz...but you could always swap in some other speakers if you feel the need.

I second that choice!

I wanted a cheap 2x12 so I picked up the convertible 2x12 to keep @ my GFs (along my my Avatar 2x12) to run my 5150 III 50 through it and I was nicely impressed with the tones out of all my amps that I have @ her place through the 2x12. IDK if I'd say that the stock speakers are flat sounding, in as far as a bad flat sounding, I'd say that they're a neutral speaker. I'd say that the tone from them is as good as my V12 loaded Avatar.

I got it from M123 for $230 NIB.

If I was going to so anything to it, I'd booger the cab to accept a 15", that's it.

Derek