Spotlight: E112VB Cabinet

July 08, 2024 07:00

Here's a history lesson for you.

Many years ago, guitar players realized that when they were performing in giant venues like sports arenas and stadiums, they needed a high wattage amp and a huge speaker cabinet to achieve enough volume to reach the audience in the back rows. Eventually this led to sights like the "wall" of speaker cabs that would line the back of a stage. It was part of the rock and roll experience.

But then, PA systems got better and better, and the more common way to disperse sound at big concerts was to put a microphone or two in front of the amplifier's speakers, and let the PA do most of the heavy lifting in terms of getting your guitar sound to the audience. By that time, a lot of the speaker walls you'd see at metal shows in the '80s and '90s were just stage props; they sometimes didn't even have any speakers in them, and were just there to look cool. Sorry if this is disappointing to learn!

So while ENGL makes some of the world's best big, multi-speaker cabs (including a few of the finest 4x12" cabinets you'll ever experience), you need to ask yourself a couple of questions. First, are you performing in arenas and stadiums, or are you mostly using your amp to record music at home and in studios? Also, when you play live, isn't it more likely that you're in a small club or private event in a home?

Enter the smaller-format speaker cabinet like ENGL's E112VB. First off, this cabinet sounds superb, especially when paired with an ENGL amplifier head. With its single 12" Celestion Vintage 30 speaker, it's going to deliver plenty of volume -- along with tight bass and sweet highs -- for most of your recording, jamming, and live shows in typical venues. But from a practical sense, it's also going to fit in your car, and won't hog all the space on a small stage or in a cramped studio. Finally, the E112VB offers a solid housing made of birch plywood, and is built to last an eternity with 100% roadworthy construction.