A local store has an interesting 1012 cabinet for sale, and I finally got a chance to A/B it against my Acme B2, using my GB Shuttle 6.2 and Tobias Growler 4. My style mainly is classic/alternative rock.
Comparisons
The Acme is somewhere north of 50 lbs, while I estimate the 1012 to be in the 40 lbs range, possibly less. Drivers appear to be neos. Well placed handles on the 1012 make for an easy carry. The previous owner apparently used a hand truck, as it chewed up the bottom of the back panel. But the lighter weight and portability is very attractive. The Acme is carpeted while the 1012 is truck liner.
The 1012 is taller than the B2, which gets the 10" driver a bit closer to ear level. The Shuttle looked at home on top.
Both cabs are 4 ohms, but the 1012 has much better sensitivity and a lot more overall output. This isn't too much of a surprise as the Acme is notoriously power hungry, but the amount of extra output was significant. This I like!
For those not in the know, the Acme B2 has an extremely even and predictable tonal character, meaning you don't hear the transition from the woofers to the mid to the tweeter: it's seamless and smooth. You know exactly what your bass sounds like coming out of it. It also dishes out gobs of well-behaved lows. There's much to be liked about this cabinet (which is why I have it, duh!).
Now this 1012 is quite different. The lows are deep, but less refined. The mids and highs are more pronounced, meaning I could get good slap tone out of it if I were so inclined. It has more perceived punch, and responded very well to EQ changes on the amp and Growler. String/fret noise was more prominent, but could be mostly EQ'ed out, or would force me to clean up my playing. But it has this slightly "untamed" character that I've not heard in other speakers, and is difficult to convey. It seemed like certain frequencies are somewhat hyped, like you would need to use a graphic EQ to obtain an even smoothness.
With all this said, I'm undecided. I can't tell if this cab makes me slightly nervous just because it's different from what I've gotten used to. Thoughts?
Comparisons
The Acme is somewhere north of 50 lbs, while I estimate the 1012 to be in the 40 lbs range, possibly less. Drivers appear to be neos. Well placed handles on the 1012 make for an easy carry. The previous owner apparently used a hand truck, as it chewed up the bottom of the back panel. But the lighter weight and portability is very attractive. The Acme is carpeted while the 1012 is truck liner.
The 1012 is taller than the B2, which gets the 10" driver a bit closer to ear level. The Shuttle looked at home on top.
Both cabs are 4 ohms, but the 1012 has much better sensitivity and a lot more overall output. This isn't too much of a surprise as the Acme is notoriously power hungry, but the amount of extra output was significant. This I like!
For those not in the know, the Acme B2 has an extremely even and predictable tonal character, meaning you don't hear the transition from the woofers to the mid to the tweeter: it's seamless and smooth. You know exactly what your bass sounds like coming out of it. It also dishes out gobs of well-behaved lows. There's much to be liked about this cabinet (which is why I have it, duh!).
Now this 1012 is quite different. The lows are deep, but less refined. The mids and highs are more pronounced, meaning I could get good slap tone out of it if I were so inclined. It has more perceived punch, and responded very well to EQ changes on the amp and Growler. String/fret noise was more prominent, but could be mostly EQ'ed out, or would force me to clean up my playing. But it has this slightly "untamed" character that I've not heard in other speakers, and is difficult to convey. It seemed like certain frequencies are somewhat hyped, like you would need to use a graphic EQ to obtain an even smoothness.
With all this said, I'm undecided. I can't tell if this cab makes me slightly nervous just because it's different from what I've gotten used to. Thoughts?
Last edited: