Avatar G112 Cabinet

This review is for the Avatar G112 1x12 cube.

I believe the amp was made in the last two years. I have a Celestion Alnico Gold in it. Suitable to many styles but particularly to tasty classic rock, blues, and whatever where you want nice speaker breakup without having to crank the volume to 11.

Good quality metal corners. Nice job on the Tolex covering.

The cab is made from good quality Birch and feels extremely solid and well built while still being incredibly light and portable.

The speaker is mounted and installed by removing the front grill. The back is a fully closed panel design, and is not removable. I wish it was in the event that I wanted to go with a partially closed back or wanted to look at the back of the speaker(have to remove the speaker for that). Of course, the advantage is the cabinet is probably better sealed in the back as a result.

However, this front mounted design is awesome. The reason is that with rear mounted designs unless you apply just the right amount of torque when installing the speaker, you risk bending the frame or over-compressing the paper ring. The front is the right way for a speaker to install. You can torque it down good and tight so there is no vibration without the same kind of fear of damaging the speaker rim. Extra points for smart design here. Particularly excellent for people who like to swap speakers out, or who might in the future.

Grill is attached in front with wood screws into metal eylet rings. The grill is well attached and nice and transparent as far as sound quality. One drawback of the eyelet rings is they tend to cut into the grill over time although this can take many years to happen if you are lucky. This leaves a thin little "O" shape of missing grill cloth around the screws. My speaker is new so I don't know if and when it will occur but it has happened on other old cabinets I have with this design.


Back switch plate is solid, has in and out for chaining to other speakers, but is not labeled.

I love the shape of the cube. When you put your precious amp on top it feels solid. A lot of 1x12 extension cabs can feel teetery and unstable when you put an amp on top. This one is not, the cube shape makes it extremely solid and gives it a big sound.

I will have to take one point off this category for the lack of rear access and the grill eyelets that will probably eventually cut into the grill.

Sound quality is excellent with no wierd vibrations or rattles. This is a 1x12 is a good sized cab, while still remaining portable and light. This gives it a big sound and makes it a very stable perch for your amp.

Havn't had it long enough to tell, but it is made of good quality materials and seems solid.

Don't know, hopefully never will.

Have been playing for over 30 years. I am an equipment veteran.

I would buy this again.

Wish list:
Rear panel access(but not at the expense of a good seal)
Different hardware for affixing front grill

Excellent speaker, especially for the price. I recommend these!

This is a 1x12 closed-back rectangular cab that came with a Celestion V30 (60wrms). The style has the appearance of a miniature Marshall-type 2x12 or combo amp, with black tolex, white piping, wheat grill cloth and the Avatar logo in white Marshall-type script on the front. The construction is 3/4" voidless birch ply, including the baffle (which is usually MDF with other manufacturers), and is very tight, solid and surprisingly lightweight. I bought this on ebay and I belive the cab to be a factory second, due to the rather sloppy tolex work, slightly loose grill cloth and the letter "B" stamped on the inside, on the upper board. The cab is equipped with parallel input jacks and is an 8ohm load. I am using this with a Tubeworks TD-752 combo amp, which has a 12ax7 preamp and a 100wrms MOSFET power amp. I don't use the onboard tube pre, but instead use a Line6 POD as a front end into the clean power amp, and I mostly use the Blackface Twin (Fender) and British High-gain (Marshall) models, with occasional use of the Class-A (Vox) model. These allow me to blend distortion tones to get clean Fender-with-a-ragged-edge tones or to dial in extremely high-gain distortion. My main guitar is an American Deluxe Roadhouse Strat w/Texas Special single coils and I also use a custom walnut bodied hard-tail strat with a single bridge-position DiMarzio X2N for open tunings and slide. In terms of features, the only thing I could wish for in this might be a Celestion V30 equivalent with a 100W rating, since at 60 watts I could concievably blow the speaker with my 100w amp...although its far more likely that I would go deaf before i could do that. This combination is loud Loud LOUD!

As earlier stated, I mostly use A Strat with single coils, but on some tunes use one with an extremely high output humbucker. I play rock, blues, and heavy classic rock ala Led Zep...old school stuff. The tone of this cab and its V30 suits everything I do to a T. The cleaner blues tunes come out crisp and detailed, with just enough grind and sizzle in the top end...think SRV. The heavier stuff comes out surprisingly even in terms of response...no spiky freqs or uneven dynamics...smooth as butter. The Line6 POD is capable of an extremely wide variety of tones and textures, and everything from clean, sweet sparkle or round clean jazz tones to frenzied metal OD. I haven't found a tone yet that this didn't render just as intended. The V30 is a very responsive speaker...easy to get it to break up if you wish, but on clean tones it STAYS perfectly clean. It al;so seems well-suited to the closed-back cab, from my perspective.

I have no concerns with regard to the build quality of this cab, sloppy tolex notwithstanding. I have a slight concern as to the long-term reliability of the CHINESE-made Celestion V30. Of course, I had similar concerns with how this speaker might sound compared to a made in Ipswch V30 and this has proven to be a fantastic sounding, classic Celestion. If it's as rugged as the brand name implies then I have no worries...time will tell.

Bought this on ebay..."as-is". Ballsy, huh? Heard great things about Avatar customer service...Celestion not so much.

I've played for 40 years in bands playing rock, jazz, prog, funk and as a solo acoustic player. This is THE classic blues and rock tone, whether you like clean, slightly ODed, or over the top saturation, and it is also well suited for softer, more precise jazz styles. I've heard complaints from some quarters about V30s being too "shrill" or "spiky in the hi-mids". These characteristic are, for me, precisely what make it an ideal speaker for a single-coil sound with a ragged-to-molten edge...think SRV, Hendrix, Billy Gibbons, et al. I've also heard that Celestions are "only good for metal", since they are the standard-issue Marshall speakers. For my money, this is a winning cab/speaker combo, about as versatile as they come, and not in any way limited to any single style of music.

Features: speaker, handle, jack plate, and all the other simple, basic features one would expect on a speaker cabinet. The first one impressed me enough I have now purchased five of these. For versatility, each G112 has a differnt speakers in it: 8 ohm Eminence Legend V12; 8 ohm Reverend Alltone 1250; 8 ohm Celestion Blue Alnico; 16 ohm Celestion Vintage 30 and 16 ohm Celestion Greenback.

The G112s are big enough to be deliver good tone, but yet small enough to be truly portable. When you are lugging a bunch of gear around, the combination is important.

I have a small collection of different amps (Sunn T50C,Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, Crate Blue Voodoo head, Crate VC 50 head, B-52 AT-100 head; Epiphone Galaxie 25, etc.) and a bunch of different guitars (Gibson SG Special, SG Standard, SG Deluxe, Nighthawk Standard, Parker Nite Fly, etc.). Pairing the right G112 with the right amp is an essential element in the quest for perfect tone. For example: I removed the stock 8 ohm Celestion 70/80 that came with my Epiphone Galaxie 25 and replaced it with a 16 ohm Eminence Legend 122. The amp is always run in parallel with my Avatar G112 loaded with the Eminence Legend V12. The Hot Rod Deluxe typically is used with Blue Alnico loaded G112 and the Reverend Alltone (the amp allows two 8 ohm hookups) My collection of G112s with differnt speakers allows me to experiment in search of the right combinations.

You'd have to run it over with a truck or drop it out of an airplane to hurt it. These are very well built. Avatar also made the improvement of upgrading from drywall screws to T nuts to hold the speakers in place. The only down side to this upgrade is that the T nuts tend to be spaced for Celestion speakers.

Fantastic customer support. I have bought a ton of gear off of Dave - something like ten speaker cabinets and literally dozens of speakers. His customer service is the gold standard. Dave will take the time to talk with you to understand your needs. He'll then go out of his way to make sure you get what you need. Part of the reason I have purchased so much from him is because I believe strongly in going out of my way to support reputable businesses. If I need it and Dave has it, I'm buying it from Avatar speakers.

I've accumulated a lot of gear of 25 years of playing. When it comes to speaker cabs, I also have some Carvin Legacy 2 X 12s, a Fender tonemaster 4 X 12, some Avatar open back 212Hs and some older closed back Avatar slant 2 X 12s.

The G112s are great little cabs. If lost or stolen, I'd replace one with an identical Avatar G112. Great product from a great vendor at a very fair price makes this purchase a no brainer.

A new, 2005 G112 cab closed back, purchased empty. I replaced the G12T-75's in my Marshall 1936 cab with Dave's "broken-in" marshall speakers, so the G12T-75 were sitting around looking for a cab. I loaded the Avatar thinking it would be handy for small venues or rehearsal. The only mod required was to replace the handle screws and speaker mounting screws with 1/4" bolts and T-nuts inside (it came with drywall type screws, and I'm famous for "hard touring".... Nice cab, almost square shaped to provide (I assume) a fatter tone. The covering is tidy and rugged. Typical fender-ish screen front that can be screwed in, but I used heavy duty Velcro to keep a clean look. I drive the cab with a well-tweaked Marshall DSL100 tube head.

I play reasonably loud. I use Parker Fly Classic guitars exclusively. This cab suprised the sh*t out of me right off the bat. Easily as warm and fat as my 2x12 1936, a no brainer replacement after the first gig. And this is with a stock G12T! I started using this cab often, purchased a nice ATA case for it and (at least for small to medium stages) it has performed flawlessly. We play classic and new rock in bars and occasionally larger venues. All instruments are sent to the FOH system, guitar is fed thru a Palmer DI, so I use the cab for stage monitor only. I notice an even balanced tone, from clean to dirty, no harshness if I set my amp correctly. I have noticed no looseness or vibration after 6 months.

I always carry a replacement 12" in case the speaker fails, but I expect the cabinet will last virtually forever. I have not had any issues with it at all. It is rugged and well built.

Dave is great to deal with. He didn't know me, I could have been a rock star or a kid and he still discussed several options for me to choose from, both speaker and cab, and was very helpful.

I have been playing professionally for over 30 years, 20 of that full-time touring. I always try to aquire the best gear (it just lasts longer). I play high end Parker and Fender guitars, Marshall amps and quality hand-built effects. All of our Audio gear is pro quality - Soundcraft, QSC, Ashley, Shure etc. We also own & operate a small Pro Tools studio. We are used to good stuff and this is good stuff. Period.

Brand new (2006) empty Avatar 1/12 Openback Cabinet. I placed an EV 12L in the cab. I play a bunch of different styles of music since I never know who I'm going to play for next. The cab gets powered with a Carvin F300 power amp. It came with nice red tolex with a black screen. It's very light as well.

I have had the EV 12L in a couple of different cabs but this cab is by far the best sounding. It accentuates the mids and lows very well, very "focused" and tight sounding. From very clean to over the top distortion, it shows the speaker's capabilities very well.

Dave was great to speak with and very accomidating. He knows what he's talking about.

Dave was not kidding when he told me about how well he packed the cabinet for shipping. The box was so sturdy that my youngest son took it and made a playhouse out of it (with a chimney and windows). Shipping was also fast. Thank You Avatar!

1-12" cabinet constructed of 9-ply birch plywood, black tolex covering and Fender-style grill cloth. Semi-open back. The cabinet is very deep, about as deep as it is high. Workmanship is very nice although speaker is fastened with wallboard screws and not stud. Ordered cabinet with Eminence Patriot Governor speaker. The Governor is based sonically on the Celestion Vintage 30. Cool looking cabinet, easy to carry and well made

I REALLY like this setup. I am using the cabinet with my reconditioned Seymour Duncan Convertible 2000 head, and the sound is full, complex, with plenty of highs but nothing shrill or abrasive. This combination delivers a ton of bass (sitting on the floor) and so I have the bass control rolled of quite a bit. However, it is possible to get a very balanced sound. Clean tones are sweet on the top and full in the middle. Mild distortion is chunky and crisp with great attack. Projection is also great and I don't feel the need to raise the cabinet up in order to hear the high end. It's great with a Strat (or G&L Legacy to be specific), and produces authentic Strat tone with a nice beefy body you'd never get from a Fender amp/speaker rig. With my ASAT Z3 the tonal range is everything from 335-ish to spanky country tones. The Seymour head has never sounded better.

Very solid. The is the second cabinet I have owned and I expect no issues. My only desire would be for mounting studs and nuts instead of wood screws for the speaker mounting.

They are not a custom cabinet builder but what they do, they do well and deliver quickly. Prices are good, especially for raw speakers, and Dave at Avatar is very helpful.

I have tried a few of the Eminence Patroit/Redcoat speakers and these guys have really hit the mark with this series. Frankly, I don't care much for Celestion and the fact that they are Chinese made AND expensive does not thrill me either. But the Governor is a better V30 and the Avatar cabinet brings out the best of the speaker and adds tremendous body and warmth. I was previously convinced that a 2-12 arrangement was necessary for a rich broad sound. Not any more.

This cabinet was made in 2005. I bought this primarily for jazz blues, but I also hoped I could use it for fusion and prog-rock.

It is an open-back 1x12 fitted with a Hellatone 30, which is a "broken-in" Celestion G12H30. My cabinet is blonde tolex w/ a black grille. Very classy looking....

It has all the features I needed and none that I don't. I will say that more cosmetic options would have been nice (I would have loved to get blonde tolex w/ Vox style grille). But, multiple tolex w/ multiple grille options is still pretty damn good!

Like I said, I use this cabinet for jazz blues, but also fusion and prog rock. My guitar used for those styles is a Paul Reed Smith Singlecut w/ 10 maple top and #7 pickups. My amplification consists of an all-tube Engl preamp (e530), and a Class A Mesa/Boogie 20/20 stereo power amp. I carefully hone the midrange of my "jazz" tone and my "metal" tone further with a two channel BBE 482 (one channel for the Avatar, the other for the Basson). For high gain death metal excursions, I use a Basson B212 in the other channel of my Mesa. Both cabinets rest on Auralex Grammas. My effects include ones by AnalogMan, ZVex, Frantone, Electro-Harmonix, and a Line 6 DL-4 Delay.

I was blown away as soon as I started playing through this cabinet. It is just what I was looking for. It is extremely warm, woody, articulate, FAT, and just gorgeous. The broken-in G12H30 sounds stunning right away, which is fantastic. With the neck pickup on my PRS, and the tone rolled off a touch, I'm now able to nail the jazz tone I've been tormented by for years.

I was also thrilled when I started playing some of my favorite Pink Floyd and Rush songs through this cabinet. It also has an undeniable crunch that sounds awesome for that style of music. I'd imagine it'd also work great for gritty blues, too.

It is honestly my favorite and most musical 1x12 cabinet I've ever heard, which includes those by Mesa/Boogie, Marshall, and Bogner.

I'd imagine this cabinet to be extremely reliable. There's not much room for error in a speaker cabinet other than the construction, wiring, and the speaker itself. All seemed to be great.

However, I might have some hesitation pushing this speaker to its limits with extremely high volume levels. That is the ONLY reason I'm giving it a nine.

Dave at Avatar was extremely nice and helpful to my questions. He helped me pick out which speaker would best suit my needs, and we agreed on the Hellatone 30.

Emails were always responded to wihtin a day or so.

I've only been playing for about 11 years, but I've own my share of gear throughout that time. For the last couple of years, I've been working more on jazz theory and harmony, and I've always been slightly discouraged while I practice because I wasn't happy with my tone. Until now. The Avatar G112 was literally the missing link. I was ready to order a Dr. Z Maz-18-Jr NR 2x10, and nearly bought a Heritage H-535 in my attempts to fill that void. However, one fateful evening while at a great jazz concert, I realized that it was my cabinet that was the culprit. While fantastic for death metal, it wasn't nearly warm or open enough for jazz. I did some serious research, and was willing to pay what I needed to get what I wanted. I had considered the Bogner cube, various Mesa/Boogie open back and Thiele ported designs, but the Avatar was exactly what I wanted. Its awesome when it only takes $239 to get you where you want!

There's nothing about this cabinet I'm not happy with, it is exactly what I wanted, and the price is just too hard to believe. An all-around winner.

I have two 112 cabs from Avatar. I bought one empty and put a Celestion Vintage 30 speaker in it. I ordered the other one with a Celestion G12H30 speaker. The cab is almost cube shaped--deeper than I expected, but this is no problem, and stacking them is very stable.
It has a large port on the back. I was worried that the cab would not have enough bass, but it sounds great. The semi-open back spreads the sound around to fill the room nicely, and it has a surprisingly full sound, especially with the G12H30 speaker, which is the best-sounding speaker I've ever used!
The cabinet has two jacks on the back, so you can daisy chain them in whatever combination you like. A 112 with a Celestion in it is easy to carry. If you use two of them, you can aim one of them at each half of the room to cover the entire audience. They are very solid. Should last forever.

The big, full sound was surprising. Plenty of bass, and a well balanced sound. Sounds great for everything.

Rock solid. Should last forever.

Avatar is a small company that provides excellent products, excellent service, and good prices. Dave--who I guess is the owner--answers the phone and is a very nice, helpful person.

I've been playing 40 years. I have a pile of guitars and amps. I would definitely get more of these speakers. I've tried lots of speakers, and these are my favorites for portability, durability, and great sound.

This is an update to a previous review I wrote, the one with the Sovtek Mig-50 and Marshall JTM-30. Well, now the speaker has been used a little more and it sounds a ton better. It is much less boxy-sounding, and the bass response is quite impressive, especially for a cab this size. I think I was just playing too quietly through it before...it needs to be a little bit loud in order to sound great.

Just recently got a set of Avatar 1x12 cabs with Classic 80 speakers in them. 2 connectors on the back, one for input and the other for daisy chaining. Pretty basic but who needs alot of options on a cab?

WOW, this is where this cab shines. It sounds awesome and better than any 1x12 cab I've owned, Marshall, Mesa (standard and theile), rocktron, peavey, fender, etc, you name it. It's very big and full sounding.

Just got it but it's well built like all the other avatar cabs I've got.

Dave is the man.

I got the higher end speaker option on these cabs and they're definitely worth it. I own several Avatar cabs, 4x12, 2x12 and a set of 1x12. As you can tell I'm a big fan. For the money it's the best deal, If I had twice the amount of money to spend on a cab I'd still buy Avatar cabs. I've owned alot of amps and cabs but have sold all of those cabs to pickup these guys.