Custom Audio Electronics 212 Cabinet

I got my CAA 2-12 cab from Eddie's Guitars in St. Louis. I got it last year, so I guess its a 2006 model. Before I fot the CAA cab, I tried out many 2-12 cabs. Boogie, Engl, Benz, and some others. The CAA cab won. I also have 2 CAA 1-12 cabs I would also recommend....

I use a Suhr Badger head, and a CAA OD 50 head. I switch set ups(heads, cabs) depending on my gigs, and the size of the venue. The CAA cabs are very punchy, deep sounding. I have GOV speakers in them, which I read somewhere John Suhr recommends them, especially in the 2-12's for both the Badger head and the OD 50 head. I have 3 guitars I use, a Fender 52 reissue tele, a Suhr Pro S1 and Suhr Pro S2. They sound fantastic thru all the CAA cabs. You can buy these cabs loaded or unloaded....

So far so good. All cabs have held up fine....

Suhr customer support is first rate. John Suhr, Ed Yoon, will take care of you. It doesnt matter if you are famous, or just an average Joe Blow like myself. You get treated like 1st Class all the time, and e-mails are prompt and right to the point. Suhr cares about their customers....

I have been playing for over 25 years now, and I have owned many guitars and amps over the years. Soldano, Boogies, Marshall, Fender, etc, and nothing can touch my Suhr/CAA gear. The cabs are the best in my opinion, but thats just my opinion, the musician has to decide for his or her self on all of that. But, as for myself, Im a Suhr/CAA player for life....

New cabinet from the tonesmiths at Custom Audio Amplifiers. This a ported 2x12 front-mounted speaker cabinet, made flawlessly by the cabinet maker. This is a perfect fit for clubbing musicians, especially great for those seeking a little more bass in a 2x12. Currently loaded with a G12H/V30 speaker combo, this cabinet details the great design work of John Suhr, the attention to detail that CAE can and does deliver, and the tonal range approaching a 4x12 cabinet. The hardware is all very secure, and the guys pre-wire the jack according to your individual requirements if you order one empty. The grill cloth is extremely thick and robust.

The sounds are authoritative, the bass response is perfect, and the cabinet gives up the goodies when pushed. Speakers make a hugh difference in all cabinets, so experimentation is key to finding your individual signature, but all the Celestion models I have worked well for dirty sounds, with the Weber 1265's best for the type of clean signals I'm going for.

Since this cabinet is made so solid, I can't see the need for a backup, but I do see the need for another one for either a stereo setup, or for spreading out the guitar a little L/R. The handles are side-mounted for easy loadin/out with rubber feet on the bottom. I've had a music stand fall onto the cabinet grill cloth, and the cloth is so thick that only a little discoloring of the impact area was the result. THe cloth protected the speaker, and thats a great thing.

This is a great, but extremely small company. The demand for Custom Audio equipment is very high, and supply is often low, sometimes very low, so one should expect a large lead time for some popular items, including the amplifiers, but my cabinet was delivered in a very timely manor, and Shon always kept me informed about the production, about the shipment, etc. I've never felt the need to call and question the guys about things, never needed to call to follow-up on any conversation. The guys are pros, and I feel like I'm a customer for life.

There seems to be a love/hate thing going on with certain folks with respect to technical details, product delivery times, product availability, etc. I think a lot of the discourse is positive, but the negitive stuff seems to get the most play, wrongfully so I believe. I think the guys at CAE have their hearts in the right place, are working hard to deliver their products while maintaining a life beyond work. Mr. Bradshaw has developed a lot of stuff, stuff which makes guitar playing fun, exciting and invigorating. I look forward to owning other CAE items, and I can't say that about a lot of manufacturers.