EarCandy Sovereign 112 Cabinet

I had a pair of 1x12 Ear Candy custom Sovereign 112 cabinets made in all black. The recessed handle is on the top & the front grill is the salt N peppa cane look. The cabinets are being used in stereo on a Vetta-1 digital amp head. I'm also running Eminence Governor's in each cabinet. There are not allot of features, but there are allot of options on how it will look in the end.

The sound quality with my Eminence Governor's can only be compared to my previous Rocktron 1x12 cabinets using the exact same speakers. The new sound is more focused & a little bigger, but all with an open (surround sound) quality.

I already new what speakers I liked & how they sounded with my Vetta. I had already tunned all the patches to this speaker.

These new cabinets are a huge improvement is sound, but more so in other ways as well.

I can't really comment on how long these will last due to i just got them. I can comment on the quality of the craftsmanship & the design. The cabinet is smaller then my previous 1x12 & lighter, but feels stronger. The look is an incredible array of style, quality & taste that is only complimented by it's sound. I think the high quality build & materials used will make this cabinet last a long time on the road with me.

I met Tim thru a phone call to his shop & he's the owner & builder. He helped me with some of my choices & made me the "twins" as we call them as a matched set. I've never felt so comfortable making a purchase. Tim told me right up front that it would take about 5-weeks with where he was at scedule wise. If U want something "Right Now" the go buy at Guitar Center" or on-line at M.F. & take your chances with what you get. If you want a custom guitar cabinet with endless options & someone to labor over making it by hand then it takes a little longer. You MUST KNOW what kind of speaker that works for you before dissing a product. There is no way to make one of Tim's cabinets sound muddy unless you put in the wrong (or a bad) speaker. Tim is the best.

These cabinets are worth every penny & worth the short wait it took to get them. If you take your time & only purchase high quality gear you will save money in the long run & be allot more happy. I would & will buy again from Tim if I ever need anything else. Thanks Tim!

Many color options/combinations available. About as customizable as one can find. The end result is like a well-made drum with a look of fine furniture.

This is where it was a disappointment. We drove it with a recently tuned-up boogie MkIIb, a 60's era fender twin, an Emery superbaby, and a marshall 18-watt clone. We tried a celestion neo, an Eminence texas heat, a Mesa Black Shadow, and an electrovoice EVM12L from the 80's. The mid and high range was very clear and punchy but the bottom end was muddy, honky-sounding to varying degrees, and peaky with a resonance around middle c with all of the above speakers.
Nobody in the studio likes it by itself but we use it with other cabs to thicken up the sound. It could not be recommended as an only speaker cab but it works well with other more flexible cabs. Overall a disappointment.

Built like a rock. Nothing to break down. Unusually durable.

he order took about 10 weeks to complete. i emailed the owner several times and was told each time that it would ship "that week." Finally, i emailed back that i wanted to cancel my order but was told that it had shipped and teh owner threw in a free cover and cable for my trouble.
The owner responded quickly to my complaint about sound quality(see sound quality section). He said he had not experienced my particular problem and suggested trying different speakers which helped somewhat but did not resolved my fundamental complaint of muddy, honky tone.
As each product is custom-made, he said he could not take it back or exchange it. Personally, the owner was very pleasant and tried to help.

i have worked in recording and sound reinforcement for 24 years and really was surprised that the cab did not sound better considering all of the glowing reviews. T If it were stolen i would not replace it unless i could try before i buy it. We bought several avatar cabs that have much more dependable and predictable sound but are not as pretty as the earcandy.

Made in 2006. Custom Ported cabinet. The shell is Maple covered in a thick black tolex and both the front and back are beautiful hand oiled and finished Mahogany. A round grill fits over the speaker leaving the rest of the mahogany exposed. Very impressive to the eye. A locking input jack and a parallel out on the back. Ordered without a speaker. Tim @ EarCandy cabs helped me pick out a design and wood choices to compliment a Celestion G12H Heritage that I already had and the results are astonishing.

I consider the Celestion Heritage speakers to be the finest available on the market. When I originally purchased the speaker I housed it in a Mesa 3/4 back 1X12 cab. While it was a great improvement over the original Custom 90 Black Shadow it lacked a bit of definition and sounded more on the wolfy side than I had hoped. I had already purchased a 1X10 cab from Tim with excellent results so, of course, this was the man I turned to for help. After a few e-mails back and forth and a little give and take we agreed on this design. My Heritage now sounds like a gift from the gods. The tone, definition, and basically everything I knew the Heritage was capable of came to life. It's like this wonderful speaker and wonderful cabinet were the most perfect of matches. I own Mesa's, Marshalls, Peaveys, and custom designed heads and cabinets. This 1X12 in combination with my 1X10 EarCandy cab loaded with an Eminence Ragin' Cagin' will take any amp I've got with the appropriate wattage and make it sound better than any other cabs I own.

Solid as a rock and built to last. Top quality wiring, jacks, woods, tolex, etc.. These cabs are not cheap in price and yet their quality makes them a steal. If I need another cab I will hold off until I get enough bread to go back to Tim. I've been playing for over 45 years now. I've played through 1950's Fenders, Fender Blackface Twins from the early 1960's, Marshall cabs loaded with vintage 30s, Mesa cabs of multiple types, and more than a handful of boutique amps and cabs. Tim has supplied me with the best cabs I've owned and for less than many of the others would run.

This may sound stupid, but, I've never asked about or needed warrenty information. Tim's a one on one kind of guy. He works with you. He listens. He makes suggestions. If he thinks your walking the wrong path he speaks up. He's just there. That's all the support I need.

These cabs will not be lost or stolen while I'm breathing. For that matter, even if you kill me you'll never be able to pry my hands from the shell of these cabs. If you manage to get them on a stage somewhere there would be a dead me still attached. If you happened to step near me while your playing my dead body would lash out and knock your feet out from under you. If you fell and smashed your head on the cab only you would be the worse for wear. The cab would still look good as new. Don't even think about it!

Made this Spring (2006). These cabs are the answer to anyone who wants a cab. to be more than a Baffle. For 35 years I've waited to find some clear advance in instrument cab. design. Egnaters are too expensive and they don't allow you a speaker choice. Dr. Z's "Z-best" cabs are at least ported bass reflex as are the MESA/Boogie Thieles. The point of a bass reflex design is to use both sides of the speaker so the sound output almost doubles. Tim goes a lot farther than a simple vented box, he uses a patented joining process that allows the cab. to become active. This concept is found on a few very high - end audiophile cabs. I think Tim's the only one to use this on instrument cabs. You can select virtually any speaker and Tim will tune a cab for it, he even has the equipment to measure how closely a manufacturer meets the published Thile - Small parameters for a speaker. The cabs. are slso more resistant to electro - acoustic feedback than open backed designs. They convey sound with accuracy and speed and do what you want them to.

I have an Eminence Legend GB12 in mine. This speaker is well matched to my amp based on a BF Princeton. The bass is very tight and the speaker goes into breakup very smoothly, better than anything I've heard. This cab is as articulate as a good amp.

I've never seen a guitar cab. built this well. The only thing likely to go bad is the speaker.

Tim has a long waiting list so be patient, you'll be very glad you did. And don't forget Jamie who covers the cabs and makes the cool leather manufacturer's badge on the back.

Great!

I had a pair of EarCandy Sovereign 1x12 cabinets custom built for me by Tim Paulsen in late 2005. Brazilian Mahogany Baffle, two bass ports, 8 ohm and loaded with Eminence Legend 121 speakers. You can check them out here: http://www.earcandycabs.com/crisden.htm

Excellent. Hands down these are the best 1x12 cabs that I've ever played through or heard. Warm, articulate and very puncy, they deliver gobs of bass that would actually surprise you coming from a single speaker. As a member of Divided Sky (www.dividedskymusic.com) I demand alot from my gear. This includes being able to handle pristine cleans with tons of headroom (Parker Fly) to brutal, bone-crushing distortion. I used these cabs to replace my Genz Benz G-Flex(a cab which is infamous for its beefy bass response) and am extremely pleased. I've been able to play everything from twangy funk to ambient soundscapes straight on through to pure metal and the cabs respond very well with excellent character.

When you hear the term "built like a tank", you can safely think of these cabinets without regret. Sturdy, extremely solid and well built. Tim and EarCandy build quality cabinets that really are works of art.

Hands down, their customer support is the best I've seen. I spent nearly an hour on the phone with Tim when I first ordered the cabs. He happily answered all of my questions and reviewd all of the options with me in a patient and really welcoming manner. He made sure that I was getting cabs built to my specs that I would love for years to come and do exactly what I wanted them to. The choices can be overwhelming and he was able to steer me right on through it. Excellent support and services. You really can't ask for anything more.

I've been playing for over 10 years and am a founding member of Divided Sky. If lost or stolen, I'd be arrested because some poor fool(s) would be getting a good old fashioned "death-ening". These cabs really are in a class of their own, with unparalelled customer service and an absolutely stunning product. I wouldn't change anything about the cabs at all. I just read that Chris Poland (former Megadeth, currently with Ohm) ordered three EarCandy Buzzbomb 2x12's. Now that's a heck of an endorsement for an independent custom cab builder!

This is a black "oversized" 112 cab, with Fender silverface look. It's an open back with one Eminence Texas Heat speaker. I have bought 3 cabs from EarCandy and they always deliver with an extra input (or output if you like). It's nice to have the opportunity to connect an extra cab.

I use this cab on both a blackface and a modified silverface Bassman Head. Normally I play a Fender Strat or Fender Tele. The Sovereign is new and I've only played it for a couple of weeks. New speakers need to play for a while before breaking up. Normally I find new speakers sounding a little to hard for my taste. I have tried a lot of different cabs with different speakers, both used and new. This is the first cab I feel really comfortable with, immediately. I already played it (a lot) at home, in practice with my band, and on one gig. It seems to carry the tone from my guitars and amps in a beautiful way. There's a solid tight bass and tasty smooth treble (not the kind of edge that cuts through your head like a knife). I prefer a little softer top, and still enough to cut through. It suits the Bassman heads, and the bluesy style I play. Overall it carries a solid 3D tone. SRV and Robben Ford types of sounds are no problem with the Bassman/Sovereign 112 Texas Heat combination. I simply fell in love at first sample/sight... I am a true believer of the fact that the sounds you produce must have it's base in the head, heart and fingers of the player. But it makes it somehow easier if you have proper tools. Based on my background I am convinced that this Sovereign is one of my proper tools.

This is a cab, and not too many things can go wrong. But it's a solid piece of work. Just watching it and touching it tells me I won't have a any problems. This is solid wood and put together with care. Talking to Tim and e-mailing, I feel like each cab is his baby. I am quite convinced they put their pride in each cab. You'll understand when you receive yours. As the other cabs I bought from EarCandy, the Sovereign is solid in all aspect. A lifetime warranty also tells it all. This is great workmanship. I cannot find any reason to doubt, and I expect it to be very reliable.

EarCandy is a custom cab manufactorer, and Tim who guided me, must be one of the nicest guys I've ever dealt with. As I know they are busy producing and delivering goods, it's only normal that they have to limit their time on phone. But it's not a problem as they always answer e-mail in a proper way. Both on phone and e-mails these people are positive, trying to find out what I, as a customer, am looking for. All who have searched for "the tone" know how difficult it might be to express these things in words. I have terrorised (?) them with e-mail, questions, thoughts, sending soundclips, etc...But always positive replies, trying to help, and advising. Finally reaching the decisions and receiving the cabs, I find that I got what we agreed on. I am VERY pleased with both the cabs and the way I am treated. They know their stuff in either way.

I have been playing for more than 25 years, mainly besides other works. I have done a lot of gigs, mini tours in different projects/bands/styles and some studio work from time to time. As time goes by, I always seek the "ultimate tone". My family and friends have given up on me, as it seems I never get rid of this illness. They learned to live with it. When you've searched intensively like I for so many years, you learn to know when you're close to the sound, or not. At least it seems like I have settled with the mentioned guitars and the old Bassmans. Trying a lot of different cabs and speakers, I find that they have a huge impact on the sound. I have tried most of the the well known cabs and speakers and different configurations like 210, 410, 112, 212. I once had a 212 Ruby cab that sounded fantastic. I regret sellling it. I have two other cabs, but this oversized Sovereign 112 cab does the job, and even a little more. If you look for a cab, matching your amp head, I recommend that you have a little talk with EarCandy. They'll build you an awesome sounding, CUSTOM MADE cab. Designed for YOU, sounding like YOU want, and....in a very reasonable price.

Built: 2005
1-12" guitar cabinet with a "Tonker" speaker from the Eminence "Red Coat" line.
150W, 8 Ohms, dual ported, closed back, birch cab with mahogany bafflewood, dark blue naugahyde with "wheat"-colored cloth speaker grill. ALL features are custom built for the buyer. Price listed here is with a heavy-duty vinyl cab cover AND shipping!

OK, I play jazz with a beautiful CB Hill semi-hollowbody guitar (www.cbhillguitars.com) through a Carvin Legacy tube amp. I know, this is not known to be a jazz amp, but it's versatile (switchable 50 or 100W), the clean channel is wonderful, and when I want overdrive, the lead channel is unreal! Check it out.

I digress. I've been playing through different Raezer's Edge Stealth cabs for years -- which I love -- and as I was about to order another, I learned of Rich Raezer's untimely and tragic death. This led to my search for another cab that would have as good a sound as the Stealth, and I came across EarCandy.

Tim, the designer/builder at EarCandy, boasted that his "Sov" cab would blow the Stealth away -- hey, those are fighting words to a loyal Raezer's Edge user! After calming myself down, I continued the conversation, and after some thinking, ordered my custom Sovereign 112 cab.

Hmm . . . big, open, sweet, clear and wonderful.

I've used the cab now for a few rehearsals and two gigs with my jazz quartet, and I've been floored! It's very responsive, and incredibly loud (part of Tim's design work). One of the gigs was outside, but in an enclosed area, and I think my amp was between "2-3" and it was plenty loud.

It cuts through quite differently from the Stealth, and in a pleasant way. The first time I played with it, one of the band members stated, "You're playing differently tonight. You sound better -- what's up?" Then he noticed the new cab; I'd like to think it was just all my practicing, but unfortunately that hadn't changed recently!

I mostly play clean, but there are a few bluesy/funky tunes we do, so I use the amp's overdrive channel. With the Sov . . . wow! No sweat.

Remember, this is a completely custom built cab for my playing; you can custom build one for yourself using different woods, speakers, etc. for your own sound, so leave mine alone!

It's built like a truck, but not too heavy! Since I've only had it for a short time, I don't know the long-term reliablity, but my guess is this thing will last.

Excellent, excellent! Tim, the designer/builder, was incredibly helpful from the start, and discussed all aspects of my playing, sound, interests, etc. in order to make his recommendations, which I thankfully followed! He kept in touch throughout the building period, and notified me when the cab was sent. Incredible warranty; I have no worries about this cab.

I've been playing guitar for . . . 30 years! Ugh. I've already thought about getting another Sov, but I'm still trying to figure out if I need to given how loud and clear it is! Well, I'm a gear fiend, so I'll probably buy another just to have it!
The cab sounds great, is not as heavy as you'd think, is beautiful to look at, and it sounds great! (Did I mention that?!)
I've looked at and played several other 1-12" cabs, and price-wise, this beats ALL of them. Soundwise . . well, I think I'm leaning towards the same conclusion: this is the ONE!

Jazzers: Don't be afraid of the "rock" looking EarCandy web site -- Tim knows guitar and he knows music, so trust him!

okay...there aren't alot of features to list since it's a tuned box with a speaker. nevertheless, it is good to mention that it's gorgeously covered in an oxblood naugahyde and had a beautifully curly piece of stained mahogany as a speaker board. the grill is black and the speaker that came in it was an eminence - nice and flat for the music i play. the piece in general is so solid. tim took his time on this and made it right. he also put a parallel jack in there to hook up another EarCandy cab (more about that later). since i just said it's a speakerbox, there isn't much else to mention except every time i go to the studio or a show with this thing, everybody sweats it. it really is a standout piece. i love it. it sounds great, looks great, is soaked in vibe, and has a real class to it. the rating system on this is based on whether it is versatile or not, so it doesn't really apply to the box. i'm assuming versatility is more for how many different things your amp can do. this is not even a box and speaker, i'm really reviewing the box, so it feels a little silly to say it is or isn't versatile, but the cab itself is so gorgeous and solidly-put together, it deserves a ten.

it's so VERSATILE!!! (just kidding - see above for reference) it sounds unreal. it makes even crappy speakers sing. the cabinet with the eminence in there is really something you have to hear to truly appreciate. i use it with an acoustic image clarus amplifier head for loud and beautifully clean (so much headroom) or a mesa boogie f-50 head for warm and round tones. i used it the other day on a session just to see how it would fare and my tone was HUGE in the mix. we spot miked it with a sennheiser cab mic and it was beautiful. the engineer was enamored. he's used to either the bogner cab in the studio or somebody's bag end that they bring in (both nice, too) and he asked me if i could leave it there for a week to use on a couple other sessions. basically, this delivered so much more in the mix. it's weird how recording brings out things you don't normally hear. this cab blew up the recording. (for the record, i used the AI head with a tube-driven hughes and kettner OD pedal just barely affecting the signal of my Ibanez George Benson) this box rocks.

i should also mention that i use this sometimes paralled with another EarCandy that tim made with instead of a hardwood speaker surface, a leather one. that cab is so much punchier in comparison, so the two together scream. (i have the best tone in the area!)

also, i should tell you that the cab is truly something that can get down and punchy (never muddy) or super-bright without sounding clippy. i had a mesa cabinet 1x12 and it would seem taxed the minute it got loud - with every speaker i put in it. this one doesn't. it sings way more than my ears can handle.

just to give you an idea of what this thing does, i play rock, jazz, latin, and some progressive stuff. i use this cab for everything. it's that good.

the cab is well-built. it's super reliable. and even if it did break, tim would back it up. he's the man. i'll save that for the next category. everything on this is tight. the jacks, the joints, the gluing, the staining. naugahyde itself can get pretty marked up, so a ten in this category would be a little disingenuous. the box is strong, but the cosmetic component of naugahyde (by nature) isn't so much as to completely stay perfect. (tolex wouldn't get a ten, either) basically, in my opinion, the only thing that would get a ten in cosmetic reliability would be a black steel case.

as far as functionality, though, this thing won't break. period. it's really solid.

1 - the warranty is for life
2 - tim is the service center (as well as every other aspect of the business)
3 - again, tim is the man. his customer service isn't just good; it's beyond what you would ever really rationally expect. i am convinced that he absolutely refuses to see a customer dissatisfied with his product. that's what you get when you have a guy who loves his craft making a product that he cares about. after a while, it became evident to me that he really didn't even worry too much about the money he was going to lose by honoring his warranty. he just cared that the cabinet that i played was perfect. here's the story: i ordered from him a sov112 covered in alien eye yellow and a black grill. i got it after a bit of a problem with the USPS in which tim and i were constantly checking in with each other. he called and emailed often. his communication was really letting me know that he cared. (for the record, he doesn't use the the USPS anymore!) when it finally got here, there was apparantly a problem with the speaker! exasperated, he immediately sent me another one along with more cable, a new jack, and the exact solder that he used in order to assure that there wouldn't be any frequency problems - again, he wanted perfection. (by the way, all of this was free of charge) his exact words were, "let's just change every possible thing that could be wrong with this in order to ensure you that it's perfect." he sent that out to me super-fast and let me keep the old speaker to give a class to my students (i'm a teacher) he just said to keep it. (by the way, the class was HIS idea. not mine)

next step: got the speaker, but the naugahyde was starting to bubble. apparently, there was a chemical element in the coloring of the yellow that didn't work with the glue. long story short, he sent me the cab that i'm reviewing for you right now. (and let me keep the other one for the school) i didn't have to suggest a thing. everything that tim did for me was of his own accord. i felt less like a client and more like a VIP whose opinion of his company was invaluable to him. from the other reviews, i'm not alone.



(BY THE WAY, IT'S IMPORTANT TO MENTION THAT ALL OF THIS IS VIA MAIL. I LIVE IN PUERTO RICO. TIM DID ALL OF THE SENDING AND INCURRED ALL OF THE CHARGES WITH SHIPPING BY HIMSELF. HE NEVER ASKED ME FOR A DIME. AGAIN, TIM'S THE MAN)

if you take nothing else from this story, take the fact that this is someone who deserves your business on multiple levels. his product is exquisite, his service is beyond exquisite, and you will be happy.


ps. tim's the man. the scale goes up to ten. ten is what a company with a great customer service center deserves. tim passed ten on the second phone call. thanx, man. I WILL BUY AGAIN.

WONDERFUL. THAT'S IT.

The build quality of this 112 cabinet is fantastic!. It is covered in thick black tolex with a black removable speaker grill. The birch cabinet is ported and the speaker baffle is mahogany (which is also covered in tolex. It is loaded with an Emminence GB12 speaker. The cabinet has a pair of parallel locking speaker jacks, a strap handle and heavy vinyl cover.

This cabinet has made any amp that I have used it with sound better. I have used it with a Dr. Maz 18jr NR amp and it sounds great! The cabinet has a much smoother bass response and has a much sweeter high end than the Mesa open-back cabinet that I used previously with the amp. It also is not as blaringly loud as the mesa cabinet (although it can put out plenty of volume if pushed).

My 5E3 clone amp head also sounds excellent with this cabinet. Even my Tone King Comet sounded better when using the cab as a second speaker. The Emminence GB12 speaker sounds good right from the start and gets better after a few hours of playing. If you are not liking your amp, try this cabinet and you just might keep the amp!

I have had the cabinet only a few weeks, but the build quality is fantastic. Everything appears to be first rate. Even the packing for shipment was great. The entire cabinet was surrounded by thick polyethylene foam on all sides and held together with tape and shrink wrapping.

Tim at EarCandy was very helpful and friendly. He caled me after I ordered the cabinet on the internet and asked questions about the amps I would be using it with and helped decide on the right speaker and other options. Quick response to questions and fast shipping.

I have been playing for over thirty years and have been trying various high quality amps, guitars and effects. This purchase was one of the best that I have made. This cabinet with the cover is cheaper than most open-backed 112 cabinets without a cover, and it sounds much better. I would buy it again if it were stolen and may end up buying a second one to go with it.
I highly recommend this cabinet.

finnished on Christmas day 2004. tim built me 2 1x12 custom cabs and coverted my mesa boogie nomad 45 combo into a custom matching head cabinet. see mesa nomad for reviews of the chassis. used in my home studio, clubs and anywhere else i can get the chance to play.the 2 cabs are mahogany sides with birch front and rear panels. ported and sealed. they have locking inputs and one has a paralell jack so i can link the 2 or run each from its own output. covered in acid peel orange with black hardware and full metal grill.i chose the eminence Teaxas heat 150 watt speakers.

i am using 2 carvin sc-90's with coil splitters for the buckers. one has an alder body and the other swamp ash.i have been playing texas blues, classic and southern rock , country and bluegrass all my life (been playing a total of 37 years now). these cabinets are the absolute BOMB for anything i can throw at them.since it is a 3 channel amp i have given the cabs a good workout in every genre i play over the month i have owned it. these cabs add great focus to the bass in all 3 channels along with great sensitivity that i never noticed with the stock combo and a ported theile extension cab with celestion 90 watt black shadows.

built like tanks! all three pieces are solid wood. no plywood here. excellent craftmanship.7 year warranty on the speakers. i only got 6 months on the original celestions! more solid than my original Boogie components.i'll get back to you in a few years and tell you how things are going.

this is where it gets really good. enough can't be said about Tim. after the initial e-mail about pricing, options etc.we talked personally on the phone and discussed my personal needs/wants. it doesn't get any better than this. if you don't get exactly what you wanted from earcandy..you didn't communicate your wants! suggestions are offered but in the end you get what YOU order...he even went to the shop on Cristmas Day to finish my rig and a cab for leann Rhymes guitarist so i could enjoy my Christmas present as soon as possible and the other dude would have his cab in time for a Las Vegas new years show!

i looked at every custom cab builder available..hands down earcandy won when you add up service ,quality and price. oh yeah...:-) tim liked my rig so much he has it featured on the current home page along with some of his other fine work. after you enter the site it is about halfway down the page acid peel 1x12's with a matching custom Mesa Nomad head.