J Design Cabinets 112 Guitar Cabinet

1x12 semi open back solid pine cab with eminence private jack. Jeff's "cream nubby" tolex is a dead nuts match for my Blonde 2007 Dr Z Maz 18. Jeff is a custom builder. Just shoot him an email or give him a call. I'm positive he can make whatever your thinking of happen. The quality is on par with any boutique builder out there...great workmanship.

This cabinet is VERY light and VERY resonant. It sounds great with my maz 18. The speaker is really raspy and reedy and gets the marshall vibe going. I don't really like it with my Carmen Ghia...but that's due to the speaker, not the enclosure.

At one time I was a semi-pro guitarist...I don't see any problem with taking this cabinet on the road. It's well built and sounds great!

Jeff was an absolute pleasure to deal with. His email replies come back quick and are VERY helpful. From the day I ordered the cab to the day it arrived on my doorstep was only 4 days! Hows that for a quick turnaround?!?!

I did quite a bit of research on cabs before I decided to go with Jeff. I feel like I made the right choice for me. This cabinet is on par with any of the boutique builders out there at a price almost no one can match.

This is the finest guitar cabinet I have ever seen. It was custom made by Jeff to match my Fender lacquered tweed Deluxe. The quality of craftsmanship is supurb. He matched the lacquer color and the grill is also a perfect match. It is a 3/4 back cabinet made of pine. I put in a Jensen P12N which is the same speaker as my amp.

Every fitting and connection is first rate and the four bolts that hold the speaker were inset into sleeves. Very strong and rattle-free

No matter how well something is built, the true test is the sound. This 1x12 cabinet sounds spectacular. The Jensen p12n has beautiful lows and is harmonically rich. The cabinet is slightly oversized so I can stack my amp on top of it if necessary. I believe it is at it's best when placed about 20 feet from my amp at almost a perpendicular angle. This is the same theory that Fender uses for their acoustic amp. They place a speaker at right angles to the front-mounted speaker so the sound really fills the room. This cabinet really lets the speaker breathe. It makes no sense getting a fine speaker and stuffing it into a too-small enclosure.

Built like a tank, but very light weight.

Jeff kept me informed for the entire build cycle. He even sent me photos via e-mail of the finished product before he sent it. It was packed with foam around every side so breakage was just about impossible. Jeff will help any guitarist custom-design an enclosure.

I have three million guitars and 1.5 million amps. Seriously, I've been playing for over 40 years and have owned just about every type of amp, from crunch to ultra solid-state clean. This combination of the Fender Deluxe with extension cab and two Jensen p12ns is very fine. It doesn't get any better than this. Please e-mail me if you would like some photos of the finished product.
Regards,
Joe Randazzo,
South Burlington, Vermont

I have a 1x12 vitage style open back, covered in cream tolex and loded with a Weber Ceramic Blue Dog (this particular speaker is 30 watts, 4 ohms, but Weber does 15 and 50 watt versions of the same speaker, or 8 or 16 ohms, or alnico). Weber rates conservatively, so I don't have to worry about blowing it up with my amp's 35ish watts.

It's a cab. Not many features it can have, neh?

I'll give it a 10 for being sexy.

I got a deal on this one - most of his stuff is custom built, but this he had previously put together for a guitar show or something. Got it for $260 shipped on eBay.

I'm using it with a Silvertone 1484 Twin Twelve head, a Carvin DC135, and a Danelectro DC3. I prefer the way single coils snap and kick to humbucker tone.

The basic sound of this combination is a big, loud, powerful clean, similar to a Fender style amp but trading a bit of sparkle on the top end for warmth, a sweeter midrange and an incredibly tight low end. There's absolutely no icepick treble - the highs are smooth and present, but not harsh. Very resonant and punchy.

I'm playing mostly rhythm guitar, with complex and jazz chords or punkier rhythms, drones and octaves, big open chords, interval riffs, and Smashing Pumpkins-esqe walls of fuzz. When I play leads, they're simpler Joey Santiago-style bits. No shredding.

I love a huge, open sound, and this delivers in spades - some amps get harsh when I get them bright enough, but not this.

My Cab Reliability Test:

I can sit on it without fear.

Looks very well made on the inside - you can see the birch.

Jeff was great to deal with - he shipped it fast, answered any questions I had, etc. etc. Rock.

So, J Design Cabs are awesome.

Made to order cab in solid pine with hand-rubbed oil finish.
I have a Tone Tubby Alnico 12 loaded in this cab.

The only limitation I can honestly fore see, would be the speaker itself.
This cab/speaker combo echo the amps character. I have used a Boogie Mk.I, THD Bi-Valve, and a Bassman...all with very toneful results!

Very solidly made! Attention to detail is excellent. It is not an anvil, so treat it accordingly.
As with anything, if you abuse it enough...it will break!

I have not had need to test customer support. However, Jeff has emailed me twice since I bought the cab (Dec.2004) to make sure I was satisfied. I would say that is pretty good support!

I have been a guitarist for 25 years.
Other comparable gear I have is a Trutone 1X12 cab.
I would absolutly do business with J Designs again!

I custom ordered this cabinet to match a Valvetech 30 watt head. Custom dimensions, closed back, and a slanted speaker baffle board, very cool. I orderd it as a "thin-face" cab. It's all birch plywood, very solid construction. There are almost no limits to what Jeff can make if you really want to customize.

This cab was ordered empty, I loaded it with a Celestion Vintage 30. It sounds great. Very tight and defined low end, mids are even, and highs are very controlled. The cabinet doesn't hype any particular frequency that I can tell, a very balanced tone. Beats the pants off of several other 1x12 cabs I'd been using. I'm happy, for sure.

It looks extremely reliable. Very solid construction throughout, all birch plywood construction, metal corners, the works. I haven't taken this cabinet out on tour, but judging from past touring experience, it would hold up quite well. Get an anvil case for it, and you're set.

Jeff is very cool. He answered emails and phone calls right away. There's no doubt in my mind that he stands behind his product. He even emailed me a few weeks after I'd received the cab to see how I liked it. I'll be ordering another soon.

Overall, a solid 10. I'd definitely buy another cab from Jeff. Price/perfomance/features/delivery time/customer support, he just can't be beat. I compared several cabinet maker's Harmony Central reviews, prices, features, all the stuff I just listed. Jeff is the man.

oversized 1x12 cab, with 3/4 back option (can be a closed-back or 3/4 back), made with pine board (not plywood), 16OHM Celestion V30 speaker. I bough this cab used.

Very nice sounding cab. Has a vintage vibe. I run it with the top panel removed making it a 3/4 back. Nice clear openback tone, yet is thicker sounding due to the 3/4 back. Nice tone compromise/mix between a closed-back and open-back.

I gave the tone an 8 because I think the cab would sound even better with a more vintage type speaker. The deduction is for the speaker not the cab.

The construction of the cab is real solid. Good quality parts and very nice workmanship. I expect it to be very reliable.

Excellent. Although I bought this cab used, I had emailed J Designs to purchase a spare part and for some replacement speaker advice. Jeff was extrememely helpful and replied to my emails very promptly.

I got an unbelievable deal on this cab (used) and am very happy that I bought it. It is very well constructed, very versitile, looks great, and sounds very nice. To top it off the company has excellent cutomer support and very reasonable pricing.

If you are looking for a custom cab, I would recommend you consider J Designs: http://jdesigncabs.com

1x12 Baltic Birch cab. I picked this cab up on EBAY. The construction and tolexing job for this cabinet is TOP QUALITY.

This is a great sounding 1x12 cab, especially when used with a vintage celestion G12H. I definately recommend the closed-back option (I was never a fan of open-back cabinets), the bass just resonates BIG-TIME with the back panel.

There are no rattles or buzzes and its very well made.

This cabinet came to me as a partial open-back. I later emailed and inquired about a closed-back option. I got a quick response. In less than 10 days, for a minimal charge, the back panel arrived with all of the neccessary hardware. It fit like a glove!

The products and customer service from J Design is excellent. There are many guitar cabinet makers on the internet, but unfortunately, the majority of them have stupid prices for their cabinets. I know of one reputable cabinet maker that charges TWICE what J DESIGN charges for an unloaded 1x12. Folks, let them know they've got some serious competition. Send your business to J DESIGN, they do good work for a FAIR PRICE.

I had my cabinet custom made to match my Bad Cat Hotcat30 combo. Jeff matched the tolex quite well. It's a cream color, and the texture is very close to my amp. I couldn't have done a better job shopping around for tolex. The grillcloth is oxblood. It looks very good in contrast to the Bad Cat grillcloth.

Haven't had a chance to drop a speaker in yet. I've got several that I'm planning on testing....Celestion Vintage 30, Mesa/Boogie Black Shadow 90, etc.

It's built like a tank....and very light! Jeff was kind enough to add a leather handle (matches my Bad Cat handle). The quality of construction is superb. I can't seem to find any flaws....and I've looked! This cabinet will probably outlive my Bad Cat!

Jeff was very nice to talk to over the phone. He's very helpful. (even looked up my combo on the Bad Cat sight to see what my amp looked like so he could match cabinet features) He sent me pictures via e-mail as my amp was being constructed which hightened my anticipation. Excellent communication!! Wish all small companies kept in touch with their customers like Jeff does. I only wish I needed to order another cabinet at this point. If I ever need another one....I'm calling him!

I've been playing for over 25 years. I've owned one of "everything". All I have left at this point is a Mesa/Boogie Mark II-C+, a Bad Cat Hotcat 30, and a Marshall JCM800 head with 4X12 cab. I play a Sunburst Les Paul Standard, Fender Strat, Telecaster, and Rickenbacker 620. This cabinet only adds to the beauty and functionality of my Hotcat, which I'm using exclusively at gigs at this point. I'll definitely enjoy this new cabinet to set my amp on , as well as reap the benefit of having an extra 12 inch speaker to add to my sound. I would definitely recommend J Design to any musician looking for a quality cabinet that will match your existing rig. Just call Jeff!!

New. Made in October, 2003.
My husband had this 1x12 built custom for my birthday. I play in a Hard Rock band and needed a smaller, more portable cab with a big tone for transporting to and from practice.
One input wired to one Jensen 100 watt speaker is all it needs. (*no opinion here because it's a basic cab for practice. I did not need too much.)

This cabinet is meaty. I tune 1/2 step and 1-1/2 steps down for Hard-Rock "Dungeoness". It gets plenty of dig in the lowers.

I do depend on this cab for practice. I do not have a back-up practice cabinet. (don't want or need to stretch my arms out hauling a 4x12 you know.) I can't think of any reason why it would break down. I play hard 4 to 5 nights a week but I take care of my sh!t.

I did not deal with this end. We'll write later.

I'm 28 years old and have been playing for 9 years. I own a few other pieces of equipment like Bogner, Randall and an old Peavey Butcher cab. This J Design Cabinet is my first 112 and I really love it. Replaced fast if stolen because it is very light weight and sounds great. I'll give it an 8 rating here because I do wish it had an output also.

Nice 1x12 cab made from birch, black tolex covering w/wheat grill clothe. I have the optional back panel, with 1/3 removable panel for cleaner, more open tones. I prefer having it closed, but it's nice having the option of taking it off if needed. Other features are standard; handle, protective corners and rubber feet. It also comes pre-wired when you order it unloaded.

I have a 25w greenback in the cab and it sounds great. I'm using the Zvex Nano head, as well as a Naylor and Reverend head, all of which sound great through this cab. I'm all about tone, so I wanted a cabinet that would stand up to my Naylor cabs, and I found one. If you want great tone in a 1x12 cab for a great price, try this cab with a greenback and you can't go wrong.

The cabinet is very sturdy. It's going to be my main cab for recording. I have two naylor 412 cabs, so it's much easier to travel with a 1x12 then the 412's and I don't mind if it gets a lttle dinged up. It should handle the abuse of being cranked up and rattled for 12 hours a day with no problem.

Customer support is great. I love dealing with small independant companies. They seem to care a lot more about the customer than larger companies. Jeff is great to talk to. He gave me all the details on the cab and answered all my questions. He replied to the e-mails I sent the same day. He also sent me pictures of the cab before he shipped it.

You can't go wrong with this cab. Great tone, great looks and a great price all make this well worth buying. I hope to buy another one soon. I can't say enough about the cabinet. GREAT JOB JEFF!!!