Marshall 1936 2x12 Cabinet

I own the old JCM800 version of the cab. No stereo, unlike the JCM900 version, and no particle board. 2x12 GT75 celestions. I bought it in 1990 second hand. Speakers are originals. Bought it then because I couldn't produce the dough for a 4x12 and still wanted to gig. Guess I was blinded by the white 'Marshall' logo, and to this day I think I was right back then.

Now I use a Gibson Les Paul (490/498 stock) on it. (mainly) Together with mij Ibanez RG760 the 1936 is the only thing that I stil have from my high school years. It has never let me down. Over the years all kinds of amps ran through it: Dual Showman, jcm800, jcm900 (a real disaster), London City, Marshall Valvestate 8100 (got tired of unreliable tubes) Trace Elliot Speed Twin H100 (didn't like trannie-valvestate)
Remember there is a VERY big difference between the JCM800 1936 mono-wired cab and the JCM900 stereo-wired cab. The old version is made completely of plywood and the construction is way more rugged and dependable. It sounds a whole lot better, too.
The only thing I do not like about the JCM800 1936 is the poor projection. You have to stand right in front of the speaker to get a good sound. I always have to place it on another cab to get projection. My 1960TV is much better projectionwise. (also soundwise but it is a 4x12 greenbacks, extra tall cab so comparison will be unfair)
Nice for smaller gigs. Mine looks beaten, adding to the vintage vibe.

Cabs only break when the speakers are overloaded or the paper is dried out or corrupted by moisture. Or you can set it on fire.

Once in my younger years I made a bet that I could stay inside the cab for half an hour with the back screwed on. I figured, if I took out the celestions first and stick my head and feet out of the holes, it would work. I obviously was a lot thinner then, but I lost the bet.
Don't try this at home, kids.

Have no idea. I repair damaged equipment myself. This thing didn't die out on me yet. I guess it never will.

Very good for a small 2x12 cab. Nicer to lug around than a 4x12. No casters! Dependable speaker. It fits almost any amp. (although some amps are just as big as the speaker, like my Speed Twin H100 and that looks a bit odd..)
I compared it to the newer jcm900 1936 and they are NOT on par. By FAR!! There is NO comparison!!! It is a completely different cab, although the speakers are the same. If you ever have a chance, compare the two and be convinced.
If you like the sound of GT75's (which is a personal thing) try the jcm800 1936 and see if you like it more than the obvious 1960's. (you might) The only real drawback for live use, in my opinion, and if you like the sound of the type of speakers, is the projection. For me, it is unusable for rehearsals, because of the limited projection. Very easy to mike, though. Right now, for gigging I use my 1960TV, and for recording I use the 1936. (sort of a retirement for the 1936) Because of the limited projection, placing mikes on different spots in front of it makes a big difference in recorded sound. (which, to me, is a good thing to experiment with, getting all kinds of soundcolours from the mikes and mixing them together to get a nice blend. One can get real thick recorded sounds that way.)

You have read them all below i guess ,mono stereo blah blah

I'm using a mesa dual rec head and a les paul. And no i'm not a nu metal head, i just like the crunchy orange channel of it. I like tonal old school rock ala Angus Young, Paige etc and with the recto punching it then it handles most of the sounds well. It seems to have a real tight bass response even with some altered high treble
recto settings and i wish it could 'cut' a little more. The G12s may get replaced for some V30's but reading elsewhere they may be even more bassy. I may ab it against some other 2x12s and update this review. IT has a nice BIG sound for a 2x12 and helps my poor back getting to practice n gigs (thats mainly the reason i opted for this cab.)....overall i'm pretty impressed and for 100 quid then u cant go wrong....it'll probably get modded anyway

pretty new to it at the mo but seems fine

not dealt with

It's a great cab and has a nice big sound. I think i may just go for the mesa 2x12 instead though.

Here's my review of the Marshall 1936 2 X 12 cab, purchased "new" in Spring of 2002. This quality and construction of this enclosure is dismal at best; almost a year later, I'm not quite sure where to attach the blame for such a substandard excuse for a name brand speaker cabinet.

I had hoped to received a unit in genuine new condition, as that's what the Musician's Friend catalog copy was implying. If I really feel the urge to purchase factory second misfit junk, local garage sales would be the most obvious (and most economical) means to obtain what I presently own.

Oh yeah, features. Visually it looks like a brand-new Marshall 1936 Lead 2 X 12 cab, so it's got that going for it.

Problems arose from the start, as I never had played through a Marshall 2 X 12 before, but somehow I had expected to hear the renowned punch and focus that Marshall cabs are known for. It simply wasn't happening with this dog. A full slate of rehearsals and gigs (not to mention my day job), kept me from getting around to doing what I should have done right from the start, namely pop the back panel off the thing, and switch the stock speakers for a pair of Celestion Vintage 30's I had, as I thought maybe the stock 75 watt ones as supplied were the problem.

The real problem started there, as the interior of the cabinet is undoubtedly the finest example I've seen of a half-assed attempt at trying to sell something that was already wrecked beyond repair. The inside of the speaker baffle board boasts a crudely-made wooden prop that was evidently supposed to help steady the front of the unit when the cab was assembled, in effect, linking the baffle board to the back panel. I've done wood projects in grade school that were of far superior design and execution than what I saw inside this enclosure.

One possible reason for the makeshift addition was evident enough, as the left-hand side (from inside back) of the cabinet was SPLIT from the handle cutout all the way down to the bottom corner joint. No wonder the thing sounds loose! I was convinced that the split wasn't a result of mistreatment during shipping to my home, as the interior of the unit has an extra bar-code sticker that identifies this unit as a REVAMP.

I'm afraid to take this anywhere, as the whole works might finally fall apart when lifted by the handle on the messed-up side. Maybe I should just build my own cab and slap that Marshall logo on the front of it for sheer mockerys' sake. I'm pretty certain the homemade one wouldn't sound near as loose.

A mail-order adventure, courtesy of Musician's Friend. They told me that since I waited past the time allotted for their 45 day warranty, that I had to deal directly with Marshall. They didn't care that they had sold me a misfit factory second misrepresented as new gear.

I'm through with Musician's "Friend", now I don't have enough confidence in them to order a single guitar pick. This hasn't been my first episode with them, either, but it will be my last. BE FORWARNED.

I've been playing rock'n'roll for over 30 years, and I think I know what sounds good.

Anyone wanna buy a 1936 cab (as is)?

well, features....its a 2x12 cab, but can go mono, or stereo...good!

les pauls,les pauls, les pauls,oh, and 1 flying v...i mainly use this cab with a marshall jcm 900, but have also wired the amp section of my fender quad reverb through it. both ways, sounds great...it opens up the various tone controls on the amps, you can actually hear the difference as you tweak the teb, mid and bass.

solid

haven't had to call as the cab works perfect.but...check the marshall site they give pre-problem advice for their products.

ive been playing( and buying) for a long time, my family has long learned to ignore my habit.if it were stolen, oh yeah,, id buy it again. as far as things i wish it had, i took care of it myself. i took off the marshall wheel caster braces and put in HEAVY DUTY casters i found at the hardware store.(gee, was that all of the so called collectors groaning?)and if i might put forth some personal philosiphy...HARMONY CENTRAL>>>i love this site, i find the user review section a very useful starting place for any musical purchase i could make.but. im tired as seeing it used as some 14 year old minded dork's forum to use as a "garbage languge " eisel, like it gives his some sort of ligitimicy.i would like to refer other musicians AND THEIR KIDS to this site, but as you can imagine, dont want to take the chance. im sure the advertisers here would agree. anyway, thank you for this forum.

Brand new oversized 2x12 cab. Tried it out down at Sound Source in Chico, CA. Can do stereo as well as mono which is rare in 2x12 cabs so I guess that would garner a high feature rating.

Brought in my Hughes and Kettner Tube 100 head as I am in search of a cab that is worth my $$. I had my sights set on an old JCM 800 4x12 but this cab grabbed my attention as I have been wanting to try one. I am not a big fan of the stock celestions that marshall puts in the 1960 cabs which is what this cab has as well. I have to say I was pleasantly suprised with these speakers in this cab. Very even sound--not too bright or bassy, midrange was happening. Sounded pretty wide, not too beamy. The B side of channel one on the Tube 100 is a pretty bright AC/DC type sound but sounded very classic through this cab. Cranked up the heavier sounds to see if anything would start woofing or farting out and no such thing happened. Clean settings sounded great as well. Plugged into the JCM 800 cab after a good run through the 1936 and the 800 sounded not so good. This cab does a great 4x12 impersonation--I liked it much better than the newer stock 1960 cabs I've heard. However, don't buy one if you need to compete with a 4x12 because you will loose (duh...its only 2x12's). Buy two!! If you're the only guitar player or if the other guitar player doesn't have a half stack, you should be fine provided your amp has the bollocks to push the cab. Very good sounds from this cab.

I've been playing for going on 10 years and this is notably the coolest sounding 2x12 cab I've heard. The mesa recto 2x12 is too small to sound...well as big as this cab does. The mesa 2x12 is deeper (in dimention) but doesn't have the spacious sound that this cab has. I have played through a Genz Benz G-flex but its been a while and that same day I ended up buying a mesa 3/4 back 1x12 over the G-flex. The 3/4 back 1x12 has an oversized cabinet as well which I think is a key part of the sound of the 1936--gives it more room to breath. If you like more of a straight "rock" marshall tone (emphasis on mids and highs and nice but not overpowering lo-end and great overdrive/distortion) rather than a nu-metal or hardcore sound, this cab may be what you are looking for.

I bought this 1936 2x12 cab new in 1988 (Back in the day!)along with a new Marshall JCM 800 50 watt dual channel/reverb 2x12 combo amp. The little gold plate in the lower left corner on the grille reads JCM800 LEAD SERIES rather than 1936 as seen on the newer ones. The 1936 Model # on this older cab is stamped on the back side above the speaker jack. I play and have always played Hard Rock/Metal 70s and 80s style. I'm glad that I have held on to this one as it has the original British made celestion GT75 speakers as does the combo I bought with it. Some of the more recent ones have the made in China Celestions which may or may not make a difference in sound but the country and the name just don't add up to me. How are you gonna get that Brit mojo out of your Celestions if they came from Red China?!! It's like saying I have a 63 Corvette that was made in Korea. It just don't jive. Fucking global economy shit!!! Anyway I've always thought these speakers suited my style of playing very nicely. I've used the cab for small gigs, party's etc. over the years and at home with very good results. It's not quite as wide open sounding as a 4x12 with the same GT75s but it's close enough for the small venues I've always used it for and it's a hell of alot more portable. This older model 1936 doesn't have the dual stereo/mono plug in on the back just the mono but thats fine with me. It also lacks the plates on top that the newer ones have for holding an amp head in place and only has one carry handle on the top. Plenty of power handling capability for the 60 and 50 watt 2x12 Peavey and Marshall combos I use it with for an extention cab.

Over the years I've played Gibson and Epiphone Les Pauls and Destroyers two stock 1970s Fender Strats, a Ball EVH, Kramer American Baretta, and a Kramer American NightSwan through the 1936. Like I said before the sound this cab produces suits my music style to a tee.
My latest favorite sound with this cab is pairing it up with my Peavey 5150 60 watt, closed back 2x12 combo. The sound that I get with the Peavey and Celestion speakers mixed together is super rich and creamy when driven with the high gain channel. No effects added. Just amp, speakers and guitar (Usually my 87 Kramer Baretta).

Reliability? Hey what can I say about it. I've blasted Metal Guitar through it for 16 years and it's still solid as a rock. Someone will probably still be pissing off the neighbors with it long after I'm dead.

Sorry, Never dealt with them.

I've been playing for over 20 years now mostly as a hobby and a non pro. I've had chances to play through alot of different rigs and cabs and I've always liked this smaller extension cab with a combo tube amp because I can approach that full stack wallop but still be highly portable. If it were lost or stolen I'd try to find another vintage 1980s, all British 1936 to replace it with instead of one of the newer ones with the fucking communist red China Celestions.

Year 2000 model. I play Hard Rock/Metal and Blues (Maiden, Zeppelin, ACDC, Rush, SRV, etc.) and this cab gets the sounds that I need, and then some. You can put one head through it for 150 Watts of stero sound, or two for 75 watts each.

I would have put "no opinion" in the rating here, only because its just a cab, and is not supposed to have many features, but it does have a couple of different configs so I gave it the max rating. Its deffinatly a great cab. I bought it knowing that it only had 2 12 inch speakers, so I wasnt expecting more than I bought, which it sounds like some of the other reviews were expecting a 4X12 sound, from a 2X12 cab.

I play Fender Strats (SRV with Texas Specials, American Standard with a SD 'lil 59 in the bridge and stock pickups in the neck and mid positions, and a American Special w/Floyd and a Di'Marzio Super Distortion in the bridge with SD hot rails in the neck and bridge) through a Marshall 2000 TSL 100 head. I deffinatley get ever sound I need.

No noise on any setting, the cleans are clean at all volume levels. The only nock may be a little too much low end. But I haven't been able to attest it to the head or the cab yet, so I won't let that hurt my rating. The distortion is classic, perfectly suited for my sounds.

Yes, this is a British made cab. I have no idea where the speakers are made, and I dont know if its partical board or plywood (looks like plywood if you go to www.marshallamps.com). But listen... It matters not where the cab or speakers were made, what matters is the sound. And this cab makes a great sound. The country where the products were made, does not make a difference, the people and company who make it do. And Marshall make fantastic equipment. As soon as you start limiting yourself to products made in the USA only, or any other country for that matter, then you have started limiting your sound and your horizons, and closing your mind.

Remember, self-delusion breeds pride...Pride breeds the inability to learn.

No complaints.

Never delt with them.

I've been playing 15+ years. I own a Mesa Boogie Mark IV and a Mesa Boogie Subway Rocket. But I play the Marshall more then the Boogies, by far.

If it were lost, or stolen? I would probably replace it with a 1960B 4X12, but that would only be for the extra 'umph' from the extra watts and extra speakers. But only if space were not an issue, as its nice to have this 2x12, it's so much smaller.

Love the compact size and the sounds. I dont hate anything about it, but I do wish that the jacks in the back were metal and not plastic, only because I think its a point of weakness (plastic) not because I've had any problems with it.

I have to give it a 10 (almost gave it a 9 because I have never contacted them to get a CS opinion) because for only $349.00 you could not buy something new that is better, maybe as good, but not better.

erm, i guess it's got that switch on the back that a lot don't....

i use a strat with a humbucker and an sg thru an AVT275 with the 1936 also. Suits what i play which is punk, rock and alt rock also some quiet stuuff too. it has a big sound and i'm very pleased with it. Sounds decent next to the 4x12 marshall the other guitarist in my band uses. It sounds exactly how i want and really stands up well against the 4x12 so i guess i'm glad i got this instead. Good value for just over 200 pounds.

Only had it a short while so can't really comment....

Makes my marshall AVT275 (combo) sound LOADS better, the difference between AVT being played on its own and with the 1936 is huge. However, whilst only being a 2x12, the cab is still pretty big and would benefit from having castors which arent't supplied (and cost #30 a set from marshall) - that's it's only black mark really.

150 watt stereo cabinet. (2)75 watt Celestions. Particle board construction, black Tolex covering.

This cab is decent but not great. I use it with a 50 watt Laney Pro Tube Lead head and various Fender guitars. It has great bottom end and can handle all the gain the Laney dishes out but sounds a bit harsh to my ears. I think the cheaper particle board construction robs it of some tone. The GT12-75 Celestions aren't a favorite of mine either. I hope to replace them with greenbacks when I have the time and $$$. Has a big sound for a 2x12 though. Decent cab but Marshall can do better.

I've been using it for 3 years and no problems yet.

Being the only Marshall product I own, I have never dealt with them as far as service goes.

It's a decent cabinet. Very loud with lot's of bottom end. Marshall cut some corners manufacturing these though. I don't know if it's worth the $400 I paid for it. For that kind of cash, you'd think Marshall could at least give you some real plywood and/or better cones. What it lacks in tone, it somewhat makes up for in volume and reliability. Not the worst cab in the world, but not the best either.

i bought this box a little over a year ago and it does me ok. i play a gibson lp studio and a 72 tele costom wich i just got and both sound good with my marhsall dsl 201 combo and jcm 600 head. the speakers in it give a good rock tone with nice meaty low end. but any ways i love guitar and just play for kicks at home, so there is probably better some wheres out there.

still works fine after a year, not like its rocket science to build 1 of these so it better last especialy if its stationary in the house. once in a while tighten up the screws to stop rattles, but how hard is that.

bin playin 6 or 7 years and just starting to get not the best but the ok kinda gear. if your not into the big time gig or touring guitarist and such the 1936 might do you just fine.