• From: North Carolina
  • Registered: 2008-10-26
  • Posts: 2,926

Topic: Can laying a speaker cab in its back hurt the speaker while in use?

My buddy was playing his marshall JCM600 with 4x10 cab the other day and he had the idea if he points his cabinet up in the air instead of out at everyone it would work just like a plexi shield on a drum kit and make the volume go up instead of blowing us all way.  That or point it down to the floor.  But our bass player fussed at him saying the speakers are designed to only travel in that one axis and positioning a cabinet in either of those ways would damage the speakers.  Does anybody know if this is true?  Only thing I read on line is the speakers would travel more then they were designed to causing some weird crossover sound or something.

AD3THREE's Website

  • From: North Andover, MA
  • Registered: 2010-03-23
  • Posts: 35

Re: Can laying a speaker cab in its back hurt the speaker while in use?

You should not have a problem with it at all.  I know many who have the speakers facing up or down with no issues.

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3 Reply by AD3THREE (edited by AD3THREE 2012-11-16 19:47:39)

  • From: North Carolina
  • Registered: 2008-10-26
  • Posts: 2,926

Re: Can laying a speaker cab in its back hurt the speaker while in use?

Thats what I thought but there isn't any material on it on search engines and I was thinking Bruce Springsteen turns Marshall cabs up like that, also what would be the difference in all the way back versus tilted back?  People tilt all the time.  I think my bassist needs to lay off the home made Moon Shine.

AD3THREE's Website

  • From: WV
  • Registered: 2012-04-04
  • Posts: 115

Re: Can laying a speaker cab in its back hurt the speaker while in use?

I remember reading something years ago, long before the internet and search engines came along, that George Lynch would sit his cabs on bricks or blocks or something, and point them towards the ground during studio sessions - I cant imagine that it would hurt them

5 Reply by Chrisuk (edited by Chrisuk 2012-11-17 15:07:48)

  • From: West Sussex
  • Registered: 2011-05-17
  • Posts: 307

Re: Can laying a speaker cab in its back hurt the speaker while in use?

In fact it is better for the speakers to work this way - but impractical for most folk.

The speakers are indeed meant to move on one axis and that is best achived with a speaker pointing up or down.  In fact when you transport speakers it's best if the are kept flat.