• From: Detroit
  • Registered: 2006-06-02
  • Posts: 5,807

Topic: Marshall Class 5 through EVM 12Ls

Hey all,

My brother loaned me his Marshall Class 5 combo to test drive until Christmas. I'll be putting it though my vertical 2x12 cab loaded with EVM 12L Black Label Speakers. Early trials are promising, but band practice is tonight, and I want to see if it will be loud enough to cut through the mix. The 15watt Blues Jr. Does, and this Class 5 seems plenty loud... so we will see!

I have the cab sitting on an Aurelex Gramma, and have a plexi shield handy just in case...

I'll post my findings tomorrow!  big_smile

- Nic from Detroit... posting on JB's Forum since 6-2-2006
Ask me about my handwound Great Lakes Guitar Pickups
Since 2010, Bonamassa fans have taken advantage of my JB friend discount = my cost + shipping. cool
  • From: BC, CANADA
  • Registered: 2010-12-29
  • Posts: 121

Re: Marshall Class 5 through EVM 12Ls

NPB_EST.1979 wrote:

Hey all,

My brother loaned me his Marshall Class 5 combo to test drive until Christmas. I'll be putting it though my vertical 2x12 cab loaded with EVM 12L Black Label Speakers. Early trials are promising, but band practice is tonight, and I want to see if it will be loud enough to cut through the mix. The 15watt Blues Jr. Does, and this Class 5 seems plenty loud... so we will see!

I have the cab sitting on an Aurelex Gramma, and have a plexi shield handy just in case...

I'll post my findings tomorrow!  big_smile

I'm interested to hear how it performed. I tried my Class 5 through a Mesa 2x12 with Vintage 30's and found it wasn't loud enough. Now if you daisy chain 6 or 8 of them together.... smile

Guitars: 2002 Gibson R8, 2008 Gibson SG Standard, 1977 Fender Statocaster, 1979 el Degas Les Paul Custom, 2011 Epiphone JB Les Paul
Amps: 1982 Marshall 4010
  • From: Canterbury
  • Registered: 2010-05-27
  • Posts: 310

Re: Marshall Class 5 through EVM 12Ls

Wait, wouldn't the Class 5 at 5W be underpowered to drive the speaker?

I was considering trying the EVM12L with my 20 watter but I thought it might be too weak to drive the speaker.

  • From: Georgia
  • Registered: 2010-12-01
  • Posts: 278

Re: Marshall Class 5 through EVM 12Ls

I use mine through an Orange 2x12 for rehersals and it works fine, of course we are a 3 peice. Live I use an orange Tiny Terror with the 2x12, it's only 7 watts and I only turn it up half way. Never had to dime it out, or switch to 15 watts with it. The Class 5 sounds better through the 2x12 at a volume of 6, then use a pedal to overdrive. The Class 5 will also give you a little more head room when you want to clean it up. The JCM 900 only gets used for outdoor gigs anymore.

  • From: Detroit
  • Registered: 2006-06-02
  • Posts: 5,807

Re: Marshall Class 5 through EVM 12Ls

Results!

Ok, all the way up, it totally cut through the mix, and it rocked hard as expected. no real boost for solos though, and others were pretty much turned down a little more than usual. in a gig setting, would need to be mic'd. Rolling off on the vol didn't give me the cleans I wanted so I had to dial the vol back to 4/5 and use the Fulltone FD II MOSFET. The cleans were lower volume than rolling off on the guitar vol, but it also had less gain and more clarity.

I'd like to try it again this weekend, to truly see if I would ever gig this way.

With the EVM's, I didn't see a real difference. There was tube overdrive here and the speakers handled it fine. I did turn the bass down and the treble up on the amp so I could hear it through the mix. 2x12's was pushing more air, so I think it filled the room nicer than the 1x10 it comes with.

- Nic from Detroit... posting on JB's Forum since 6-2-2006
Ask me about my handwound Great Lakes Guitar Pickups
Since 2010, Bonamassa fans have taken advantage of my JB friend discount = my cost + shipping. cool
  • From: York, PA
  • Registered: 2010-08-27
  • Posts: 1,749

Re: Marshall Class 5 through EVM 12Ls

Those class 5s really do, in my opinion, sound great through 2 12" cabs!  Totally agree, it really fills the room nicely.

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

Re: Marshall Class 5 through EVM 12Ls

EVM12L are very high wattage speakers anyway so I doubt anybody except Joe turns up loud enough to really "Drive" the speaker anyway.  Joe uses them because they have so much power you can't get speaker distortion with them.  They are clean sounding and give you the true sound of the amp no color to the sound.  It doesn't hurt the speaker  one way or the other. 

AndreS wrote:

Wait, wouldn't the Class 5 at 5W be underpowered to drive the speaker?

I was considering trying the EVM12L with my 20 watter but I thought it might be too weak to drive the speaker.

AD3THREE's Website

  • From: Canterbury
  • Registered: 2010-05-27
  • Posts: 310

Re: Marshall Class 5 through EVM 12Ls

AD3THREE wrote:

EVM12L are very high wattage speakers anyway so I doubt anybody except Joe turns up loud enough to really "Drive" the speaker anyway.  Joe uses them because they have so much power you can't get speaker distortion with them.  They are clean sounding and give you the true sound of the amp no color to the sound.  It doesn't hurt the speaker  one way or the other. 

AndreS wrote:

Wait, wouldn't the Class 5 at 5W be underpowered to drive the speaker?

I was considering trying the EVM12L with my 20 watter but I thought it might be too weak to drive the speaker.

Thanks. That might be perfect especially if you want more control over your volume and distortion etc. hmm

  • Registered: 2008-03-07
  • Posts: 508

Re: Marshall Class 5 through EVM 12Ls

NPB_EST.1979 wrote:

Results!

Ok, all the way up, it totally cut through the mix, and it rocked hard as expected. no real boost for solos though, and others were pretty much turned down a little more than usual. in a gig setting, would need to be mic'd. Rolling off on the vol didn't give me the cleans I wanted so I had to dial the vol back to 4/5 and use the Fulltone FD II MOSFET. The cleans were lower volume than rolling off on the guitar vol, but it also had less gain and more clarity.

I'd like to try it again this weekend, to truly see if I would ever gig this way.

With the EVM's, I didn't see a real difference. There was tube overdrive here and the speakers handled it fine. I did turn the bass down and the treble up on the amp so I could hear it through the mix. 2x12's was pushing more air, so I think it filled the room nicer than the 1x10 it comes with.

When I tried one out at practise I had it dialed but ,  for clean sounds it was no good so I switched to another amp It was loud enough for me but I was not competing against another guitar so if. If you need 1 amp then I dont think this amp is loud enough you need 20w upwards IMO

"Everybody's entitled to my opinion. wink
  • From: North Carolina
  • Registered: 2008-10-26
  • Posts: 2,926

Re: Marshall Class 5 through EVM 12Ls

The only thing is any speaker rated for higher wattage the then the amp will do that.  They call the this "Head Room"  and it can be used as a speaker term and also an amp term.  5 watts into a 15 watt speaker shouldn't over drive the speaker.  But in the case of old marshalls 100 watts into 4 12 inch speakers rated for 25 watts 16 ohms each would only make up 100 watts.  This caused the amp to distort and the speakers to distort.  Leo fender when he first made the twins amp maked the amp for 80 watts and had 2 speakers rated for 25 watts 16 ohms each.  This made 50 watts for the speakers but the amp could go to 80 watts so cranked this amp would blow the speakers but leo had the idea in the 50's that distortion was a bad thing.  So if you have high powered amps its much harder to turn up loud and get tube distortion.  So because your amp isnt distorting your were not going to turn up loud for distortion because it was too loud.  This is what everyone discribes as Clean Head room for amps.   

AndreS wrote:
AD3THREE wrote:

EVM12L are very high wattage speakers anyway so I doubt anybody except Joe turns up loud enough to really "Drive" the speaker anyway.  Joe uses them because they have so much power you can't get speaker distortion with them.  They are clean sounding and give you the true sound of the amp no color to the sound.  It doesn't hurt the speaker  one way or the other. 

AndreS wrote:

Wait, wouldn't the Class 5 at 5W be underpowered to drive the speaker?

I was considering trying the EVM12L with my 20 watter but I thought it might be too weak to drive the speaker.

Thanks. That might be perfect especially if you want more control over your volume and distortion etc. hmm

AD3THREE's Website