{"id":522367,"date":"2024-07-23T14:59:51","date_gmt":"2024-07-23T12:59:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/?p=522367"},"modified":"2024-07-16T15:22:36","modified_gmt":"2024-07-16T13:22:36","slug":"guitar-cab-closed-back-vs-open-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/en\/gear\/guitar-cab-closed-back-vs-open-back\/","title":{"rendered":"Guitar Cab: Closed Back vs. Open Back"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>We&#8217;re going to get a bit nerdy again here and focus on the difference between closed back and open back guitar cabs and their sonic effects. At first glance, the back of a guitar cab may not seem important \u2013 after all, the speaker sits at the front and radiates to the front. So what does the back of the amp have to do with the sound? Quite a lot, especially when it comes to how the cab sounds in the room. You\u2019ve guessed it, it has to do with the propagation of sound waves and various frequency cancellations. But don&#8217;t worry, we won&#8217;t be getting overly technical here.<\/strong><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Guitar Cab: Closed Back vs. Open Back \u2013 Quick Facts<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Closed back:<\/strong> the guitar cabinet is closed at the back<\/li>\n<li><strong>Open back:<\/strong> the guitar cabinet has an opening at the back<\/li>\n<li><strong>Closed back:<\/strong> powerful sound with tighter bass, clear dispersion angle<\/li>\n<li><strong>Open Back:<\/strong> fuller sound in the room, spreads out more, slight treble reduction<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"advads-content-injection-before-2-h2 advads-entity-placement\" style=\"text-align: center;\" id=\"advads-658721944\"><div class=\"advads-adlabel\">Advertisements<\/div><div id=\"advads-3910169688\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/intl\/index.html?utm_medium=display&#038;utm_source=partnersite&#038;utm_campaign=branding&#038;utm_content=thoshop&#038;utm_term=gemischt\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"2502_Gear_Banner_Gemischt_729x90_EN_v01\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/2502_Gear_Banner_Gemischt_729x90_EN_v01.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/2502_Gear_Banner_Gemischt_729x90_EN_v01.jpg 728w, https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/2502_Gear_Banner_Gemischt_729x90_EN_v01-300x37.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 728px) 100vw, 728px\" width=\"728\" height=\"90\"   \/><\/a><\/div><\/div><h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Guitar Cab: Construction<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>A guitar cabinet or cab is a speaker cabinet that is optimised for guitar sounds and equipped with one (or more) specific guitar speaker(s). The design is quite simple: it is a wooden box with four side panels, a rear panel, and a front panel where the guitar speaker is mounted. Typically, the front panel is protected by a grille or a layer of sound-permeable fabric. Depending on the make and model, the rear panel can be either completely closed or partially open. <strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">This is what the individual parts of a 4&#215;12 guitar cab look like:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_522431\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-522431\" style=\"width: 1584px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-522431 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Screenshot-2024-07-11-at-17.44.22.png\" alt=\"Image courtesy of www.rockprojekt.de - Rolf Esser\" width=\"1584\" height=\"902\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/Screenshot-2024-07-11-at-17.44.22.png 1584w, https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/Screenshot-2024-07-11-at-17.44.22-300x171.png 300w, https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/Screenshot-2024-07-11-at-17.44.22-1024x583.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/Screenshot-2024-07-11-at-17.44.22-768x437.png 768w, https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/Screenshot-2024-07-11-at-17.44.22-1536x875.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1584px) 100vw, 1584px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-522431\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Image courtesy of www.rockprojekt.de &#8211; Rolf Esser<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The most important thing for the sound is, of course, the type of speaker. But other components also contribute to the sound:<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Number of speakers<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Guitar cabs are commonly available with one, two, or four speakers. As a rough guide, the more speakers there are, the &#8220;fuller&#8221; the sound. Of course, the size (diameter) of the speakers also matters. Here, too, the general rule is: the bigger, the more powerful. Guitar cabs are primarily equipped with 12-inch speakers, but there are also models with 10-inch or 8-inch speakers.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Wood type and thickness<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The term wood thickness refers to the thickness of the wood used for the side and rear panels. A speaker generates vibrations. The wood of the cabinet should ideally resonate with the speaker and enhance its vibrations. Most guitar gabs are made of durable plywood; the industry standard is 18-millimeter birch plywood. This wood resonates better, especially with closed cabs. It is important that there is no air between the layers of wood to prevent the cabinet from rattling.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>\ud83d\udc49 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/intl\/cat_GK_gieag4.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Shop 4&#215;12 Guitar Cabs<\/a> \ud83d\udc48<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Guitar Cab: Closed Back<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>In a closed cabinet, all the sound is &#8220;pushed&#8221; forwards, as there is nowhere else for it to exit the cabinet. As a result, the sound from this type of guitar cab is very focused and reaches the listener directly. The basses are clear, tight, and defined and the mids are also slightly more pronounced. This type of cab is best suited for holding your own in a band. For the most part, 4&#215;12 cabs are designed with a closed back. The same goes for most 2&#215;12 cabs.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<style>\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 50%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n\t\t<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-522367 gallery-columns-2 gallery-size-medium'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/Marshall-1960AV-412-Cabinet-300x300.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"Marshall 1960AV 412 Cabinet - Closed-Back Guitar Amp\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-522411\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/Marshall-1960AV-412-Cabinet-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/Marshall-1960AV-412-Cabinet-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/Marshall-1960AV-412-Cabinet.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-522411'>\n\t\t\t\tMarshall 1960AV 412 Cabinet\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/Harley-Benton-G212-Vertical-Celestion-V30-300x300.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-522410\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/Harley-Benton-G212-Vertical-Celestion-V30-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/Harley-Benton-G212-Vertical-Celestion-V30-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/Harley-Benton-G212-Vertical-Celestion-V30.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-522410'>\n\t\t\t\tHarley Benton G212 Vertical Celestion V30\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Guitar Cab Closed Back Models<\/strong><\/h3>\n<div class=\"mceTemp\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"mceTemp\"><\/div>\n\n\t\t<style>\n\t\t\t#gallery-2 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-2 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 33%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-2 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-2 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n\t\t<div id='gallery-2' class='gallery galleryid-522367 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-medium'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/HughesKettner-Tubemeister-212-Box-300x300.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"Hughes&amp;Kettner Tubemeister 212 Box\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-2-522396\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/HughesKettner-Tubemeister-212-Box-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/HughesKettner-Tubemeister-212-Box-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/HughesKettner-Tubemeister-212-Box.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-2-522396'>\n\t\t\t\tHughes&#038;Kettner Tubemeister 212 Box\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/arshall-Studio-Vintage-SV212-Cabinet-300x300.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"Marshall Studio Vintage SV212 Cabinet\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-2-522397\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/arshall-Studio-Vintage-SV212-Cabinet-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/arshall-Studio-Vintage-SV212-Cabinet-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/arshall-Studio-Vintage-SV212-Cabinet.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-2-522397'>\n\t\t\t\tMarshall Studio Vintage SV212 Cabinet\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/BluGuitar-Fatcab-300x300.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"BluGuitar Fatcab\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-2-522398\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/BluGuitar-Fatcab-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/BluGuitar-Fatcab-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/BluGuitar-Fatcab.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-2-522398'>\n\t\t\t\tBluGuitar Fatcab\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>\ud83d\udc49 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/intl\/cat_GK_gieag2.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Shop 2&#215;12 Guitar Cabs<\/a> \ud83d\udc48<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Guitar Cab: Open Back<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>An open back guitar cab has an opening in the rear panel. Most open back cabs have partial rear panels at the top and bottom, one of which also houses the connectors. Between them is a gap, through which you can see the speaker(s). Depending on the size of this gap, more or less sound can escape towards the rear.<\/p>\n<p>This reduces the sound pressure level at the front and makes the sound more open and less focused. Simply speaking, a closed cab delivers a beam of sound to the front, while an open back cab creates more of a cloud of sound around the cab. The sound is distributed over a larger area in the room because it is also emitted to the rear.<\/p>\n<p>Don&#8217;t forget! If you place an open back cab directly against the wall, this sound cloud will be smaller than if the cab is placed a little further away from a wall and the sound can spread over a larger area. The sound is somewhat warmer with a slightly reduced treble range. This is due to the cancellation of frequencies that occurs because the sound escapes both to the front (forward movement of the speaker) and to the rear (backward movement of the speaker). The bass range is also slightly softer.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_522404\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-522404\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/intl\/orange_ppc212cob.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-522404\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Orange-PPC212-COB-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Orange PPC212-COB - Front View - Guitar Cab\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/Orange-PPC212-COB-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/Orange-PPC212-COB-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/Orange-PPC212-COB.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-522404\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Orange PPC212-COB &#8211; Front View<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_522405\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-522405\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/intl\/orange_ppc212cob.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-522405\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Orange-PPC212-COB-Back-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Orange PPC212-COB - Back View - Guitar Cab\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/Orange-PPC212-COB-Back-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/Orange-PPC212-COB-Back-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/Orange-PPC212-COB-Back.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-522405\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Orange PPC212-COB Back View<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In the 1950s and 1960s, combo amps often had an open-back design to reduce weight. Guitarists placed them on stage to project sound to the audience and hear themselves through the back. For recording, engineers sometimes used a second microphone at the back for a warmer sound mix. These amps, typically made of lightweight pinewood, have less critical vibration characteristics due to their open-back design.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_522406\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-522406\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/intl\/harley_benton_g112_vintage.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-522406\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Harley-Benton-G112-Celestion-V30-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Harley Benton G112 Celestion V30 - Guitar Cab Open\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/Harley-Benton-G112-Celestion-V30-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/Harley-Benton-G112-Celestion-V30-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/Harley-Benton-G112-Celestion-V30.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-522406\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Harley Benton G112 Celestion V30<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_522407\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-522407\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/intl\/vox_bc_112_cabinet.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-522407\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Vox-BC-112-Cabinet-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Vox BC 112 Cabinet - Guitar Cab Open\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/Vox-BC-112-Cabinet-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/Vox-BC-112-Cabinet-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/Vox-BC-112-Cabinet.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-522407\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Vox BC 112 Cabinet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"Zwischenberschrift\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span lang=\"DE\">Open Back Guitar Cab models<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\t\t<style>\n\t\t\t#gallery-3 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-3 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 50%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-3 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-3 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n\t\t<div id='gallery-3' class='gallery galleryid-522367 gallery-columns-2 gallery-size-medium'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/Vox-V212C-Front-300x300.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"Vox V212C Front - Open-back Guitar cab\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-3-522408\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/Vox-V212C-Front-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/Vox-V212C-Front-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/Vox-V212C-Front.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-3-522408'>\n\t\t\t\tVox V212C Front\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/Vox-V212C-300x300.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"Vox V212C Front - Open-back Guitar cab\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-3-522409\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/Vox-V212C-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/Vox-V212C-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/Vox-V212C.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-3-522409'>\n\t\t\t\tVox V212C Back View\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>\ud83d\udc49 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/intl\/cat_GK_gieags.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Shop Misc. Guitar Cabs<\/a> \ud83d\udc48<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Guitar Cab: Variable Models (Closed Back &amp; Open Back)<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>If you can&#8217;t make up your mind or want to have all options at your disposal, you can opt for a variable version. With these cabs, the rear panel can be partially removed to achieve the desired sound and dispersion behaviour.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_522402\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-522402\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/intl\/harley_benton_g212plus_v30_creamback.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-522402 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Harley-Benton-G212Plus-V30Creamback-front-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Harley Benton G212Plus V30\/Creamback - Front View\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/Harley-Benton-G212Plus-V30Creamback-front-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/Harley-Benton-G212Plus-V30Creamback-front-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/Harley-Benton-G212Plus-V30Creamback-front.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-522402\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Harley Benton G212Plus V30\/Creamback &#8211; Front View<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_522403\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-522403\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/intl\/harley_benton_g212plus_v30_creamback.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-522403\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Harley-Benton-G212Plus-V30Creamback-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Harley Benton G212Plus V30\/Creamback\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/Harley-Benton-G212Plus-V30Creamback-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/Harley-Benton-G212Plus-V30Creamback-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/Harley-Benton-G212Plus-V30Creamback.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-522403\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Harley Benton G212Plus V30\/Creamback &#8211; Back Panel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Final thoughts<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>There is no better or worse when it comes to closed back versus open back guitar cabs. As always, it&#8217;s a matter of taste. But you can roughly narrow things down: If you like drop tunings and tend to play in the high-gain range, a closed back guitar cab will certainly give you more pleasure and pressure on stage. If a closed back 4&#215;12 cab sounds a little too harsh, you should try a 2&#215;12 cab with an open back, which sounds a little more airy in the room. The issue of open back vs. closed back is less important during recording or if the speaker is close-miked \u2013 but there is a slight difference. As soon as a room microphone comes into play, you will definitely hear it.<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s an interesting video with Kris and Guillaume on this topic.<\/p>\n<div class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-container brlbs-cmpnt-content-blocker brlbs-cmpnt-with-individual-styles\" data-borlabs-cookie-content-blocker-id=\"youtube-content-blocker\" data-borlabs-cookie-content=\"PGlmcmFtZSB0aXRsZT0iT3BlbiBCYWNrIFZTIENsb3NlZCBCYWNrIEd1aXRhciBDYWJzIHwgR3VpdGFyIENoZWNrIHwgVGhvbWFubiIgd2lkdGg9IjUwMCIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyODEiIHNyYz0iaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cueW91dHViZS1ub2Nvb2tpZS5jb20vZW1iZWQvblBYNkNVMGtsRlU\/ZmVhdHVyZT1vZW1iZWQiIGZyYW1lYm9yZGVyPSIwIiBhbGxvdz0iYWNjZWxlcm9tZXRlcjsgYXV0b3BsYXk7IGNsaXBib2FyZC13cml0ZTsgZW5jcnlwdGVkLW1lZGlhOyBneXJvc2NvcGU7IHBpY3R1cmUtaW4tcGljdHVyZTsgd2ViLXNoYXJlIiByZWZlcnJlcnBvbGljeT0ic3RyaWN0LW9yaWdpbi13aGVuLWNyb3NzLW9yaWdpbiIgYWxsb3dmdWxsc2NyZWVuPjwvaWZyYW1lPg==\">\n<div class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-preset-c brlbs-cmpnt-cb-youtube\">\n<div class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-thumbnail\" style=\"background-image: url('https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/borlabs-cookie\/2\/brlbs-cb-youtube-main.png')\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-main\">\n<div class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-play-button\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-content\">\n<p class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-description\">You are currently viewing a placeholder content from <strong>YouTube<\/strong>. To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.<\/p>\n<p> <a class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-provider-toggle\" href=\"#\" data-borlabs-cookie-show-provider-information role=\"button\">More Information<\/a> <\/div>\n<div class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-buttons\"> <a class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-btn\" href=\"#\" data-borlabs-cookie-unblock role=\"button\">Unblock this content<\/a> <a class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-btn\" href=\"#\" data-borlabs-cookie-accept-service role=\"button\" style=\"display: inherit\">Accept required service and unblock its content<\/a> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>What&#8217;s your favourite guitar cab variant and why? Let us know in a comment! \ud83d\udc47<\/strong><\/h3>\n<div class=\"advads-content-injection-before-content advads-entity-placement\" style=\"text-align: center;\" id=\"advads-3324876246\"><div class=\"advads-adlabel\">Advertisements<\/div><div id=\"advads-2547087181\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/intl\/index.html?utm_medium=display&#038;utm_source=partnersite&#038;utm_campaign=branding&#038;utm_content=thoshop&#038;utm_term=gemischt\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"2502_Gear_Banner_Gemischt_729x90_EN_v01\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/2502_Gear_Banner_Gemischt_729x90_EN_v01.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/2502_Gear_Banner_Gemischt_729x90_EN_v01.jpg 728w, https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/2502_Gear_Banner_Gemischt_729x90_EN_v01-300x37.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 728px) 100vw, 728px\" width=\"728\" height=\"90\"   \/><\/a><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Discover the differences between closed-back and open-back guitar cabs. Learn how each affects sound, tone, and playing style. Find out now! <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":53,"featured_media":522412,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tblog_post_audio_url":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1083],"tags":[5926,26655,26653,26659,26657,5810],"class_list":["post-522367","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gear","tag-amplifier-en","tag-closed-back-cab","tag-guitar-cab","tag-guitar-gear","tag-open-back-cab","tag-tone"],"category_colors":{"color_key":"gear","css_classes":{"text":"cat-gear","text_light":"cat-gear-light","bg":"cat-bg-gear","bg_light":"cat-bg-gear-light","border":"cat-border-gear","text_on_bg":"cat-text-on-gear"}},"reading_time":{"minutes":6,"formatted":"6 min"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/522367","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/53"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=522367"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/522367\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/522412"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=522367"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=522367"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thomann.de\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=522367"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}