Harley Benton G212Plus Unloaded

I'd start by stating upfront that Harley Benton does a priceless job by offering these unloaded guitar cabinets. Many of us have their preferred speakers at home that they ordered separately, it is a pointless waste to buy a new cab with a speaker they won't use. What is missing from the series is a large closed back 1x12, IMHO. And maybe different finishes, like cream tolex or tweed :)

I own a number of 1x12 cabinets which sound good themselves, but I could not find the tone I was looking for with them, in particular because they sound too boxy, including the Thiele. Because I tried everything and also I have two speakers that I prefer, I decided to pull the trigger on a 2x12. Although with a larger footprint, I picked the horizontal because this variation normally sounds fuller than a vertical, and I believe this one is more appropriate for a pair of different speakers: you don't want one to overcome the other depending on the position of the listener.

I could not be more happy about the tone! The cabinet resonance doesn't stand in the way. It's neat, smooth and clear, maybe a bit on the fuller side. I only used it fully closed back so far, but it has the option to open 1/2 or 2/3 from the back - one could not ask for more functionality.

In terms of build, this cab is quite large, makes the others I own look like toys LOL! Despite its volume, it is fairly light, even with the speakers mounted in. Its design is classy, its finish is sexy. The front panel is slightly slanted, projecting the sound towards the player and not to their feet.

I only found two small issues with the build. The tolex edges on the inside are peeled, here and there. Nothing visible on the outside, though. The other thing is, when I screwed the speakers in, I could not reach a stopping point with the bolts. I am not sure if they are holding on a metal nut or directly in the plywood. I was afraid to stretch it too far, to avoid drilling the holes loose, so I stopped at a certain point, but I must say that the drivers stay fixed quite well to the baffle.

Now it came the time to state that Thomann's services are top notch! It was a bit of a ride to find the gear I needed in respect to cab and speakers (and not only), and I had to test and return a couple of items. It was painless, 'nuff said. Even in the conditions when the normal postal service returned cabinets from the customs, Thomann always offered a solution and they did it fast. Actually, they consistently offered great services for years, not changing with the wind, building trust with their customers. Much appreciated!

Die leere 2x12 Box von Harley Benton ist sehr leicht. Sie sauber mit Tolex bezogen. Die Schutzecken sitzen gut. Die seitlichen Griffschalen sind im im Vergleich zu Marshall anders herum montiert (das lässt sich aber ohne Probleme nur mit einem Schraubenzieher ändern). Um für die Lautsprechermontage die Rückwand herauszunehmen empfiehlt es sich, nach dem Lösen der Schrauben eine Griffschale zu demontieren und so von innen gegen die Rückwand zu drücken - die Öffnung der Montageplatte für die Klinkenbuchsen war für mich zu klein).

Ich habe die Box mit zwei V-Typ Celestions bestückt und betreibe sie "openback" - so klingt sie in meinen Ohren sehr gut (v.a. für Clean und Crunchsounds).

Ich hatte überlegt die Box als Basis für einige Modifikationen zu nehmen (z.B. andere Frontbespannung) - allerdings lässt sich die Wand an der die Lautsprecher befestigt sind meines Erachtens nach nicht nach hinten heraus nehmen, da der Rahmen an dem die Rückwand befestigt ist eingeleimt wurde und somit im Weg ist.

Kleiner Wermutstropfen und Grund für den Punktabzug in der Verarbeitung:

Es fehlte in einer Bohrung zur Lautsprechermontage die Einschlagmutter (ab zum Baumarkt und für 20 Cent eine holen)
Sie kippelte leicht (ist mir am Anfang gar nicht aufgefallen - dünne Moosgummischeibe unter einem der Füße hat Abhilfe gebracht)

Fazit:
Trotz kleiner Verarbeitungsschwächen - ich würde diese Box wieder kaufen!!