A few months back I purchased these two for the specific task of replacing the stock speakers in a Vintage Modified Bandmaster cabinet. The swap was very easy, and the speakers dropped right in with no hassle.
I use the Bandmaster cab with my old red-knob Dual Showman (125w) head. The stock speakers sounded ok, but had no legs. Above 6 or so on the volume knob, and it sounded like two hogs fighting over the last corn cob. Very noisy, very dirty, and they just plain stank. I have since sold the stock speakers to some guy named Sancho who thinks he can make them work with his 32ohm car stereo (he won't. at least not for long). Anyway, now for the performance report...
Right out of the box, I knew I'd made the right decision. Now that the speakers are broken in, I have reverb junkies and equipment managers all drooling over my rig. The combination of those two speakers have given me both a very solid low-end, with a very satisfying sparkly top-end. The stock speakers I think were made for some kid with a digitech pedal and no grasp of good sound quality. The two new ones really let the sound of the amp come through. I play this rig primarily as rhythm guitar in a surf instumental band, so the sound not only has to be there, but it has to sound good. Well, I can tell you I haven't sounded better.
As with all speaker combos, the good and the bad:
Good: Volume range is top-notch. No breakup or loss of dynamics, regardless of volume setting.
Good: Sound quality is amazing. I have done a side-by-side with a 15" tone ring cab, and in some respects, this cab out-performs it.
Bad: You either need to stand about 25' from the cabinet, or mic both speakers to really hear it well. The speakers seem to have a very narrow cone of sound coming out.
Bad: the replacement speakers added almost two whole pounds to the weight of the cabinet. I know,, right?
Cool beans! The extreme directionality, however ain't the speakers ... it's the closed-back cab! Open that back up and open up a 360-degree sound-stage (as opposed to the 25-degree Laser-beam)! I'm really not a fan of sealed cabs in most situations. Read this blog:
http://wgs4.com/difference-speaker-can-make-your-guitar-amp
One of my favorite rigs right now is a vintage 2x12 Bandmaster cab (with a Reaper & a Reaper 55) with either my blackface '67 Bandmaster head, my silverface '67, or my '65 Bassman. This cab came to me with a three-piece back ... and it sounds SOOOOOO much better with the center panel removed. You might want to consider it...
You're right about the closed-back. I was referencing as compared to an old brownface showman cab with the 15" JVL and the tone ring. Unless you were standing behind it, you were getting a dose.
And no, i won't be taking the saw to the bandmaster cab. I'll buy something else to use before I go all Frankenstein on my gear. Components, I'll swap. I sucked in shop class.