Hi,
Actually, I do have a couple of 4x12's at workshop and yes Ihave tried most of my models through at least one 4x12.
Indeed I would still carry such a cab when needed and only for the purpose of sound.
I would not carry the 4x12 EV loaded Kustom cabinett I once had ever again. I have a much lighter 4x12.
Through the years I have gotten used to different soundlevels as in the best time to practice alone could very well be in the dead of night in a flat trying out things to blast through 100W's the next day.
As this has been an everyday experience and I found I practiced, carried gear and waited more hours than I was on stage, in that order, I would also think that sound when practicing must be as inspiring as when playing live and this I also had as a core as a guitar instructor many years ago and in fact this I work with today.
Something I learnt is to recognize certain parts in sound that would maybe sound fine on low levels but that would mush out at rehearsal- this I learnt from designing pedals at night and getting the feedback during the day and so I use also small amps to test things and can from memory recognize what I'd like to get rid off or add as in if it sounds like this through this reference amplifier it would through main amplifier and speakers sound this or that way.
This is also why I am so interested in how things sound through amplifiers I may never get to hear in real life and pieces can be put together like a puzzle.
Oh yes I have heard some of my pedals sound like the worst possible through certain set ups and nowhere in the ballpark of the intention and I learn more why this could be and try to find ways of great sounds regardless.
I am as one project now checking out a sort of best of BJF pedal as it has been called-like if Baby Blue and Honey Bee had a kid as it also has been said and this model has so far been mostly tested on MP CS-40 with a 4x12 MP cabinett with four Red Fangs aswel as a small reference amplifier to chck that low levels and loud volumes correspond. I've got some more testing to do to see if I can find a way to make this work on other shop amps like a proreverb and a VOX AC-30 and yes I'll run it through my personal 4x12 cab too.
Indeed btw DRD was designed partly using a 4x12

Have fun
BJ