2 Heads 2 cabs

[AliensExist4]

Hi,
I have a Mesa 2 channel Triple Rect. with a Mesa tradition 4x12 and mesa recto 2x12. What I want to know is could I add a Marshall head to my set-up and run the mesa head and the marshall together through both my cabs. Basically I want to mix the tones of both heads and have it come out of both cabs. Is this possible? Thanks

- Patrick

 

[jgventura]

i'd like to know this as well

 

[Howitzer]

So you want 3 speakers putting out the Recto sound, and 3 speakers putting out the Marshall sound?


First question, is the 2x12 stereo? If so then yes:


It is possible with just the 4x12 though - so lets stick with that.

Find the "Left" channel, plug one head in, then find the "right" channel (look at the back of the cabinet- it will identify which jack is which), and plug it in. Its very simple.


If Im wrong, somone correct me fast! Ive done this with a Stereo GENZ-BENZ 4x12.


you will also need to split signal with an a/b box to the heads.

 

[jgventura]

So that would combine BOTH heads into the same speaker cab? So it would just be one big tone medly?

 

[Guitarzan]

Run a cable from your slave out on your Mesa to the "Return" on the back of your Marshall. I'm assuming you have a return. (if not then run the cable to the input) Put the slave output dial on the Mesa at about 8 O'clock, you don't need much signal out. All this is doing is taking the preamp section out of your Mesa to the Power tubes section of the Marshall (unless your going to the input of the Marshall) . I do this with my JCM 2K DSL. Make sure before powering up that you have the appropriate speaker connections...you don't want to fry and output TX. Adjust the slave output on the Mesa, once everything is going, to an equal volume for each. Let me know how this goes for you.

 

[jbird]

It could be done if both cabs are stereo, but why? I never really understood these stereo cabs? I'd think one would prefer seperation when running in stereo, that's the whole advantage, spaciousness! I don't know? Not too many people I know of running two heads into one cab!

 

[AliensExist4]

Thanks for the responses. I dont have Marshall head but I have everything else what I listed above. I just wanted to know out of curiosity or if someone has done it before. I want the Marshall Head and the Mesa Triple Rect. Head to be hooked up together somehow and playing though my 4x12's and 2x12's. I just want the Marshall to add diff. tones to the Mesa. Can this be done?

- Patrick

 

[ibanez4life SZ!]

Why not run the Triple through the 4x12 and marshall through the 2x12?

It would be a nice mix!

 

[AliensExist4]

Ya I could try that as well. But could it work through both at the same time?

- Patrick

 

[egkor]

You cannot combine speaker level outputs from the Mesa and Marshall heads.

Now if you have your Mesa connected to its own cab, and your Marshall connected to its own cab (Mesa or Marshall or whatever), then you could use a A/B amp switcher.

The A/B switcher switches your guitar to A (the Mesa) or B (the Marshall), but it also has a "A+B" output where your guitar is connected to both heads, and you get the combined sound from both.

There have been (and probably still are) artists that run 2 amps simultaneously. SRV comes to mind, I believe that some of his sounds came from a combination of simultaneous Fender and Marshall amps.

-Gary K

 

[Reese Bobby]

i am currently setting up a stereo/dual mono rig. i posted a thread about it and got good responses from it. it is of my opinion that stereo cabs don't quite get the effect of tone blending that i myself am looking for. two heads and two cabs run either in stereo or dual mono is, inmho, the best way to blend. i tried the two amps in stereo into my 4x12 recto and the results werent mind blowing...it is in fact all about the seperation, as someone stated, to get the uniquness of two amps running simlutaneously. im in the process of trying several different ways of running my triple rec and my nomad together, i would suggest checking it out for yourself before buying another head. i mean, every guitar player knows another player who uses plain old marshall! borrow his sub standard amp and test it out. lol.

the thread i was talking about is here:
http://forum.grailtone.com/viewtopic.php?t=6736
check it out...theres a bunch of useful info on the matter. peece.

 

[AliensExist4]

egkor: So If I get the AB Switch I can do what I'm talking about and run both the mesa and marshall head through the both cabs together? Thanks

- Patrick

 

[jbird]

You'd need the A/B(Y) switch in either situation?

 

[ibanez4life SZ!]

Yup....get an A/B/Y, hook up a head to each cab, and viola!

 

[AliensExist4]

Cool. So both heads would be running together and both sounds would be coming out of both the 4x12 and 2x12 not just ther mesa going to the 4x12 and marshall going through the 2x12. Just trying to figure this out. sorry. Also, what AB switch box is top of the line or the best?

 

[Gary K]

Hi AE4,

No, the A/B/Y will not make it happen as you describe it.

The A/B/Y solution is this (as an example):

Mesa amp head connected to its own speaker cab
Marshall amp head connected to its own speaker cab

The A/B/Y switcher, in the "Y" position, would send your guitar's signal to both the Mesa and the Marshall amp head's inputs at the same time. You would get a combination of the 2 head's sounds. But each cab's sound is only for the head that is connected to it.

I'm guessing here... I think you could accomplish what it sounds like you want if you wire up each cab for 2 speaker level inputs. For example, in a 2x12 cab, you would have a speaker level input for each of the 2 speakers. For a 4x12 cab, you would a speaker level input for each pair of 12's.

Then you could connect both amp heads speaker outs to both cabs, and with the A/B/Y switcher in "Y" position you would have both heads playing through both cabs, and each cab would be outputting a combination of the sounds from both Mesa and Marshall amp heads. Whew!

-Gary K

 

[Mr_You]

I've seen one guitarist use an Ernie Ball Stereo Volume/Pan pedal to mix between two amplifiers. Not sure if it would require a signal booster. I'd hope not.

 

[jbird]

To truly blend the two, I'd just run the two heads into a stereo 4/12, with the speakers wired in an X pattern! :idea: