I run my Mark V through a Marshall 1960A right now and I'm pretty happy with the sound. However, I'm not thrilled with having to haul the 4x12. I have a potential trade for a Mesa 2x12... Is this a good trade in the opinion of the board? Will the two be comparable in tone at all? Thanks for any advice!
4x12 vs 2x12
- Thread starter nsnyder
- Start date
Help Support The Boogie Board:
Wayno
Well-known member
You gotta take the 2 x 12 for a spin to answer that. You might love it, you might hate it. I love mine, much better than the open back combo anyway. Probably not much difference between them in value, depending on speakers and condition etc.
OldTelecasterMan
Well-known member
My very, very experienced opinion. On that possible trade, keep the 4X12 you have and save for a 2X12. Always buy, never sell, never trade or you will wish your knees were backward so you could more easily kick yourself in the *ss. Traders/sellers remorse is a bitter pill and it will last a lifetime. Be patient, instant gratification seems like the most awesome thing but it's usually not. Remorse... I used to have, a 1987 white Les Paul Custom, a 1957 ES125T Gibson, a 1980 Fender Stratocaster, a Mesa Boogie DC-5 amp head and a Mesa 4X12 with the metal grill. I repeat...Used to have...It depresses me thinking about it.
Lugging a 4X12.... put wheels on it. The 2X12 is $700... It is a chunk of cash but work some OT, take a few gigs, mow some lawns. Gear is like family.
My cabinet thoughts. I have both the 2X12 compact and 2X12 vertical cabinets. I do not have a standard 2X12. The Compact has a very full tone with very nice bass fullness. The vertical is more of a midrange punchy cabinet with less bass but more easily heard on stage.
That is my 45 years of playing guitar experience advice.
Lugging a 4X12.... put wheels on it. The 2X12 is $700... It is a chunk of cash but work some OT, take a few gigs, mow some lawns. Gear is like family.
My cabinet thoughts. I have both the 2X12 compact and 2X12 vertical cabinets. I do not have a standard 2X12. The Compact has a very full tone with very nice bass fullness. The vertical is more of a midrange punchy cabinet with less bass but more easily heard on stage.
That is my 45 years of playing guitar experience advice.
terasankka
New member
Hello,
I had the exactly same set up. Mark V to the Marshall 1960A and I was quite happy. I sold the Marshall for the same reason as you stated and got the Mesa Rectifier 2x12" Horizontal cab with Vintage 30s.
It was OK, but I really missed the "oompf" of the 4x12", so after three months I sold the 2x12" and bought the Mesa 4x12"... Now I am happy with the tone again. ( Need to lift some weights to make the logistics easier though, but it is worth it )
I had the exactly same set up. Mark V to the Marshall 1960A and I was quite happy. I sold the Marshall for the same reason as you stated and got the Mesa Rectifier 2x12" Horizontal cab with Vintage 30s.
It was OK, but I really missed the "oompf" of the 4x12", so after three months I sold the 2x12" and bought the Mesa 4x12"... Now I am happy with the tone again. ( Need to lift some weights to make the logistics easier though, but it is worth it )
Seemed worth mentioning here: realized today that I've owned all of my favorite gear twice:
2 4x12 cabinets
2 Mark Vs
2 Mark V:25s
2 JP-2Cs
2 Dual Rectifiers
Even counting the money from selling the first ones, that gets stupidly expensive.
2 4x12 cabinets
2 Mark Vs
2 Mark V:25s
2 JP-2Cs
2 Dual Rectifiers
Even counting the money from selling the first ones, that gets stupidly expensive.
Nicklotsaguitars
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 22, 2015
- Messages
- 284
- Reaction score
- 0
The one thing I would consider is space. 4x12's take up room, yeah I love em. But even though the footprint of a 4x12 ain't any bigger than a 2x12. The height of em makes em look bigger.
I've 2 4x12's. A 1980 1960a with the most gorgeous G12-65's in. And a 1999 1960a that I lent to a friend and haven't seen in a couple of years. Meh, he's enjoying it.
I've also a 1936 2x12 with early 70's G12H's. It's nice, it's a thing to behold. The power handling is a bit rubbish, but the sound is to die for. It's my favourite cab.
Personally, I'm gonna build a thiele. I'm certainly not paying mesa prices for a 1x12 with that C90 speaker in. Live with it a bit, then if it works ditch the two 4x12's.
Their impractical in todays world. And in truth they always sell cheap. So you can always pick em up cheap. Because people get fed up of the room they take up.
If I can run a 1x12 combo and a 1x12 cab and get a sound comparable to a 2x12 cab. That's good enough for me
I've 2 4x12's. A 1980 1960a with the most gorgeous G12-65's in. And a 1999 1960a that I lent to a friend and haven't seen in a couple of years. Meh, he's enjoying it.
I've also a 1936 2x12 with early 70's G12H's. It's nice, it's a thing to behold. The power handling is a bit rubbish, but the sound is to die for. It's my favourite cab.
Personally, I'm gonna build a thiele. I'm certainly not paying mesa prices for a 1x12 with that C90 speaker in. Live with it a bit, then if it works ditch the two 4x12's.
Their impractical in todays world. And in truth they always sell cheap. So you can always pick em up cheap. Because people get fed up of the room they take up.
If I can run a 1x12 combo and a 1x12 cab and get a sound comparable to a 2x12 cab. That's good enough for me
Dreamtheaterrules
Well-known member
You're not in the US, right? Just wondered because the US price for a Thiele cab is not very expensive.
jb's 52
Well-known member
Seen a bunch on Craigslist in the past as well.
Nicklotsaguitars
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 22, 2015
- Messages
- 284
- Reaction score
- 0
It's £570 here. Which is what, $690.
Waaaaaayyyyy too expensive for what, a box that costs £170 to make. And maybe an hour and a half labour. Even used prices here go up when new prices go up. Last year they were selling used for £250/$300. Now because of Mesa's price rise and the idiot racists ruining the country with Brexit. People are looking to get £400/$488 for them used.
Sorry but no, I'm just not paying that. I'll just go back to building what I need. I never did a cabinet making apprenticeship but I did do carpentry. Where I learnt to cut dovetail. I'm great with woodglue. The only persons Les Paul neck I haven't glued back together in an 80 mile radius of my house, is my own.
And I must confess. I'm already looking for somewhere local to buy korina. Yes I know marine ply is better, but what the hell.
Waaaaaayyyyy too expensive for what, a box that costs £170 to make. And maybe an hour and a half labour. Even used prices here go up when new prices go up. Last year they were selling used for £250/$300. Now because of Mesa's price rise and the idiot racists ruining the country with Brexit. People are looking to get £400/$488 for them used.
Sorry but no, I'm just not paying that. I'll just go back to building what I need. I never did a cabinet making apprenticeship but I did do carpentry. Where I learnt to cut dovetail. I'm great with woodglue. The only persons Les Paul neck I haven't glued back together in an 80 mile radius of my house, is my own.
And I must confess. I'm already looking for somewhere local to buy korina. Yes I know marine ply is better, but what the hell.
Wow, the Thiele cab brand new in the US is only $450. That's a crazy markup.Nicklotsaguitars said:
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/ThieleCab112
Dom
Nicklotsaguitars
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 22, 2015
- Messages
- 284
- Reaction score
- 0
Yeah but don't you get a tax added on when you pay, that varies from state to state? How much is that on average?
We get 20% added on to any luxury item we buy (and some necessities), by the government
That $450 comes out as around £440 with that UK tax (VAT) put on. Once you exchange the $ for £ and add the 20%. Still that's £130 just for being in the UK.
We get 20% added on to any luxury item we buy (and some necessities), by the government
That $450 comes out as around £440 with that UK tax (VAT) put on. Once you exchange the $ for £ and add the 20%. Still that's £130 just for being in the UK.
Nicklotsaguitars
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 22, 2015
- Messages
- 284
- Reaction score
- 0
https://www.andertons.co.uk/p/0TXCBB/speaker-cabinets/$610-boogie-1x12-thiele-guitar-cabinet
or the Widebody at
https://www.andertons.co.uk/p/0TXCBBW/speaker-cabinets/mesa-boogie-1x12-widebody-closed-back-cabinet
Where the Sweetwater price of $699 comes in at £572
That's $731 for a 1x12 cab. The recto 2x12 comes in at $1092.
ya can't tell me there's that much difference between the recto 2x12 and a Marshall 2x12 with V30's at $610. They're both made with 13 ply marine plywood. (all marine ply is birch)
Recto
Height 17-1/2" / 44.45cm
Width 30-1/8" / 76.52cm
Depth 14-1/4" / 36.20cm
1936
Dimensions (mm):
Width 75 cm
Height 60 cm
Depth 31 cm
The only difference I presume is that Mesa dovetail their cabinets. As they do in their hardwood combo cabinets. Where Marshall fingerjoint theirs. Both methods are essentially the same, take the same amount of time to cut. They just use different shape router bits.
Which gets me re-thinking my choice of using hardwood for a close backed cab. Yeah it may work for a combo that is open backed. But I'm begining to see a lack of hardwood close backed speaker cabs.
I can understand Mesa wanting to monopolise on the "well we're viewed as high end (which they are) so charge high end prices". Because a lot of the time, if you're too cheap or fair in your pricing, people will ignore you. And exploiting that in foreign markets.
Don't get me wrong, I love my amp, I don't begrudge paying for it at all. Despite seeing that you guys can get a nice Bubinga model for what we pay for a standard finish one.
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Mark5-112Bub
or the Widebody at
https://www.andertons.co.uk/p/0TXCBBW/speaker-cabinets/mesa-boogie-1x12-widebody-closed-back-cabinet
Where the Sweetwater price of $699 comes in at £572
That's $731 for a 1x12 cab. The recto 2x12 comes in at $1092.
ya can't tell me there's that much difference between the recto 2x12 and a Marshall 2x12 with V30's at $610. They're both made with 13 ply marine plywood. (all marine ply is birch)
Recto
Height 17-1/2" / 44.45cm
Width 30-1/8" / 76.52cm
Depth 14-1/4" / 36.20cm
1936
Dimensions (mm):
Width 75 cm
Height 60 cm
Depth 31 cm
The only difference I presume is that Mesa dovetail their cabinets. As they do in their hardwood combo cabinets. Where Marshall fingerjoint theirs. Both methods are essentially the same, take the same amount of time to cut. They just use different shape router bits.
Which gets me re-thinking my choice of using hardwood for a close backed cab. Yeah it may work for a combo that is open backed. But I'm begining to see a lack of hardwood close backed speaker cabs.
I can understand Mesa wanting to monopolise on the "well we're viewed as high end (which they are) so charge high end prices". Because a lot of the time, if you're too cheap or fair in your pricing, people will ignore you. And exploiting that in foreign markets.
Don't get me wrong, I love my amp, I don't begrudge paying for it at all. Despite seeing that you guys can get a nice Bubinga model for what we pay for a standard finish one.
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Mark5-112Bub
In my state (CT) the sales tax is 6.35%, so an additional $28.58, or $478.57 for a new Thiele cab.
Nicklotsaguitars
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 22, 2015
- Messages
- 284
- Reaction score
- 0
£391 when converted to Sterling at the current exchange rates. I could live with that quite happily.
Westside who do the distribution for Mesa in the UK deserve something. They're a great company. They got my footswitch fixed and delivered back to me in 3 days. And fixed my Pedal Power 2 out of warranty for nothing but £179 seems a bit greedy to me.
Westside who do the distribution for Mesa in the UK deserve something. They're a great company. They got my footswitch fixed and delivered back to me in 3 days. And fixed my Pedal Power 2 out of warranty for nothing but £179 seems a bit greedy to me.
